The night of the 24th december - Nochebuena - is important for the families. And the same like Germany, they have dinner together! What you shouldn´t miss is:
chocolate: hot as a drink or cold, perfect with different tastes (cardamom, cinnemon, milk, nuts...)
bread: mostly white bread, it is very cheap here in Xelapan, the most famoust bakery with several shops all over Xela)
tamal de arroz: this is like cooked rice and mais flour wrapped in banana leaves, the main dish! you can find it in every house coloured or black
galletas y dulces: YEAH sweeties, we all love it
apples and grapes: in every household to find, because they are the fruits of the season
ponche: also known as bebida (drink) or caliente (hot), this is a drink with the main ingredient pineapple, coconut and sugar, but you can add other fruits, too!
Samstag, 25. Dezember 2010
christmas Posadas in Quetzaltenango
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| newspaper picture from Xela |
Another word is : Procesión de Alegría (procession of joy).
A Posada is a procession through the streets of Xela, starting at the 15th december and ending 8 days later. The objective is celebrating and the birth of Jesus. A group of 30 people is going to the streets with paper lanterns, making noises with thunderer whistles and carrying a statue of Maria or Joseph and Maria with Jesus. One participant told the newspaper: We are doing this activity because we believe in and know about Jesus existence, not just in the world, also in our hearts!
There are several Posadas walking around the streets every night. They carry the statue from one house to another. There where it one day ended, starts the Posada next day. The people are from all ages, very young kids (they love the lanterns and making noises ;) ) to their grandparents.
One Posada ended at the 23rd in the Spanish School ICA. We students went to the staring house at 7 pm. The director told a bit about Posadas, but unfortunately kids kept me busy asking what several spanisch words are in english. But it was also sweet! Then we started walking with the lanterns to the city center, and then to the school. We students had to carry the statue, too. We met while walking another Posada, but I don´t know, how many were there every night. I asked, but nobody knew exactly.
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| ready? |
We stopped in front of the school and started singing a song. We outside staying people sang a verse, inside staying people answered. But finally they opened the door. Inside we prayed and a guy reminded us, what is christmas important for. Then the teacher Gato started playing games with the children, woman, men, teachers and sometimes a student had to help. Many people hold a present at the end of the night. It was very funny, also because Gato likes to joke and always laugh a lot!
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| me carrying |
After the games, Kirstine, a danish woman and professional violin folkmusic player, had to play some christmas songs, before the school started serving food and ponche (a typically christmas drink). After that, all was over, the statue found his last place for this year and the people left). Not so the students and the teachers, we stayed a bit more talking in the school and went then drinking some more beers in a bar. I could hit the road finally at one while nobody was watching me :)
Sonntag, 19. Dezember 2010
USA - country of limitless opportunities!!!
Yesterday was the International Day of Migrants, and I read something on the online issue of Quetzalteco, a newspaper from Xela.
According to this 158 000 Guatemaltecos are currently living in the United States (not included illigal immigrants). The most coming from the villages Salcajá, Concepción Chiquirichapa, San Juan Ostuncalco and San Carlos Sija. You can listen there to many stories like that from Juan Francisco De León. He crossed the border in 1980 with a suitcase full of dreams and hopes to find the American Dream.
After 8 years of work in the States and saving enough money, he decided to go back to his hometown where his family was waiting for him.
In the article they go on with a citation, which I heard sometimes in a similar way:
I have 5 siblings in the United States, we use the money they send us to build two houses and to study. (María Guzmán)
This woman is from the village Llanos de Pinal, where the majority is feminin, because the husbands are working in the States.
In the nacional comparison Quetzaltenango receives the 5th biggest amount of money from the states. Families with members in the States get apprx. 224 dollars a month.
reasons why the people migrate:
- unemployment
- health care
- bad-paid work
- studies
I also have a friend who migrated 2 weeks ago to the states. He is going to marry there next year and we will see if he will come back to Guatemala, his homecountry, in his life!
According to this 158 000 Guatemaltecos are currently living in the United States (not included illigal immigrants). The most coming from the villages Salcajá, Concepción Chiquirichapa, San Juan Ostuncalco and San Carlos Sija. You can listen there to many stories like that from Juan Francisco De León. He crossed the border in 1980 with a suitcase full of dreams and hopes to find the American Dream.
