another view of Guatemala

The last couple of days I have been relaxing near Lago Atitlan.  After living in Quetzaltenango for five months, it feels good to be somewhere that I can enjoy being outside.  Sunday afternoon I spent a lot of time down by the lakeshore.  Yesterday I went to the Atitlan Nature Reserve and saw butterflies, a few spider monkeys and some coati.  Choco bananas are a treat I have been eating, they are almost as good as ice cream but healthier.  Today I went to three of the different villages around the lake.  Each village is a little different, but one thing that they all had in common was a lot of vendors trying to sell things to the tourists.  The picture of the church was taken in Santiago Atitlan.

It is good to see another part of Guatemala before heading home.  Next stop, Antigua.  More tourist activities and spending time with Aunt Betty and Uncle Harold.

coffee and bananas

Saturday I visited a finca (a farm or plantation) near San Felipe called Finca Santa Elena.  The pictures above and below show coffee plants of various ages.  Although it was not harvest season, the guide explained the process of preparing the coffee for sale to a company who then gets it ready to sell in the store.
The finca has bananas, too, and I saw the process of how they dehydrate some of them to package and then sell.

Besides coffee and bananas, they also have bees and sell honey from the farm.  It was quite interesting, and worth the hour plus trip each way by chicken bus (I did not go by myself).

I also was glad to get out of the city....here is the road that goes past the plantation. 

to market, to market

My first months here in Guatemala I spent living with first one family, then a different family.  In December I  found a place to live where I have my own bathroom and get to do my own cooking.  So several days a week, I go to one of the local markets (there are plenty to choose from) to buy fruit and vegetables.  There are a multitude of women selling produce. It is a treat for me to have access to such fresh produce at this time of the year.  The vegetables are reasonably priced, too.  The picture above is what I bought one day for ten quetzales (less than one dollar and fifty cents worth)-two pounds of tomatoes, a red pepper, a half dozen carrots, a bunch of cilantro and a pound of onions.  The availability of fresh fruit and vegetables is definitely one of the great things about Guatemala.

treasure

Saturday I was on a walk to the mall when I happened upon a back to school sale in one of the plazas here.  There were tables set up under canopies with a variety of vendors.  Some had your basic school suppplies.  Others had something far more valuable to me-tables full of used books.  I abandoned my walk to the mall, choosing instead to look for a few novels written in English.  At my reading rate, I hoped to find at least a few books of interest to me as it is close to a month before I go home.  Each vendor searched the tables for an English book I would find suitable for purchase.  One young woman found several books in English at her table.  I hated to disappoint her by not buying the books she found for me, but one was a Bible (I have one Bible and one New Testament with me here), another was an English dictionary, and the third book was written for people who were married for the second time.  At the end of my time, I had found two novels (one by Eoin Colfer, the other by Debbie Macomber) in English and the biography of Joni Eareckson Tada in Spanish to purchase.  It definitely made my day to find new reading material.  If the books are still there this week, I may return there with more money and time to see if I can find anything else.

biking

This morning, I went biking. It was good to be able to get on a bike and see a bit more of the city.  It is a little scary biking in the city because the cars and buses do not seem to worry how close they get to you.  Later, I went a bit out of town in another direction.  It was good to be on a calmer and less used road.

It doesn´t take long to get out of town.  Soon there were cattle tied to a stake somewhere grazing.  As you can see from the green in the pictures, January in Xela is a bit different than Minnesota.  By the end of my bike ride, I had shed my sweatshirt and long sleeve t-shirt and was in short sleeves.

