Day 5 - 15 What the hell have we been doing for the past 10 days??

Brian and I have been quite busy these last few days with Spanish classes and the afternoon activities they provide, staying with a host family and looking for an apartment, and, overall, adjusting to life in a new country! So, let's backtrack a little to where we left off.

DAY 5 fri, 27 went a little like this...

Got a phone for use during the trip. You are more than welcome to call us at any time at country code 502-4941-8256, as it is free for us to receive calls. It is most wise to buy a calling card at your local CVS than to use a cell-phone or home landline.

As we walked around the city, we saw our first of many funerals. They have a different ritual for funerals here, which includes walking through the streets towards the cemetery either carrying the casket, with it strapped to the top of a car, or inside the car. It is very interesting to witness....You might say Brian and I were a little shocked to see this and by the frequency in which you encounter them in the streets.

Anyways, back at Casa Argentinas, the hostel we stayed at for the first few nights in Xela, we had an interesting evening (after a few beers) trying to get rid of a fly and mosquito that had made their way into our room. After some cold showers (where is the agua caliente in Guatemala?) we went out for some pizza since Brian was craving it. We haven't even been gone a week and he needs some pizza!

DAY 6 sat 28

We walked all over Xela searching out the best language school. We narrowed down over 20 schools to 3: Utatlan, El Portal, Sakribal. Each had their own appeal. Utatlan was a famed party school, which was recommended to us by a fellow traveler. El Portal was the most economical, and we met the secretary of the school at our hostel. And Sakribal was the most professional with a scholarship program for women. Which did we choose? Without a doubt we went with Utatlan!

DAY 7 sunday, 29

Good choice, I must say since the very next day we went with the school on an outing to Laguna Chicabal in San Martin. We go to take a chicken bus for the first time! And it was exciting indeed full of people and bumps and no speed limits with sketchy break systems! We arrived in a pueblo near San Martin during their busy market day, an adventure in itself. There is no sufficient way to describe an event like this, unless you experience it first-hand. However, I'll try my best. We entered this busy area with our first views being women passing chickens back and forth by their feet trying to assess which is bigger. We passed more baskets with chickens and kittens mixed together, an odd combination for sure. As we made it further inside the market, you realize there is no rhyme and reason to it all, but you can find pre-made food, veggies, rice, nuts, tools, bathing products, cds. You name it, it was there.

From there we went to San Martin where the lake is located. This lake is in an old volcano crater and is very important to the Mayan People. They believe that this site is where the Mayan god of rain (called Chicabal) is located because of the way the clouds move over the volcano and into the pueblo of San Martin. Right before the rainy season begins in April/May, the Mayan people come to this sacred lake for 50 days of praying and rituals in hopes of a good season. The walk to the nature reserve was on a road that was nothing less than straight uphill. Once we made it to the reserve it was nothing but straight uphill a path. We definitely got our workout! The lake and reserve was beautiful with plenty of impressing flora and fauna, hummingbirds, and butterflies. When we first arrived at the lake there was no vista at all do to the clouds, but we climbed down some steps to the shores of the lake in time to watch the clouds pass over and provide us with a view. A very stunning passing! We also took a walk about the lake to take it all in and view the multiple mayan altars situated around the lake.

After spending some time there, we made our way back to Xela via the bed of a pick-up truck. And equally satisfying adventure. And maybe one of the best ways to experience Guatemala. This same day we moved in with our host family, Marta y Julio. Extremely nice people, who have been hosting international students for 14 years.

Here is a shot of our host fam´s courtyard from our 2nd floor rooms and the view of Xela from the roof terrace. There were two other students when we moved in, Maria from Ireland and Garreth from England. Maria has been here for about 5 weeks and will be working near Antigua for 10 months after Christmas. Garreth is riding his bike through Central America! He started in Mexico and will make his way down to Panama. Go Garreth, Go!

Before I give you a detailed description of our week of classes and activities, I have to give a little shout out..... Yes, Emma. There is peanut butter in Guate, and it is quite delicious. Dare we say, better than Skippy?

DAY 7 mon, 30

First day of class...we should have taken a picture. Brian's teacher's name is Claudia and my teacher's name is Jacqui. Both are very nice and patient with us!

The school offers an activity every day after class and lunch. Today's was salsa. I had to drag Brian there, but in the end I think he came around. We learned three pasos or steps: basico, abierto, and the mumba. Thank god we had some beers beforehand. It definitely helped with some fluidity. And of course we had to wind down with the rest of the salsa-ing school gang with some more beers!

DAY 8 tues 1st

After class we went with the school to Almolomga, a rich agricultural town situated in an old volcano crater close to Xela. The town started as mostly Catholic, but when it began practicing agriculture, it became a very prosperous community. With this new-found wealth they began drinking a little more, eating at McDonalds and Pollo Campero (a Guatemalan KFC), and problems ensued. Unfortunately, there were more accidents with drunk driving, so it was decided that the town would change its religion to Evangelicalism. Since Evagelicacists don't drink, problem solved. The town partied less and worked more. Prosperity continued and misfortune seem to dwindle. Surrounding towns took this as if the change of religion brought wealth. Let's just say that quite a few more Evangelican churches were built and filled with people.

Enough of this religion talk and on to the good stuff. We walked through the vast fields and watched the people work. We got some great pictures. One was of a woman who was working with a bunch of other people to wash off these humongous carrots and package them up. Almost all work in the fields was done by hand; irrigation consisted of shoveling water from streams and throwing it over the crops.


DAY 9 wed, 2

Our thrid day of class was uneventful. In the evening, we attended a cooking class at the school. On the menu were pupusas; cheese and spinach "pancakes" made from cornflour, spinach and carrot salad, and a few bottles of red wine. We still made it back in time to the home-stay to catch dinner.

