Sunday fun...

First just an update from my blog yesterday: I ventured out this morning and while walking around town was comforted by the sight of calmness. There were no riots going on today (at least none that I saw). I did hear from some other Americans that they were told the parade for the new mayor was canceled and that he wasn't coming to Pana anymore. There were still a lot of military guys around, but not driving around pointing their guns at the streets like they were last night. Overall it was just like any other day here which I'm incredibly grateful for. I also got a phone call from my amazing roommate after she read my blog making sure I wasn't freaking out.

So... since it was safe to play around town today I did. First off I went to the market this morning with Janet and one of Salud y Paz's board members who is in town for the week. I realized that I had only taken a couple of photos on my IPod to share, so I thought I would be that tourist girl today and take pictures. The market is open everyday, but Sunday is the day when all the farmers bring their fresh produce into town. The market is beyond packed on Sundays, but it's worth it to see all the extra vendors and the fresh fruits, veggies, and flowers. There are lots of vendors outside then when you start walking inside there are several rooms to walk through. 

There is raw chicken EVERYWHERE in the market. I was buying an eggplant at one stand and looked to my left and saw this.

One of the massive rooms inside has a back wall filled with many little butcher stands with meat hanging up like this. Just one of the reasons why I don't eat red meat.

 Another room inside the market.

I'm going to go on a mission this week to try to find a vase somewhere in town, so I can start buying some beautiful flowers. Everything is so cheap here. You can get a big bouquet for about 3 dollars.

There are several fruit stands in the market (and also all around town) that sell fresh fruit already cut up. It always looks delicious, but I can't buy it because I have to disinfect all my fruits and veggies before I eat them.

The streets around the market are shut down on Sundays, so people can set up in the middle of the street to sell things. Like I said it is crazy crowded on Sundays.

I realized I hadn't taken a lot of pictures of the town (mainly because I don't want to be that tourist girl), but I thought I would take some to show. It was really windy today, so this is the only one I think is good enough to post on here (I'll take more later). This is the main intersection in town. Town is about a 15/20 minute walk from my house then it would take about 20 minutes to walk from the market (the furthest point of town I have been) down to the lake where it is more touristy.

This afternoon I went on a search for a place to watch the Texans football game (I do have a tv in my apartment, but it only has about 5 channels in English and CBS isn't one of them). I found this pub/bar called The Palapa that is right on the main street that was showing the game. The guy who owns it is from Arizona and has been here for 3 years. I am constantly amazed by how friendly people are here. I sat at the bar (which is on the sidewalk so kids kept coming up to me/everyone trying to sell Guatemala souvenirs) and had good conversations with the people around me. I was the only one going for the Texans, and since I was from Houston they kept looking to me to answer their Texans questions which luckily I could (if you know me well and are impressed/confused at how I could answer any questions about football it is only because I called my dad before I went and had him give me the Texans cliffnotes). It made me laugh that I was watching the game in Guatemala in a grass roof hut pub... who else can say that?

After the game I came home and made some homemade hummus. Hummus is one of my favorite foods and I haven't been able to find it here (shocker!), so I decided to make my own. However, here was my problem. After I had bought all the other ingredients to make it I realized I hadn't bought the can of chickpeas I had seen at the store. When I went back yesterday it was already gone (most stores here only have one of each item they sell and I've been told that if you want something you have to go ahead and grab it because you may not see it again for months if ever). I then decided to go to the market and buy fresh chickpeas and attempt to cook them. I soaked them in water overnight then boiled them for a couple of hours this afternoon (so much easier to just buy a can of cooked chickpeas! or if I'm thinking of easy I miss just driving to HEB and buying a container of hummus). Anyways, it turned out delicious and I'm extremely proud/happy that I now know how to make my own hummus.

Lastly, here are some pictures I took yesterday that I didn't upload yet. After Spanish school (the first picture below was taken from the roof off Spanish school before I left to go to the lake) I walked down to the lake again. There were people sitting in my secret spot (it's like they don't know it's mine!), so I decided to walk further down the path than I had the time before and discovered that it turned into a beach. It was such a beautiful day to walk around town/down by the lake.

Right now I'm watching the Golden Globes and am about to get my stuff together for tomorrow. I am going up to the school 3 days this week (next week I'll start going 4 days which is what the other volunteers do), and going to Spanish school the other 2. I am way excited to go up to the school tomorrow and help get things ready for school to start next week!

Election Day...