Christmas in Xela

My Christmas here in Guatemala was different than how I celebrate in the States.  I did go to the service at church on the evening of the 23rd.  We ate paches (a type of tamale), then the young people did a drama and the children sang some songs.  On the night of the 24th, the people eat supper LATE.  I went to supper at the home of some Guatemalans from church, and we ate at 10 PM.  (Some people eat at midnight).  We had roast turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, peas, and bread.  Then we sat around and talked and later ate dessert.  A little before midnight, we went over to the house of the brother-in-law and went on the roof (it is flat) to watch the fireworks.  The fireworks are purchased by individuals and are much grander than the ones people can buy in the US.  There were fireworks going off in all directions.  After that, the family I celebrated with took me home.  I slept late the next day, then hung out in Parque Central and had dinner at Pollo Campero.  It seemed like a good choice, as I could have a burrito and french fries.  Later I got an ice cream for dessert.  A good enough celebration of Christmas, but I do not plan to miss Christmas with my family again anytime soon.

Christmas is coming

Even though it doesn´t seem like December to me (Guatemala is much warmer than Minnesota this time of year), there are other evidences of the coming holiday.  One day my friend and I decorated Christmas cookies.  I hear Christmas carols in English or Spanish when I am out and about.  There is this giant Christmas tree in Parque Central.

Nativity scenes are not super common, but this a big one that was just set up, also in Parque Central. 

Friday was the first day of Las Posadas.  Normally it is an evening event, but at the home for elderly ladies, they do the activity in the afternoon.  Several people carry Mary and Joseph.  They read some from the gospel of Luke, then walk to a posada (a home), sing some more, then place Mary and Joseph in a special spot and have a snack.  The next day they do it all again, moving Joseph and Mary to the new posada.

What I am not doing this year is Christmas shopping, thinking about preparing a big meal for Christmas, or sending Christmas cards.   I am also not anticipating a break from school or having to decide which holiday events that I am going to choose to participate in.  A different feel to the Christmas season, for sure.

helping

 

The past couple of weeks I have been spending my mornings at the Hogar de Ancianas (a home for elderly women) here.  It is another way to practice what I have learned in my weeks of language school.  Most mornings, I help some of them get to breakfast, then after breakfast I help them to the room where many like to sit in the sun to get warm.  Then I might help in the kitchen, the laundry, or other miscelaneous tasks.  When there is not a job for me, I sit with the ladies and talk with them.  Around lunch time, I help get the ladies to the dining room and then assist in serving lunch.  Helping out is a way to practice my Spanish, but it is also a good reminder that getting old is not for the faint of heart. 

waiting

Here are a few things I saw today...   Roosters looking for food.

Lines of cars...

and more lines of cars, vans and buses.  I was in Cobán for a few days, and today I headed back to the capital.  The trip to Cobán  took under three hours on Sunday.  Today, because some protesters were blocking the highway, we sat in one place for more than seven hours.  Plenty of time to write a letter to my dad, doze, review my Spanish notes, write some e-mails, practice being patient, and wonder what time I would actually end up back in the city.  Good thing that I didn't have an appointment or a tight schedule.  

cemetery

I went to the cemetery here this weekend.  It is the time to go to see it and observe part of a Guatemalan tradition.  The people celebrate Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead).  As you can see, the tombs are above ground.  If a family is wealthy, they have a place where all the members of a family are buried.

Some people do not have a family plot.  Instead they rent a space in the outer wall for a family member.

There is also the part for the poor people.  It is in farther from the entrance, and has a different look.  Regardless, the people clean and paint the tombs of family members.  They also bring fresh flowers or wreaths to decorate the tombs.  Families may choose to eat there, and others fly kites.  People are in the cemetery selling snacks.  Outside the cemetery it is like a fair, with food, flowers, and other miscellaneous items.  All around the city, people make a special food called fiambre.  It is a cold dish made of different vegetables and cold cuts.  It is pretty good and I am not quite sure why it is only eaten once a year.  The cemetery reminded me a bit of those in New Orleans, where the tombs are also above ground. 

Chajil Siwan

Sunday I went to Totonicopán, another department of Guatemala and visited Chajil Siwan.  I was glad to see green spaces, lots of trees, and be away from the city.  A guide accompanied my group along the trail.  He seemed rather knowledgable, but spoke only Spanish, so I didn't get everything. 

