Made it to San Salvador, El Salvador! It is hot here and we read in the quide book that a lot of people get colds when they enter into this country...and I feel a cold coming on. Maybe it has to do that Xela, Guatemala was freezing, and when we caught the bus to El Salvador at 6:00 in the morning, Hana and I had to wear 6 layers and we could see our breath in the bus! It was crazy cold!
We got here last night, and are staying in some guest house from the guide book. This morning when we woke up, we got an offer to ride in the owner's car to their other guest house on the beach. So, we are hitting up that offer and off to the beach for a couple of days. Finally going to see the ocean again and maybe hit up the surf, or go in dug-out canoes through the Mangroove forest. Should be fun!
Thanks for the comments, Lisa, MATT, Kyla and Dad! It is a small world Kyla, and Ryan says hi! Also Lisa, I am totally up for that cookie making when I get home! Sorry Matt for not saying goodbye in San Pedro! Also, not sure why the pictures are not working on the last blog...I will try to fix that when we get back from the beach.
-Kristen
From Xela to San Salvador . . . adventures and misadventures:
For those of you who know Shasti Conrad, she´s a dynamite woman and fellow student from SEattle U! A couple weeks before we headed to Central America, SHasti found out I would be in Guatemala and suggested I look up an awesome guy by the name of Ryan Richards. Ryan has been living in Quetzaltenago (Xela), Guatemala working at a wonderful school that I will tell you more about later.
... So Ryan and I kept in contact and sure enough, KK and I headed out from language school to go visit him in Xela. Have you ever met someone who you feel at home with right off the bat and a sense of familiarity? Well that was Ryan. And to top it off, it turns out he´s from Coopville (where my dad spent a few years of his childhood) and Ryan went to school in Oak Harbor with KK´s lifelong friend Kyla, who we visited in Oak Harbor back in the day! small, small world.
Misadventures:
1. 5 hour long chicken bus ride from San Pedro to Xela -- we bumped along winding mountain roads (w/ INCREDIBLE VIEWS OF THE LAKE!), stopped in construction for a LONG time, found out skirts make for great roadside-pee-stops-attire, met 2 Germans on the bus, I got sick, couldn´t hardly standup once off the bus, luckily one of the Germans grabbed my bag and we walked the half hour to Central Park (near Ryan´s house). I spent two solid hours in the restaurant´s bathroom. And to top it all off, I missed the curb by the park and with All MY gear on (front and back), I slowly fell and sprawled out in the middle of a busy street. My bags were so heavy, I couldn´t move, so I opted for the alternative, which was to lay there and laugh until some Guatemalan women ran over to make sure I wasn´t broken.
2. Upon arrival in San Salvador, woke up in the middle of the night with a giant cockroach crawling on me! Yikes! Slept with the lights on while the creature skiddered back into the darkness under Kristen´s bed!!
Take care,
Hana T.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
San Pedro Highlights
1. BESOS de los NIÑOS! (kisses from the kids) There was no opportunity to feel down in San Pedro because the LOVE of the children was everywhere! My host sister Sindy always had hugs and kisses to share whenever she saw me. While Kristen was posing [en Vogue) for the camera, an 8 year old bread vender by the name of Rosenda Rosalia, came over to me, sat in my lap and whispered into my ear how beautiful I was. She gave me lots of kisses while we kept KRisten entertained and in good spirits to look natural for the camera.
2. THERE WAS A BLACKOUT one night in the entire town of San Pedro. At that moment, I was walking along the cobble stone streets with my host mom, both of us in a traditional Mayan shawl, heading up the mountain to a FIESTA of Evangelical churches. Two things happened the moment the lights went out: first, the NIGHT SKY came alive at once, as the stars shone brightly and innumerably in the utter darkness. Second, my little host mom (we´re talking half the size of me), grabs my hand and we continue up the hill, walking hand in hand with her leading the way by memory. When we arrived at the church, all was still dark, but as we entered, we were met with the wonderful sounds of a live mariachi band - playing from memory in the dark!!! I was blown away! I had never expected a mariachi band at church, but why not!? The darkness made for a great ambiance and the fiesta of music and preaching was wonderfully entertaining. Groups of women, including my host mom, went up on stage to sing. I was struck by the beauty of the mayan women, especially the wrinkly old ladies up there singing their hearts out!
