« May 2006 | Main | July 2007 »
June 27, 2007
pictures
We haven't been able to upload pictures to this site like we hoped. So, we'll direct you to this link:
http://emu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2005383&l=55efa&id=148800959
Posted by Derrick at 10:39 PM | Comments (0)
June 26, 2007
Tak'alik A'baj and other adventures
This past weekend's highlight was a Saturday trip to the ruins of Tak'alik A'baj which are a little over an hour outside of Xela. In comparison with the Mayan ruins at the famous Tikal and the largest ruins El Mirador, Tak'alik A'baj is a pretty small site, but it is the largest of its kind on the western coast of the country. The guide that took us through the ruins gave lots of interesting information about the meanings behind the symbols and structures that we saw throughout the morning. Archeologists have been able to identify how the Mayans were able to study the stars, their calendar and numbering system (including zero), their use of roads and water movement, their ceremonial rituals and many other things. Apparently a few years ago National Geographic did a story on this site, so we'll have to look for that some other time. The visit definately made us eager to see Tikal if it works out towards the end our time in Guatemala.
On Sunday we were going to go with our host family to their church, but they've been in the process of converting to an electric water heater (a progressive step in response to the rising price of gas) and they chose to stay around to work out some problems. We walked downtown and visited the mass at the main cathedral. The area's archbishop happened to be there and gave the message of the morning.
It started raining in the afternoon, but there some other students who were still interested in a trip back to the Fuentes Georginas to enjoy the hot springs. There were many more people there than the last time we visited, but it was still a really nice visit and we enjoyed some tortillas with refried beans and hot chocolate in the restaurante beside the springs. Also, someone else must have mistaken our towells for theirs so we had to buy new towells back in Xela...
Yesterday afternoon ICA's activity was a reforstation project, so Rebekah and I, along with some other students went out to see the tree nursery and then go to a nearby hill to transplant some cyprus. It was the first time I had the chance to actually help plant the plants where they would end up and it was a beautiful view out over the countryside from up the hill. I went out again this morning with the students that study during the afternoon shift and enjoyed the project again.
In our host family's place the current event is the preparation for their oldest daughter's 15th birthday party in August (la quincinñera) which is a really big ordeal (like a wedding). So last night some relatives were over and all the women were working on the party favors and table ornaments and everything. Looks like a lot of work.
Posted by Derrick at 06:30 PM | Comments (0)
June 22, 2007
Jornada Medica
Thursday Derrick and I and a few 4 other students joined Enrique (the ICA director) and Lester (ICA doctor) in a morning clinic. The clinic was held at a school near the tree nursery where Derrick spends most of his mornings.
We all met at ICA at 7 am, which felt a little early, and rode over in the back of the pickup to the primary school. There we set up a little classroom into a clinic. We had four stops, first to register, second blood pressure (or pulse for the children), third glucose checks and lastly a chat with the doctor. An older couple who are studying here took charge of the first stop, Derrick and I the second and a premed student and another guy from the US did the glucoses.
We were supposed to start at 8 and go until 11. Basically we started as soon as we got there and went until 1. We had seen 134 patients by the time we left. I had sore ears and a blister on my left middle finger from listening to blood pressures continuously for nearly 6 hours. It was well worth the blister.
Derrick and I gave stickers to the children, but one child looked at me once and decided he did not want me to touch him with my stethescope. After it was all said and done and we gave him a sticker he smiled a little bit. I got plenty of practice using the phrase ¨Podria relajar su brazo aqui¨(Could you relax your arm here).
I was greatful to have the job of blood pressures though, because the job of checking glucose was not as simple as I had practiced. Instead of the very short retractable needles, they had to use injection needles to prick people´s fingers. I was pretty impressed at how gentle and quick they became by the end of the morning.
Near the end of the morning I realized that my mother has seen similar numbers of patients when she worked at the clinic from our home in Kenya. I can imagine how long a day can be when that many patients trickle in throughout the day.
Needless to say my class that afternoon was a little more laid back due to my tiredness. Derrick went to see how the traditional skirts are made in Salcaja that afternoon as well.
We´re looking forward to another interesting weekend as we wrap up our third and middle week in Guatemala.
*Rebekah
Posted by Derrick at 09:41 PM | Comments (0)
June 19, 2007
Frozen Yogurt and New Shoes
This week I have a new Spanish teacher. Normally the teacher changes every week, but last week I had asked to continue with the same teacher. This week I decided to change, just to learn how different people work and talk. It has been a lot of fun, and I think I´m talking more with this teacher. Still, learning another language can be frustrating. Sometimes I wish it could be easier to get my point across.
Today after class and lunch we went on a longer walk over to the big shopping mall in town. My shoe broke during the weekend so we went to find another pair. The mall is pretty crazy, and really not my favorite place in Xela, but it is an interesting contrast. We stopped for a snack at a frozen yogurt store and it was amazing. It reminded me of the place in the ABC plaza in Kenya where we would get frozen yogurt. We also found a pair of shoes.
