Many the Miles

No Day But Today

2011-07-30T17:07:00.000-05:00

I’ve been back in the US for almost a week now and have been missing Antigua pretty much every minute. I could so easily pick up and move there.
My last day went by in a blur. As I mentioned, I visited some ruins, and then just walked around getting more pictures and saying goodbye to people. In total I took over 2000 pictures in 3 weeks!

I have been back to school to get ready for three days now and the kids arrive on Monday. I am anxious to use my new Spanish skills when visiting the families of my students. I hope I can keep practicing so I don’t forget all that I have learned. I also hope I can make Olga proud.

During the end of the second week of Spanish school, Olga had me read a short story/passage in Spanish out of a workbook and answer comprehension questions about it. I totally got a better understanding of my students from this exercise because this is a common activity we do in my classroom. I actually got a better understanding of my students overall from this trip. It is so difficult to learn in two different languages and while I get frustrated with my students at times, remembering my difficulties learning Spanish will help me to be more patient.

Although I had a really difficult time with much of the vocabulary, I understood that the passage was about how we have things to help us remember the past, but it’s important to live in the moment. The future hasn’t arrived yet so there is no use in worrying about it. Right now enjoy every moment you can.

It was somewhat sentimental and cheesy, but always a good thing to be reminded of none the less. I was impressed that I got the main idea of the passage. I think I’m ready to take the 3rd grade level ISAT test now in Spanish!

As corny as it may be, I do have to remember to live for right now. I miss Guatemala terribly, but I am looking forward to doing the best I can at my demanding job this year and hopefully returning to the amazing country very soon.

“Another Day” -RENT

Today I Don't Feel Like Doing Anything

2011-07-24T13:46:00.000-05:00

I am pretty much all packed up and ready to go, although I really don’t want to leave. I had a bit of a shopping problem this trip and have acquired a new purse collection, scarf collection, necklace collection, bag collection, and art collection. I can barely zip my suitcase so it’s probably best I leave before it gets out of control. It’s ironic because I absolutely hate shopping at home, but here it’s one of my favorite things to do. Maybe it’s because it’s fun to bargain for the best prices, almost like a game. Also, the stuff here is just so reasonable and so beautiful!

At the market there are a million pictures of Antigua but none of Tikal, so I had a man paint this one specifically for me. It turned out beautiful.

Yesterday I had a pretty relaxing day, although it didn’t start off that way in the morning. My friend Sharon and I decided to meet our friend Michelle at a pool that is in a very nice hotel in Antigua and pay to swim for the day. We didn’t feel like doing much else but relaxing. We didn’t get very specific directions, and no streets here are labeled, so we figured we would just go search. We ended up way, way out in the middle of nowhere. We were for sure lost, but we made some interesting discoveries. On the outskirts of Antigua must be where the really wealthy, elite people live. We passed tons of private gated communities we had no idea existed in this city. We finally got directions from a nice man near one of these places and made it to the hotel, only an hour late.

The pool at Porta Antigua Hotel

It was worth the walk to hang out at the pool. It has not rained in several days because right now is a short dry period in the rainy season called canicula. Therefore, it’s also pretty hot out (although nothing compared to what I’ve heard the weather is in Chicago). Jumping in the pool and lounging around all day at this gorgeous hotel was fabulous. I laid in the sun, took a long nap, read my book, and just had a relaxing time.

That night Sharon and I went to a cute Italian place for dinner, although the food was very mediocre, and then headed out to the bars in hopes of running into people. I wanted to say goodbye to some friends before I headed home. It’s so strange, yet nice, not having a phone here. I’ve really enjoyed it, but it was nights like last night it would definitely have come in handy. We sat at Mono Loco just hoping our friends would show up, and as we were thinking of leaving, they walked in! It was a fun last night having a few drinks and hanging out with some good new friends.

Me and the Swede.

This morning it was back to the hotel for a great breakfast buffet and then I went exploring some ruins, similar to what I did my last few days here two years ago. I have always liked photography, but lately I have become more and more interested in it. This trip was a great excuse to take shots, and I took advantage by taking almost 2000 pictures in three weeks. The ruins of Santa Clara were fabulous to shoot because every step you take there you get a new perspective. I am particularly interested in taking pictures through arches or windows in the buildings. It’s always amazing to see what lies just on the other side.

I will spend the rest of the day wandering around Antigua, soaking up as much of this place as possible before saying goodbye.

"The Lazy Song" Bruno Mars

We Gonna Celebrate and Have a Good Time

2011-07-23T20:28:00.001-05:00

It’s hard to believe I have less than 24 hours left in Antigua. I definitely am not ready to leave.

Yesterday was my last day of Spanish class. I have definitely learned a lot and am now able to hold a conversation with ease. Of course, my teacher does talk slowly for me and we still use a lot of hand gestures, but it’s still progress.

I will definitely miss my teacher, Olga. It was really interesting to have her as my teacher. Being indigenous, her life is so different and it’s fascinating to hear about it. We have discussed just about every topic from politics and religion to the kinds of jewelry we like. Although we did spend time on exercises in the workbooks, I definitely tried to steer the lessons more in the direction of conversation, and I think Olga and I both enjoyed it. She was a fantastic teacher.

Last night my friend Sharon and I decided to walk over to Café Sky, a restaurant with an amazing view from the rooftop bar. We got the most delicious liquados (similar to a smoothie) and enjoyed the sight of the sun setting behind Agua Volcano. There are so many great places like this around Antigua. I wish I had time to check them all out.

After our drinks we headed to the party that our school, Tecun Uman, was having. It’s an anniversary party that they have each year. And what better place to hold a party than….wait for it….the Car Wash of course! Yes, the party was in the car wash in front of my house.

The party was complete with delicious Guatemalan food, Gallo beer, and a DJ playing lots and lots of Salsa music. We ate, drank, and danced all night and all had a really good time. It was a good way to see everyone from the school before leaving. Unfortunately, Olga didn’t make it; I don’t think it was really her scene. It was a very fun night though. I was going to go away this weekend, but I am glad I decided to stay in Antigua.

"Celebration" -Kool and the Gang

It's a Nice Day for a White Wedding

2011-07-22T18:30:00.000-05:00

Okay, a white wedding may not be the most appropriate title, being that the only thing that was white in the entire wedding was the bride’s veil.

For an afternoon activity, students at my school went to the town of San Antonio Aguas Calientes. I went there two years ago and visited again for a very short time when I went on my bike ride, but I got a much more in depth look at this pueblo this time around. This is also where my Spanish teacher is from, so I was curious to learn more about it.

We went to a place called Mananas y Tardes Mayas. Inside, the women of this town put on a presentation for us. Every woman in this village is a weaver. They start from a very young age and everything is done completely by hand. They showed us how they use different tools to complete the beautiful products they make.

Next it was time to demonstrate a traditional Mayan wedding. After a man proposes, they need to wait at least a year before the wedding because the woman needs to weave gifts for her fiancé, future mother-in-law, future-father- in law, future aunts, and all cousins. It sounds like an insane amount of work.

Two kids on our trip played the bride and groom and I got to be the mother of the groom. Just like last time I got to dress up in all the Mayan clothing. We acted out the whole ceremony, including the giving of gifts, the burning of incense, and, of course, the dancing. The mother of the groom has to wear the gifts given to her by the bride the entire time, and let me tell you, it gets really hot under all those layers of clothes!

After the “wedding” we were highly encouraged to shop for homemade products before going to eat. We ate the traditional Guatemalan food of pepian, and I got to use my newly acquired tortilla making skills. All tortillas survived this time around. The woman also gave us coffee. No grinders are used here. Everything is done by hand, including using a large rock to grind each bean of coffee! Not a job I would ever want.

On our way back to Antigua, we pulled over to a little park called Parque Mirador for a nice view of the mountains, volcanoes, and towns below. It was another very unique experience for me here in Guatemala.

"White Wedding" -Billy Idol

Don't Burn the Day Away

2011-07-21T19:12:00.002-05:00

This week has been very busy, not unlike the others. It unfortunately started with a sore throat and stuffy nose, many mosquito bites, and some other strange bites (possibly spiders?). I, however, was not going to let any of that stop me from doing all I can while I’m here. It is, after all, my last week before my return to reality.

Monday I had Spanish class and took it easy before going to Riley’s for trivia night. I’m pretty darn good at music trivia, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, I arrived too late to officially participate in the contest, but it was fun none-the-less.

Tuesday was a jam packed day. After class and lunch, I headed back to the school for a cooking class. We made tacos and doblados. Almost anywhere you walk here, you will see Mayan women making tortillas, using their hands to perfectly flatten a ball of dough into a circle. At this class it was my turn to try. I did a pretty good job on my first one, but my second one hit the ground while attempting to flatten it. It was certainly not the only tortilla casualty of the day. Many a tortilla hit the floor. The ones that survived were filled with a mixture of peppers and deep fried in oil. The final result was taco and doblado deliciousness!

Pretty good for my first attempt!

The final product...delicious!

After cooking class and a quick walk around town, it was back to school for another lesson, this time Salsa Dancing. We started with the basic moves, which I picked up very quickly. Then it was on the turns and spins, which were slightly complicated. When it was time to partner, it got much more difficult. It was easy dancing with the teacher and I think I did pretty well keeping up, but when you put two beginners together it’s not a very pretty sight. It was definitely a workout, a lot of fun, and worth the 10Q ($1.25) I paid for the class.

Yesterday I went to the jade factory/store. Guatemala is known for its jade and is one of only a few places where real jade is found, Burma being the other major area for jade. I’ve always thought of jade as being green, but it actually comes in many colors. After the tour I ended up buying a necklace with a circle of green, black, and violet jade. The violet is my favorite and besides the newly discovered orange jade, is the rarest.

Black, Lilac, and Green Jade

One of my favorite things to do here is wander around, capturing great photos and checking out interesting places. I had not yet been to the McDonalds this trip and wanted to make a quick stop. I am not a big fan of McDonalds in the states, but here it is absolutely beautiful! I ended up staying longer than expected reading my book in a shaded area of the gorgeous garden. I also had to hang with Ronald for a while.

I am now living with a group of anthropologists at my house. They run a field school here in Antigua each summer. They are all have different backgrounds and are very interesting. Last night they had guests come in for dinner, so Annette, our house mom, set up a very special dinner. It was beautiful.

Annette did a fabulous job!

Last night was an open mike night at Café Rainbow followed by a short stop at La Esquina to listen to a Salsa band and practice my newly acquired moves.

I’m very sad to only have a few days left here. This city get closer to my heart each day, and it will be hard to say goodbye.

"Pig" -Dave Matthews Band

I Wish I was a Nomad, an Indian, or a Saint

2011-07-19T23:12:00.002-05:00

This past Saturday I got another early start for my trip to Lake Atitlan. I got picked up in a van with other Spanish students and we made our way to Panajachel, one of the towns near the lake. Luckily everyone was nicely showered and fresh this time around.

We stopped for breakfast before we came to our first views of the lake. Unfortunately, it was a little bit cloudy, but the lake was still absolutely gorgeous. We stopped for a few pictures and made our way to our hotel. The hotel this time around was also an enormous improvement over the “hotel” we stayed at in Livingston. No creepy crabs crawling around, just a nice clean room.

We took a boat ride from Panajachel to the pueblo of Santiago Atitlan. There are many different pueblos around the lake and they are all known for different things. Many of the pueblos have a majority of indigenous Mayan people living there. Santiago Atitlan is known best for its artists and paintings. There were many art galleries as we walked around. I personally found the people even more interesting to look at than the art.