After 8 years of work in the States and saving enough money, he decided to go back to his hometown where his family was waiting for him.
In the article they go on with a citation, which I heard sometimes in a similar way:
I have 5 siblings in the United States, we use the money they send us to build two houses and to study. (María Guzmán)
This woman is from the village Llanos de Pinal, where the majority is feminin, because the husbands are working in the States.
In the nacional comparison Quetzaltenango receives the 5th biggest amount of money from the states. Families with members in the States get apprx. 224 dollars a month.
reasons why the people migrate:
- unemployment
- health care
- bad-paid work
- studies
I also have a friend who migrated 2 weeks ago to the states. He is going to marry there next year and we will see if he will come back to Guatemala, his homecountry, in his life!
Donnerstag, 9. Dezember 2010
searching zapatistas with Marcus
Hey,
I left Guatemala the first time after a bit over 2 months the 27th November to go to Mexico and meet up with Marcus, a friend from Dresden/Germany.
To be sure to get to Mexico I wanted to take a shuttle bus to the border, La Mesilla/Ciudad Cuauthemoc. Good idea, but I just made it to 4 Caminos, like 15 minutes away from Xela. The bus broke, we had the choice to stay on more night in Xela or go on our own to the border. Finally we took chickenbusses for 4,5h to the border. I was two hours to late and Marcus worrying, where Iam. I couldn´t call him from my guatemalan phone to his mexican phone. But he was waiting in front of the passport control in Mexico, so we finally met, very happy that we found each other.
Then he showed me his car, it was like a monster, so huge!!!
We started driving a street in Chiapas. Marcus heared that there were a lot of Zapatistas living along this street. after two days we got to Palenque (after more than 400km) without seeing anything of the Zapatistas.
Our research in Palenque figured out that there are ´caracoles´ (they call their 5 regions likes this) near San Cristobal de las Casas. SO back into the car and to San Cristobal. On the way we found an old camp, but it seemed very empty. Some women told us, where to find somebody, but the house was empty!
From San Cristobal we went to Oventik, one Caracol, like 1 hour away from SC. From Oventik you can receive permissions to go to other Caracoles as well.
At the gate they ask us for our names, age, profession, and what we want to know, how long we want to stay. We tried really hard to explain well with less spanish what we want. After this we waitid for 10 minutes and they came back and told us, that we can´t come inside, because there is nobody in the village at the moment, who can answer our questions.
We drove back to SC and picked up 3 Serbians, who also wanted to see Oventik. They showed us their Couchsurfing host Jose-Luis, with whom we finally stayed for 2 nights. He has an awesome house, and he had also 2 guests from Argentina. We shared some time with them, playing games, cooking and Oventik agian. But the second day we couldn´t go inside again, so we left Mexico last Thursday and went to Huehuetenango. At the border all went out well with Marcus car, so we arrived Huehue already in the dark!
Last friday we went to Xela and Marcus signed in for 3 weeks spanish lessons.
Saturday we celebrated Erins birthday with a Piñata. This is a big figure filled with sweeties. The birthday-girl has to hit the Piñata with closed eyes with a stock so long until the Piñata breaks. And there is also somebody who moves the Piñata, so that you never know where she actually is. We shared all the sweeties and also put some in every classroom. Sunday I left Xela agian to see more of Guatemala, and now Iam in Livingston, Carribean coast.
I left Guatemala the first time after a bit over 2 months the 27th November to go to Mexico and meet up with Marcus, a friend from Dresden/Germany.
 |
| the order en La Mesilla (Guatemala) |
To be sure to get to Mexico I wanted to take a shuttle bus to the border, La Mesilla/Ciudad Cuauthemoc. Good idea, but I just made it to 4 Caminos, like 15 minutes away from Xela. The bus broke, we had the choice to stay on more night in Xela or go on our own to the border. Finally we took chickenbusses for 4,5h to the border. I was two hours to late and Marcus worrying, where Iam. I couldn´t call him from my guatemalan phone to his mexican phone. But he was waiting in front of the passport control in Mexico, so we finally met, very happy that we found each other.
