What I've been up to...

The pool at the Hotel Antigua, with mountains / volcanoes in the background.


Guatemalan Renaissance Fair! I got tickets with a friend picturing a full-scale, U.S. style mania with tigers and a king and turkey legs. It ended up being a small stage with a sword fight, some face painting, and pizza. Hahah! Strangely, most of the people who were dressed up seemed to be wearing very Disney-esque costumes. I think that might be the Beast, post beasthood. I also saw Snow White, Cinderella, and Prince Charming.


After the Renaissance Fair we went to an antique car show. I saw some pretty neat stuff, but they wouldn't let me drive anything.


More of Volcan Agua...


Some of the ruins in Antigua, with a really pretty sunset in the background. That's me at the door!


Antigua street at dusk.


Today, I spent the day at the pool (again!). In the afternoon these dudes were playing some really fantastic music.

Weird Weather, Earthquake, and Food

This morning I was laying in bed and the ground began to move a little. I heard the water cooler outside my door slosh around. When I got up, I asked the woman I live with, "There was an earthquake this morning?" She said, "No, not an earthquake, just a tremble. Earthquakes are dangerous." Hmm.

For the past week or so, we have had beautiful days and then, right around 5pm, dumping, dumping rain with thunder and lightening. They say that this is very strange for this time of year. I wonder if it is connected to Haiti, and Iceland, and Nostradamus.

Quite a few people have asked me about the food at my homestay, so here goes. I get breakfast Monday through Saturday, and lunch and dinner Monday through Friday. Breakfast has included the following things - fruit, yogurt, and granola; pancakes; eggs; many, many tortillas folded and grilled filled with cheese, tomatoes, and/or whatever is left over from the night before (including spaghetti); always coffee; milk, strawberries, and sugar whipped into a smoothie; other fruit including mangoes, papayas, and pineapple. Lunch is usually some sort of stir fry of rice and vegetables or a big bowl of soup, and sometimes there is salad. And dinner, for me, is a vegetable and rice, or ramen noodle soup. One night there was nachos with guacamole. There is almost always tortillas or bread for with the meal, and then sweet bread to have with coffee at breakfast and tea at lunch and dinner. There seems to be a lot more salt than I am used to in everything, and they also put quite a bit of sugar in things like juice, smoothies, and coffee. On the whole, I am carb-loaded but happy. And in case you don't know, I get housing plus all this food for $75 a week. When I go out to eat, I get normal stuff - breakfast foods, bagels, pizza, sandwiches. I am missing huge homemade salads.

In and Around Antigua

Volcan Pacaya

Yesterday, April 15, I joined a group of people and hiked up Volcan Pacaya. We left from the central park in Antigua around 2pm and drove about an hour and a half through little towns, by corrugated tin homes, and on the highway (which for some reason I found exciting). When we turned up the road to Pacaya, we began to see more farms and farmers - a lot of corn and some coffee and beans.

Getting out of the van, we were swarmed by men and boys offering horse "taxis" for about $15 and little kids selling walking sticks for under 50 cents. I got a stick because I heard it was useful, and also because with a stick in hand, no more kids ran after me yelling, "Stick! Stick! It is necessary! Stick!"

Hiking up started with a dirt path through the forest and farms. It was drizzling and foggy, and when we got above the tree line it was like another world. Low growing grass was intermixed with spots of burn and rock, and eventually we made out way to a solid river of rock that had flowed down the mountain four years earlier. Up and over this, some more grass and fog, and then up onto the full lava-rock cone of the volcano. For a few minutes, the fog cleared and we could see back over what looked like another planet. My stick ended up being helpful in getting over the loose bits of rock, which we walked on for about 20 minutes. All the while we were hearing what I thought was thunder, but was actually the rumblings of Pacaya! Finally, we got to our stopping point, where we could look into the rock and see red glowing rock and lava. Some people roasted marshmallows, and we threw in branches from a tree that crackles when it burns. I warmed my wet self on the ground for a while, and then we made our way back down in the dark.