When I was in Guatemala in August there were election posters and billboards everywhere. I was fascinated by how they were painted on the sides of mountains and everything. Well today I kept seeing helicopters flying over Pana and extra military guys with machine guns all around town, so I asked at Spanish school what was going on. Apparently tonight is when the newly elected politicians take office, and people are worried about what the reaction is going to be. I spent all day walking around town by myself (I found a vegan restaurant that was amazing then walked through the market for awhile buying all the ingredients to make homemade hummus and falafels tonight) and kept seeing strange things going on. When I was in the middle of town on the main street I noticed that there were about 50 tuktuks (think of a motorcycle on 3 wheels taxi thing without doors that cost 5 q (64 cents) to go anywhere in/around town) stopped in the middle of the street with some guys yelling. I ran into an older missionary couple I have met a few times and they told me that their tuktuk driver explained to them that the drivers were going on strike as a protest. I also saw several pickup trucks with about 20 military guys standing in the back with machine guns (scary). On my walk home I passed a few bars and stores with groups of people standing outside watching the same thing on tv at every place (I am assuming by what it looked like it was the inauguration of the new politicians). I stopped to talk to a couple of other gringos (it's what Guatemalans call anyone not from Guatemala. At first I was offended when I heard them calling me a gringa, but then I realized it is not a derogatory word) and was told that they talked to a military dude who told them that the new mayor (who apparently a lot of people here don't like) is coming into town tomorrow and they are worried about riots.

Hopefully all the extra security around is not needed, but I think I may stick close to home tomorrow and not go into town. I know it is good that the military is here (if they are needed), but it is extremely unsettling and shocking to me to see so many people with HUGE machine guns just standing around.

If you feel like doing some Guatemala praying tonight please pray for peace tomorrow when the new mayor comes to town and maybe some calmness for me. My roommate is out of town this weekend and I have a feeling it is going to be a tough night for sleeping.

Finally pictures of Sayud y Paz and bugs...

If you looked at my legs today you would probably think I had the chicken pocks (or some other disease that make little red bumps). I woke up several times last night itching like crazy and almost cried once (yes I agree it was stupid to get that upset, but I was itchy and exhausted) when I had convinced myself that I had bed bugs. To be honest I think the worst thing about bed bugs is that I would have to wash everything (did I mentioned I have to wash my clothes/bedding by hand? Stay tuned for that probably hilarious blog next week). Luckily I live with a nurse who checked the bites out this morning and assured me that they were not from bed bugs. She thinks I got chiggers when I went to the Nature Reserve yesterday. Apparently chigger bites are suppose to get much worst before they get better, so at least the next couple of days will be delightful. Another nurse at the clinic gave me some anti itch cream that I have been using religiously. Tonight we had a pizza party (who knew you could order pizza and have it delivered here in Guatemala? The hilarious part is that none of the houses here have addresses, so you just kind of explain where you live and hope they can find it) and the whole time I was putting the cream on my legs. Great manners I know.

Anyways, onto something more fun. I finally have pictures of Salud y Paz (health and peace). This mural is painted on one of the walls that surrounds the clinic and school.

So here it is. The clinic is on the right and the school is the 2 story building on the left. They look like they are connected, but are not. You have to walk outside to get from the clinic to the school

 This is Susanna Wesley Preschool. The school is made up of 3 classrooms (one on the second floor and 2 on the bottom), a spare classroom the clinic may start using when surgery teams come in, a kitchen, and a couple of bodegas (storage rooms).

 This is the prekindergarten classroom. I'll post better pictures when the classrooms get all set up for the start of the school year. There was a mission team here this week, so the classrooms are messy right now with all the projects they worked on.

 View of the playground from the 2nd floor. The building behind it has a laundry room, a couple of bodegas, and is where a Guatemalan family lives who takes care of the grounds.

 This is the clinic...

 On Mondays and Tuesdays (the 2 days a week this clinic is open) this front hallway is crowded with Guatemalans trying to get in to see the doctor.

When you walk down that hallway and get through the door you get to this reception area/waiting room.

This is the main room in the clinic. We use this room for office area (mine is the one with the desktop computer on it), lunch room, post op patient recovery area (there are hospital beds in the corner), and just overall storage. We sit at this table a lot and have meetings with the teachers getting everything ready for school to start.

 This is the kitchen off of the main room I just showed you (it is to the left when you look at the picture). There is a cook that cooks for the staff on Mondays and Tuesdays. The other days I will have to bring my lunch.

 One of the surgery rooms. There are 2.

 Dentist office...

Here is a picture of Janet and I with the teachers in the school. When I first met them I was surprised by how young they are (I think they are all around 21). They are great and I am looking forward to being able to talk to them more than the simple conversations we are having now.

 This morning we had a party for the school children for the beginning of the school year. The students came with their parents and sometimes their brothers and sisters. It was amazing to see all the kids. They are all ridiculously adorable and are so loving right off the bat. I was just standing there while they are doing some announcements and all of a sudden I had 2 little kids holding my hands. Everything that was said had to be translated into several different languages... English, Spanish, and 2 different Mayan languages (it was probably like playing telephone, so who knows if anything was correct by the time it got back to English). Several of the parents talked about how grateful they were for the school and how it was changing the lives of their children. We sang songs with the kids and played several games... amazing.