It was quite a change from Xela, but well worth getting up before six o'clock in the morning and riding in a microbus with 15 other people and one dog.

a new doll

Last week one of the activities at school was a visit to a place where a small group of people make dolls.  The dolls are made of recycled materials and their clothing reflect typical Mayan dress.  (Mayans are the indigenous people of Guatemala and parts of Mexico.)  It was interesting to see people at work making the dolls, as well as the large variety of dolls.  I see many women dressed in typical Mayan clothing, and the colors and designs reflect what town or village the women are from.  This doll is dressed in clothing representative of the designs the people from Quetzaltenango wear.

language school

I finished my sixth week of language school.  Most of the time I feel like I am learning a lot.  The picture to the right shows where I spend my mornings.  Classes are one on one, so I get to learn at my pace.  The focus of my lessons has been on grammar (especially all the different forms of verbs) and conversation.  Class is Monday through Friday, and I am at school for five hours.  There is a break mid-morning.  There are daily assignments, usually a combination of reading, writing, and grammar practice.  I enjoy the homework

Some afternoons and Saturday mornings there are activities.  The first week I got to know the city a bit and visited another town nearby.  Other activities have been hikes in the mountains or a visit to a tourist site.  One Saturday I went to some hot springs.  This week I went biking in the mountains. My favorite activities have been the opportunities to get out of the city to enjoy nature.

While studying, I am staying with a local family.  I have a place to stay and all my meals are provided.  I do not have to think about grocery shopping, cooking, or washing dishes, though I am beginning to miss all three.

If you ever visit Central America for an extended period of time, I would suggest beginning your stay with a couple of weeks at a language school.  It will give you an opportunity to learn more Spanish, get adjusted to a new place, and interact with local people.

enough water

Saturday I went to Fuentes Georginas with the directors of my school.  To get there, we took a bus from Xela to Zunil.  Once we got off the bus, we hopped into the back of a Toyota pickup.  The Toyota pickups here are a bit modified.  They have some bars around the outside and down the center of the back so passengers can lean against them, or stand and hang on.  The drive was about five miles up the mountain past many fields.  We stood so we could get a better view of things.  We got off the truck at Fuentes Georginas, a place to enjoy the hot springs.  After getting my fill of sitting in hot water, we headed down the mountain.  It felt like we were walking through the clouds.  A nice peaceful walk where I could see the fields and there wasn´t much noise.  As we descended the mountain, it got cooler and at times quite foggy.  We had walked about an hour when it started to sprinkle, then rain.  We caught a ride on another Toyota pickup to speed our return to Zunil.  After just a few minutes, the driver stopped.  I wondered what was going on.  He proceeded to pull out a big piece of black plastic like you might find on the farm and handed it to us.  We held on to the plastic and used it to keep most of the rain off of us until we got back to Zunil.  Then we walked a bit more in the rain to get on the bus to return to Xela.  A good way to spend the morning, made more memorable by getting soaked.  I did tell the director I had enough water for the day. 

hiking

On Saturday, our school activity was hiking in the mountains.  Quetzaltenango is surrounded by mountains.  We walked out of the city, then into the country.  We saw lots of small fields with vegetables like corn, brocoli, and leeks.  It felt good to get out of the city.  We walked  to a nearby town, Almolonga, saw the market there, then returned to Xela via chicken bus.  The music on the chicken bus made me laugh, as it was the song Red, Red Wine by UB40.    

First Day of School

Yesterday was my first day of school.  This year is going to be so different than previous years because learning more Spanish is much different than teaching children English.  I spent much of my morning talking with my teacher in Spanish.  It is challenging, because I know what I want to say, but my vocabulary is so limited in my second language.  I also know how to speak in the present tense, not in the future or past. When my teacher was talking to me, sometimes I didn´t understand what she was saying because of my limited vocabulary.  Besides learning a lot of Spanish, I think I am going to gain much empathy for my students as well.  While a student here, there will be multiple opportunites to take field trips, too.  My first excursion was a walking tour of the things nearby with one of the directors of the school.  She showed me good places to get pizza and hot chocolate, as well as a big market I might frequent if I need something.