DAY 10 thurs, 3

After class at 2:30, we climbed onto a chicken bus for the town of Zunil just outside Xela. Upon arriving, the eight of us squeezed onto a pickup bed for the 4 kilometer ride up to Las Fuentes Georginas, hot volcán springs. We could see steam shoots from the ground and smells of sulfur during the trip there.
A cloud of steam hung over the pool as the water was like a spa. It got warmer as you ventured closer to the rock wall where the spring emptied into the pool. It was the first hot water either of us had since leaving the states and I´ll bet the last until we return. Garreth, our U.K. friend from the home-stay was there. He was staying the night one of the surrounding huts and had access to the pool during after hours when the spring was closed to the public.

DAY 11 fri, 4

Today we had dinner at school. While it was cooking, Kylie, myself and others climbed up to the roof where we could overlook the Centeral Park. The Guate City Orchestra was holding a concert there so the park was packed full of spectators.
Although we are getting used to the report of fireworks since they are a fequent occurance in Xela (at any time of the day), the firework display tonight was still impressive. We turned in early after the meal; we had an early day ahead.

DAY 12 sat, 5

Woke up before the sunrise (4:00 AM) to be at school for hike up nearby volcán Santa María. We had a quick pickup ride to the outskirts of Xela and began our hike by 5 AM. Two local dogs joined us in the hike most likely in hopes of food. The sun was up well before we finished our trek up to the summit; Marvin, the school director, said it was a 9 kilometer trip, each way. Nearing the top, we stopped almost every 100 feet; the air was thin and breathing became quite the chore. The summit of Santa María is 3,772 meters (12,447.6 feet) high. By comparison, here in Xela we are at 7,827.6 feet.

There was quite a few other locals at the top when we arrived. The volcán is a holly site in Mayan religion; several groups of pilgrams were prying and constructing shrines. We were told that on a clear day you can see the Pacific from here. It was quite windy and coldest we had been since coming to Guatemala. Shortly after taking pics on the summit, the active volcán Santíaguito erupted; this happens aproximatly every hour. These pictures do little to capture the event, but did make the climb worthwhile.



We had the perfect view and the clouds stayed away just long enough. We remained here for about 3 hours (even slept a little) before our 2 hour hike down. It was quite striking to see the gross amount of trash littered on the trails, especially considering the sacredness of the volcán. One of the dogs came with us down, waiting up for us when it got too far ahead. We made it to the home-stay by early afternoon. I slept till dinnertime and tried to drag Kylie out into town but it was in vain.

DAY 13 sun, 6

This morning we ate breakfast at Otime Cafe, on a second story terrace that looks over the park. Kylie and I people watched and otherwize took our time. It is the last day of home stay and we walked across town to buy flowers for our Guatemalan family. Our bargining skills proved pretty weak, nuff said. Around 2 in the afternoon we moved into apartment, dropped off our huge backpacks, and made our way over to a market to buy groceries and cleaning supplies at the supermarket. Kylie was appalled by my level of cleanliness and kept siting examples of how I´m gross (wear shoes on the bed, but needed to scrub the dish-drying rack for a half hour). It was quite the task and took a couple hours, but now we can make it dirty over the next month. These pictures were not intended for the blog but for evidence of the apartment´s condition for the security deposit; hence the reason Kylie is not looking at the camera, but trying to read the lease in Spanish.
I tried cooking a veggie stirfry with rice to only dicover that the kitchen utensils were crap. After that episode, I vowed to buy a non-stick skillet to just make the next month that much easier at the apartment. Here is our electic showerhead heater, a common item in any home where you don't want your showers to be enjoyable.

DAY 14 mon 7

Started our 2nd week of school. After class, we jumped onto a shuttle bus across town to Cemco, Guatemala´s take on a "big-box store." We bought a non-stick skillet and glass baking pan for about $12. Next we wandered through a nearby market looking for produce. Beets, green beans, tomatoes and avacados. We later learned here was a "dangerous" market to go to from Kylie´s teacher. Opps! Met a native named Wilfredy and his Oklahoma friend James on shuttle back and exchanged numbers; he said he could help us find surf school in Champorico when we leave Xela, but Kylie is apprehensive, saying he´ll push religion on us after he said "God bless you" for a farewell. We´ll see what happens by the new year. We made it back in time for Kylie to attends informational meeting with volunteer organization at a woman´s shelter. She came back excited and will likely work there over the next few weeks. By 5 we joined our English friends from school, Feliz, Christan and Luke, for beers at Utetcun Salon. We were introduced to the card game shithead, the U.K. verson of asshole. Back at the apatment, we made quesaedillas for dinner with the new cookware (well recieved).

DAY 15 tues 8

After class, kylie visited the daycare center of her volenterr group. The gas in apartment ktichen runs out at 2 while I try to make lunch. We end up waiting till 8 for new tank since the landlady was not in. We decide to eat out as a result at Casa Babaylon. They have a menu that includes nearly every ethnic food group. Ignoring the adive from our guide books about eating raw foods, we order a Cali sushi roll for apps, falafel wrap and veggie sandwich. We were nearly the only people eating there that night.

DAY 16 wends 9

When class ended, we finished the left overs from dinner the night before. Then went to the park and did some homework, sitting in the sun and people watching. Headed to the school by 4, when the cooking class began and worked on getting the blog up to date, added pictures for first time. Kylie helped in making food, I helped eat while blogging. I´m sorry for taking so long to get these photos posted for those of you who have followed our blog from the start. Be sure to check out the early postings to see pics of our first days here. Also, I´m am having trouble getting pics downloaded from Kylie´s camera just now (too bad, she´s got great pics of places I don´t) so we´ll have more, new pics in old posts shortly.