It is hard to believe we are almost half way done with our trip. In some ways it feels like we've been here a long time, in other ways it feels like we're barely getting started. I'm excited for this week because we are going to do a clinic at a school a little bit out of the city. I'm sure it will be another new experience…
* Rebekah
Posted by Derrick at 11:28 PM | Comments (0)
El Lago Atitlan
This past Saturday morning we packed 15 people and a driver in a microbus to drive through the mountains to the beautiful lake Atitlan. Like the black sands of Chamerico, Atitlan is a product of volcanic history and the lake contained by amazing inactive volcanos around its shores. Some have said that the lake never looks the same twice, and it was true for us that Saturday and Sunday morning gave us unique looks at the lake with different clouds, time of day, etc.
When we arrived on Saturday, our group checked our things into a nice little hotel in Panajachel and then jumped in a small boat that took us across to our second lake town of Santiago Atitlan. We got the feeling pretty quickly about the strength of the tourist industry here and the number of stores and vendors that cater to people like us. It was a lot of fun to see the unique crafts, including many colorful paintings replicating the style of Juan Sisay, a famous painter from this town. We visited the town's very old cathedral, which had a sobering memorial commorating the building's role as a refuge for people during the war and the lives of the martyrs, including some priests, who died in their efforts to protect the people from the violence. Our last stop before lunch was to visit the town's image of San Simón, which represents a fellow who apparently had a gift of curing people in this region many years ago. He was never given sainthood by the Catholic church, but folks still honor him and pray for help and healings and whatever else. In each village around the lake, our guide from ICA pointed out and discussed the persisting syncretism in between Catholic and Mayan traditions.
As we rode in the boat to our next town, it started to rain and our next visits were cut a little short. Nevertheless, we really enjoyed seeing a women's cooperative where they weave their work. We took a picture with two little girls weaving bracelets and bought some of their work. Santa Catarina was the last town we visited, where we looked at the mixing of religious traditions within the Catholic church there and local art gallery. Back in Panajachel in the evening we had some tasty supper at a restaurant along the lakeside.
On Sunday morning we explored the town a while and stumbled upon and stayed around for a baptismal service in the lake. They sang some choruses that were familiar to us and around a half dozen people made public confessions of faith and were baptised. It was refreshing to see something more authentically of the people beyond the street vendors for tourists.
From there, we took our microbus to the city of Chichicastenango, which has a famous market on Sundays and Thursdays. It was certainly some of the things we had seen before, and much more as well. It was also interesting to observe where the market targeted tourists and where it met the needs of local folks. The most eventful thing of the afternoon was when Rebekah's shoe sole fell/peeled about halfway off. It was probably the best place for this to happen and she flopped around until we found one of the many shoe repair stands where they could glue it back together.
Back in Xela around 7:00 in the evening, we ate supper and rested for another week of classes, trees and other activities.
Posted by Derrick at 10:43 PM | Comments (0)
June 14, 2007
Some thoughts...
coming to guatemala has been quite an adventure for me. i think this is one of the most unique trips i´ve taken because i am in a very unfamiliar place and i didn´t come to visit anyone here. despite all that i feel very comfortable. even on our somewhat crazy ride to Xela on the bus, i didn´t feel a need to worry. i´m not sure if the comfort comes from just the way guatemal is, or one of my other observations, which is the incredible mix of world here.
i usually think of myself as somewhat of a mix of world. but, i´d have to say, i usually separate out my worlds somewhat into categories. here my worlds collide in all directions. first, before we came, i was meeting people at work who are from guatemala. then, when we arrived, one of the first people to see at the airport was Adela, a coworker. but besides strange encounters, everywhere there are mixes and combinations of this world and the world we just came from.
it really is hard for me to explain, but lately my mind has been turning over what it means for the world to be so mixed (and i think that probably it is better for me to understand it that way).
otherwise, class is going well. i wish language learning could include confidence building. i need to learn to try even when i know i´ll make lots of mistakes.
the activities we´ve been involved with have been a lot of fun. i loved going to the baths and drinking water running off the mountain that tasted like lemonade... crazy. my favorite experiences are some of the more educational ones, like the women´s prison (where i could be a little helpful) and the finca de café. next week i think there is a small clinic planned which i´m very excited to help with (though i have no idea what we will be doing yet). we´ll see what else is to come
keep praying for us.
blessings,
rebekah
Posted by Derrick at 06:45 PM | Comments (0)
June 13, 2007
Every day is different
This weekend held quite a few new experiences with ICA excursions. On Saturday morning we traveled with a group from school to visit a coffee plantation and then continue west toward the black sand beach at Champerico. Enrique, ICA's director, led the tour through the coffee plantation, explaining the process from the beginning stages grafting together different plants for a stronger coffee harvest to the end where the coffee is dried and examined for exporting. The process is clearly hard work and the history of how workers have been exploited was difficult to hear, but probably the most sobering was visiting the galera where temporary workers and their families will stay during the harvesting months. A "5-star" galera compared to some other companies, this living space had two light bulbs, walls and a concrete floor, but it would still be hard to see the floor filled with around 30 families sleeping side-by-side under the hot metal roof during the summer. A convincing lesson in buying fair trade coffee.