3. 7am MORNING SWIMS with uncle PEdro ... Every morning, my uncle pedro headed down to the lake to bathe and every day he asked me, are you going with me tomorrow?? Finally I said yes. As we headed down to the lake just past sunrise, I was surprised to see the rocky shoreline lined with mayan women washing their clothes and bathing in the water. I dove in and being in the water made a refreshing start to another wonderful day.
2. THERE WAS A BLACKOUT one night in the entire town of San Pedro. At that moment, I was walking along the cobble stone streets with my host mom, both of us in a traditional Mayan shawl, heading up the mountain to a FIESTA of Evangelical churches. Two things happened the moment the lights went out: first, the NIGHT SKY came alive at once, as the stars shone brightly and innumerably in the utter darkness. Second, my little host mom (we´re talking half the size of me), grabs my hand and we continue up the hill, walking hand in hand with her leading the way by memory. When we arrived at the church, all was still dark, but as we entered, we were met with the wonderful sounds of a live mariachi band - playing from memory in the dark!!! I was blown away! I had never expected a mariachi band at church, but why not!? The darkness made for a great ambiance and the fiesta of music and preaching was wonderfully entertaining. Groups of women, including my host mom, went up on stage to sing. I was struck by the beauty of the mayan women, especially the wrinkly old ladies up there singing their hearts out!
3. 7am MORNING SWIMS with uncle PEdro ... Every morning, my uncle pedro headed down to the lake to bathe and every day he asked me, are you going with me tomorrow?? Finally I said yes. As we headed down to the lake just past sunrise, I was surprised to see the rocky shoreline lined with mayan women washing their clothes and bathing in the water. I dove in and being in the water made a refreshing start to another wonderful day.
The new model for Gallo, Cerveza
(Hana looking out at the sunset in San Pedro)Xela, Guatemala
We finished with Spanish school with great success. Our last night in San Pedro, I took my host family out to the bar for drinks and dinner. It was a joke throughout the week that I like to drink a lot, (due to the fact that I couldn't work the keys in the door, so I crashed at Hana's one night, making them think that I was so drunk I couldn't find my way home), so I invited them out. They took me up on it and we went to El Barrio, where I bought them beers and dinner. Afterwards, the two daughters snuck back out of the house and met Hana and I at the bar. Good times!
I feel that I have learned a lot of Spanish, or at least got my mind refreshed from the Spanish I did learn back in high school. Well, pretty much I am not timid anymore to at least try to speak the language. My mind was a lot more interested in the local Mayan language, and I learned some words which made my host family laugh. I felt like I was everyone's entertainment for the week.
In San Pedro we met with Anthony for lunch and he filmed us, maybe for part of the Discovery Channel show, or just for fun...but after filming us, he told me that I should be a model. Well, as some of you might know, that was always a secret dream of mine, to either model, be on TV, or even better, in the movies! So, Anthony is this great photographer and journalist, so he offered to take my picture to start my portfolio. That afternoon we had a photo session over looking the lake. It was amazing. At first I was so nervous and was thinking about ditching out, it was the high school shy Kristen that came out fo me again. But, I sucked it up and showed up. Anthony was great. He totally made me relax and hopefully we got some great pictures! He even offered to develop them and make a contact sheet for me. I was so lucky to meet him and run into this situation. Later, we went back to his hotel and talked about life...It was a great conversation. He is planning on writing an Angel book, about certain people's encounters. I am going to write up my story of Eric for him to publish. Amazing how life just works out. Anthony was so generous and I am very grateful to have this opportunity...plus it was a blast!
