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I'm home! But 7 is way past my normal waking hour of 6:30 San Andres, 5:30 Portland time, so I decided to get out and do my last blog post while Ben sleeps.

It has been wonderful so far. Liz picked me up and I got a cuddle fest with Ben and Cassie. I need to see Squeak but I'm scared to see him and then leave again. It might break my heart.

Anyway...last week or so in San Andres went by fairly uneventfully. I did get a week long case of the poopies that lead to a pretty severe mental case of the poopies that involved me demanding that Ben changed my ticket for a week early, but once I realized what that would actually mean I brought myself back down to Earth and really enjoyed my final week in Guatemala.

It was so unbelievable beautiful and calm there so much of the time.

And the lightening, I wish I could've captured it some how. One of my last nights the lightening was going as fast as fireworkds..I'd never seen lightening so fast before, it was amazing.

random pics...

Jess teaching music at the library

Game night!

Everyone loves musical chairs..

One of the teenagers, Eric, took off with my iPhone one nigth, but it was ok because he took some rad pics, like this one of his neighbors. I wish I could've left it with him, he loved taking pictures so much but.. unfortunately so do I.

Last day of teaching at 29 de Agosto

Other volunteers on tiny chairs (Jessica, Anna, Stephanie, Ronnie, Marin)

The one and only construction project, getting a post to wire electricity through for this school

mixing concrete..

pouring it in the hole we dug..

sawing pieces of metal

to bend..

and then construct a tall wire structure

we ended up needing a ladder...so did we borrow or buy one? nope! we built one :)


then we made a wooden frame to go around teh wire structure, adn all that was left was to dump concrete in there.

If I had a tuk tuk... of course it'd be this one

I did a trash project (which bombed horribly, no need for details)

but these are pics of a house in San Andres' sister city, San Jose, that is being built from bottles, wire, a wood frame and earth. (the soil here is very clay like..so it was a great choice, if really time consuming).

Blurry creature pics:

this is an adults shoe and a grasshopper. it was huge

My cockroach buddies, I finally took a pick.

My last week I finally got to tutor a bunch of math. Which was fun an a bummer all at once. I feel like my last week I made the strongest connections with some of the kids..and then suddenly I'm gone. I guess that's the way it goes.

David, who is absolutely brilliant. He speaks 3 languages and picks up math faster than most students I've seen.

BINGO! (it was english bingo, and when one of the kids won he shouted out "gringo!" It was pretty awesome)

My girls, Seydi, Merceda and Laura

I also got to teach English at a university with two of the other volunteers, Marin and Anna. Steph was supposed to come with us, but she got a case of the major ick. We kinda panicked when we found out because I was having a shitty day and none of us were ever "leaders" when we did classes. Anna's spanish was ok, but she hated beign in front of the class, and mine and Marin's spanish skills were not exactly fluent.

But we ended up doing it and the teacher, Johnny, made it so easy. They were really small classes of people who worked all week and then went to school on Saturday to get their degree in 5 or 6 years. All the students were really eager to learn and we had tons of fun. Then, the next night, Johnny had us over for dinner to meet his family and thank us, which was amazing. We got tostadas and I had my first homemade habenero chili (spicy!) and then his mom and grandma took us up to the church where five nights a week Johnny and some other guys play live rock for their congregation.

I'm not very churchy, but after not seeing live music for over 2 months, seeing these people rock out was awesome.I think the other volunteers thought I was crazy because I really got into it. I wanted to dance more (there were a few really spirited members who went up front and danced) but I was afraid they'd think I was mocking them. I really just wanted to dance. The bass player and drummer were super rad adn they had three horns coming in from time to time. We didn't stay long, but I'm glad I went. I tried to record some sound without beign obvious, but it didn't turn out.

Then my last day I had my presentation on trash, did some more construction at the school, packed and then went to wait for my favorites, Seydi and Jose, to come play with me at the library. They eventually showed up and we played an almost 3 hour uno game that we still didn't finish (I think some of the kids like picking up cards so they can make others draw 2 or 4 more than winning).

