We had an opportunity to take a great adventure the seven of us. Waking up bright and early on saturday morning we all met in a great spot to start our journey to Antigua.
We had quite an excursion. Our first bus got into a little fender bender with a small car infront, and after about 45 min to an hour we were all ushered off the bus and onto another one (suprisingly after gettting our money back!!!) where we all sat in the isles because it was totally full. On buckets. The trip in total was pretty long and we changed buses about 25 minutes outside of the city and that trip of course took much longer than we had anticipated as well. We were all exhausted after getting up super early and trying to figure out hiking a volcano or no....(yes another).
We had a very chill day, but it was soo much warmer than i was expecting or hoping! I love Xela, but I could definately use un poco màs sol! Too much rain and too much cold!
Antigua is amazing. I could spend hours wandering around. We went to Mass in the beautiful cathedral, and it was incredable. I could have spent hours in there. However, hunger pains are quite hard to ignore. We figured our way around the city slowly and found a really amazing restaruant, with an band who plays modern andean music. It was fabulous. The mix of the old sounds with the new was so wonderful and made me so happy! I could have stayed there forever. The autmosphere of the restaruant and the food was perfect. It was a little oasis away from all of the tiredness of language school and travelling. We all ate amazing and delicioso comida!
I also got my desire to wander around the city forever. Tom, Chris, Emily, and I took a walking tour of the city, and it was amazing. We got some history, some stories about daily life, and a lot of amazing photos. I could not be more thankful. Rita, Erica, and Kate wandered up an active volcano with real hot lava. Their photos are amazing. We had such a great time!
Yet with all of the wonderfulness of our journey, there are lessons to be learned. For example. Guard your money and your wallet with your life. Theives will cut into your purse and take your stuff while sitting next to you..and you being completely oblivious, have no clue until after you are off the bus...Bienvendios a Guate!! All happiness becuase I was safe and was able to cancel my credit card before it was used. Rita and Tom suffered the same fate as I. How fun no? lessons learned. vulnerablity acheived...interesting. Learning to live on a budget was another lesson this nurse had to learn as well. Good lesson though. Good many lessons. Ay. Que interestante...
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Ahhhh Guate....
I know that I want to have an adventure, yet it seems each day, I need to take a minute to remember what an adventure I am living here in Xela...I live in a house that is over 100 years old, and my room used to be a hallway connecting whatever parts of the house existed. I am living somewhere people lived 100 years ago. Thinking about Xela in year 1909 makes me happy. What an honor. To be so taken care of and welcomed home. I love it.
The other day, I went to one of my favorite places in Xela (Perhaps was lead is a better way to describe it...) Doña Poncha Chocolateria!!!! HA. QUE PERFECTO. Primero, the Doña named her buisness after her abuelita (grandmother) which I think will lead to good luck all of her life because Grandmas and Grandpas are the best in the world...(I am pretty sure Grandpas are good, but I dont quite know first hand). Anyway, she demonstrated all of the wonderful things the Mayan culture (los mayas) used to make chocolate generations ago. Today, her house is more modernly equipped, but what a treasure to discover. Once again, warm chocolate puro has made life bearable...if only we had such a treat in the states. I supposed I can bring some home no? Perhaps...
Last week was also a week of me to learn more about the war here in Guatemala. Particularly entre Los Altos...the mountains where the campesinos live. Anyway, we had a session about the causes of the civil war here that lasted 36 years. 36 years of living in fear, your own government sponsoring the disapperance and death of family and friends, as well as ordering the holocaust of many Mayan pueblos. Destroying the Mayan Puelos was a way of cutting of the guerrillos during the war because they were a refuge for them. Killing innocent people, makes sense to me.
We watched a movie about Oscar Romero (I think he is my priest crush...). It was incredably powerful and moving. It focused on his transformation from avoiding the problems to when he began working first hand for peace in El Salvador. Although we are not living in El Salvador, the stories are very similar amoung most Latin American countries. It is pretty overwhelming. It reminds me that despite all my problems with our government, we are allowed to lead our own lives, to disagree or not, and hopefully not be discriminated against in our culture...(we may still have a ways to go with this issue, but its much better in the states than it is elsewhere).
Anyway, off my crazy soap box, but this past week was pretty incredable for me and really reinforced my lessons from Nica in 2005 and Mexico in 2006. It reminded me of my call. I know that is still a work in progress, but I am learning each day about living in compassion among people, not for them.
The lessons started here in Guate will be most powerful to remember while I work the next many months among those who have not been given the opportunities I have accessed. Thank you Guate...Thank you for being at the start of my journey.
The other day, I went to one of my favorite places in Xela (Perhaps was lead is a better way to describe it...) Doña Poncha Chocolateria!!!! HA. QUE PERFECTO. Primero, the Doña named her buisness after her abuelita (grandmother) which I think will lead to good luck all of her life because Grandmas and Grandpas are the best in the world...(I am pretty sure Grandpas are good, but I dont quite know first hand). Anyway, she demonstrated all of the wonderful things the Mayan culture (los mayas) used to make chocolate generations ago. Today, her house is more modernly equipped, but what a treasure to discover. Once again, warm chocolate puro has made life bearable...if only we had such a treat in the states. I supposed I can bring some home no? Perhaps...
Last week was also a week of me to learn more about the war here in Guatemala. Particularly entre Los Altos...the mountains where the campesinos live. Anyway, we had a session about the causes of the civil war here that lasted 36 years. 36 years of living in fear, your own government sponsoring the disapperance and death of family and friends, as well as ordering the holocaust of many Mayan pueblos. Destroying the Mayan Puelos was a way of cutting of the guerrillos during the war because they were a refuge for them. Killing innocent people, makes sense to me.