Then he showed me his car, it was like a monster, so huge!!!
We started driving a street in Chiapas. Marcus heared that there were a lot of Zapatistas living along this street. after two days we got to Palenque (after more than 400km) without seeing anything of the Zapatistas.
 |
| river between Mexiko and Guatemala |
Our research in Palenque figured out that there are ´caracoles´ (they call their 5 regions likes this) near San Cristobal de las Casas. SO back into the car and to San Cristobal. On the way we found an old camp, but it seemed very empty. Some women told us, where to find somebody, but the house was empty!
 |
| a sign |
From San Cristobal we went to Oventik, one Caracol, like 1 hour away from SC. From Oventik you can receive permissions to go to other Caracoles as well.
 |
| entrance Oventik |
At the gate they ask us for our names, age, profession, and what we want to know, how long we want to stay. We tried really hard to explain well with less spanish what we want. After this we waitid for 10 minutes and they came back and told us, that we can´t come inside, because there is nobody in the village at the moment, who can answer our questions.
We drove back to SC and picked up 3 Serbians, who also wanted to see Oventik. They showed us their Couchsurfing host Jose-Luis, with whom we finally stayed for 2 nights. He has an awesome house, and he had also 2 guests from Argentina. We shared some time with them, playing games, cooking and Oventik agian. But the second day we couldn´t go inside again, so we left Mexico last Thursday and went to Huehuetenango. At the border all went out well with Marcus car, so we arrived Huehue already in the dark!
 |
| Marcus, me, Clara, Jose-Luis, Julian |
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| where our host lives and Marcus car in front of it |
Last friday we went to Xela and Marcus signed in for 3 weeks spanish lessons.
Saturday we celebrated Erins birthday with a Piñata. This is a big figure filled with sweeties. The birthday-girl has to hit the Piñata with closed eyes with a stock so long until the Piñata breaks. And there is also somebody who moves the Piñata, so that you never know where she actually is. We shared all the sweeties and also put some in every classroom. Sunday I left Xela agian to see more of Guatemala, and now Iam in Livingston, Carribean coast.
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| Piñata Dora before... |
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| during.... |
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| and after the fight! |
Dienstag, 16. November 2010
freezing sunrise
somehow, it´s so much fun for me, showing you videos from places I have been. Pues, now on from the sunrise!
And another time: I would be really happy to hear, if you like what I´m writing or if it´s boring to you or what you doing?
And another time: I would be really happy to hear, if you like what I´m writing or if it´s boring to you or what you doing?
Sonntag, 14. November 2010
volcano hike
Wow, that was a day, I never thought, that I can do it. There was the idea in the school on Friday, hiking the volcano Santa Maria (3772 meters), staying there overnight and watch the sunrise!
So, me, never hiking, I didn´t done sport since I´m in Guatemala and never thought about sleeping on the top of a volcano!
First, Santa Maria isn´t active, but he has his little brother ´Santiaguito´, who is active since 1922. Since then, he has eruptions every 20-30 minutes. From the summit of Santa Maria, you can look down to Santiguito, hiking this volcano is too dangerous!
So, yesterday we started hiking at 13:30 pm. I decided to do it, but I was really scared. First, because of my bad shape and second because of the cold in the night on the top. So I packed all my warm sweaters in my backpack, I took to Guatemala.
The hike was really hard, the volcano is very steep, and the hiking trail is very irregular through stones and roots and sometimes dangerous slippery! I often thought, I have to turn around (and can sleep in my warm bed), but thanks Erin (I always had to go in front of her) I got it! After 4,5 hours going uphill! When you are walking 3 hours constantly uphill, you think there is no end. We also had to take with the sunset, but I was too slow! So we needed the flashlight the last 20 minutes, I was too dark. As we reached the summit, we build our tent and went to see Santiguito. But unfortunately, there were too much clouds, so we couldn´t see the red lahar.