(Photo Shoot with Anthony)Now we are in Xela, Guatemala visiting a friend of a friend that Hana knows. Ryan met up with us and is kindly letting us stay at his house, called the Yoga House. Yes, they do practice yoga there, but we haven't done it yet. Last night we went to the market and bought food for a huge community meal and ate like kings. A lot of the house mates helped cook...it was wonderful, but didn't feel like Guatemala, more like a college setting in the states. Another crazy small world connection is that Ryan is from Coupeville, Washington and went to the same highschool as Kyla, and actually knows her! Strange! Today we toured around Xela and are planning on heading to San Salvador, El Salvador tomorrow.
(Ryan, Hana and I at the Market in Xela)Other crazy spanish language stories...We were having break at school, where we get to eat snacks and rest our brains. Well, when the teacher came to tell us it was break time, I said ¨Tengo hombre¨. All of the students and teachers laughed, but of course I didn't get it until they explained to me that I said ¨I have men¨. I meant to say ¨Tengo hambre¨, I'm hungry.
Also, Hana and I have talked about every subject possible, so how we are sitting around the table, like old women, soley talking about our aches and pains, and of course our bowel movements.
Life is Good,
Kristen
Thursday, January 11, 2007
San Pedro Photos
Just a view of our lives in San Pedro:
(San Pedro, Guatemala - our CoeurdAlene away from home)
(Kristen´s casa)
(Hana´s Casa - just around the corner from KK and RIGHT NEXT to the restaurant/bar Jarachik, i.e. I fall asleep to great music until all hours of the night!)
(Chicken Bus barn in San Pedro)
(Casa Rosario garden language school - Hana's lesson with her Maestra, Flory)
(Kristina and her maestra, Christina! NOTICE the intense concentration on KK´s face)
(Hana and KK´s Chicken bus ride)
(And more chicken buses - this photo´s for you, Jim!!)
(San Pedro, Guatemala - our CoeurdAlene away from home)
(Kristen´s casa)
(Hana´s Casa - just around the corner from KK and RIGHT NEXT to the restaurant/bar Jarachik, i.e. I fall asleep to great music until all hours of the night!)
(Chicken Bus barn in San Pedro)
(Casa Rosario garden language school - Hana's lesson with her Maestra, Flory)
(Kristina and her maestra, Christina! NOTICE the intense concentration on KK´s face)
(Hana and KK´s Chicken bus ride)
(And more chicken buses - this photo´s for you, Jim!!)
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Mi Casa es Su Casa (My Home is Your Home)
Happiness IS . . . walking into Kristen's casa (which is a restaurant on the bottom floor, with a spiral cement staircase up to the sleeping quarters), chatting (in spanish) with her mom and sisters, and feeling quite at home coming in and out any time of the day.
Happiness IS . . . hearing Kristen's voice each morning say "Hanita!" as she walks right into my house and climbs the cement staircase to the roof, where the kitchen is, and joins my sisters and I around the firepit stove while my host mom (Olga) prepares my daily breakfast of a banana pancake and locally grown Guatemalan coffee!! Yesterday during lunch, my little sister Sindy was dancing around the kitchen with a green halloween mask on. In her surprise, Kristen tried to say "Miedo!" (which means Scary!), but instead, she said "Mierda!" (which means shit). That sent the whole family off in laughter for a long while! We are good entertainment for them. Kristen's family in particular delights in giving her a hard time and we feel all the more at home.
Happiness is NOT . . . Chicharron (pork rind). When it comes to food, I'm up for just about anything. HOWEVER, last night was the most difficult meal I have ever eaten. I was served a plate of beans, eggs and a big slab of "puerco" (pork). As I cut into the pork, I realized that it wasn't meat, it was skin. In the US, pork fat is sometimes used to flavor baked beans, but I had never experienced eating it as the main dish. No one in my family was eating with me last night, so I tried to politely ask them in spanish if I was supposed to eat the "puerco" or if it was only to flavor the beans. With my limited vocabulary, I got the hint that I was supposed to eat it, so . . . I started to choke it down, even though the texture was completely unappetizing to me. About halfway through, the neighbor's (live) pig started SQUEALING like crazy. That's when I had to call it quits. No mas Chicharron para mi!