Below are some photos from the end of the hike up. I didn't take too many pictures, but others in the group did so I will get a hold of those and post them eventually.

Pictures

Since I know you've all been waiting for it, here's a picture of me and my friend Ronald with a volcano in the background.


This is one of the museums in Santo Domingo. They did an amazing job of setting modern architecture into ruins. In this one, I appreciated the building much more than the religious artifacts.



Below is what you see when you walk into the ruin/museum area of Santo Domingo. It is beautifully well kept.



Part of the crypt, where the bodies of priests and monks and other religious folk were interned. One the left, you can see the reflection of glass - there are actual human bones in that one.



This was my favorite museum - the one that housed really old stuff next to really new stuff. In the case on the left, the object to the far right is this amazing class cobra with a big diamond in its mouth. The owl on the right was pretty incredible as well.



More of outside at Santo Domingo.



This is the main church in Chichicastenango. The women outside are selling flower petals, which arranged in specific ways with candles inside the church are prayers for different things. As you can see, there was about a million jillion people there that day.



The market at Chichicastenango.



Textiles for sale outside a really beautiful hotel.

Dogs and Cat(s)

Since being in Guatemala I have seen exactly 2 cats and exactly 7,000 dogs. Go figure.

I told my teacher when I hadn't seen any, and she said that is because they live on the roofs. I nodded and thought, "Nah..." The first cat I saw was on the roof. The second was in Santo Domingo, likely to ward of some sort of little creature.

Azotea Coffee Farm, Santo Domingo, and Chichicastenango

I came to the internet place tonight with all intentions of staying for a while and getting some photos of the last few days here....buuuuut....I forgot the cord, so next time. But anyway...

This weekend has been busy. On Saturday morning I planned to go to Azotea, which is a combination coffee farm and coffee/music/Mayan museum. I got to the store that the shuttle left from, and ended up having a good talk with a Guatemalan man who studied at Rutgers and then worked for the US consulate in Guatemala City. He said that he has been to every state in the US except for Alaska and Hawaii. Because he still has contacts at the consulate, he told me to please let him know if I have any problems or need to talk with anyone there. And as the shuttle pulled up and we said goodbye, he said, "Also, let me know if you want to sell dental plans in America when you get back." Huh?

For 50 Quetzales, or about $6, I got to tour all of Azotea. There was a bit of interesting information during the coffee tour, but the tourguide was speaking veeeerrrry slowly in Spanish, and then some guy on the tour was translating everything, plus adding some info of his own, so it was soooo slow. So, I jumped on a head and took a ton of photos of coffee and pots and mugs and manequins. Seeing the coffee plants was the best part. There were a bunch that were in bloom, and they smelled like jasmine. Most interesting fact from the coffee tour - when coffee is labeled "robust" it means the plant is robust - it grows well - not that the coffee is strong or tastes better. In fact, the robust coffee is considered a poorer quality for drinking. They do, however, graft the good tasting plants onto the robust plants creating some cool mega-coffee hybrid.

Saturday afternoon, I walked to the northeast side of Antigua to see Santo Domingo. It took me about 30 minutes to find the entrance, but when I did get in I was so glad that I had made the trip. Santo Domingo is ruins of a giant old church and monastery, part of which has been turned into a hotel and museums. The hotel was the Ritz of Guatemala - absolutely beautiful. Waiters in tuxedos, white tablecloths, macaws, and a very inviting pool. While the more authentic Antiguan experience has been great, I could definitely go for a couple days there! The ruins were well restored with placards in both Spanish and English, so it was a relaxing experience. And finally, the museums were fantastic. There were maybe 5 or 6 within the complex. My favorite had an exhibit that placed pre-Columbian artifacts next to very similar, modern glass pieced. The animals were grouped together, as were the people and the abstract vessels. Again, I got some great pictures that I will share later.