We watched a movie about Oscar Romero (I think he is my priest crush...). It was incredably powerful and moving. It focused on his transformation from avoiding the problems to when he began working first hand for peace in El Salvador. Although we are not living in El Salvador, the stories are very similar amoung most Latin American countries. It is pretty overwhelming. It reminds me that despite all my problems with our government, we are allowed to lead our own lives, to disagree or not, and hopefully not be discriminated against in our culture...(we may still have a ways to go with this issue, but its much better in the states than it is elsewhere).
Anyway, off my crazy soap box, but this past week was pretty incredable for me and really reinforced my lessons from Nica in 2005 and Mexico in 2006. It reminded me of my call. I know that is still a work in progress, but I am learning each day about living in compassion among people, not for them.
The lessons started here in Guate will be most powerful to remember while I work the next many months among those who have not been given the opportunities I have accessed. Thank you Guate...Thank you for being at the start of my journey.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Way Up High...
Two weeks ago tomorrow was monumental. I went exploring. Albeit, with a large group of friends, 3 gringo guides, 1 guatemalan guide, and three 12 year old niñas from Xela, however, it was quite an experience for me. My Amigo friends and I climbed the highest point in Central America. I do not have words to explain how amazing it was, because there is nothing in English worthy, nor do I speak enough Spanish to do justice to my trip. The view from the peak gave me goosebumps and I lost my breath. (That of course could be attributed to the below freezing temperatures and the fact we had woken up at 330 am to hike to the peak from camp in order to watch the sunrise...).
I do have words however to express the incredable pain I was in during and after the hours and hours of hiking that we did. I of course held up the caboose of the gang, somebody needed to make the sacrifice of course. I was a great contribution to our team! I can support...the keeping up though, a completely different story. In Xela, we are already at a pretty high altitude, so even stepping off of the bus at 900 on Saturday morning I was floored at the base of the volcano with the view. We could see for miles and miles beautiful mountains and green green earth. We started hiking, and I was out of breath in less than 10 steps. (If anything, this climb is why I have made a habit of going to Yoga more than three times a week!!!) And yet, whispering to myself, VALE LA PENA I somehow made my way up the mountain. VALE LA PENA means the end will be worth the pain suffered. (Very applicable towards my adventure).
I could not believe that when I needed to stop and breathe (every 5 min or soooo) I was surrounded by scenes from Last of the Mohicans, Sound of Music, and Lord of the Rings. I just wish I had the soundtracks to all three movies in my head (however an Ipod would have ruined the trek). After about 7 hours of hiking on Saturday, (we had woken up at 400 am that morning to begin the trip), we made camp on the summit just below the peak. It was already foggy and freezing. However, setting up the tents after that journey was so statisfying.
Suprisingly, I did not want food. At all. I could have curled up and gone to sleep right away and chilled. I just wished I had my journal and a book. And yet...with the words CHOCOLATE CALIENTE...i suddenly had a great appetite! We ate, we laughed, we did YOGA (our guide is a yoga instructor), and went to bed at the late hour of 1900!!! Luckily we were 6 in a tent and curled up tight together and most of my friends slept decently...I on the other hand maybe rested for only about 2 hours. I got a lot of pondering done.
Making up the last hour and thirty minute incline of all rocks and gravel was the worst part of the hike for me, but curling up in my sleeping bag and watching the sunrise over the mountains in the distance made me so happy to be alive.
My time in Guatemala is changed forever, since I climbed way up high...higher than the bluebirds fly!!!
I do have words however to express the incredable pain I was in during and after the hours and hours of hiking that we did. I of course held up the caboose of the gang, somebody needed to make the sacrifice of course. I was a great contribution to our team! I can support...the keeping up though, a completely different story. In Xela, we are already at a pretty high altitude, so even stepping off of the bus at 900 on Saturday morning I was floored at the base of the volcano with the view. We could see for miles and miles beautiful mountains and green green earth. We started hiking, and I was out of breath in less than 10 steps. (If anything, this climb is why I have made a habit of going to Yoga more than three times a week!!!) And yet, whispering to myself, VALE LA PENA I somehow made my way up the mountain. VALE LA PENA means the end will be worth the pain suffered. (Very applicable towards my adventure).
I could not believe that when I needed to stop and breathe (every 5 min or soooo) I was surrounded by scenes from Last of the Mohicans, Sound of Music, and Lord of the Rings. I just wish I had the soundtracks to all three movies in my head (however an Ipod would have ruined the trek). After about 7 hours of hiking on Saturday, (we had woken up at 400 am that morning to begin the trip), we made camp on the summit just below the peak. It was already foggy and freezing. However, setting up the tents after that journey was so statisfying.
Suprisingly, I did not want food. At all. I could have curled up and gone to sleep right away and chilled. I just wished I had my journal and a book. And yet...with the words CHOCOLATE CALIENTE...i suddenly had a great appetite! We ate, we laughed, we did YOGA (our guide is a yoga instructor), and went to bed at the late hour of 1900!!! Luckily we were 6 in a tent and curled up tight together and most of my friends slept decently...I on the other hand maybe rested for only about 2 hours. I got a lot of pondering done.
Making up the last hour and thirty minute incline of all rocks and gravel was the worst part of the hike for me, but curling up in my sleeping bag and watching the sunrise over the mountains in the distance made me so happy to be alive.
My time in Guatemala is changed forever, since I climbed way up high...higher than the bluebirds fly!!!
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