Some where along the game, they finally discovered my iPhone and played with it all afternoon, where we switched to Bingo (thank god) and just goofed around. I made a card for her and Jose and I think she was really touched. I love that girl. I'm going to miss her so much.

Seydi, Jorge, Jose

buddies

and then I left. I got up at 4:20, caught a microbus at 4:50 to Santa Elena and had a perfect day of transitions, which was good because everywhere was a little farther than I thought and after 2 Guatemalan Micro busses, walking across the Belizean border, a taxi to the nearest town, 2 belizean busses (one school bus, one pullman), walking across the Mexican border, a mexican bigger than microbus but smaller than school bus to chetumal and a Pullman to Tulum it was around 9pm Mexican time. oops! But I made it, and that's what matters.

I also realized something funny with some patterns. I think I may have mentioned this before, but it was a new moon the night I got to Xela, the night I got to San Andres, and the night I got home, which were my 3 biggest transitions.

And also it was 7/7 (my birthday) when I rode into Belize and exactly 2 months later, 9/7 (Scott's birthday) when I came back through. Neat.

The Guatemalan/Belize border

After finding out the internet was broken at my hostel, I used my calling card to call my mom, Ben, Lena and Scott for his birthday. Then successfully managed to fall asleep in the crazy heat.

Got up, had a great breakfast and went to the beach for an hour or two.

Showered, checked out, caught a collective to Playa del Carmen, did some last minute stuff and figured out how to get to the airport the cheapest way possible. I was supposed to take two collectivos, but while I was waiting for the second, some nice guys in one of the giant super nice tourist busses offered to take me to the airport. sweet

they dropped me off at their destination, terminal 2, and I had to walk to terminal 3, which was a nice reflection that properly ended my last, giant circle, since I had made the same walk in reverse to catch my ADO bus on my very first day there.

All along the way back I had reflected on how different it felt and remembered how nervous and scared I was to go anywhere. I was flipping through my notebook a few days or weeks before and had found where I had been practicing writing in spanish "I'm not an American, I'm a Canadian. I'm from Vancouver, BC, which is very near the states" so I could say it if asked in Guatemala. It made me laugh, but also wonder how I could've possibly been that scared of Guatemala. I Love Guatemala. And sure crime happens, but the huge majority if people are far nicer, giving and welcoming than the majority of people I've met in the states.

I know there are bad things that have been reported to happen in Latin American countries, but I"m glad I had this trip to prove to myself that it isn't any different than reports of crime anywhere. Walking around in broad daylight is rarely dangerous and it was funny to walk between the terminals and remember how nervous I was my first day in Mexico. Laughable from the view of two months later. Before I had averted my eyes and sped walk, and yesterday I strolled and greeted everyone I passed. It was lovely

Speaking of greetings, I will definitely miss that the most. I will miss my buenas tardes with everyone I encounter more than the tortillas and choco bananas and lakes and volcanoes and everythign else I loved combined.

Anyway, I made my flights, and it all went smooth sailing with the most beautiful clouds into Portland. and here I am. time for some breakfast and the dog park. <3

Oh and I almost forgot..I uploaded these. videos taken minutes apart of a crazy storm coming in. It was all sunshine and white fluffies, and you can see how we watched as this wall of rain came towards us. Not particularly smart, because by the time we left it was too late and we got soaked, but it was fun nonetheless

Things go pretty same ole same ole in San Andres, except I have definitely adjusted to the heat. It was a volunteer’s birthday last Friday ,and Mateo’s on Monday and after hauling a 5 gallon bucket of fresca de pina up the hills to the library with some of the other volunteers at 2ish in the afternoon and not really feeling much different than normal ascents, I knew I was on my way.

Fun fact, apparently it’s a tradition to convince people they’re supposed to take a bite of the cake with no hands and then shove their face into it. I had no idea, so I’m lucky it happened just as I was taking a picture of the bite…




People also get tostadas with salsa at parties (at least ours) along with cake. Double yum.





