Monterrico and Such

This weekend we rented a crappy little car and drove to Monterrico. The headlights were pointed up in such a way that everybody we passed though we were high beaming them so in turn, they did the same to us. We almost died various times. We had hoped to play with baby sea turtles, but now is not turtle season. Instead we played in the huge waves! The water was super warm! There were piglets of various sizes running all over the town! The different litters hung out together, as you can see from the picture. The smallest were as big as our feet! There were Kaiman at the turtle sanctuary in Monterrico and we followed a woman with a fish until she told us she was taking it home to cook instead of to feed the Kaiman. Last week we also went to Zuniel to watch the women weave and then we stopped at Dad's old yellow house from 6 years ago. Also in Zuniel we saw a Mayan ritual outside the house of San Simion, the smiling manequin into which they pour liquor and cigarettes in hopes that he will fulfill their prayers. The thing Dad is going to miss most is the Gallo.

¡Bienvenidos a Dad!

Yesterday was the switcheroo: Mom left around 6 am and Dad came around 9 pm. Hannah had a leisurely day at the wonderful hotel. It had soft fluffy pillows, warm beds, and HOT water that came out very forcefully. She even made a food order over the phone!
This morning, Dad and Hannah went to Mickey D's for breakfast and then got a cab to the bus station. We got on at 8 and weren´t in Xela until 1:45, a close squeeze because school started at 2. It took almost 6 hours to go 90 miles because the traffic was so terrible.
We see lots of people here wearing shirts in English (Lose Weight Now, Ask Me How). We can´t decide if they know what it says or not....
Finally, we took a picture of Mom's goodbye meal. She'll miss not having to cook for herself!

Las Fuentes Georginas

Today we made another venture to the hot springs before Mom has to leave on Sunday. This experience was a lot different than last time because the sun was out and there wasn´t any fog. The water seemed a lot hotter and we even ventured to the source of all the heat (which was scalding). We went with a group from school. In two pictures Hannah is with our friend Elizabeth, the only person we´ve met so far that is under 20. The other picture is with our friends Dan, Edy, and Stuart. It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for sunbathing.

Las Saunas

Yesterday we went for a very cool hike up to some natural saunas. They were amazingly hot and it was cool to think we were being toasted by the heat from the earth. We went with our two favorite guides from school, Edy and Juan, our German friends Pia and Natia, and two other new students from school. We had an amazing view of the city above the church that says ¨Cristo Viene¨(Christ Comes). We added two pictures of signs around the city: Hannah´s favorite advertisement for the cell provider Tigo and one of the many patriotic posters that are all over. We also bought a bunch of mini bananas at the market this weekend! They are bite sized and sweet! Too bad customs doesn´t allow fresh produce into the country!

Market Day/Why We Don't Eat Meat Anymore

Today, the first Sunday of the month, was Market Day in Xela. We went and checked out all the goods. They were very cool, but people watching was even more fun. We got a little lost on our way to the grocery store and ended up waaaay across town. On our way we saw the source of the meat we've been eating (at various locations), a pizza delivery guy speeding down the street on a motorcycle, and a Mormon church. One of Hannah's teachers told her that 10 percent of Xela is Mormon and the number is rapidly increasing. Mom wanted to add another picture from the volcano yesterday as well because she thinks our guides were just so cute. Oh, and the bird cage surrounded by spilled food at the end of our hallway has been attracting visitors from outside. Every time we walk down the hall a wild bird flies up and back out the large opening upstairs. Luckily there aren't any really big birds in Xela!

Santiaguito

This morning we hiked up to the volcano Santiaguito. It was spectacular. We watched it erupt twice before we had to go back down. We were lucky to have a beautiful morning with no fog so we could see the entire valley below us. We went with two hilarious guides, Juan and Edy, and our friend from Germany, Pia. It was warm enough that we were in short sleeves on the way back down! The only other people we saw were men hiking up to work their fields so we didn´t even have to use our machete! We encountered a horse with a large bundle on his back and a herd of goats followed by two brothers. We gave the smallest one a sandwich.
Last night we went to a national salsa competition at the Gran Karmel, the fanciest place in Xela. The women in our house were very jealous that we were going. We went with a few other people from school and took a picture outside the entrance. As you can see, it was deluxe.
Hannah snapped a few shots of signs around the city this afternoon as well. We find the ¨McInternet¨concept very entertaining, and there is always at least one kid in Mickey D´s playing online games. Sometimes when we´re boppin around town we stop in to use the bathroom or get an ice cream cone. In Latin America, McDonalds is very clean and it is a treat for the people to eat there. We love it.
There are spray painted signs all around the city that say ¨Organized Neighborhoods Against Delinquency.¨ Today we saw one that said ¨Organized Delinquents Against the Neighborhood.¨

Dos mas

We thought we'd add a shot of the chicken buses that we regularly ride here in Guatemala.
They are so crowded that it's extremely difficult to push your way to the front when you need to get out. It was taken in San Pedro, a stoner town on Lake Atitlan. Hannah is with our friends Michelle and Eva.
The other picture is on top of a mountain we hiked with a few other students yesterday. The climb up was relatively steep and then at the top we were using hands and feet to climb up sharp volcanic rock. It was a warm day and when the clouds started to englulf us it felt wonderful! You can sort of see a view of Xela over our shoulders. We are living in a beautiful place.

Daily Life

We decided to add a few pictures of daily life in Xela. The first is a view down our street as we walked home from school today. It has yet to rain but as you can see, the clouds look menacing. On the right hand side is an example of what the indigenous women dress like here. Unlike most, she is not carrying a large parcel on her head. The next two pictures show how dirty our floors still are even after being cleaned. Every night we sit on Hannah's bed and do homework, most of the time in socks. Socks are our new best friend. Not only do they keep our feet warm on the frigid tile, they also keep them relatively clean. Hannah has been sporting Popsi's U of U socks every night. The next two pictures were taken at school. It is very sunny and beautiful every morning. The first is a shot of Edy, the younger brother of Hannah's current teacher, and his student in the courtyard. We sit at those cute little tables and talk for 5 hours every day. The next is a picture of Sergio and Hannah's teacher, Karen. They really wanted someone to take a picture of them together. The last photo is a view from our school. We walk down the hill, past the bridge, and down another street every day to get home. It is about a 7 minute walk. We love it. We are finally getting the hang of everything around here: where the good bakeries are, how to get to the cute cafes, etc. We have a home away from home!

San Marcos

This weekend we said goodbye to our first housemates and took a trip with the school to Lake Atitlan. We arrived after a two hour bus ride to a little town called San Marcos. The sidewalks were all just little dirt paths and there weren´t any tourists. It was beautiful and full of colors. Our room was darling but we had to share it with creatures of the night, including a 6 inch centipede-slug-combo and spiders as big as a 50 cent piece. We went swimming in the lake and all the local children came to watch and giggle. They kept asking us to take their picture. They are all so sweet to each other. All the surrounding volcanoes were beautiful in contrast with the lake. It was warm and heavenly. Mom found lots of flowers full of hummingbirds to photograph. The photograph of the volcano in the middle (the view across the city) was taken on our trip out of Xela. While in San Marcos, we ate at a little restaurant that had three tables. It was so small that when our group ordered beers, the restaurant owners went out to buy them. On Sunday morning, all the families dressed up and went to church. We took a boat across the lake to the big market in Santiago. The bus ride home was filled with loud singing by our driver, Sergio and loud chortles by our wonderful activities coordinator, Josue.