We also went to the most interesting cemetery I have ever been to. It almost didn’t look real to me. The tombs were all different shapes, colors, and sizes. Each different color has significance. The tombs were different based on gender, job, status, etc. It is definitely more exciting to look at than any cemetery in the US. There was even a Shaman there while we visited preforming a ceremony. It didn't feel like walking through a cemetery at all. The colors were so bright and cheerful, which is supposed to help the dead start thier new lives in a positive place.

After the cemetery we walked to the main church, around which there was some sort of carnival going on, complete with rides and a large Ferris wheel. This wasn’t quite the Ferris wheel you would see at Navy Pier or Northbrook Days though, it was completely manual. There was actually a man pushing the wheel around the entire time. He must have been pretty darn tired.

The next village we headed to by boat was San Antonio Palopo. This pueblo is known for its textiles. Everything is made by hand and it can take about two weeks to make one item, like a scarf or table runner. It was all beautiful and I couldn’t resist buying two scarfs for about 5 dollars each.

Our group had dinner at a fun place back in Pana with live music and a great atmosphere. It’s definitely a fun town.

I was very excited in the morning to wake up to a crystal clear view of the volcanoes and lakes. It was breathtaking.

We left the lake to make our way to Chichicastenango, a pueblo known for its market days. After a while all the stuff at the markets start to look the same, but the live animals for sale all over was a bit unexpected. Also, the scene at the famous church, Santo Tomas, was quite unexpected. It was so crazy and chaotic that we could barely move. The steps of the church are where all the action takes place, where both tourists and locals congregate. A few minutes after this picture was taken, there was a woman preforming a religious ceremony while lighting incense and a big group of tourists getting their picture taken right behind. It was a scene of total contradiction, but very interesting.

Instead of shopping more, I chose to get a drink with some friends at the beautiful Hotel de Santo Thomas, sit back, and take in the whole experience.

I visited Lake Atitlan two years ago on my trip here, but this time was very different. Last time was filled with physical activity and this time was dominated by cultural activities. It was interesting to see the same place from a completely different perspective.

"World Falls" -Indigo Girls

We'll Watch the World From Above

2011-07-18T20:10:00.000-05:00

It’s been very busy around here and I’m trying my best to keep up with the blog, but I am finding myself quickly falling behind. Rewind to last Wednesday. All the muscles in my body were aching from the bike ride and I could still barely sit down, so when I found out the afternoon activity was a visit to a museum requiring very little physical excersion, I was very happy.

We visited La Azotea Cultural Center. All the afternoon activities have been 100% in Spanish. I have been finding as time goes on I am able to comprehend more and more. (Hand gestures and facial expressions from the guides help a lot too).

La Azotea is a museum that has an area dedicated to Guatemalan coffee, music, and textiles. It is also a working coffee farm. We got a tour of each section and I actually understood most of what was being said, although I got easily distracted with so many opportunities for photos.

The next day the afternoon activity was going to Cerro de la Cruz (The cross on the hill), a place with some of the best views of Antigua. I was still aching but I was determined to climb all the way to the top to get those great views of Volcan de Agua. So we get in the shuttle to take us to the base of the hill, but then we keep driving and driving. I soon realized we were not climbing at all, but being driven to the top. I felt like it was kind of a cop out and the spectacular views weren’t quite earned, but I enjoyed them anyways. We got very lucky with a perfectly clear day.

On the top of the hill I started talking to our guide, Claudia. She has been working for my Spanish school for 8 years, but it turns out she is soon moving to the Chicago area! Her husband, who she met while he was on a trip to Guate, is from Illinois and they are going back there in a month or so. She knows nobody and needs to learn more English. I need to learn more Spanish, so we are going to be exchanging information and hopefully will be able to meet up and practice together. Here we are:

After taking in the amazing vista, a few of us walked (not drove) down the hill for some excellent coffee. There is nothing quite like it here.

As I said, the days have been busy, but that hasn’t stopped me from going out at night. Riley’s, the Irish Pub here (which caters to a very international crowd) tends to be a favorite. Here I am with Kelsey, Thomas, Sharon and Alex.

Salud!

"Rhythm of Love" -Plain White T's

I Get On My Dirt Bike And Ride

2011-07-15T23:54:00.000-05:00

I got back from my Tikal trip absolutely exhausted and a little bit sick. I’m not sure if it was something we ate or if something was going around, but it turned out that several people who were on the trip got sick. After Spanish school I decided to lay low and take a much needed nap.

Tuesday a girl from my Spanish School and Tikal trip, Alex, told me that she had put down a deposit on a bike trip with this group called Old Town Outfitters for herself and her friend Kelsey. Kelsey ended up getting very sick and there was no way she was going to make it, so I decided to go with Alex after lunch that afternoon.

So I just got back from a crazy busy trip, wasn’t feeling very well, and had sore legs from climbing all the temples. I hadn’t been on a bike in well over a year and was going with someone who had done a triathlon. I wasn’t sure that this trip was the best idea, but hey, why not, right?

I’m not sure what the most physically challenging thing I’ve done in my life has been, but this was way up on the list. We left from the shop on our bikes and rode on the busy cobblestone streets of Antigua. I’m not sure how many of you have ridden on cobblestone streets, but it’s not as easy as it looks. After about five minutes I was already tired but also determined.

We made our way past the cobblestone and out of town, stopping several times to check out the quaint parks and ruins that are scattered all over.

As we continued on we started to encounter hills, and more hills, and more hills. So up we went. One of the guides kept saying we will be going downhill soon, but this part never seemed to come. We FINALLY got to the downhill part and I’ve never been so excited. On the bottom of the hill we stopped at the Macadamia nut farm for about a half hour. It was a much needed break.

When we had to get back on our bikes, I don’t think my butt has ever hurt so badly in my life. We made our way on flat, but muddy, land for what seemed like forever to the town of San Antonio Agua Calientes, a village known for its weaving. I barely was able to hang on, but when I saw the Parque Central and knew we had arrived I was about ready to fall over. But hey, I had made it.

When we got off our bikes and looked around, I decided I was definitely done. I had hit my limit. I hopped on a chicken bus with one of the guides, Fernando, and got back to the shop to meet Alex and the other guides. I felt a little bad that I didn’t make it on my bike the whole trip, but when Fernando told me I had gone 13 miles, I felt very proud of myself.

Being that I can still can barely sit down several days later, I have a feeling I won’t be hopping on any bikes anytime soon, but it was definitely an experience I won’t forget.

"Levi Johnston's Blues" -Ben Folds and Nick Hornby

What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been

2011-07-14T13:56:00.000-05:00

So let’s continue where we left off. I was at Tikal and had just climbed all these amazing temples. They were steep and high and somewhat slippery, but I didn’t have too much of a problem. I finished the last temple and walked to go buy water. BOOM! Down I went. Not climbing a steep ruin where it is likely you would slip and fall, but just plain strolling along. I scraped both knees and my hands, but I was okay. Luckily I wasn’t with the whole group so nobody really knew I fell, well except everyone reading this now I guess.

We had lunch at this place with an amazing view and some fun feathered friends.

Then it was more time in the car next to my smelly amigo, who always seemed to be nearby. Seriously, it was rough. We made our way back to the Rio Dulce and took a boat ride to Livingston. Livingston is a pretty interesting place. The people there are part Guatemalan and part Caribbean. They are called Garifuna. It’s the only place in Guatemala you will find them.

Here is our first view of Livingston

We arrive and are herded into the back of pickup trucks to be taken over very bumpy roads to our nice hotel on the beach. We get dropped off in the dark and are told that we need to walk the rest of the way because the trucks can’t go over the bridge. Here is the picture of the bridge in daylight, but at night, when it is pitch black and you come to a creaky bridge in the middle of nowhere, it is a little disconcerting.

It really does look much scarier in the night.

From the bridge we walked about a third of a mile to our hotel. Some of us had flashlights and as soon as we pointed them to the sand we immediately saw about a 100 crabs crawling our way. I felt like I was in some kind of horror movie with the worst yet to come. We get to the “hotel” and I use that term very loosely. As promised, it was right on the beach, but when we were taken to our rooms it was not quite the “nice” place we’d been told. The view was great, but that was about it.

At least there was a nice view.

I’ve traveled quite a bit in Guatemala and stayed in some questionable rooms, but nothing like this. It was about 1,000 degrees, had bugs everywhere, a fan that was the most filthy thing I’ve ever seen, and a roof that was high over all the cabins so you could hear everything, including every time anyone went to the bathroom. It wasn’t even the room that was that bad. It was the bathroom. We shared it with 8 people and it was the most disgusting bathroom I had ever seen in my life…ever. It was so bad that after hours of walking and climbing in the 100 degree jungle and sweating more than I ever had in my life, I chose not to shower. I strategically only used the bathroom one time the whole stay. Camping would have been 100 times cleaner than this. (Mom and Dad if you are reading: This place made the Days Inn in Orlando look like a dream!)

I somehow slept all night and swam at the beach in the morning. Again, much cleaner than using the bathroom there. We got back on the pickups, spent some time in Livingston and headed back on the Rio Dulce.

Right in the middle of the river there was this random restaurant we pulled up to in our boat. They offered a tour of caves there and I’m not one to turn a chance to see something new, so it was down into the caves I went. It was nothing too unusual, but still pretty cool Just your typical stalagtites and stalagmites. I also got to add a layer of dirt to my already filthy body.

We finished off our ride on the Rio Dulce, passing some awesome looking lilly pads, ate lunch by the river, and took the very long, very smelly ride home, where I could finally shower.

What a trip!

"Truckin'" -The Greatful Dead

This Territory Goes Uncharted

2011-07-13T22:38:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was quite the adventure. I got picked up bright and early on Friday morning in a van packed with other Spanish students. There were three vans of people in all. Okay, so I’ve been around some pretty bad smelling people before (my students after gym, my dad after a long run, and this backpacker in Coban all come to mind), but one guy in my van was pretty unbearable. Guess who ended up sitting by him most of the time?…yup, just my luck. I always made sure to get a window seat.

Anyways, we started a very long drive to the main attraction, Tikal, with some stops along the way. After a stop for breakfast and many hours of driving we arrived for our first look at the Rio Dulce, a huge river that runs through Guatemala. It was beautiful.

Notice the shirt I bought at the Orphanage

Our next destination was Castillo de San Felipe, a small castle that was used to stop intruders. After a very short look around we went swimming in the adjacent lake, Lago Izabal. When it’s about a million degrees, nothing feels as good as jumping into the water.

After a picnic lunch on the beach, we made another long trek to Flores, an island in Peten. Unfortunately, we got there at after dark and left in the morning before sunrise so all we had time to do was eat dinner, have a drink, and go to sleep. I guess I can look at pictures online.

The next morning comes the main attraction, Tikal. Now, I don’t know too much about the Mayans, architecture, or archeology, but I found Tikal pretty damn fascinating. Our guide was amazing and so full of information that didn’t bore us all to death. The ruins, which were pretty much all HUGE temples, were pretty unbelievable and set right in the middle of the jungle. Our guide said that there are enough ruins in the park that have not been fully dug up that it could take another hundred years to excavate them all. I’ve been to the Copan Ruins in Honduras which were very detailed. These were not as detailed but absolutely enormous and surrounded by lush green jungle. After a short introduction and breakfast in the middle of the park, we toured the ruins and the best part was that we were able to climb most of the temples.

So I climbed the first temple and it wasn’t too bad. Here’s a pic from the ground:

I figured I would probably climb one or two. As we kept going I kept climbing. We finally got to the biggest temple and I wasn’t going to miss out. The actual ruin was way too steep so they had built a huge set of stairs along the side. After a very strenuous climb to the top, my breath was completely taken away. We were above all the trees looking out at the jungle that went on almost to Belize. It was incredible. The pictures definitely don’t do it justice.