The most exciting news of the weeks occurred on Monday… I am an aunt once again. Scott and Jess had their baby, Brooklyn Grace, and I am super excited to get pictures. I got to borrow a computer with internet this past weekend and skyped pretty much all weekend, but maybe if I talk really sweetly I can get it another time. I don’t know though. I also got an update on Squeak from Rachel and a song from Ben and Chuck, so it was essentially the best email day I’ve had in 7 weeks. Maybe ever ;)

However, having internet was strange. I felt guilty being on it all day, like I was wasting my time here and also had a gigantic reminder of what it is to be an internet addict. Hmmmm…. It also made me incredibly homesick getting to see some of the people I loved, or at least email or text without some urgent need to hurry and get off the computer. But it’s only 2 more weeks and even though the moon reminds me every day how long it is, I have plenty planned here to fill the time. Schools were suddenly cancelled this week for some festivities, but I’m trying to get together a presentation on trash that’s based loosely around The Story of stuff and the dangers of not properly disposing of stuff, so I’ve been trying to busy myself with that and other random bits of lesson planning and library organization. Still avoiding the park.. hah.


Here’s an accidental poem created while making BINGO cards followed by a bunch of pictures that make me happy

I you he she it
We they and but or
So then because
Who what where when why
how


Marching band and parade some Sunday

(actually...this is at the bottom...)

World's tiniest lizard

The post office (do you see how I missed this? When it’s closed, it’s just a metal door…)

pretty view with a road that seems to drop to nowhere

The next few are all at Jess and Ronnie’s house, where we made the fresca:

Patitos!

Consuelta

I don't know "doves" in spanish...

Or Gerbils

There were also several other species of birds, and a really beautiful garden.

Making Fresca (3 lbs of sugar (!!), water and fresh pineapple…)

More birthday

Mateo, the birthday boy

Saidi, Jose, y Merceda

Playing “pato, pato, ganso” (duck duck goose) at a place my homestay mom volunteers

The photo shoot after (there are a million of these...)

And the walk back to the library (we found out our "monster hill" gets twice as big..)

That’s pretty much it! Sleep, eat, teach, library, eat, sleep or teach, library, eat, library sleep. I did have an amazing few nights with the full moon this week, including a date on the dock with my sweetie (from afar, of course) and going with the other volunteers after the library closed to some abandoned house that was built literally into the lake for some reason (I thought maybe the lake used to be shallower, but I was told no, it used to be deeper… so it *really* makes no sense…). The night alone there were clouds and thunder and beauty everywhere, but the clouds parted for literally the hour I was there and then obscured the moon once again. I felt really lucky. Then the night with the ladies, the sky was almost completely clear the whole time and we spent a good hour or so after swimming “moonbathing” on the roof of the house with venus shining down on us as well. The feminine talk was definitely flowing with all that lady energy.

Speaking of ladies, things have been much better with the volunteers too. After a talk with the two who are the most, um, difficult I guess, about communicating during stressful, chaotic English classes, I think communication in general has improved and we all have created more space for each other and seem to focus on similarities and respect differences better, which is rad. All in all we are a pretty well rounded team and have gotten a ton done at the library and making resources for the English teachers here and future volunteers. So at least there’s that.

This weekend we’re going to help at the college in Santa Elena, which I’m excited about. I may go in the morning and see Flores then, since I haven’t. It’s been a while since I’ve had some chicken bus fun….

<3

(videos mentioned above...)

this is how we are often greeted at 29 de Agosto (the school we help at Tues-Thurs)

Parade

Oh… San Andres. you're going to have to use your imagination with this, it is so hard to move pics once they go, and i wrote it ahead of time since I dont' get much time online. good luck!

Things are busy here. And hot. Sometimes oppressively hot, but there are also fantastic storms with lightening and thunder that are a wonderful reprieve, as well as amazing to witness. Also, I am adjusting quite a bit, and many days I can do a pretty awesome schedule of getting up early (I have the most amazing view of the sky lighting up over the lake out my windows with specific colors that indicate whether it’s around 5 or around 6), having breakfast, helping with the English classes at one of the schools, going to the library to either clean or organize some of the books, having lunch, shower and siesta-ing (when I’m lucky), teaching English at another school, going to the library, going back home for dinner, back to the library and finally bed.