 This little boy was precious. Here the Mayan women carry their babies wrapped in fabric on their backs or chests. This little dude just hung out (get it???) through out the party.

 This is the road that you turn on to pull up to Salud y Paz. On one side there is a corn field and on the other an apple orchard.

 And lastly, this is my favorite picture of the day. When the kids started arriving I walked up to one little girl and asked her what her name was and she said Kelly. :) She is in first grade and is precious. She was my buddy throughout the party and will probably be a favorite. I mean she does have a great name.

Cooking, Reserva Natural Atitlan, and MONKEYS!

I realized that back home I hardly ever did a lot of cooking from scratch. I did a lot of reheating and adding packaged things together to make a meal. Well here in Guatemala you have to make everything from scratch, so I've been cooking a lot since coming here. Today I made chicken and veggie soup. I decided to document it to share mainly because I wanted my mom to know I made soup from scratch. :) Go ahead and laugh at me.

 I chopped all this up (minus the chicken which went in whole) and cooked it for about an hour. Then I picked the chicken off the bone and added the tomatoes and it was done. Super easy, but still it was the first time I had made soup from scratch.

After lunch I went to Spanish school. Gladys and I had a lesson for an hour then at 2:00 we walked to the Nature Reserve that is half way between Pana and San Jorge (where we went to the cave yesterday). It took about 30 minutes to get to the Reserve from town. Walking through the Reserve was beautiful. You can choose different paths to walk down which each leads to another amazing location. Know that if it didn't take about 8 minutes to upload each picture on here you would have so many more to look through. About every 20 feet we walked over bridges like this one (which were always moving and squeaking way more that I would like). I found the entire place beautiful and it is at the top of the list for places I need to take people to when they come to visit.

 Amazing waterfall about half way through the walk. I took several pictures of it, but most came out a little blurry because I was standing on one of those bridges that kept moving.

 Is it a common known fact that coffee grows on trees? Maybe it was just that I've never really thought about it before, but I had no idea. While we were walking through the Reserve we kept seeing people picking these berries to harvest. I learned that they pick the berries then pull out the seeds inside to dry.

I then noticed a lot of seeds on the ground and was told that this is how they dry them out. They leave them outside on the ground under the sun and wait for them to turn brown. Again maybe this isn't fascinating to anyone else, but I had no idea this was how you make coffee.

 Now get excited because it's time for MONKEYS!!!!!!!!!!!! When we first went down the path to the monkeys we didn't see any. I had bought some bananas to feed the monkeys and was extremely upset that I wasn't going to get to see them (I mean coffee and waterfalls are cool, but come on they are no monkeys). However, when we were walking back through there were so many around. They were swinging from the trees and came closer when we tossed bananas to them. I took about 20 pictures of different ones, but this one was my favorite. I watched him/her swing all over the place (just like Tarzan) and when we were about to leave it came about 10 feet from us and just hung from this tree perfectly still. It was like it wanted to get it's picture taken.

 Here was another monkey that ate most of the bananas I threw to the monkeys. I laughed so hard everytime it ate a piece because it looked exactly like a human eating a banana. He/She would pick up the banana, dust it off since it had landed on the ground, peel it, then sit cross legged while eating it and looking around. It was incredibly cute and hilarious to watch.

Again I am so blessed to have Gladys as a teacher/friend. The other students and their teachers didn't even walk together and hardly ever talked. Gladys and I stuck together and hiked through the whole Reserve laughing and telling jokes. I am also blessed that she is teaching me so much about Guatemala and the culture here. She often pulls me aside and explains to me what is going on around us. Such an amazing start to a friendship.

 I have no idea what the name of this flower is in English, but in Spanish it is called ave de paraiso. They are in bloom everywhere here and are so beautiful. I think after work tomorrow I may walk to the market and buy some for the house.

 Lastly, be impressed I walked through these swing thingys (yes I do think that is the technical name) and didn't break a leg or fall onto the rocks below.

Tomorrow I am going up to Salud y Paz and I am so excited! We are having a party in the morning for the school kids, so the mission team that is here this week can meet the kids. It will be the first time I meet them also and I can't wait. I have been getting impatient for the school year to start because I feel like right now I am just playing tourist and I didn't come here to just be on a vacation. I know that may sound weird because don't get me wrong I am loving doing all these activities, but I am eager to start being at the school everyday. Hopefully I can take better pictures of the clinic and school tomorrow to share.

Spanish school, Hike to San Jorge, and a Mayan cave...