From there we went out for lunch by the beach in Champerico. Rebekah and I enjoyed collecting some sea shells. The waves were a little big and undertoe a little strong to want to spend much time in the water though.
On Sunday morning we took advangtage of the opportunity to go with a group up Santa Maria 12,375 ft, the volcano that dominates the horizon outside of Xela (around 7,200 ft). Looking at the mountain from the city, I was convinced that the mountain must have a ton of switchbacks for as steep as the angles were on the mountain (a math prof here estimated it at at least 35 degrees :)), but the trail had nothing of the sort. The hike was an exilarating 4 hour pull straight up the mountain. Fortunately there was an amazing view behind us every time we would take a break to look back (which we needed to do rather frequently).
We were a pretty sore yesterday and today, but this afternoon ICA had a timely event to help restore us. A small group of us rode up to the beautiful Fuentes Georginas, an amazing hot spring off the Zunil Volcano. It was an absolutely incredible mix between the mountanous scenery, the tropical vegetation and the relaxing water. Unfortantely we forgot our camera, so we'll either need to borrow some digital pictures from others, or, maybe, go back again :)
Classes are going well for Rebekah; she chose to stay with the same teacher this week since they seem to get along. I've been helping in the tree nursery in the mornings which feels good to be outside (although I've learned to take greater precautions for sun) and its interesting to learn a little about what some people go through to earn $6 or $7 a day. Today we counted out and sold 750 white pine and 750 alder trees to some folks working for local government in a nearby town who plan to plant them in and around an existing forest.
Posted by Derrick at 12:07 AM | Comments (0)
June 08, 2007
A morning with very small trees
This morning I had a chance to escape the city, breathe some fresh air, and do some work with my hands that made me feel useful. ICA's work with reforestation has been in motion around 15 years-- their longest running project. Their nursery is mostly filled with tiny alder (a kind of birch), pine and eucalyptus trees which they plant from seeds they collect between November and January. This morning there were four guys working the soil to fill hundreds of small plastic bags to plant in and I helped Yolanda and Chata consolidate some rows of alders. They usually work from around 6:00 in the morning to 2:00, when they will finish and eat lunch.
I took a scenic route back to our host familys home for lunch (i.e. missed a few turns), but also got to catch some out-of-town scenes: seeing the farmers working their fields by hand, women gathered at a community laundry point to scrub their clothes, the general above-ground cemetary (including a large grave that looked like it may have been commemorating the Guatemala´s long civil war that ended in 1996).
Back in the city, I'm once again in the company of a computer, electric laundry machines, even hot water for a shower (except when I can't get past the dog Nena to light the heater).
Tomorrow holds a trip that I've been looking forward to throughout the week. A group from the school is taking a trip to visit a large coffee estate about an hour from here to learn about their production. From there we'll travel another half hour to visit the Pacific black sand beach in Champerico for a few hours before heading back to Xela. More about that afterwards!
-derrick
Posted by Derrick at 09:50 PM | Comments (0)
June 05, 2007
Safely in Xela
¡Hola! We made it safely after many hours of travel yesterday. Everything went smoothly. The road to Xela was windy and steep and Derrick was a little worried about the driver´s passing but I just didn´t watch the oncoming traffic. We arrived at 800 pm here nearly 20 hours of travel and waiting later. Our host family seems very kind and welcoming. We crashed in bed after a long day.
The only issue that came up on our trip was one of my eyes started bothering me in the plane. It was very sore by the time we went to bed due to my own aggitating it. Now it is a little swollen but feels much better after a night of rest. We may try to find drops but since it feels so much better maybe we´ll just see if it resolves on its own.
Some other good news! We checked the lisence website, after typing in my social security number nothing came up... then I put in my first name and at the very bottom of the list was my name!!! YAHOO.... i´m very pleased.
Today we woke up a bit early due to the time difference. We had a lovely breakfast and went out to walk around. The city is a little hard to describe, it reminds me of Migori or Narok (for my family) except it goes on for a much larger area. Derrick says it reminds him of Santa Cruz, but in the mountains. We´ve learned a little bit about what we´ll be doing and hopefully figure out more as we go.
We´re both happy to be here. Keep us in your prayers.
Blessings!
Rebekah (and Derrick)
Posted by Derrick at 03:13 PM | Comments (0)