It’s pretty exhausting and there’s always something to do, but at least I don’t have to go die in the ecological park with the mosquitos and other crazy bugs. My very first day I was walked the almost hour to the park, mostly via dirt road



and thrown into the ecological park to plant trees. While it was fun to use a machete and some pick-ax looking thing, there were a million mosquitos and it was even hotter out there.
The entrance area of the park



the lake out of order




My first tree




Here’s a small example of what’s there insect-wise (the kid who collected him said this is a really small representation of what’s there…)





San Andres is by far the most rural place I’ve been. The title of my last blog referenced the fact that it’s built on an insane incline and you’re either going up up up or down down down. Pictures can’t even begin to represent it, so I won’t even bother. I had a pretty comedic afternoon of trying to find the post office my second day in the suffocating, blistering heat of around 1:30. My host mom said it was “up, past the library” so I went up and kept my eyes peeled. At the town center I didn’t see anything so I asked some ladies, who weren’t interested in talking to me, so one pointed vaguely towards the bank. I walked over, asked someone in a tienda, and they said up the hill about 500 meters. So I went up about that far and didn’t see much, but it looked like there was more up around the bend, so I kept going. I decided to ask a guy before I walked all the way up, which I’m glad I did because the guy told me it was down the hill. Awesome. So I walked down the hill, past a couple buildings, decided to ask again, and they said up the hill. Huh. At this point there was no way I was walking back up the hill, but lucky for me they said it was closed anyway. Everything has weird hours here, and there’s no use trying to figure it out, really. So I gave up, tried again the next day, did a similar song and dance but eventually did find it, but it was closed. However, a bit later I tried again, and success! Open and found. This is a good example of how figuring out most things went for me. But I’m good with steep learning curves and wasn’t expecting things to be easy or similar to anything I know, so I’ve been mostly laughing it off and appreciating the exercise (which I’m going to need plenty of with the portions I get here. When Tim and I used to work at the tavern together he would play a game called “lets see if I can make so much food Stacey can’t finish.” Well, I think my host mom is playing the same game…)

Anyway


one school, right by the town center. (teaching the abc song)




Out of order, Mateo's school, mentioned below...







My house is about 20 minutes from the town center (straight up) and 10 min to the lake (straight down),
2188

Which is amazingly clear, if not completely cool all the time. It’s amazing how luke-warm this gigantic lake can get, but again, that’s just how hot it is.

one school is about 30-40 minutes walking from my house (it’s in the neighboring town, San Jose, but when I don’t take a nap, I go cool off in the lake before the walk since it’s on the way)

I’ve gone to Mateo’s school--the expatriate, volunteer coordinator, ecological park manager, teacher, library builder and manager--which is about 20 min from the town center down a dusty dirt road, with the ecological park being another 20 minutes from there.

He has the best deal in town, where school is free as lon gas the student passes, but because it’s much harder than the other schools, students often don’t want to attend. I could write quite a bit of my small experience of the quality of schools in Guatemala, but it’s mostly just depressing. My first week I really struggled with the point of being here, since most of the things I wanted to do would require me to be here for at least 6 months to a year and the lack of correspondence between past and future volunteers nearly completely diminishes the effectiveness of starting many projects. However, what I’ve mostly been getting out of this so far is the similarity between the issues here and in the States, and probably in most of the world. It seems that everywhere I got in Guatemala (or the States, for that matter), the same problems with health care, education, poverty, gender issues, etc exist, it’s just the severity of the degree from one place to another that really make the difference. By recognizing this, though, it’s really inspired me to do more when I return to the states since all the projects I’ve thought would be helpful here would helpful with students in my own community.


So I’ve been focusing on just little things. I read with the kids, color with the kids, practice English with those who want to and don’t worry about those who don’t. When we help at schools I try to encourage students to engage, but if they really resist, I have a hard time really going toe to toe with them because who am I to demand they care when I’ll be leaving in a couple of weeks? However, there are plenty of kids who are dying to learn that there is plenty for me to do.