In the end, I slept maybe 2 hours, it was so freezing cold up there! I had my sleeping bag, 4 sweaters, 1 t-shirt, 2 pairs of socks, my shoes and a heat, and I was still cold. So we decided to talk from 3:15 am until the sunrise, because the other two couldn´t sleep, too.
Sunrise, AMAZING! I left my tent at 5:40 am, on time to see the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen! It was so cold, windy and always were clouds flying over the top of Santa Maria, but all tents were empty. We stood outside, walked around, made pictures, were impressed, were freezing, watched the sun rise, and seeing other volcanoes like Tajumulco (the highest volcano in Central America), the volcano from Almolonga (Cerro Quemado) and 2 around ´Lago Atitlan´.
We packed together and left finally at 10:30 am (at this time wearing a shirt on Santa Maria´s top was enough, soo hot) to go downhill for 3,5 hours. It would be probably less, but I twisted my ankle just before the end and walked slower than a snail. Now my foot is swollen and hurts, but this can´t wash away this wonderful morning!
So, me, never hiking, I didn´t done sport since I´m in Guatemala and never thought about sleeping on the top of a volcano!
First, Santa Maria isn´t active, but he has his little brother ´Santiaguito´, who is active since 1922. Since then, he has eruptions every 20-30 minutes. From the summit of Santa Maria, you can look down to Santiguito, hiking this volcano is too dangerous!
So, yesterday we started hiking at 13:30 pm. I decided to do it, but I was really scared. First, because of my bad shape and second because of the cold in the night on the top. So I packed all my warm sweaters in my backpack, I took to Guatemala.
The hike was really hard, the volcano is very steep, and the hiking trail is very irregular through stones and roots and sometimes dangerous slippery! I often thought, I have to turn around (and can sleep in my warm bed), but thanks Erin (I always had to go in front of her) I got it! After 4,5 hours going uphill! When you are walking 3 hours constantly uphill, you think there is no end. We also had to take with the sunset, but I was too slow! So we needed the flashlight the last 20 minutes, I was too dark. As we reached the summit, we build our tent and went to see Santiguito. But unfortunately, there were too much clouds, so we couldn´t see the red lahar.
 |
| there is no end... |
In the end, I slept maybe 2 hours, it was so freezing cold up there! I had my sleeping bag, 4 sweaters, 1 t-shirt, 2 pairs of socks, my shoes and a heat, and I was still cold. So we decided to talk from 3:15 am until the sunrise, because the other two couldn´t sleep, too.
Sunrise, AMAZING! I left my tent at 5:40 am, on time to see the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen! It was so cold, windy and always were clouds flying over the top of Santa Maria, but all tents were empty. We stood outside, walked around, made pictures, were impressed, were freezing, watched the sun rise, and seeing other volcanoes like Tajumulco (the highest volcano in Central America), the volcano from Almolonga (Cerro Quemado) and 2 around ´Lago Atitlan´.
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| sunrise |
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| summit of Santa Maria |
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| our tents |
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| the sun already high up |
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| far behind: volcanoes at Lago Atitlan |
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| Santiguito |
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| part of our group, in the backround Tajumulco |
Samstag, 6. November 2010
37 huge kites
Last weekend I went to Antigua, a town near the capital to stay there two nights, meet other couchsurfers and go to Sumpango to see the big kites.
The 1st of November is a holiday in Guatemala, called ´Día de los Muertos´, ¨Day of the dead´. Families go the to cemetery to give their dead family members food and drink for the following year. So, in Sumpongo it seemed to be like a big picnic in a park. Families were sitting around graves, laughing, talking, eating, children played with their kites, and so on! Sad faces? No way!
Last monday I went together with 2 Japanese, one Finn, one Frenchman, one Guatemalan, one American and another German to Sumpango. From the chickenbus we could see the kites from Santiago Sacatepéquez. There are two villages with this tradition, but I think Santiago begun and Sumpango copied it.
It was absolutely amazing. There were 37 different groups with one kite. All had a different size, a different subject, but so many colours, so many ideas, so many pattern! I was impressed. In the backround, of course, Marimba music. The sizes of the kites were from 3 meter diameter to 12 meter! Long bamboo stabilized the kites.
How long do you need for one kite to build?