I love Spanish school (yes I am just as shocked as you are that I would ever write that sentence), but I really do for 2 reasons. The first reason is Gladys. She is my teacher and is simply amazing. I am just as close to her as I am to anyone else down here if not closer because when we have our lessons it is just the 2 of us talking for 4 hours at a time. I have had 6 lessons so far, so we have spent 24 hours sitting together and talking since I've been here. The lessons are really more like having a coffee date with a friend than actual class. She teaches me words and then we practice them through questions and answers which just leads to us talking about our lives and me telling her about Texas and her teaching me about Guatemala. The thing I like most about Gladys is her sense of humor. She has a very similar one to mine which results in us spending most of the 4 hours a day laughing and joking around. It is becoming a beautiful friendship that I am blessed to have.

The second reason why I love going to Spanish school is that some afternoons they have activities for the students for great prices. I have been on a couple of the activities, and am always amazed at how cheap it is. Last week I visited 2 other villages, went to several churches, and visited a pottery factory all for $2.20. This afternoon we went to San Jorge to go on a hike and visit a Mayan ritual cave and it only cost me $2. Tomorrow we are going to a Nature Reserve (where they have monkeys!!!!!!!!) and it is only costing $5.80. I love that the school offers these trips because they are teaching me so much about the area of Guatemala that I'm living in. Not to mention all the beautiful photography opportunities I am most grateful for.

So after an hour of Spanish lessons Gladys, a few other students and their teachers, and I walked across town to catch a chicken bus (it's actually what it's called) to San Jorge which the village to the right of Pana on the lake. The chicken bus was crazy packed when we got on it, and I sat there amazed when about 40 other people got on after us. After about 15 minutes we got off and started our hike up the mountain. We hiked for about 25 minutes to get to the cave. The path we went on (if you can even call it that) was right on the cliff overlooking the lake. I basically hugged the mountain and prayed the entire hike. At one point one of the other students slipped a little and I freaked out. If you've ever spent more than 2 minutes with me you know how big of a klutz I am and how much I fall down. Thankfully we finally made it to the cave and it was well worth it.

It was impossible to get the entire opening of the cave into one picture, because the trail wasn't that far away from it, but you can sort of tell from these how big it was.

When we walked into the cave there was a Sacerdote (person who does the rituals) speaking in Kaqchikel (Mayan language for this village) and lighting candles. Gladys taught me what each candle meant and why it was important the order he lit them in.

The inside of the cave was beautiful. When you touched the ceiling of the cave sut would come off in your hand. I don't know if that is just what the layers on the ceiling is made of, or it there is just so much sut because of all the flames they have in the cave. At almost every ritual some kind of animal (usually a chicken/bird) is sacrificed. There were several different spots that were still smoking from the last sacrifice. When I was in Chichicastenago in August with the mission trip we walked through a cemetery and I saw a couple of chickens being sacrificed. Surprisingly enough I wasn't grossed out like I thought I would be, but rather I thought it was beautiful to watch the ritual. I got the same feeling today in the cave. I have always been fascinated by other religions, and loved being able to witness their sacred rituals first hand. However, of course I do wish the poor chickens could just be there to watch the ritual with me and not play the starring role.

 After we hiked back up to the road we walked over to Gladys' house, so I could meet her sons. Gladys and her husband both work at the Spanish school in Pana, and their 2 boys are adorable. They came on the second part of the hike with us. I started to walk behind Gladys so I could wave and make the baby smile. From her house it took us about 20 minutes to get to the very top of the mountain. The paths were just as scary as before, so Gladys stayed behind with her sons and didn't go to the very top with us.

 The last 5 minutes of the hike was just climbing up lots of boulders like this one. Yes I did start praying again and when it was time to come down I scooted down on my butt to you know keep from falling off the mountain. I tried to take a picture of the cliff below me, but it didn't come across as steep or terrifying as it looked while up there.

 When I made it to the top I was a little disappointed by how foggy it was, so I couldn't see the volcanoes on the other side of the lake. I took several pictures of the view that are not really worth sharing, which is sad but I did get a picture of me standing on top of a VERY tall mountain! If you could zoom out in the picture below you would see on the right of me the boulders from the picture above and on the right a drop off of about 400 feet. The rock I was standing on was about 2 feet wide, so after I took my picture I then immediately sat down as to not fall off the mountain. :)

 After we got back down the mountain to Gladys' house she ran inside to drop off the baby and I walked over to this little fruit stand these kids were having. I couldn't buy the fruit (because it would make me sick if I ate fruit here that I didn't disinfect), but I had enough conversation skills to talk to them. Also I took their picture and showed them on the camera. That is always a big crown pleaser with kids here.

Check back tomorrow for a blog all about monkeys. :)