Some of the kids at the library

Eric(looking at the camera), who is obsessed with Michael Jackson, with a kid I don’t know and a volunteer, Jessica. (they’re looking up the lyrics to Billie Jean so he can practice enunciating in English)

I feel bad I’ve forgotten her name, but she comes with her sister, Mercedes, and sometimes Diana (I think?) who’s around 3 or 4 and will do whatever she needs to to keep them entertained but be able to read at the same time. She loves to read out loud and is amazing at keeping her sister entertained while still reading to me.

the deaf boy that I’ve become buddies with. He likes to play matching games and color and try to get me to do anything. I think he just likes effectively communicating anything to anyone, but Mateo has been working on sign language with him. I wish I knew it because he’s super smart and picks up everything fast.

Then there’s little girl stopped me in the street to say I need to meet her at her house after dinner and take her to the library. It was adorable.




So the kids totally make it worth it. I don’t have much time to study Spanish, but very few people, other than the volunteers, speak English, so I get plenty of practice saying the wrong thing. Hah.


Speaking of the other volunteers… that’s the only big downfall, but I’m trying to use it as a learning/growing experience as well. 3 of the volunteers are 21 year old recent graduates of University of Maryland (where my sister happens to go).. and as much as I try to connect with them, I mostly can’t. One, Stephanie, is the one I can get along with the most because she’s super smart and less… umm… I don’t know, completely 100% certain of how the world should work, probably because she comes from more humble beginnings. But they all come from a private school, parents pay for college (and who knows what else) background and are mostly completely type A. One keeps referring me to as “cup half full” sort of person just because I don’t bitch about every fucking thing I encounter that is not how it is in the states.

But, no need to focus on that, just needed to get it off my chest. It really makes me miss Trevor and Finn, who I’m glad I told them they were the best case scenario for house mates when I was with them in Xela, because they really were. It’d be nice to have someone I connected with here, but when I start to get fed up, I just remind myself I’m not here for them and that’s been working so far.


My family is nice, but I’m awkward of course. The mom and dad are both great at talking to me, but we don’t always have meals together so it’s weird. Plus I don’t really have time to hang out at home, but maybe this weekend I’ll make a point for some tv time. The food is not as good as Norma’s, much more salt and margarine, but it’s still really good most of the time. One word: empanadas. Plus, I can’t really judge because it’s a completely different situation with very little access to the food that was in Xela, as well as a pretty large socio-economic difference between the families. The only thing I haven’t liked was boiled bananas (oh god) but there is still plenty I want to make when I get home.

My room is comfy, and the bed is perfect for making a tent out of my mosquito net (which are almost non-existent when not in the eco-park, surprisingly). However, I have quite the clan of monstrous roaches that hang out at night if I’m up late studying, as well as occupy the bathroom on a regular basis. But, it could be worse, since two of the other volunteers have had tarantulas in their bathroom and I’ve convinced myself that if the roaches are around, that means the tarantulas are not. I don’t care to know whether or not tarantulas actually eat roaches or not, because it’s made me make friends with the roaches and also made me less scared I will encounter a tarantula. There are also tiny little lizards that make a noise that fits a large goose (but a little higher pitched), but they’re cute so I don’t mind. That’s just in my room. In the town there are of course dogs that wonder but also



horses

goats

another out of order, from the school mentioned below

Pigs (these are the cute ones, but there are mastiff sized ones as well)

And ducks (with babies in tow), turkeys, guinea hens, but no pics of them …


Last week, after a short volunteer week trying to figure things out, we packed 21 people into a 18 person van and drove 4 hours to Rio Dulce.

I was late, of course, so I ended up with a “not a real seat seat” on the way there, but made the best of it. Then a 30-45 boat ride to a Mayan school that did high school as well as tourism training (the biggest industry in Guatemala, especially near Rio Dulce) where we ate (with our hands and a leaf, my first time)

got a tour of the school in a complete jungle setting (scary effing spiders, but also toucans and really amazing butterflies) and saw a pretty awesome festival...

and then the ladies left for “la isla de mujeres” since the women had to stay faarr from the boys. It was great. We swam, ate, played cards. I saw the biggest lizard I’ve ever seen on a gigantic leaf. The only bad thing was the bathroom, which one of the girls described as something she’d expect to see in a “Saw” movie. I got up in the middle of the night just so I could pee in the woods (scary, but worth it) without anyone knowing, that’s how bad it was.


