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.¨