With my friends Alex and Kelsey

Looking out to Belize

Another Temple in the Distance

I ended up climbing all the Temples that we were allowed to. Some were banned because it was ruining the ruins (kind of ironic) and some people had fallen and died. I think I did 6 in all. Being that it was the most humid climate I had ever experienced, about a million degrees, and those ruins were high and steep, I felt I had sufficiently gotten my cardio in for the day….In other words, I was about to fall over. The effort was very well rewarded though. Those views were unbeatable.

To Be Continued...

"Uncharted" -Sarah Bareilles

I Believe The Children Are Our Future

2011-07-11T23:50:00.001-05:00

The two days before I left for a trip to Tikal, which I visited this weekend, were pretty busy. I explored the market, visited the Macadamia Nut Farm, studied in Spanish class, saw a clear view of all three volcanoes surrounding the city, drank at an Irish bar (which is odd for Guatemala), experienced and played with kids at an orphanage, listened to fabulous Guatemalan music while eating at the city’s best dessert place, and of course took a million pictures.

The market here is awesome. You really can’t buy too much of the produce because who knows how safe it is to eat, but it is still fun to wander around and check it out. I almost feel like a voyeur at the market. I walk around finding it all so fascinating, but for so many people here, it’s just their normal everyday life.

This is my favorite picture of this trip so far.

On Wednesday afternoon I went to the Macadamia Nut Farm. I visited the last time I was here, and it was pretty much the same this time, but I got some new great pics!

On Thursday afternoon I went with the family who has been living at the same house as me, the Nice’s, to an orphanage for boys about 45 minutes from Antigua. It's called Hogar Miguel Magone. They have been volunteering here for many years and sponsor many of the boys. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the place, but I was extremely impressed. They have boys there starting at about age 2. As soon as we got there we were immediately welcomed by the boys, many coming up to give hugs and kisses, even to me who they had never met.

Stewart and Jendy Nice with one of the boys they sponsor.

I was given a tour and was so impressed with how well run this place seems to be. The all sleep in big dormitories without about 40 beds. The dormitories were absolutely spotless. I definitely don’t keep my own room that neat and clean. They have a cafeteria, a church, a basketball area, a recreation room, a play area, and a school for the younger kids. The older boys walk to school. The older students all must learn a trade, which I thought was great. I actually bought a t-shirt that said Enjoy Guatemala, a takeoff of a Coca Cola shirt, from the silk screening press that the boys learn how to do. You will see me wearing this shirt in my Tikal posts, soon to come.

Me with the only two girls at the Orphanage. They are adding a dorm for girls soon.

I loved playing with these kids. They were all just so lovable and sweet. They have not had easy lives, but I sometimes forgot I was at an orphanage and thought I was just playing with some kids after school. I’m even thinking of sponsoring one of them named Mario. He is only four and adorable. Most of the other boys have a sponsor already who stays in communication with the boys, sends gifts, and come to visit. I figure for a few less trips to Starbucks a month I could help this kid have a future and bring a little happiness to him. I know I can’t change the world, but seeing a place like this makes me want to. I guess every little bit can help.

Me with Mario.

This past weekend I went on a three day trip to Tikal, but that deserves a whole other entry, if not two or three. Stay tuned.

"The Greatest Love of All" -Whitney Huston

Breathe Easy for a While

2011-07-07T23:37:00.001-05:00

I’ve only been in Antigua for 4 days now, but it feels like it’s been forever, in a good way. I am loving it here and easily flowing into the routine of things. Spanish class is great and I am learning a ton.

My host family and house is absolutely amazing. I pretty much live in a big car wash/garage. You literally have to walk all the way through the car shop to get to my front door. Like many things in Antigua, the front of the house doesn’t even give a clue to what is inside. Hidden treasures lie behind closed doors.

Here is the front door to my house.

You walk through the door and pretty much enter a garden. The house is set up with a huge outdoor patio in the middle with all the rooms set around it in a square. There are beautiful plants and trees everywhere and a huge group of super tall trees right in the center. There are many covered areas to sit too, so you can still be outside when it rains. It’s not like anything you would ever see in the US. I love it!

There trees were too tall to completely capture, but they are beautiful!

My room is not fancy, but still very nice. I have a big bed, a desk, and my bathroom is absolutely huge! There are literally plants growing in my bathroom. I also have a TV. Watching Pretty Little Liars in Spanish is quite the experience.

A plant growing in my bathroom.

There are eight other people living here. There is a family from California who have three teenaged kids and a friend’s son tagging along with them as well (Stewart, Jendy, Katie, Katherine, Jason, and Zander). They are doing all sorts of volunteer work here but are taking the week off to go to Spanish school. They’ve been to Guatemala 7 times to volunteer as a family. It’s pretty incredible. There is a woman named Joyce who is with the same volunteer group and has a daughter that has moved here and there is a 65 year old super energetic man named Robert who is just getting his teaching degree in Texas and wanted to improve his Spanish.

Annette and Carlos are the parents of our host family. Annette is a retired principal and now owns her own catering company. Carlos runs the garage outside our house and works at the restaurant next door. They are so much fun. Carlos has named me Perdito (loosely translate as little lost one) due to my mishap the first day. Annette cooks the most amazing food ever. It’s a million times better than when I was here last time. Her food is for sure the best I’ve experienced anywhere in Guatemala. She also gives us shopping advice and is always making us laugh. She speaks zero English.

This trip is a much slower pace than my last one, and I am really enjoying it that way. My last trip was amazing, but this one is too in a different way. I have much more time to wander around, drink coffee and read, and really get to know all the people living in my house. None of the people are close to my age, but that makes it interesting and different as well.

My last trip everything was super exciting and active and rushed and this time I can just breathe and soak it all up, and after a very busy school year I couldn’t ask for anything better.

Love,

Julie

"Love Song" -Sarah Barielles

Baby You're a Firework

2011-07-06T13:09:00.000-05:00

It’s been quite an eventful few days. Yesterday morning, which feels like years ago, I got picked up by the director of the school and brought to my host family and then had to rush to Spanish School, which is the main reason I am here.

My teacher’s name is Olga. She lives in a Pueblo near Antigua called Aguas Calientes where all the women are weavers. I visited there on my last trip and plan to go again. We spent most of yesterday and a lot of today having discussions in Spanish. It’s amazing what kind of random conversations you can have with a complete stranger who doesn’t speak your language after two days. We started off the conversation talking about why I am in Antigua and somehow it led to a discussion of how Moses crossed the Red Sea and didn’t have time to wait for the bread to rise so Jews don’t eat bread on Passover but we do drink lots of wine. I don’t think our talks could be more random if they tried, but I’m impressed I was able to explain this to her in Spanish.

After Spanish class many of the students went on a walking tour of the city…all given in Spanish. I probably only understood about a quarter of it, but I got some great pictures!

This is where the women in the town used to wash all the clothes. They still use these in the Pueblos near Antigua.

The Cathedral de Santiago is behind me.

Here I am in front of the famous church La Merced.

In the afternoon I wandered around with a new friend and sat in a café with her for some coffee. I could roam around this place forever. I also went to say hello to Dom and Doreen, the directors of the schools I volunteered with the last time I was here.

Today I had class in the morning then went on a little walking excursion with some other new friends, Jendy and Joyce. We went to see this center that was beautiful. I’m not totally sure of its purpose, but I think they have guest rooms, hold events and sports games, and have a tienda with all sorts of goods to buy. Then we went to the Candelaria ruins and the Candelaria hotel. The artifacts left here after countless earthquakes and disasters are incredible. There is something ancient to see around every corner.

This is the fountain at the Candelaria Hotel, such a beautiful hotel.

Last night was a very noisy one. There were fireworks going off constantly. They set off fireworks here all the time, so I didn’t think too much of it, except that it was keeping me up. I found out it was actually Gringos, who live in apartments behind us, not Guatemalans, setting them off. I had almost forgotten it was the 4th of July!

I am really enjoying Spanish class and my time here. It is actually much calmer and more relaxed than last time. However, I do miss being around and teaching the kids in Guatemala. There is something special about how they smile at you here that I can't quite describe in words.

Love,

Julie

"Firework" -Katy Perry

So Figure It Out and Let's Go

2011-07-04T21:52:00.001-05:00

It's my first day back in Antigua and I’ve already had few mishaps, but that’s what makes travel interesting. You have to be ready for the unexpected. My flight at 3am was pretty uneventful, although staying up for it was quite torturous. I slept for maybe 2 hours. We arrived at the airport and I was supposed to be picked up by someone who works at the school I’ll be taking Spanish at. My confirmation email said that the man would have an orange sign with my name and the name of the school. I get out of the airport where people get picked up, but no orange sign. So I wait. I look around. I wait some more. No luck. Okay, no problem, I’ll just go get on the internet back inside and find the number and call. Nope, no internet anywhere to be found.

So I could have panicked, but knew it would do no good. I had to just figure something out. So I used my best Spanish to bargain for a cab to Antigua. I got a decent price and had the driver take me to the school, but it’s Sunday. School is closed. He recommended a hostel and that’s where I wound up. $10 for a clean room that even has a tv and a shared bath. Not bad.

I tried to take a nap, but it wasn’t easy with the booming of fireworks outside the window. I forgot just how loud they were here. Eventually I decided to get out and explore. Now, anyone who knows me well knows that I am what we like to call directionally challenged. I got directed to the Parque Central, which is right in the middle of town and which I’m very familiar with. I passed the familiar yellow church called La Merced, but somewhere I made a wrong turn from my hostel and wound up pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Antigua is a town hopping with tourists, but as I walked I saw none. There was nobody coming up to me trying to sell things and absolutely nothing looked familiar. I did stay here for seven weeks a two summers ago. Something should have looked familiar, but no.

Finally, after walking in circles for about an hour, I asked, again using my best Spanish, where the park was. When they asked which park, I knew I was in trouble. If we were anywhere close to Parque Central they would have known what I meant. When I said the central park they told me it was at least 20 blocks away. I was tired from lack of sleep and dizzy from walking in circles and not eating anything, so I found myself a tuk-tuk and made it to the park.

From there, I had no problem getting around. I just needed the park as my base. The rest of the day entailed roaming the cobblestoned streets, checking email, grabbing a bite to eat, taking pictures, browsing the shops, and reading at my favorite café. I was able to contact the Spanish School via email and made arrangements to get picked up to be taken to my host family tomorrow. Coming back to Antigua felt like coming back to see an old friend. The sights and sounds came rushing back as if I had never left. I fell in love with this city last time I was here and I already know I will love it just as much this time.

Love,

Julie

"Figure It Out" -Maroon 5

I've Got Nothing To Do Today But Smile

2009-08-13T20:32:00.011-05:00

Due to my glasses debacle, I came back to Antigua a day early and had absolutely nothing to do. I decided that there was so much of Antigua I still hadn’t seen. So, even though I had been living in Antigua for seven weeks, I decided to put on my tourist cap for the day and explore.

My first stop was the absolutely beautiful Casa Santa Domingo Hotel. It was an old convent and in 1989, it was turned into a hotel. It is built among the ruins of this place that was destroyed in one of the many earthquakes. The entire hotel was hidden behind just a little door. Without the tiny sign, I never would have known this enormous hotel existed. Still one of my favorite things about Antigua is that you never know what lies behind the doors. It’s always a mystery. I walked around the hotel with a guide and went to the museum there as well. You would just never see anything like this anywhere in the US. Of course I couldn’t leave without taking a million pictures.