In the morning we took a boat to Livingston, which is actually the very first town I entered in Guatemala (with the broken ATM, so I didn’t stay long..). It was nice to actually get to see the town. After a tour, we all piled into the back of two trucks, seee below

And set off to what I thought was going to be a school. It started as a river…

And a beautiful walk along the beach, with only a bit of trash, for about 20-30 minutes…

And then turned into a completely disgusting walk through an unbelieveable amount of trash for at least another 30 minutes…

I already felt pretty strongly about trash creation and plastics and all that, but I swear after this walk, I’ve realized there is a *LOT* more I am willing to do to reduce my trash output, and that maybe I need to have some conversations with my friends as well. I know that it’s a huge global issue, but this walk made it so tangible and terrifying. Especially since many of the products were fairly recent, so you knew it wasn’t from like 30 years of build up. The trash issue is escalating exponentially and before we know it, we’re going to be facing something totally Wall-e style. Sigh.

this is out of order but I can't fix it, the truck ride to the river and falls

Anyway, we were hot, exhausted and disgusted and then suddenly we arrived somewhere. I had no idea what was going on, because the entire tour was in Spanish and while I’m getting better, my comprehension is still not fantastic. After a long wait, we were finally lead through a restaurant and then up to… oh my god water fall pools!

I had seen something like this in Jamaica with Ellen and it was such a wonderful treat. The students were thrilled, most (if not all) of them never having seen anything like it. I know a couple had been to Livingston before (well, at least one), but many had never left San Andres and most never had seen the Ocean.

The water was perfect, and we all enjoyed our break

Jumping began, of course.

Then we had to walk back through trash, and, of course, I had to be one of 3 that ate it in a trash puddle that was so full of trash we mistook it for land. Disgusting.


Back for lunch, a little wifi (score!) and then returning to the long trek home. On the boat ride back up from Livingston I had a really wonderful half hour or so of reflection because I realized this was the first big circle I’d made so far and it was interesting to see how much I had learned and changed in only the past 4 weeks. On my first boat ride up Rio Dulce it was one of the most beautiful and amazing things I’d ever seen, and the second time it actually seemed average to the other incredible sights I’d taken in across Guatemala. Then I knew almost no Spanish and was stoked to be on a boat full of gringos, and now I could converse a bit with Caraima, who kept getting completely soaked by the giant waves we were speeding across. And other, mostly inexplicable, changes that I thoroughly enjoyed contemplating.


The weekend was mostly full of me trying to figure out what I wanted to do while I was here and studying Spanish, which I desperately needed. It’s wonderful to be in an immersion setting, but I still need to study a ton and I simply do not have time during the week. I’d like to start getting up at 5 to study when it’s early (read: cool), because if I have time around lunch, I just sleep. I fully understand how the time of siesta came to be. While the other volunteers complain it’s “too hot to sleep” I somehow manage to pass out in order to make the sweltering afternoon disappear


I also have to admit I have been counting the days until I go home, mostly because I came and will leave on a new moon, so every time I see the moon it’s a reminder of how much time is left. It’s not because I don’t like it here, but just mostly because it’s my last leg, I like to count, and there are many things I’m beginning to really miss.

However, I’m also starting to get scared to come home. It’s going to be really different. Things are so calm here. I haven’t had anything to drink the whole time I’ve been gone and I haven’t really been angry either. There are a lot of things I love about here, the simplicity, the walking everywhere, the animals roaming the street, the fact that everyone (with the exception of literally maybe .5% of the people) will return my “buenas tardes” or “Buenos dias” with enthusiasm, the amazing hot freshly made tortillas and especially the kids. I don’t know what it is about them, or maybe it’s just that I’ve never spent much time with kids in general. They’re so fun and most of them are just dying for someone to sit with them so they can learn more. Anyway… of course I’m coming home, but I’m scared it’s going to be weird.