35 person work 6 hours daily over 45 days to build a kite with more than 10 meters! This costs around 44 690 Quetzales, around 3990 Euro.
First we walked through the kites, taking a lot of pictures. Then we went to the cemetery to see what is going on there. After we sit down on a meadow where people all ages let fly their little kites.
At two the show begun: The teams tried to bring their kite up in the air, only the 3-5 meter big kites. This means, 10 or more young guys in a chain holding a rope. At a command they begun to run, the kite shoot up! With enough wind, the kite was pending from on to the other side, the audience is screaming, amazed, clapping. One curious step after another are they going closer to the kite, face to the air. Suddenly, no more wind, the guys running again to hold the kite in the air, but no chance. He comes down, getting bigger and bigger, you hear ´Ohhhhh´s and ´Ahhhhhh´s, running people, screams, hustles, the shaddow of the kite and finally crash!
Every team had two chances with their kite, but one was broken after the first. Two teams were able to bring their kite really high in the sky. Conclusion: worth to see with the own eyes, run away with the own legs, scream with the own voice, burn the own skin in the strong sun!
And, hey guys, what is going on in your lives?
Wie gehts euch so zu Hause, lasst mal von euch hoeren!
The 1st of November is a holiday in Guatemala, called ´Día de los Muertos´, ¨Day of the dead´. Families go the to cemetery to give their dead family members food and drink for the following year. So, in Sumpongo it seemed to be like a big picnic in a park. Families were sitting around graves, laughing, talking, eating, children played with their kites, and so on! Sad faces? No way!
Last monday I went together with 2 Japanese, one Finn, one Frenchman, one Guatemalan, one American and another German to Sumpango. From the chickenbus we could see the kites from Santiago Sacatepéquez. There are two villages with this tradition, but I think Santiago begun and Sumpango copied it.
It was absolutely amazing. There were 37 different groups with one kite. All had a different size, a different subject, but so many colours, so many ideas, so many pattern! I was impressed. In the backround, of course, Marimba music. The sizes of the kites were from 3 meter diameter to 12 meter! Long bamboo stabilized the kites.
How long do you need for one kite to build?
35 person work 6 hours daily over 45 days to build a kite with more than 10 meters! This costs around 44 690 Quetzales, around 3990 Euro.
First we walked through the kites, taking a lot of pictures. Then we went to the cemetery to see what is going on there. After we sit down on a meadow where people all ages let fly their little kites.
At two the show begun: The teams tried to bring their kite up in the air, only the 3-5 meter big kites. This means, 10 or more young guys in a chain holding a rope. At a command they begun to run, the kite shoot up! With enough wind, the kite was pending from on to the other side, the audience is screaming, amazed, clapping. One curious step after another are they going closer to the kite, face to the air. Suddenly, no more wind, the guys running again to hold the kite in the air, but no chance. He comes down, getting bigger and bigger, you hear ´Ohhhhh´s and ´Ahhhhhh´s, running people, screams, hustles, the shaddow of the kite and finally crash!
Every team had two chances with their kite, but one was broken after the first. Two teams were able to bring their kite really high in the sky. Conclusion: worth to see with the own eyes, run away with the own legs, scream with the own voice, burn the own skin in the strong sun!
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| 3 meter kite |
And, hey guys, what is going on in your lives?
Wie gehts euch so zu Hause, lasst mal von euch hoeren!
Mittwoch, 3. November 2010
San Simón or Maximón
Who was this guy? For him the catholic curch in Zunil is closed. I talked to a Guatemalan in a bar here in Xela, he told me San Simón liked women, alcohol and cigarettes. He is a part of the Maya culture. But for me, he is a lot of question marks.
Why he has white skin? Why people adore him like a god (a man who oviously only thought about women and alcohol)? Why he should bring good health, good crops, and marriage counseling, and so on? Why the catholic church closes for him?...
We went last Thursday 28.18.10 to Zunil, a village just 20 minutes from Xela. There we visited the celebration for San Simón! We entered the house and people were waiting in a line to give San Simón rum and money. After this, they prayed in front of him. Behind the house played the Marimba band ´Fidel Funes´. I liked it, the music was influenced by little bit Ska! And so much people there, especially drunken guys! Crazy!