My next stop was the Jade Factory and museum. Guatemala is one of the world’s major sources of jade and it is everywhere in the country. I have bought several little pieces at the market, but this place had the genuine real stuff. After the quick tour, I bought a beautiful necklace in the store that I can’t wait to wear on a special occasion.

I couldn’t spend too long at the Jade Factory because more ruins were awaiting me. Next, it was off to Capuchinas, another old convent that housed about 70 nuns before being destroyed by an earthquake and relocated in Guatemala City. With no guide this time, I wondered around the gorgeous ruins for quite a while. I think these ruins were the winner in mind in terms of beauty.

After stopping in a hospital that I thought was a church I could explore, I went to the final ruins of the day, Santa Clara. With a guide that spoke very little English, I explored these HUGE ruins of yet another old convent. And of course, took more pictures.

For having nothing planned for the day, it turned into a wonderful day of exploration and beauty right in Antigua.

"The Only Living Boy In New York" -Simon and Garfunkel

Everywhere I Turn All The Beauty Just Keeps Shaking Me

2009-08-07T16:31:00.011-05:00

After a four hour trip back from El Salvador, I went to a nice dinner with the other volunteers, went to sleep, and got up to get on a seven hour bus ride to Lanquin, a small town in the part of Guatemala called Alta Verapaz. Since all the other volunteers were going back to school on Monday, and I had taken the week off for travel, I went by myself, but confident I would meet some people on my way.

After the long journey, I arrived at the hostel called El Retiro. My guidebook describes this as a backpackers dream place and it was right. Every person there was traveling through Guatemala or other surrounding countries. Everyone was really friendly and eager to share their travel adventures. It made for a fun atmosphere. Plus, the place was gorgeous! It was a bunch of cabins and small buildings surrounded by green mountains and the Rio (river) Cahabon.

I splurged and got my own huge room with private bath for a whopping $20. The best part was the hammocks which I spent a lot of time in. They win for most comfortable hammocks I’ve been in on this trip. There were also some other visitors on the property keeping me company.

The first night I had the delicious buffet dinner at the hostel restaurant and chatted with some other travelers. Dining there is a communal experience for sure. Then it was to bed to get up for my tour of Semuc Champey the next morning.

I woke up to pouring rain and was disappointed, thinking the trip might be canceled. But by the time we left the sun was doing its best to show its face and we traveled on a crazy scary, but beautiful, road to Semuc Champy. There were about 20 people on the tour.

The first part of the tour was exploring the caves of K’anba. These caves are in water so swimming is required. It is also pitch black in there. To light the way, each of us was given a candle. Holding a candle while swimming makes for a difficult task, but also a fun one. In the caves we were required to climb a series of ladders made of medal and rope. When you are in a wet underground cave and have water from mini waterfalls flowing in your face while trying to climb a steep ladder in addition to holding a candle and not running into rocks, it is just a tad scary. This cave most definitely falls under the category of things that would never be legal in the US. Not to mention we had one tour guide and 20 people. People were scared, one girl lost her shoes, and everyone banged into a few unseen rocks, but we all made it out alive.

Next adventure was jumping off a huge bridge and tubing. About half the group, me included, decided to skip the jumping part. I was worried my glasses would fall off, but mostly, it just looked terrifying! The people who didn’t jump walked down toward the river on very slippery rocks to get in their tubes. At the bottom, one girl slipped and fell. I tried to go over to her to see if she was okay, but before I could get there, I tripped and fell too…right on my face. My glasses broke my fall, and one of the lenses popped right out. Luckily, I was not hurt at all, but I could not say the same for my glasses and the one lense I assumed was in the bottom of the river. I would have been better jumping off the bridge!

With one eye open, I went tubing anyways and by this point the sun was shining brightly. It was a short ride down the river, but definitely fun. I could have done that all day.

When walking our tubes back to the place they had come from, two friends I had met on the shuttle went looking for my lense and actually found it laying on a rock! The guy tried to fix my glasses and put the lense back in place, but unfortunately he ended up popping out a screw and my chances were hopeless. I was to be a Cyclops for the rest of the trip.

I didn’t let it get to me, and instead trekked on to the pools of Semuc Champey. Semuc Champey is a 300 meter limestone bridge with turquoise pools and small waterfalls flowing over it. It’s not so easy to describe, except to say that it was absolutely stunning, so here are a few pictures.

Many people chose to do a really difficult hike up to a lookout point to see the pools from above, but do to my glasses incident, I chose to just relax and swim in the pools. The pools were really cool because you could swim a little, then relax on the limestone in the middle. It was wonderful. We spent a few more hours relaxing there and exploring the pools before heading back to El Retiro. The tour, despite my broken glasses, was amazing.

A few people I had met and I then decided to head to the Lanquin Caves to see the infamous exodus of the bats. At around dusk each night, thousands of bats fly out of the caves right above the people’s heads. Look out Gotham City, the bats have relocated to Guatemala.

The four other people and I jumped on the back of a pickup truck and were taken to the caves. I have never seen anything like it in my life. There were literally thousands of bats flying out of the caves and they were so close to us! I thought some of them would hit us for sure, but they just went along and flew right over our heads. I did my best to capture the experience in photos.

Next, it was back on the pickup to the hostel for a traditional Guatemalan dinner and drinks with some friends I had made, before I turned in for the night. Here I am with my new friend Maitae from Spain.

I was planning on staying in Lanquin for one more day and night to explore further, but I didn’t think I could go much longer only seeing with one eye. The next morning, I was back on the 7 hour shuttle, with one guy who had literally not showered in months (I did say this was a true backpacker crowd), and back to Antigua I went to spend my last few days in Guatemala. Luckily, I had an extra pair of glasses waiting for me there in my luggage.

This was the last big excursion of my time here, but it was a great one and yet another beautiful place I am privileged to have seen.

Love,

Julie

"Word Falls" -Indigo Girls

What If A Great Wave Should Wash Us All Away?

2009-08-07T10:24:00.007-05:00

Bright and early on Saturday morning, four other volunteers and I headed to sunny Tunco Beach in El Salvador for a relaxing weekend. We went in style, having air conditioning in the shuttle for the first time since arriving in Guatemala.

We got to our hotel, which was a very cute little place on the beach with a pool, hammocks, and a great view. After some lunch, we went for a dip in the ocean. In the ocean there is this huge black unusually shaped rock, which was visible from anywhere on the beach. It seemed to give this beach its character.

El Salvador is known for its surfers and there was no shortage on Tunco Beach. One of the most entertaining parts of the weekend was watching the surfers catching the waves.

After some time in the ocean and in the pool, I lazily slept in a hammock for a few hours while soaking up the sunlight; the definition of relaxation.

Unfortunately, my relaxation time ended when I woke up and saw Stan, one of the volunteers I went with, being carried up the stairs leading to our hotel. He looked absolutely horrible.

Apparently, he had swum out too far and the tides kept pulling him farther and farther away from shore. He yelled for help, and another volunteer who happened to be down by the beach, was able to get the attention of a man who swam out to help. This man was an oyster fisher and had flippers on to help him swim. Luckily, he was able to rescue Stan and bring him back to shore. He was freaked out, but he was okay. He was a trooper and even made it out to dinner that night. Here we all are after a delicious dinner.

While at dinner, it rained like crazy, but we got to see another amazing lightning storm. It seems each time I am by the water a lightning storm has happened. They are seriously amazing to watch.

My favorite part of the weekend was the new people I met. While in the pool I started playing with some kids and we became fast friends. They were here on vacation from Mexico City visiting their grandparents who live in El Salvador. The little girl who was five, Carla Rebecca, and I bonded over the fact that we had the same middle name. The boy, eight year old David, and I practiced headbutting balls in the pool together. Here are my new friends Carla and David.

I also talked to their parents and grandparents. Their grandfather comes to the states often for work and wanted to practice his English with me, which was very good. I wanted to practice my Spanish with him. We were having a conversation back and forth while he spoke to me in English and I answered in Spanish. It was quite amusing.

I also made another friend this weekend. We found him in our room...

The weekend ended with more time in the ocean, hammock, and pool. Out of the two beaches I visited, I far prefer El Salvador to Monterrico. The beach was prettier and much easier to swim in, the town and hotel were nicer, and there wasn’t even a comparison on the food. The seafood at El Salvador was incredible! Two days there was not nearly enough.

Love,

Julie

“Pig” –Dave Matthews Band

Because I Knew You I Have Been Changed For Good

2009-08-06T12:17:00.015-05:00

I apologize for my absence, but I have had very limited time in the land of computers for several days on. I have so many entries to write!

Last Friday, almost a week ago already, was mi ultimo dia (my last day) at the school in Itzapa. The time with my kids flew by so quickly and it’s hard to believe it’s already over.

Although frustrating at times, especially my afternoon class whose favorite word to say was “No”, Clase Fuego was a blast to teach. All my students were such unique characters and had so much personality.

On the last day, I received an absolutely beautiful bouquet of flowers from my student Yaimee, along with a very heartfelt card written by her mother expressing her appreciation. It was so thoughtful. I also got cards made by my kids that were so sweet. Some of them are great artists.

I took over 100 pictures this day. I wanted to be sure to capture every moment I could on my last day. It was very hard to narrow down just a few to share here.

Each Friday, the volunteers who are leaving sit in a chair near the entrance to the school. As the kids leave for the day, every kid gives a big hug and cards to those volunteers. It’s a really nice tradition. Each week I’ve gotten a little choked up seeing the other volunteers say goodbye to the kids, so it wasn’t surprising that I shed a few tears when I had to say my goodbyes.

This day I also said goodbye to the Elena’s family, who have been so nice and welcoming of all the volunteers into their house. We were served more shots of whiskey poured out of a coke bottle at lunch to celebrate the last day of so many volunteers. The volunteers who were leaving were also given a beautiful tablecloth that had been used to hold the tortillas we ate everyday. Here is me with Elena and one of her daughters, Yaimee.

I have had to say goodbye to kids every year as a camp counselor and a teacher. It was different on this day though, because those kids I almost always saw again, and I know, unless I go back to volunteer again, these kids I won’t. Teaching at this school and spending time with these children will definitely be an experience I will never forget and one I will consider one of the most unique of my life. Being around these kids, even just for a short time, has absolutely changed me for the better.

Love,

Julie

“For Good” –Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenowith (Wicked Soundtrack)

I'm Easy Like Sunday Morning

2009-07-30T19:12:00.012-05:00

After the Pecaya climb on Saturday I was in much need of a day of relaxation. Two other volunteers, Diane and Michelle, and I headed to the right place for this on Sunday morning…the macadamia nut farm, Valhalla.

To get to the farm, we rode the chicken bus. After being in Guatemala for five weeks and almost getting ran over by several, I could not believe that I was finally taking my first chicken bus ride. It was not all that different from riding any American school bus except they were ridiculously decorated and came straight out of the 1970s. Despite our tackily designed aging bus, we made it to the farm.

This farm was just what we all needed. It was a small little paradise ran by a crazy old man and his wife. Once we entered, I was immediately taken in by the beauty. We were offered macadamia nuts and chocolates with the nuts in them. Then we got a very short tour by the owner who used to live in the US. He pretty much just babbled on about all the US’s conspiracy theories against him, but I was too amazed by the surroundings to care. He also quickly showed us how the nuts are harvested, and then went on his way.

Next, we were all given a short free facial massage using Macadamia nut oils. It felt incredible.

We headed towards the restaurant, which were pretty much just some tables outside surrounded by the macadamia nut trees. Apparently they cook in this old trailer that looked like it was a thousand years old.

Without having to think about it, all three of us ordered the pancakes with macadamia nut butter and didn’t regret it for a second. They were delicious!