I can´t begin to tell you what a small world I live in. Just moments ago, here at the internet cafe, I ran into a man by the name of Anthony Lobaido. (Megs and T-ra, can you believe it????) The first time I met him was in San Pedro, Belize in fall 2004. MEgan, Tara and I were sitting out on the balcony of Ruby´s hotel, when Anthony nearly fell down the stairs in awe of Megan´s striking beauty. He was in Belize doing a story on military training in the jungle (of which he actually participated in the training). Adventure is his life, and he is currently in San Pedro, Guatemala shooting a mini-adventure series for the Discovery channel. You can imagine the surprise just now when I recognized him, asked him his name, and then before he could answer, it came to me and I said "ANTHONY LOBAIDO!" He was stupefied. Kristen and I are meeting up with him tomorrow.
As Kristen and I are entering more fully into our spanish immersion, it is quite SHOCKING to sit back for a moment and realize that we are carrying on conversations in spanish and surviving each day IN SPANISH! It´s AMAZING!! On the other hand, as our spanish is improving, our english is muy malo (very poor). We are forgetting how to say things in english. For example, yesterday we could not remember the english word for "piña" (pineapple). Our friends here tell us this is a good sign! :)
We send you our love! We have two more days of language school (and homework)and then are headed to Xela, Guatemala to visit the friend of a friend. And so it goes.
La paz (peace),
Hana T.
Happiness IS . . . hearing Kristen's voice each morning say "Hanita!" as she walks right into my house and climbs the cement staircase to the roof, where the kitchen is, and joins my sisters and I around the firepit stove while my host mom (Olga) prepares my daily breakfast of a banana pancake and locally grown Guatemalan coffee!! Yesterday during lunch, my little sister Sindy was dancing around the kitchen with a green halloween mask on. In her surprise, Kristen tried to say "Miedo!" (which means Scary!), but instead, she said "Mierda!" (which means shit). That sent the whole family off in laughter for a long while! We are good entertainment for them. Kristen's family in particular delights in giving her a hard time and we feel all the more at home.
Happiness is NOT . . . Chicharron (pork rind). When it comes to food, I'm up for just about anything. HOWEVER, last night was the most difficult meal I have ever eaten. I was served a plate of beans, eggs and a big slab of "puerco" (pork). As I cut into the pork, I realized that it wasn't meat, it was skin. In the US, pork fat is sometimes used to flavor baked beans, but I had never experienced eating it as the main dish. No one in my family was eating with me last night, so I tried to politely ask them in spanish if I was supposed to eat the "puerco" or if it was only to flavor the beans. With my limited vocabulary, I got the hint that I was supposed to eat it, so . . . I started to choke it down, even though the texture was completely unappetizing to me. About halfway through, the neighbor's (live) pig started SQUEALING like crazy. That's when I had to call it quits. No mas Chicharron para mi!
I can´t begin to tell you what a small world I live in. Just moments ago, here at the internet cafe, I ran into a man by the name of Anthony Lobaido. (Megs and T-ra, can you believe it????) The first time I met him was in San Pedro, Belize in fall 2004. MEgan, Tara and I were sitting out on the balcony of Ruby´s hotel, when Anthony nearly fell down the stairs in awe of Megan´s striking beauty. He was in Belize doing a story on military training in the jungle (of which he actually participated in the training). Adventure is his life, and he is currently in San Pedro, Guatemala shooting a mini-adventure series for the Discovery channel. You can imagine the surprise just now when I recognized him, asked him his name, and then before he could answer, it came to me and I said "ANTHONY LOBAIDO!" He was stupefied. Kristen and I are meeting up with him tomorrow.
As Kristen and I are entering more fully into our spanish immersion, it is quite SHOCKING to sit back for a moment and realize that we are carrying on conversations in spanish and surviving each day IN SPANISH! It´s AMAZING!! On the other hand, as our spanish is improving, our english is muy malo (very poor). We are forgetting how to say things in english. For example, yesterday we could not remember the english word for "piña" (pineapple). Our friends here tell us this is a good sign! :)
We send you our love! We have two more days of language school (and homework)and then are headed to Xela, Guatemala to visit the friend of a friend. And so it goes.