The shuttle to Chichicastenango picked me and my English housemate up this morning at 7:30, and we took a long, winding road 2.5 hours into the Western Highlands. The market was completely insane, which hundreds of stalls selling embroidered decorations, jewelry, food, art, t-shirts, bookmarks, pens...everything. There were sections that were obviously geared toward tourists, and sections for locals with necessities. Everywhere we walked, children under 8 would come running up, "Good price. You stay and look. Good price." A visit inside a combo Catholic/Mayan church was a welcome break from the chaos, and after about 3 hours I had enough.

On the drive back, we passed the aftermath of a very gory motorcycle accident. I looked, and wished that I hadn't, but I think that it is always a good idea to remind yourself to be happy a majority of the time, or at least content, because who knows what tomorrow, or even five minutes from now, will bring. I choose to meditate on that rather than darker thoughts.

As for the photos of my adventures, I'll get them up soon. This week I am only taking class in the morning so I should have some more time. Does anyone out there know how to get photos in the middle of Blogger blogs rather than always at the top? Will putting them in the html do that?

Coming up this week, trip to Pacaya volcano, Semuc Champey pools and caves next weekend, and probably another trip to Santo Domingo. (I didn't mention before that there is a very nice chocolate shop there as well!!)

Chichicastenango

No time to write much now, but I am heading here on Sunday...

http://wikitravel.org/en/Chichicastenango

Spanish Conversations

I can definitely understand a lot more Spanish than I can express myself, but things are coming along. Today, I had a conversation with a Guatemalan woman about the crazy things that happen in relationships and between couples - things that make daily life seem like a soap opera. She relayed a story about her married neighbors, jealousy (not sure if there was an actual affair or not), and a young guy getting his head bashed in by the husband´s hammer. She then confided that she doesn´t like her husband and hasn´t liked him for a long time. Many years ago, she tried to divorce him, but her particularly religious family didn´t accept that. Now, she lives in her village, and he lives in the city, visiting his 10 year old son for two hours every other week. But they are still married. She says she doesn´t need another man.

Points being, all of the world has the same problems, and I am the best Spanish-language listener ever!!! I have also, more than once, had an in depth conversation about people eating meat (including their pets). Because apparently, when someone shares with you that they are a vegetarian, that is an invitation to share your own love for animals - on your plate!!! Bambi and Thumper both came up, along with other bunny rabbits, overly-fat chickens, and the beautiful fish in the sea. To be fair, the last was brought up by the mothr at my house, who said that she doesn't like to eat fish because they are too pretty. But Bambi - - BANG!BANG!MMM.

Being here, there are a couple things that I miss, and some things that I do not miss at all. I miss my cell phone, mostly for text messages (I think I feel it vibrating in my bag or pocket all the time), but I do not miss my computer. I am able to check my email often enough, and Facebook is starting to bore me. I don't miss tv at all, and I can go to the movies if I want to sit back and just watch something. The movie theater in Antigua is like the cinema pub in Falmouth, and it's free! Beers start at about $2.50. Another thing that I do miss - flat, flip-flop worthy streets. ALL of the streets here are cobblestone, and not the particularly flat kind, and the sidewalks are where the man-hole covers are. Also, homes in Antigua have a strange feature where the front living room is also a potential garage, so every entranceway is a 45 degree ramp so people can bring their cars, scooters, and motorcycles inside if they don't have somewhere else to park them. I will try to get some pictures of the streets, sidewalks, and entranceways while I am here, preferably before I break my face and I am thumping down the cobblestone in a wheelchair.

I am not sure if I mentioned the two French Canadian ladies who moved into my homestay. They have very strong French accents and don't speak much English, but we can converse in Spanish fairly well. It is very odd to hear Spanish words with a thick French accent though.

Can you see what it says under the picture of the pancakes?

Fin de semana

So, my British housemate went hiking up Volcan Agua yesterday and asked me if I wanted to go. I said no because of 6,000 feet of elevation gain and a 6 hour hike (and the fact that I can't keep up with him when we are walking down the street in Antigua). I am glad that I turned down the invitation, because he got robbed by some guy with a machete on his way up. I don't think this is as serious as it sounds though - apparently the robber was pretty terrified himself. He asked for my friend's bag, and my friend told him that he needed his water for the climb and a Guatemalan would have no use for jeans that fit a man over six feet. He was able to convince the guy to just take his money and his phone. And then the guy left him enough quetzales for a bus back to the city where we live. So courteous! And my housemate still continued on up to the crater at the top!