After our scrumptious brunch, we explored the surroundings a little bit more, having fun on the swings and in the hammocks. We all agreed this place was one of the most beautiful we’ve seen thus far in our travels.

It was hard to pull ourselves away from the peacefulness of the farm, but we managed to hop on another chicken bus and made our way to the small pueblo of San Antonio. One of the interns, Moli, had recommended I stop here at some point but warned me it would be hard to walk away from the artesian market empty handed.

Moli was most certainly right. As soon as I walked in to the indoor market, I instantly saw woman working at the looms to weave beautiful bags, scarves, tablecloths, etc for their shops. I started talking with one of the women while she was weaving.
Next thing I know, I’m dressed head to toe in traditional Mayan clothing. Don’t laugh when you look at this picture. Okay, maybe you can laugh a little bit. Here’s how I look dressed as a traditional Mayan.

Next I headed upstairs and struck up a conversation with a woman named Anna. We spoke for about 30 minutes, all in Spanish, which definitely made me feel more confident in my conversational abilities in another language. All the woman here was nice and friendly, but Anna was especially welcoming. Here is a picture of the two of us.

Upstairs, next to all the vendors, there was this small one room museum. It had typical clothing that Mayan women where in all different parts of Guatemala. It was small but quite interesting and worth a look.

I did not walk away empty handed, but instead ended up buying a small purse, a table runner, a worry doll, and a scarf.

I then went to their adorable Parque Central to capture a few more shots of this small town.

Then is was back on the chicken bus to Antigua where we all sat three to a seat with no windows down because it was pouring rain by this point. I had a woman practically sitting on my lap and a child sitting on her lap. Again, Guatemala is not so up to date on those safety laws. The bus ride back was uncomfortable to say the least, but most definitely worth it.

These days in Guatemala have been amazing. I can’t believe I have such a short time left!

Love,

Julie

“Easy Like Sunday Morning” -Commadores

So High, Elevation

2009-07-28T18:44:00.007-05:00

This weekend was incredible. So much so that there is no way I can fit it all into one blog. I’ll just start with Saturday’s mission: climb an active volcano, Volcan Pecaya.

Saturday morning at 8am I went to the travel agency to meet up with my group for the day. I was pleasantly surprised to see my French buddy, Guillermo, the guide from my Lake Atitlan trip, there. I was happy to hear he would be my guide on this trip. There were three other GVI volunteers, an army man named Jimmy, and two parents and their daughter who is around my age, who were all in the group as well.

We took the 1 hr 15 min scenic drive to the volcano. Once we arrived in the park, kids were there instantly trying to sell us walking sticks and marshmallows. There were about three kids who jumped on the van as it was still in motion, just to get our business. I remember my friend Debra telling me that I most definitely want to have a walking stick for this hike. I let a little boy named Brian sell me one for 5 quetzals. Let me tell you now…these were the 5 best quetzals I’ve ever spent in my life.

We started going up and I found it instantly challenging. I was told the last hour was very intense and we should all try to save our energy for that. So after a little while of hiking, I jumped on a horse to take me to the more difficult part of the hike. I don’t regret this choice a single bit. At first I felt like I was wimping out, but this allowed me to relax a little and enjoy the scenery before the real hiking began.

Here I am on my horse Campion, which means Champion in English.

After a short relaxing journey on Campion, we arrived at the part where the hike stops being a pretty trail through some trees and becomes a steep climb up razor sharp volcanic rocks that refuses to stay under your feet. This is where the walking stick came in. Thank god for that thing! I never would have made it through without it.

As I watched the people walk up the volcano I seriously thought there is no way in hell I will make it all the way up there. The people near the top looked like tiny little dots from where we were. Guillermo told us that just a few weeks before the place where lava was flowing was not nearly as high, but since Pecaya is an active volcano it is constantly changing formation. If you look at the picture below and focus on those tiny people on the right side, you can kind of get an idea what I’m talking about.

So up and up we went. I took it one step at a time. At one point I looked down and got to see how far I had come which was an amazing feeling. Eventually we all made it to the top. And I wasn’t even the last one up!

The group was told that there was no way to know when there would be lava flowing, so we may see it or we may not. If I had hiked my ass all the way up there, and risked death about a thousand times, I was not going to be happy if there was no lava to be seen.

Luckily, the volcano rewarded me for my efforts and I got to have one of the most unique experiences of my life. As soon as I arrived at the top I instantly felt intense heat and knew that there must be lava doing its thing. Sure enough, there were two huge streams of it making its way down the volcano. It was seriously amazing.

I’ve never been one who was big into geology, but after seeing this it might just be a new interest. Since we were all pretty exhausted from the climb up, we hung out at the top for a long time, enjoying the view and roasting marshmallows on the lava. The whole thing was seriously incredible. Here is a narrated video of the lava flow. I apologize for the shakiness, but my hands were tired from gripping to that walking stick for dear life.

So after spending our time at the top, I was thinking the hard part was over. All we have to do now is go back down. Wrong. Going down was quite possibly twice as hard as going up. Again, the rocks did not stay below your feet, and we all pretty much slid our way down. That 5 quetzals walking stick really came in handy going down. It didn’t stop me from falling about a thousand times, but after a while I actually got pretty good at falling. I always landed on my butt instead of on my face. With the rocks I was dealing with, this was pretty much life saving.

After climbing down the volcanic rock, we stopped for a delicious lunch prepared by Guillermo. Right as we started to eat the clouds rolled in and we got completely soaked. Jimmy, the army guy and the only one who forgot to bring a raincoat, said they have a saying in the army, “Embrace the suck”. This basically means that when things suck, which they often do, just go with it and don’t fight it. You’ll be better off in the end. So we all “Embraced the suck” and made it the rest of the way down the volcano. We were soaking wet, but we all definitely had a blast.

I have seen many things in Guatemala that would for sure never be allowed in the US, and letting people climb this volcano would most definitely be one of them. However, I’m so glad that I’m in Guatemala and not the US, and had a chance to experience this amazing hike. I’m not really sure I’ll ever again be able to say, “I hiked a volcano and roasted some marshmallows on lava today.”

Love, Julie

"Elevation" -U2

They Say It's Your Birthday

2009-07-26T10:03:00.008-05:00

This past week was a week of many birthday celebrations.

The first one was Tuesday at school. We celebrated Elena’s birthday. Elena is the woman whose house is used for the English classes of our school and where we eat lunch. She cooks for all of the volunteers everyday. In honor of her birthday, her husband came out and gave all of us huge shots of whiskey. This is not the first time we’ve been served alcohol at lunch. Remember, after lunch we still need to go teach our second group of students. Any Tubman people reading this think we should ask McHenry if we can implement an alcohol on birthdays policy at our school?

That same night, we went out to celebrate my housemate’s birthday. About 15 or so volunteers met at the corner near our houses and headed to Café 2000, a sports bar in Antigua. We spent the night drinking, dancing, and singing to the sounds of the live band that was playing. Lisa had a great birthday and we all had a good time.

The celebrations continued on Friday at school where we celebrated all the kids who had a birthday in the month of July. All the volunteers gave each birthday kid a hug and a Feliz Cumpleanos! To celebrate, we had huge piñatas that the students with a birthday got to hit after being spun around as many times as correlated to their age. I’ve never seen kids dive for candy like that in my life! All the birthday kids also got a present such as a jump rope, puzzle, marbles, or coloring books.

Afterwards the entire school was treated to a snack of juice and tostadas with beans and cheese made by Elena and her family. They were delicious!

Here are the kids diving for the extra candy being thrown out into the crowd!

All the birthday celebrations were very different, but I had a great time at each of them.

Love,

Julie

"Birthday" -The Beatles

And I Start To Complain That There's No Rain

2009-07-22T18:29:00.008-05:00

I’ve been in Antigua long enough now that I feel I have moved past having the official title of “tourist”. I’ve grown accustomed to the routine and feel a little bit more comfortable here with each passing day. Just like in any place I’ve lived in for an extended period of time, I’ve come to have my favorites; favorite restaurant, favorite internet café, favorite bakery, favorite laundry place, favorite place for coffee, favorite music venue, etc.

Also, for someone who is as directionally challenged as I am, I’ve come to know my way around quite well. I still only know the name of about two streets here, one of them being the street I live on, Colonia Candelaria, but I can recognize landmarks and buildings all over and never have to stop to ask for directions.

The regulars on the street are becoming familiar to me as well. There is the girl with no hands who draws incredible pictures with her feet outside of Café Condesa, the woman who sells super fresh cut up fruit at her post on the corner near the coffee shop I go to everyday, and the man who plays the harmonica while sitting Indian style near McDonalds. There are some interesting characters here. Scanner Dan, the hunger strike guy, and the piccolo player in the orange jumpsuit who all have wandered the streets of Madison, WI, have some competition here for most interesting and unusual street person.

Although I feel comfortable here and have a good sense of the city, I still feel there is a lot more to explore and discover. One of the most interesting things I’ve found about the architecture here is that you really never know what lies behind a door. For example, I’ve walked by this one store near the park a million times. It looked pretty small, but interesting, and one day I decided to stop in. I was amazed to find that it was not just a store but an enormous indoor market that went on for at least a block inside with probably 50 different vendors. I still feel there are many more places like this to be discovered in the few weeks I have left here.

One strange thing I’ve actually not been used to this past week is the dry weather. It is the rainy season here, which means you can pretty much guarantee there will be rain in the afternoon. The first three weeks this was like clockwork. Around 2 o’clock, no matter how sunny it had been in the morning, the clouds started to roll in and you knew rain was coming. But now it’s been over a week without a drop. This actually has a name, coliqula or something like that. As strange as it sounds, I miss the rain a little bit, but not too much.

I’ll leave you with some more pictures of the city I’ve come to call home, but check back in soon This weekend there will be a hike of an active volcano, a trip to the macadamia nut farm, and possibly a chicken bus ride to the town of Pastores where custom made boots can be bought.

Love,

Julie

“No Rain” –Blind Melon

Your Hands and Feet Are Mangos, but You're Gonna be a Genius Anyway

2009-07-18T16:18:00.010-05:00

At school everyday, the kids get a fruit break which is pretty much their recess time as well. The fruit is like gold for the students. I have never once see a kid not take the fruit or not eat every last bit of it, no matter what kind of fruit it is. Even though they love all the fruit, my students tend to get extra excited when we have mangos. I’ve brought my camera with me on a few of these days and was able to capture the students enjoying their delicious snack. My camera has also served as entertainment for many students. The other volunteers and I will often hand over our cameras and let the students do the photography for a little while. With the magic of digital cameras, the kids can see the results instantly.

I wanted to share some of the best moments I’ve caught on film during mango day!

Enjoy!

Love,

Julie

"Mango Song" -Phish

We'll Make The Best Of What's Around

2009-07-18T14:03:00.012-05:00

I have been teaching my own class in Spanish for two weeks now and I have survived! All the classes in the school are named after volcanoes and mine is called Clase Fuego. The school has two sessions, a morning and an afternoon. Therefore, I have two different sets of students and I use the same lessons twice each day. The part of the day my students are not in our school they are at the state school. GVI gives scholarships to the children so that they can attend the state school and pay for items such as school supplies, uniforms, and other various fees.

Most of the classes have at least two teachers, but not mine. I’m flying solo. It’s surprisingly gone much better than I had expected. I’ve found that when I’m forced to speak in Spanish it helps a lot. I’ve also become quite good at pointing at things and acting things out! Although my grammar is atrocious, my students somehow manage to understand me. And when they don’t I have my pocket size Spanish/English dictionary to bail me out.