La paz (peace),
Hana T.
Monday, January 8, 2007
San Pedro, Guatemala Versus San Pedro, Belize
There is no comparison, only that they are both surrounded by water. San Pedro, Guatemala reminds me a bit of Coeur d´Alene due to the fact of the fresh water lake...it smells like CdÁ.
We made it to San Pedro, Guatemala...chicken bus from Anitqua to Chimal (1 hour), Taxi to Panajachel (2.5 hours), Water taxi to San Pedro (20 minutes), and then after walking around lost for 30 plus mintues, we got another taxi to Casa Rosario, which still left us lost...but eventually we found our spanish school. Last night we weren´t able to move into our host families house, but we stayed at the dorms that the school owns. We found the Buddha bar, which is fairly close to the school, and hung out there for hours last night, eating, drinking and watching ¨Big Fish¨ projected onto the wall. It is COLD HERE! I was freezing in my long pants and warmest long sleeve on. It must be the altitude that is making this place so cold...but the plus side to that is there are no bugs! During the day, the temperature is around 75-80 in the sun, but in the shade it is cold! Maybe I have just climatized to Belize weather and the humidity, who knows! Today´s goal is to find some warmer clothes, maybe a blanket.
We woke up this morning around 7 am to make it to our host families houses for breakfast at 7:30. Both Hana and I ate a pancake, which tasted so good! I live with Maria, who owns a restaurante just down the street from Hana, who lives with Manuel and Olga. At breakfast, I struggled to make conversation, but pretty much was silent. Our 4-hour spanish class was good. I am put with Christina (due to the fact that we both have the same name, as everyone here calls me Christina). She is 20 years old and has two jobs. She has never travelled outside of Guatemala and has lots of sisters. She likes to swim, cook, and is afraid of snakes. Pretty much we got the basics down in the 4 hours, all the small talk you can think of. Tomorrow I am told that we are going to work on verbs. Much needed, since I only have two in my vocabulary. My head is going ¨loca¨ with trying to come up with the spanish translation to my english mind. We will see if this week will help!
I ate lunch back at my host families restaurante, and ate chicken, mashed potatoes, y ensalada. I sat with Rosa, who is 19 and works in the laundrymat. Pretty much that is all I know of her, other than she used to work in Max Pizza shop. It is hard to be immersed in Spanish, solemente speaking spanish.
Off to go shopping and tour the town with Hana until 6, when dinner will be served. Talk to you in a few days!
Dad- The Chicken Buses are converted school buses that the locals use to get from one place to another...We took pictures and will post them another time.
Christina
We made it to San Pedro, Guatemala...chicken bus from Anitqua to Chimal (1 hour), Taxi to Panajachel (2.5 hours), Water taxi to San Pedro (20 minutes), and then after walking around lost for 30 plus mintues, we got another taxi to Casa Rosario, which still left us lost...but eventually we found our spanish school. Last night we weren´t able to move into our host families house, but we stayed at the dorms that the school owns. We found the Buddha bar, which is fairly close to the school, and hung out there for hours last night, eating, drinking and watching ¨Big Fish¨ projected onto the wall. It is COLD HERE! I was freezing in my long pants and warmest long sleeve on. It must be the altitude that is making this place so cold...but the plus side to that is there are no bugs! During the day, the temperature is around 75-80 in the sun, but in the shade it is cold! Maybe I have just climatized to Belize weather and the humidity, who knows! Today´s goal is to find some warmer clothes, maybe a blanket.