I took myself out for breakfast this morning (about $4.50 for coffee, juice, eggs, black beans, tortillas, and a salad) and tried to get some studying done. I went over vocab from last week, which ended up filling about 8 pages of my notebook and taking three hours to recopy. Today, I don't speak any Spanish. I ran into my homestay family on the street this afternoon, and when they asked how I was doing, I stuttered until they filled in the blank for me, "Very well." Hopefully I will feel better at 8am tomorrow when I begin a full week of 30 hours of one-on-one.

This afternoon, I am going to climb up to a giant cross on a hill that overlooks Antigua with some folks that I met here. Hopefully I'll get some good photos, and after that, back to the studying!

How is everyone out there doing? I love emails :)

I bought a comb...

...for Q2, or about $0.26. Perfect! It pays to shop around.

I am thinking that one week, I will only do classes in the mornings so I can travel and do cool things in the afternoons. There are tons of places that I can visit cheaply to see what life outside of Antigua is like. And I definitely want to get to Tikal one of these weekends.

Right now I am sitting in my favorite internet spot, and in the building's courtyard women are selling woven shirts, blankets, placemats, tablecloths, and other beautifully made things. The colors are strong, reds, purples, blues, and the women who wove these things are obviously skilled. My teacher told me that girls in her village (San Antonio) start to learn weaving when they are about six years old. While her village is known for double sided weaving, she likes lighter, less heavy clothing better. I think that she teaches as often as there are students, but she said that she does weave in her spare time.

Today, one of my housemates requested that we stop in McDonald's. Funny thing, this wasn't a trip for food. It was to see the interior, which is beautiful. The order counter is like a regular McDonald's, but there is also one of those Starbucksified new McCafes, and in the back there is an amazing outdoor eating area with a fountain, views of the volcano, and of course, Ronald himself sitting on a bench. So far, my only picture of myself since getting here.

Days Four and Five

I still haven't bought a hairbrush. I might go to the outdoor market today and see if I can find a cheap one, along with some t-shirts. I definitely did not bring enough clothes with me, and the tiny little bathroom sink at my house is not clothes-washing-sized.

Yesterday was my last day of classes for the week, giving me some time to take a break and process what I have learned. I haven't sat down to review yet, but I think that things are going well and I should have no problem passing SIT's oral Spanish test when I get back (likely the first week in May). While I had planned on going to Lake Atitlan for a week to study, I think I might just keep plugging in Antigua with trips to different places on weekends. It's funny how easy it is to fill up a month - plenty of people have asked me if I plan on going various places both inside and outside Guatemala, but I don't feel like I have time to get far from Antigua. I am definitely going to go to Pacaya (volcano with active flows) and hopefully some place people have been talking about with caves and hang-gliding for $70.

After class and lunch yesterday, I joined the British roommate for hours and hours of beers in a hole-in-the-wall locals bar. We talked to a bunch of people, but I think the best conversation was when I was trying to ask a half-drunk Guatemalan if there is a re-enactment of the crucifixion with real people and he though I was asking if Jesus himself was coming to town. We went home for dinner, and then three of us went back to the previous bar for a few more drinks, and then to a park for some street food. I had these amazing churro type things that were a cross between churros, fried dough, and vanilla cake, topped with some chocolate sauce. And all that goodness for about 60 cents!

Today, I woke up at 5:30 to see some processions and some carpets made from sawdust in the street and a model of Jesus' body in a glass coffin in a giant church. And all of these things happen with a giant volcano in the background! This afternoon I might take a nap, and tonight, heading to see The Hangover with some English-speaking folks from various countries. What culture!!!

To those of you asking for photos, I haven't figured out how to make that happen yet. I'm taking them, but I haven't brought my camera cord with me to an Internet place yet...