The key to getting kids to like you is to sing with them. Seriously. To kill some time on the first few days I sang a few songs with my students. Now, singing is a must in our class pretty much everyday. I have my Spanish teacher, Maria Marta, to thank since she taught me a few songs that were very kid friendly. I also dug way deep and remembered a few songs from my 8th grade Spanish class. I guess my tendency to remember lyrics to random songs works bilingually.

I also tend to make up many games for my kids to play. Academic games for the most part, but some just for fun too. I probably have the loudest class in the whole school and we are always up doing something or other out of our seats. I look around and all the other classes seem to be hard at work while mine is running all over the place, but I think I’m still teaching them something and I know they are having fun.

So far I’ve done lessons in math, language, the 5 senses, transportation, and forms of communication. I find science the most difficult to teach. I tried to do a lesson on the seasons, but all the students know are the rainy season and the dry season. They have never experienced anything like winter with snow or fall with the leaves changing colors. Most of them have never been outside of Itzapa. By the end of my time here I hope to have broadened their horizons at least a little bit. I want them to have knowledge of the world outside of what they already know. In my opinion, that’s what a good teacher does.

Between the first and second sessions of school we have a two hour break for lunch, lesson planning, and just hanging out. A few days ago all the volunteers went on a walk through Itzapa. Until now, all I had really seen was the one street that the school is on. The walk was an eye opening experience. This place is very hilly. I was pretty much out of breath from walking up those hills. We passed many people, men, women, and children, carrying incredibly heavy loads of wood on their head and on their backs up and down these hills. Our intern, Moli, told us that some of the kids we passed used to go to the school, but were pulled out so they could work more. Every single person we passed, no matter how heavy a load they were carrying, smiled at us and said “Buenas Tardes!” As poor as the people of Itzapa are, it still amazes me how happy they seem. They are always smiling and appear to have an overall positive attitude. It’s really pretty inspiring.

I think if there is one thing this trip will have taught me it’s to appreciate what I have. It’s so easy to get caught up in the little problems of day to day life. We all do it. Guilty as charged. We can get angry and frustrated about the smallest things. I hope I can learn from the people here and let some of these insignificant problems go. I know that big experiences have an impact immediately after they are over, but somehow what was learned tends to fade with time. I hope that I can hold on to this experience for as long as possible and remember the knowledge I’ve gained here for a long time to come.

Love,

Julie

“Best of What’s Around” –Dave Matthews Band

This Is The Time To Remember

2009-07-14T19:30:00.005-05:00

It’s hard to believe I’ve been in Guatemala for almost four weeks already! The time is flying, although I knew it would. I still have three weeks left to enjoy this country and I’m hoping to soak up every minute of it. I get to wake up here everyday, walk outside, and view an amazing ruin of an old church. It's pretty fantastic.

I’m getting used to my life here and some things I thought I would miss I am finding surprisingly easy to live without. For example, television. I watch a LOT of TV at home. I’m always the one in the lounge at school asking people if they saw this show or that show last night. But here there has been no time and really no reason to sit around and watch TV. It’s a nice change of pace.

Another thing I am living just fine without is my car. Except for going to my school in Itzapa, which is a 40 minute drive through the hills, I walk everywhere. I have never done so much walking in my life! I don’t even know if I walked this much when training for the breast cancer walks. At first I couldn’t believe how much walking I was doing, but now that I’m getting used to it I actually really enjoy it.

Then there are some other things I can’t get used to. I have mentioned that my host mom’s housekeeper lives in our house with two sets of twin girls. The older ones are so well behaved, while the younger ones aren’t so much. Lisa, my housemate, and I call them the devil children. They just turned 3 years old and up way later than us every night and up way earlier than us every morning making more noise that you can imagine. They are always screaming and crying and running past our rooms. They also are always watching Spanish Tela Novelas. It would be really easy to hate them, but they are so darn cute.

Another thing I’m not quite used to is the food. Unfortunately, it’s been mediocre at best. There has been mystery meat served for lunch and dinner many times. Luckily I have found Antigua’s best bakery with the most delicious banana bread you have ever tasted. It’s possibly saved me from starvation on several occasions.

Something I’m getting accustomed to is hearing ridiculous fireworks all the time. They are the kind you can’t see but just make a really loud boom! Apparently they are very popular here and are set off for pretty much any reason or no reason at all. At first I would be shocked a little, but I’ve grown used to the sound. The loud gunshot sound almost makes me feel like I’m right back teaching in Dolton. Just kidding…kinda.

Then there are the dogs. Seriously I’ve never seen so many dogs in my life. Unfortunately, they are pretty much all strays and very sad looking. At first I was scared of getting bitten or attacked, but they are actually very scared of people. We learned in orientation that dogs are pretty much equivalent to bugs here and people do not treat them well. It really breaks my heart to see these helpless things running around. Many have wandered into the school, and call me a bleeding heart, but I just want to take them all home. Well, them and the kids.

One remarkable thing I’ve seen is the women who carry HUGE baskets of fruit on their heads. It’s fascinating. It is unreal how they balance these things and it’s pretty amazing.

And finally, there are the chicken buses. These are old American school buses that didn’t meet American safety standards. You can see the bright painted colors as they drive down all the cobblestone streets. They are abundant and pretty much this country’s public transportation system. Their drivers are insane and many of the passengers are as well, jumping on the back of the bus while it’s in motion. When these buses go by you have to hold your breath and they always leave a huge cloud of black smoke in their wake. I’m wondering if there is a chicken bus somewhere in Guatemala with the drivers side mirror hanging on only by a piece of duct tape…

So this place is a little crazy, but it’s starting to feel like home.

Love,

Julie

"This Is The Time" -Billy Joel

It's Been So Long Since I've Seen The Ocean, Guess I Should

2009-07-14T13:59:00.009-05:00

This past weekend 5 other volunteers and I headed to Monterrico on Saturday morning. Monterrico is a tiny beach town on the Pacific Ocean and only about a two hour drive from Antigua.

Although this lazy beach town is only two hours away, the weather is drastically different. The air in Antigua is always pleasantly cool, making it feel like it’s always Spring here. In contrast, the Monterrico weather is HOT! We were all pretty much sweating the entire weekend.

We got there, found a hotel, got a quick bite to eat at a place overlooking the ocean, and headed for the beach. The sand here is volcanic and therefore black. Black sand equals burning feet! I felt like I was walking on coals while making my way into the water.

The feel of the water was much welcomed in the heat, but what I was not expecting was the waves! These were some serious waves. I was anticipating a nice calm dip in the water, but as soon as are feet got wet we were all pretty much knocked over by the force of these things! Just standing up in the ocean was a hard core workout, but it was pretty cool.

The other unique thing about this beach was the sand. I already mentioned it is volcanic black sand, but what I didn’t say is that it is the stickiest sand in the world! I’ve been the beach enough times in my life to know that you get sand all over you, but this sand was seriously the most difficult sand to get rid of. After three dips in the pool, two showers, and two days, I think it’s finally all gone.

On Saturday night we got to witness one crazy rainstorm during dinner. Once the rain subsided, we took a walk on the beach to watch the amazing lightning in the distance. It literally lit up the entire sky and ocean. It was the second lightning storm I have seen in two weeks and they were each incredible.

Sunday morning started bright and early when four of us woke up to take a boat ride through the mangroves. We had hoped to see the sunrise, but unfortunately it was a little bit cloudy. We were, however, able to view some amazing and beautiful nature as we made our way through reeds on the water. The tour was completely in Spanish, but I actually understood a little of it. Even if I couldn’t, the view was stunning. Take a look.

We spent the rest of the day sleeping, cooling off in the pool, and reading in hammocks overlooking the water. Not a bad trip for $28.

This coming weekend, I think I’m actually going to stay in Antigua. I want to hit up the market, possibly climb a volcano, tour a macadamia nut farm, and catch a soccer game. Oh and maybe sleep a little too.

Love,

Julie

"A Long December" -Counting Crows

Cuz You Got To Have Friends

2009-07-14T13:47:00.009-05:00

I realized I haven’t written too much about the other volunteers. It’s a big mix of people from all over of all different ages. The way my program works is that people arrive on Saturday and leave on Saturday. How many weeks you stay for is pretty much up to you. There have been many people who have come and gone in the short time I’ve been here. It’s pretty inconsistent and it sucks to say goodbye to people I was just really getting to know, but it’s nice to be meeting new people each week too.

Every Friday night GVI, the program I’m with, has a BBQ at the interns’ houses. Everyone brings food, we eat BBQ chicken, do intros of the new people, goodbye’s to the people leaving, and do the craziest dance you’ve ever seen. One of these weeks I’ll have to get it on video.

I’ve met people here from all over the world. It’s really interesting to learn about places I’ve never been through people who live there. It definitely makes me want to see more of the world. But what is the most fun is laughing at the different ways we say things and trying to imitate each others’ accents.

Here are some pictures from the BBQ last Friday night, which was the best one yet, and from a place called La Sala where we danced and drank all night afterwards. Enjoy!

zc

Love,
Julie

And I Feel So Much Depends On The Weather

2009-07-07T19:14:00.008-05:00

This past weekend was AMAZING! One great way to spend the Fourth of July when you are out of the country. Around 8am on Saturday morning nine other volunteers, two girls we didn’t know, two tour guides and I made our way to Panajachel, where Lake Atitlan is located. This lake has been described as one of the most beautiful lakes in the entire world. I was a little skeptical and didn’t want to believe all the hype just to be disappointed. The ride itself had outstanding scenery, but little did we know what spectacular views were awaiting us.

Once we arrived, our first activity was mountain biking. I haven’t ridden a bike in probably about 10 years, if not longer so I was a bit nervous. This nervousness grew when all of the bikes were way too tall for me. The tour guides didn’t allow my vertical challenges to stop me from having this experience. They actually drove into town, in the middle of nowhere, to get the seat of my bike cut shorter. It was still a little tall, but I figured it was good enough.

This bike ride was possibly one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. It was pretty much all downhill at the fastest speeds possible. My hands actually ached from gripping the breaks so hard the entire time. We were on a road, not on some rugged path, so that made it easier, but being on a road means cars and chicken buses. Our ride was very curvy and most of the time you had no clue what would be around the corner. Had I fallen off that bike or not seen a car, I most definitely would not be around to write this blog right now. The ride was seriously insane.

About half way through the ride we stopped at this point for a picnic lunch. The view was seriously unbelievable. We were staring at Lake Atitlan, which we were headed towards, and the three mountains surrounding it; Atitlan, Toliman, and San Pedro. Check it out.

When our bike ride was over we hit up the town for some shopping in the market. It was my first time bargaining and I was actually pretty good at it. I bought a jade necklace for 25 Quetzales, which is about $3. Not bad.

Next, we climbed aboard a boat and made our way to Jaibolito, one of the tiny villages right on Lake Atitlan. We crossed the lake and set eyes on our hotel, which was literally built into the mountains. It was possibly the coolest place I have ever stayed. Our rooms were amazing, there were hammocks all over to lie in, and the view was unbeatable.

The rest of the day consisted of swimming in the pool, an amazing dinner, time in the hammock, and the night in a hot tub. The hot tub was an interesting experience. The water was being heated by a wood burning stove. Also, from the hot tub we could see the most amazing lightning storm in the distance. It was once HUGE cloud with constant lightning that we kept thinking was getting closer and closer but never made its way to us. By us the night was perfectly clear with a million stars in the sky and a full moon shining.