We woke up this morning around 7 am to make it to our host families houses for breakfast at 7:30. Both Hana and I ate a pancake, which tasted so good! I live with Maria, who owns a restaurante just down the street from Hana, who lives with Manuel and Olga. At breakfast, I struggled to make conversation, but pretty much was silent. Our 4-hour spanish class was good. I am put with Christina (due to the fact that we both have the same name, as everyone here calls me Christina). She is 20 years old and has two jobs. She has never travelled outside of Guatemala and has lots of sisters. She likes to swim, cook, and is afraid of snakes. Pretty much we got the basics down in the 4 hours, all the small talk you can think of. Tomorrow I am told that we are going to work on verbs. Much needed, since I only have two in my vocabulary. My head is going ¨loca¨ with trying to come up with the spanish translation to my english mind. We will see if this week will help!
I ate lunch back at my host families restaurante, and ate chicken, mashed potatoes, y ensalada. I sat with Rosa, who is 19 and works in the laundrymat. Pretty much that is all I know of her, other than she used to work in Max Pizza shop. It is hard to be immersed in Spanish, solemente speaking spanish.
Off to go shopping and tour the town with Hana until 6, when dinner will be served. Talk to you in a few days!
Dad- The Chicken Buses are converted school buses that the locals use to get from one place to another...We took pictures and will post them another time.
Christina
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Photo Recap
San Pedro, Belize.
Sailing adventures with Danny and Capt. David on the 44 ft catamaran. Snorkeling at ShaRK/RAY alley.
*Kristen and the Ray*
*I believe I can fly*
Headed to San Ignacio in Western Belize with our London buddy Chris. We got dropped off along the highway and started our trek into Clarissa Falls, the cattle ranch out in the Belize countryside.
*Walking into Clarissa Falls*
Cave ADventure near San Ignacio: ACTUN TUNICHIL MUKNAL
*Cave Entrance*
*Kristen manuevering through cave*
*In the Cave with my Homies*
We had some time just sitting deep within the cave before viewing the bone remains. With everyone gathered around in a circle, I started beatboxing the tune 'At The Club with my Homies' but I changed the words to 'in the cave with my homies!' One of our tour buddies was excited and said 'Now this is what I call true UNDERGROUND hiphop!" ha!
*Mayan pottery, left as it was found*
*Stalactites and stalagmite formations near the grand chamber*
*Chris, Hana, Kristen prior to swimming out of the cave*
*Cave Exit*
And now we are in Antigua, Guatemala, hanging out with our new friend MaTT. He took us on a dessert adventure last night and while hunting for cheesecake, we came across the central park decked out in white Christmas lights. AFter dessert we had a mini fireworks show!! As soon as I finish this entry, the three of us are heading to San Pedro, Guatemala for this upcoming week of language school!
*Matt, Kristen Hana in Central Park, Antiqua*
Sailing adventures with Danny and Capt. David on the 44 ft catamaran. Snorkeling at ShaRK/RAY alley.
*Kristen and the Ray*
*I believe I can fly*Headed to San Ignacio in Western Belize with our London buddy Chris. We got dropped off along the highway and started our trek into Clarissa Falls, the cattle ranch out in the Belize countryside.
*Walking into Clarissa Falls*Cave ADventure near San Ignacio: ACTUN TUNICHIL MUKNAL
*Cave Entrance*
*Kristen manuevering through cave*
*In the Cave with my Homies*We had some time just sitting deep within the cave before viewing the bone remains. With everyone gathered around in a circle, I started beatboxing the tune 'At The Club with my Homies' but I changed the words to 'in the cave with my homies!' One of our tour buddies was excited and said 'Now this is what I call true UNDERGROUND hiphop!" ha!
*Mayan pottery, left as it was found*
*Stalactites and stalagmite formations near the grand chamber*
*Chris, Hana, Kristen prior to swimming out of the cave*
*Cave Exit*And now we are in Antigua, Guatemala, hanging out with our new friend MaTT. He took us on a dessert adventure last night and while hunting for cheesecake, we came across the central park decked out in white Christmas lights. AFter dessert we had a mini fireworks show!! As soon as I finish this entry, the three of us are heading to San Pedro, Guatemala for this upcoming week of language school!
*Matt, Kristen Hana in Central Park, Antiqua*
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