When we woke up the next morning, it was a delicious breakfast followed by kayaking and hiking. I’ve been kayaking a few times and by no means am I an expert. However, when I got in that kayak there was nothing stopping me and I was leading the pack the entire time. Then, at the very, very end of the kayaking, I somehow managed to tip over. From then on it was just a lost cause but it was okay because we soon arrived at the place we were going to begin our hike back to the hotel. I really wanted to bring my camera with kayaking and on the hike, but if I had it would be laying at the bottom of the lake right now and not much good to me anyways.

The hiking was what I was most nervous about. At first I thought, this isn’t so bad; it’s more of a walk than a hike. I have been on hikes way more difficult than this. Then, out of nowhere, we were headed up, up, up. It was tough. After making my way up, the real hike began. It was a narrow path where you pretty much had to put one foot in front of the other to fit. If your foot went off the path, you were basically going to fall off the mountain into oblivion. This part of the path went on for about an hour and a half. There were areas where we had to climb down rocks where I seriously thought this is it. I’m going to die.

But, I made it. I was the last one to finish the hike, but hey, I finished, and that is one big accomplishment for me. I really had no other choice because there was no other way back to the hotel.

After another good meal for lunch, we were headed back to Antigua.

It was really one incredible weekend. One thing that made it even more amazing than I could have thought was the weather. It was clear and sunny the entire time. Not a drop of rain. It’s the rainy season in Guatemala, which means it rains just about every single day. But the weather god really was looking out for us this past weekend. We’ve been back less than 24 hours and it’s already rained. Had it rained, the view would not have been nearly as spectacular and it’s possible we wouldn’t have been able to do everything we did.

This weekend will definitely be one that’s hard to beat.

"Plush" -Stone Temple Pilots

I Really Should Be Back At School

2009-07-06T21:05:00.006-05:00

(Written last week, but I´ve been experiencing major technical difficulties. More blogs to come soon!)

I’ve been in my school in Itzapa, a small village in the hills, for three days now. I have to say, when I signed up to volunteer I thought of it more of a vacation than work, but let me tell you, it is most definitely work.

First let me describe the school. After taking a 45 minute drive that I am surprised to have survived each day, the 15 or so other volunteers and I unload out of the van in Itzapa. We are promptly greeted by the smiling faces of the kids sitting outside waiting for school to start. The kids here actually like school. But children are not the only ones around. There are always stray dogs, chickens, horses, and even a few cows passing us by. Chickens actually live in an area in the school, keeping an eye on us.

I have been a teacher for about five years now and have seen and taught in many very different schools and with very different children. However, this is definitely the most unique by far. First of all, there are really no walls in this school. For the most part, all the classrooms are open, just under a tin roof. There is some bamboo separating my class from the other one. We do have white boards, but in most rooms you have to actually hang them by a string on the walls, which again, there are very few of. The “English department”, where students go to learn English, is in a family’s house across the street.

The mother of this family is Elena and she welcomes us into her house on a daily basis. This is where we are served lunch each day by Elena and her family, who do all the cooking. It is also where we hang out during our breaks. In addition, this is where the only bathroom for adult use, separated from the classroom by a little curtain, is located. Oh, and you can’t flush toilet paper down the toilet here.

And now, the kids. They are seriously adorable and have so much personality for such little people! Most of the girls come to school dressed in traditional Mayan clothing, which is always fascinating to me. Many of the students work in the fields with their parents before school, so their day starts way before we even get there.
These children have very, very little. Many of them are malnourished and hungry. The families in Itzapa have all kinds of animals living with them, many brothers and sisters, and sometimes no running water in their tiny houses with tin roofs. The streets in the community are filled with garbage and there is constantly smoke in the air. There are also an uncountable number of flies and other bugs hanging around. This does not make for a very healthy lifestyle, however, these kids for the most part seem very happy.

I am teaching in a first grade class, although the ages of my students range from 6-9years old. They have tiny little plastic tables and chairs to sit at. We do language, math, science, social studies lessons with them, just like in any other school, but really there is no actual curriculum to follow, and there is very little structure. There is a lot I am trying to adjust to.

Right now I am really just helping out this girl named Casey with the class. Next week, the class becomes mine. Did I mention that the class is taught in Spanish? Yea. So, I’ve been going to Spanish school and practicing, but my Spanish is most definitely not good enough to keep up with these kids yet. We’ll see what will happen.

One thing I do find amazing, is that even though I don’t speak the language well, the kids still love me and every other adult around. There are things that can bond you with kids no matter what language you speak. I played jump rope with some today and gave others piggy back rides, and I think I’ve pretty much won them over. I still get some strange looks when I mess up and say things like “wash your hands” instead of “raise your hands”, but I think they will learn to be patient with me, at least I hope!

There is a long list of things that happen in Guatemala that would never fly in the US. Recess here at Itzapa is a great example. These kids are seriously flying around the place, jumping off of anything they can, being swung around by teachers in every way possible, and pretty much have no safety rules whatsoever. The first day I was kinds in shock and kept saying “Cuidado, cuidado!) (careful, careful!). I don’t even know if we have any sort of first aid equipment around.

However, my cries of “cuidado” faded quickly. These kids will fall, knock their heads, scrape their knees, and have a finger fall off and won’t complain. They will get right back up and just keep playing as if nothing happened. I have yet to see a tear. These are some tough kids.

Things have been pretty disorganized and actually really frustrating my first few days at school. For several days there has been nobody in charge around and to be honest I feel pretty lost. Also, the days are so long. We leave at 7:35am and get back around 5pm and then it’s right off to Spanish School. When Spanish school is over I have to hurry home for dinner. There has been very little time for me to even get basic errands done and that’s been kinda stressful. One thing I definitely wish is that I had a little bit more free time.

Hopefully things will be a little less chaotic soon, or then again, maybe it won’t be. I’ll keep you posted.

Love,

Julie

“Maggie May” –Rod Stewart

Have You Ever Seen The Rain Coming Down On A Sunny Day

2009-07-01T19:25:00.008-05:00

I’m back from Honduras safe and sound, and having a very difficult time keeping my eyes open! The trip had its ups and downs… literally, there are a lot of hills in Honduras! But seriously, it had its not so great moments, but overall, I’m very glad I went.

My journey there began at 4am Saturday morning, where I was pretty much unconscious as a van picked me and my fellow travelers up. I pretty much slept through the trip, waking up once in a while to be stunned by gorgeous scenery. It also became quite hot the closer we got to the border.

We crossed the border, found a hotel for a steep 7 bucks each, and it was off to lunch. I could go on and on about lunch, but basically I’ll just say it was the SLOWEST service any of us had ever had. We were a little crabby after a long wait for lunch in the hottest weather ever with no air conditioning, but off to the ruins we went.

We were hot and tired and didn’t feel like walking, so we decided to hop in tuk-tuks. It was the first ride in one for all of us and well worth it. Tuk-tuks are basically mini car-like things with three wheels that act as cabs. There are really big hills in Copan, so it sorta felt like riding on a rollercoaster at times. We had a fun ride and got to our location for a whopping $1. Here is a picture of a Tuk-tuk I photographed on my first day in Antigua.

We got to the ruins, and I was blown away. The first thing I saw were two Macaws in the tree and their feathers were magnificent. They were too far to get a good shot with my mediocre zoom, so we moved along.

We arrived at the area with the ruins. They were so well preserved and had so much detail. They really were interesting to look at, walk around, and climb on. Our tour guide was great and gave us a lot of the history. Back in those days there was a lot of bloodshed, and it was always the winner of something who would happily be sacrificed. We walked all over the area and climbed up on some of the ruins too. All this in the pouring rain, which started the minute we began the tour. It was super sunny all day before this. It was actually the most refreshing rain yet, and instead of hiding from it I fully embraced it.

I really enjoyed learning about the ancient Mayans, but I enjoyed taking pictures even more…

Right as we were leaving the park, our feathery friends, the Macaws returned, but this time there were six of them and they were super close! It was a great way to end the tour.

The rest of the day wasn’t all that exciting. We walked around a little, took much needed naps, and had some dinner with our tour guide from the afternoon, and tried desperately to fall asleep in the million degree heat. I will admit, there were most definitely times the Park Place Tower pool and air conditioning were sounding very good as I lay awake in the sweltering heat.

The next morning we woke up early, although not 4am early, to a hotel room, and entire city, with no electricity. It didn’t matter too much for us, because we were going horseback riding for the morning. No electricity required.

The day before a man at the ruins told us where to meet him and he would be taking us on our tour. We met in said place in the morning, but there was no man there. Instead we were led on a 2 ½ horseback riding tour through the hills of Honduras by two ten year old boys. And I must say, they did a pretty damn good job!

The scenery was gorgeous. About halfway through we got to a teeny tiny little village where all the locals tried to sell us cornhusk dolls. Also, throughout our ride, there was an insane amount of dogs. There are tons of strays here in Central America, but on this trail it was crazy! There was one dog who didn’t leave our side the entire time. I later found out the dog belonged to the kids leading us. I was very impressed with his stamina.

After riding it was back in the van for one miserably hot ride. We all felt like we might die. About 2 hours into our ride we took a pit stop, and from then on the weather suddenly dropped what felt like at least 25 degrees. We were back near Antigua.

So, I’m back “home” in Antigua, and glad to be back. My house mom, Beatrice, actually just came in my room to tell me there is still no electricity in Honduras and their President is missing. I think it’s good I came back when I did.
Tomorrow is the first day of school. I better get to bed if I can…

"Have You Ever Seen The Rain" Creedence Clearwater Revival

So Have A Cup of Coffee And Catch Your Breath

2009-06-28T19:26:00.012-05:00

(Written Thursday night)
Today was pretty amazing. 4 other volunteers and I zoomed out of Spanish School in the pouring rain, seriously the hardest it’s rained here yet, to wait for our ride to the coffee farm also known as Finca Filadelfia-having no connection to Philidelphia, PA.

Once at the farm, we got on the craziest looking jeep/mini bus thing. We had to pretty much climb a ladder on the back to get on it and the back was wide open. I will remind you the streets in Antigua are not exactly smooth and all made of stone, so it made for one interesting and bumpy ride.

Up we went through seriously beautiful scenery. It was green, mountainous, and gorgeous. Have a look.

Our guide, Roberto, took us around the entire farm on foot and in the scary but very fun jeep thing. We even got to pick our own coffee beans. I found a great one. We put them in our mouths and sucked on them for a while and they were super sweet.

We then were taken through the entire process of how the beans are picked, sorted, washed, roasted, etc. If you want more detail here then come to Guatemala and take the tour! You won’t be sorry! I mean really, look (although the pictures could never do it justice)…

While the tour was really good, it was the scenery that really took my breath away.

So, we found out that they export there best coffee to the US and keep the crappy stuff locally. And where does it go in the US? You guessed it…Starbucks.

So, at the end of the tour we went to the gift shop and all bought a bag of the best coffee they had, although there is most likely a more quality bag waiting for me at the corner of Broadway and Grace in Lakeview. Here is the bag they export the beans in.

The final part of our tour was the restaurant. This place actually houses a beautiful hotel and big restaurant. We were served, what else, coffee. Even though it was pretty humid out and more in need of Claritin than coffee, I drank every last drop. Mmmmmm.

More adventure lies ahead this weekend when I put another stamp on my passport and head to Copan, Honduras. As of now I am getting picked up at 4am on Saturday morning and headed to another country with 5 people I met like 3 days ago, but who all have known each other for several years. We have a ride there and back, but no where to stay or a guide or anything else yet. Copan is a big place to see Mayan Ruins. Not quite as big as Tikal, which is a place I hope to visit, but still supposed to be pretty fantastic. I have no idea how long it takes to get there. (Debra, some help here?) So, another expedition awaits.

To all you loyal readers out there, which is probably only like 2 of you since I get so few notes (hint, hint), I most likely will not be writing quite as much in the weeks to come. Soon I will be teaching in my school and taking Spanish school after and there is just so little time! But I will do my best! Don’t worry, I won’t sleep, just blog.

I will leave you with a few pictures to make you wish you were here!

Love,

Julie

“Fee” -Phish

Just Like Bad Medicine

2009-06-25T18:54:00.004-05:00

I had a little setback here yesterday. Two nights ago, despite the fact I took Nyquil, I got absolutely no sleep. I mean NONE. Yesterday I did my best to make it through Spanish school. Equipped with tons of Kleenex, sanitizer, medicine, and vitamin-c chewables, I made the 25 minute walk over, feeling like I could die. I made it until noon, when I got very sick and was sent home. I actually think it might have been the medicine (bought in the US, not in Guatemala) that made me sick. I was disappointed I didn’t make it through the whole day, but there was nothing I could do. I headed to my house, spent the rest of the day in bed, and was SO much better today.

Spanish school is going really well. My teacher, Maria Marta, is great. We actually have real conversations in Spanish, which I was not expecting at all. We talk about the most random things. (No Debra, we did not have a conversation about circumcision; I’m not that good at Spanish!) But we did talk about how we don’t like others pushing their religions on us and how we identify more with the cultural aspects of our religions than the religious ones. She’s teaching me so much, but I actually think I’m teaching her a little too about things in my world, even with my limited vocabulary.

Today we played Spanish Scrabble against Lisa and her teacher, Sergio, and kicked some ass! Okay, so I totally guessed many of the words, but it turned out they were actual words so it counts. I get homework every night, and I strangely enjoy doing it. Quite a change from National Louis University. If Senor Bachman at GBN was half as interesting, I may have actually paid attention in Spanish in high school instead of taking those enjoyable siestas.

Every other store front in Antigua is a travel agency, literally. While I’m here there are so many things I am dying to do and so many places I want to visit! The first starts tomorrow, when four other volunteers and I go on a tour of a coffee plantation. It’s supposed to be beautiful and hopefully it won’t pour all day.

I’m glad I decided to stay an extra week after my volunteering is over. I feel like this country has endless possibilities and places to explore. I’ve only seen the tiniest bit, and already am longing for more. What I have seen has been very impressive. I can see how Americans can just pick up and move here. Tempting…

Another pic just for fun. It is LA Mercad Church in Antigua that I went to my first day here. So beautiful. The picture doesnt do it justice at all. Many more pictures to come.

Love,

Julie

“Bad Medicine” –Bon Jovi (Just for you Sam!)

There´s A Roof Above and Good Walls All Around

2009-06-24T17:02:00.003-05:00

Today’s topic: My house and family in Antigua. Since there are so many volunteers here right now, most of us are two to a house, some even three. The first person I met when I got here, Lisa, happens to be in my house with me. So, the houses here, not quite like those in the US, not that I was expecting them to be.

You walk in to what doubles as a front door and a garage. Pretty much the car is parked right next to the dining room table! Next there is a typical dining room and a tiny kitchen. My room and Lisa’s room are next, with a bathroom between us. However, outside our doors is the courtyard, so once you step out of the bedrooms or bathroom you are pretty much outside. There is an upstairs and multiple other bedrooms, and I think a family room, yet I haven’t actually been in any of these yet.

Our host mom is named Beatriz and is very nice. She definitely engages us in Spanish conversation. Lisa and I both brought her gifts from our hometowns and she was excited. Then there is her housekeeper, Carmen, who cooks our meals and cleans our rooms. She may or may not live here with her 4 children, two sets of twins! Still haven’t quite figured that out yet. What I do know is that she makes amazing taquitos and some damn good fried plantains. Her daughters also cook homemade tortillas!

So far, I can compare living here to overnight camp. I wear my flip flops everywhere, I have a set of very rickety drawers, my feet are constantly dirty, I have several mosquito bites, I sleep with a flashlight next to my bed, the shower is cold, and whether the toilet works completely or not is questionable. But still, it’s great! There is definitely a bit more to see and do here than Eagle River, Wisconsin.

So, I already have a bad cold, which is never fun, but even worse when you are somewhere unfamiliar. Thank God I brought the mini packets of Kleenex, although at this rate they won’t last long. I’m doing my best to not let it get me down, but I definitely need to get some rest! It’s only eight here, but I’m absolutely exhausted. Nyquil here I come!

I´ll leave you with another picture. This is the famous and beautiful Arch of Santa Catalina in Antigua:

Love,
Julie

“You’re My Home” –Billy Joel

Just Kickin' Down the Cobblestones

2009-06-22T16:43:00.005-05:00

My first entry from Antigua, Guatemala! After absolutely no sleep on Friday night and a huge whole in the ceiling (don’t ask), William drove me to the airport at 4am. Two boring plane rides later, I was in the Guatemala airport. After finding the person there to get me, meeting another volunteer, Lisa from Oklahoma, and waiting two hours for another one to show up who never did, it was off to Antigua.

We were checked into our hotel room (3 beds and walls), which Lisa and I would be sharing with another volunteer arriving that night, given a map, and off to the main part of town we went.

Lisa and I decided to get dinner, even though it was only 4:30. We went to a really cute place called Los Palmas, which had excellent Spanish music, aka Buena Vista Social Club. It’s seriously the only music sung in Spanish I know besides La Bamba, so I thought it was ironic that it was playing. The waiter was very impressed with my musical knowledge.

So Lisa and I walked around a little, and I was instantly amazed with this city. Back to the hotel we went, and were joined by Esther before quickly falling asleep. (Thanks Ambien)

This morning we were up bright and early, had a breakfast and presentation with the other volunteers who arrived, I think there are 9 of us, met our host families, and took a quick tour of the city.

After the short tour, three of the volunteers and I walked ALL around the city. I seriously don’t think we left a single street untouched. We checked out the outdoor market, the grocery store, went into travel agencies, looked at lots of Jade, and even climbed a hill called Cerro de la Cruz where you get a view of the whole city and one of the volcano’s that lies behind it. It was quite a workout for me, but well worth it.

Antigua really is amazing. Imagine all cobblestone streets, not a single traffic light, brightly colored buildings all attached to each other, and volcanoes pretty much everywhere you look. No building is higher than two stories and all the buildings are attached. They do have places here like Domino’s, but you would never know it was a Domino’s because it’s just as pretty as all the other building with only a teeny tiny sign letting you know it’s just an American pizza place.

The number one thing I’m thankful I purchased for this trip is my raincoat. They seriously weren’t kidding when they said it’s the rainy season here! It’s pretty much poured all morning, until we decided to walk around and it magically stopped. Then, just as we were headed back to our host families, it started up again.

So, I’ve already met people from Ireland, Austria, Wales, and then of course a girl from Deerfield. Small world.

Tomorrow starts Spanish school so we’ll see what, if anything, I remember from my days in Spanish class. Mostly I just remember taking some good siestas….

Love,
Julie

"The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" Simon and Garfunkel

Take A Break From All I Know

2009-06-14T00:15:00.001-05:00

I leave a week from today! Lately, I feel like I’ve been walking around like a chicken with its head cut off. There have been numerous appointments, trips to Target, errands to run, and meals with friends. Plus, I still have a 10 page paper to write for grad school, my last paper ever! But still, it needs to get done. In fact, I should be writing it now instead of blogging, but procrastination is my specialty.

This week I got the name and address of my host family. That’s literally all it is right now, a name and address on a piece of paper. It really won’t mean much until I actually get there. I also got a list of Spanish vocab to learn and a teaching guide. But getting all this info really made the trip seem real to me.

With this trip quickly approaching, there are so many things I am excited about. I’ve been reading my guidebook nonstop (again while I should be writing my paper). I’ve made a list of places I want to see and things I want to do. Not sure I’ll be able to do it all, but I definitely want to take advantage of all the time I have there and make the most of it.

Of course, excitement is not my only emotion. I’m also pretty nervous, which I think is normal. There are so many unknowns. When I’ve been asked questions about the trip I usually end up saying “I’ll see when I get there.” Here are a few things I’m a little nervous about...

-How well and how quickly will I pick up this language that I haven’t studied since high school?

-What will teaching indigenous children who don’t speak my language be like?

-Will the food in my house be edible?

-Will I be homesick?

-How is this very directionally challenged girl ever going to find her way around?

-Will I actually be up to the adventurous things I want to do like climbing volcanoes, kayaking, and zip lining?

Again, I’ll see when I get there. It might be all unknown, but that’s also what makes it exciting. It will definitely be a change from what I’m used to.

This upcoming week is bound to be super busy, so my next post will most likely be from Guatemala! I can’t wait!

Love,

Julie

“To The Light” –Newton Faulkner

We'll Keep On Fighting 'Til The End

2009-06-07T18:56:00.004-05:00

Last night I was able to have a very Latin American experience without leaving Chicago. I attended the US vs. Honduras world cup qualifying game at Soldier Field. The people supporting Honduras are the definition of Super Fans and definitely outnumbered those of us cheering for the U.S. Every single one was decked out in blue and white jerseys, toting huge flags, and sporting some serious face paint. As early as 10am, the streets of downtown were covered with fans ready for some fútbol action.

The rowdy guys sitting in front of us actually flew in from Honduras to attend this game and stay with their cousins in Wisconsin. Now, that’s some real team loyalty. With the help of some cerveza, their cheers were as passionate as their clothing.

Saying the U.S. was off to a rough start is a huge understatement. In fact, it appeared as if some of them had never kicked a ball before. Our weak action on the field allowed Honduras to score within the first five minutes of the game. It was looking pretty bad for the US, when we got a penalty kick and scored to tie the game.

In the second half it was seriously as if a new team came on the field. The vigor of the Honduras fans died down (possibly too many cervezas), as did their players. The U.S. came back strong and played their hearts out. They dominated the second half and ended up scoring another goal to win the game!

Today I wore my new U.S. soccer t-shirt with pride. Check it out.

I’m hoping I’ll get to see, and possibly play, some great soccer in Guatemala. Soccer, or rather fútbol, is definitely the sport of Latin America and I can’t wait to be in the center of it all! In less than two weeks I will be!

Love,

Julie

"We Are The Champions" -Queen

Too Many Things I Haven't Done Yet...

2009-05-31T21:12:00.003-05:00

Alright, blog numero uno. I wasn’t sure where to start, so I figured I better just begin writing and see what kind of adventure this whole blog thing would take me on.

But the real adventure begins in three weeks when I leave to spend the summer in Antigua, Guatemala. I had wanted to go abroad in college, but never did. I’m not sure if it was fear or uncertainty or what, but I somehow let that opportunity pass me by. It’s something I’ve thought about a lot over the past few years. Now I am a teacher with the wonderful luxury of having the summers off. With my grad school career soon to be a distant, and not so pleasant memory, I figured I earned some time to do something I truly had a desire to do.

So, in just a few short weeks, I’ll be off! I’ll be living with a host family, taking Spanish lessons, and teaching with other volunteers. Although I’ve heard all about the program from my friend Debra, I really have no idea what to expect. That can be scary, but I think more than anything I’m full of anticipation. I’ve spent my entire life living in the Midwest and I’m itching for the chance to see the rest of the world. Antigua, Guatemala is stop number one.

I could probably write on and on, but I’ll keep it short and sweet for now. I’m sure there will be much more to say in the weeks to come. I’m hoping this blog gives me an outlet for my thoughts, a way to document my experiences, and the chance to share my journey with whoever chooses to follow me on this voyage.

Love,

Julie

"Many the Miles" -Sara Barelilles