So, after we left, I asked some questions to our guide. So, San Simón is every year in another house! There exist something like an association and the membership is expensive! Why? To pay for the band, stage, technics...
What happens with the rum inside of San Simón after the celebration? Well, the family of the house, where San Simón stayed, has enough alcohol for the next couple of months!
But nobody could explain me, why people believe in San Simón! The thing me confuses most is: He is white!!!!
More on wikipedia again? Here: Maximón wiki english
And to me to learn the different ways to say hitchhike:
España - autostop
Guatemala - jalon
Mexico - aventon
South America - hacer dedo
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| San Simón in Zunil |
We went last Thursday 28.18.10 to Zunil, a village just 20 minutes from Xela. There we visited the celebration for San Simón! We entered the house and people were waiting in a line to give San Simón rum and money. After this, they prayed in front of him. Behind the house played the Marimba band ´Fidel Funes´. I liked it, the music was influenced by little bit Ska! And so much people there, especially drunken guys! Crazy!
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| Party behind the house |
What happens with the rum inside of San Simón after the celebration? Well, the family of the house, where San Simón stayed, has enough alcohol for the next couple of months!
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| in front of San Simóns house |
More on wikipedia again? Here: Maximón wiki english
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| beginning of Zunil |
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| Lynn (Canada) how it is possible to be that huge? ;) |
España - autostop
Guatemala - jalon
Mexico - aventon
South America - hacer dedo
Parque Arqueológico Takalik Abaj
So, it is time for something new. Two Sundays ago (24.10.10) I went with two girls (I met by Couchsurfing) to the Maya ruins Takalik Abaj near Retalhuleu at the Guatemalan coast. The name Tak'alik Ab'aj' is K´iche and means "standing stone".
The area was discovered in 1888, but it was also under a coffee farm. The biggest parts are still covered by soil and coffee plants, but 7,7 ha is now part of the parc. It is the middle part. There exist also an upper part and some houses more downhill. Our guide told us that they are trying to buy the coffee farm and uncover all! The history of TA can be followed till 800-300 before Christus. The village was an important trade center between the coast and the highlands.
The work isn´t done at the moment, archaeologists are still working there and rebuilding more monuments.
Our guide told us everything in spanish and I understood, but I can´t remeber now! So if you want to read something about it: Wikipedia!
The german site: Takalik Abaj german wiki
The englisch site: Takalik Abaj english Wiki
The english one is a lot more infomative than the german one!
So, I won´t upload to many pictures, you can see all stone monuments on the english wikipedia site!
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| me, Marryann and Kayleigh from the USA |
The area was discovered in 1888, but it was also under a coffee farm. The biggest parts are still covered by soil and coffee plants, but 7,7 ha is now part of the parc. It is the middle part. There exist also an upper part and some houses more downhill. Our guide told us that they are trying to buy the coffee farm and uncover all! The history of TA can be followed till 800-300 before Christus. The village was an important trade center between the coast and the highlands.
Our guide told us everything in spanish and I understood, but I can´t remeber now! So if you want to read something about it: Wikipedia!
The german site: Takalik Abaj german wiki
The englisch site: Takalik Abaj english Wiki
The english one is a lot more infomative than the german one!
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| in the jungle |
So, I won´t upload to many pictures, you can see all stone monuments on the english wikipedia site!
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| first class chickenbus -> with TV |
Samstag, 23. Oktober 2010
from the plant in your cup!
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| the evidence: me in the cargo bay |
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| Enrique and the baby plants |
The coffe farm we went is totally different to Loma Linda. A few families are living on that farm, but the owners are from Italy. The families are just workers, but not owners of any piece of land. In the period with a lot of work, the harvest time, come more and more workers or whole families from the city to harvest. They earn compared to their amount of picked coffee.
Enrique showed us first the baby coffee plants in the tree nursery. I think he said, after 15 years a coffee plant produce less and less fruits.
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| look at the little one left |
First, of course, picking coffee, but only the red fruits, the green ones are not mature. After this going to weight the coffee. Next step: remove the pulp around the coffeebean. You can actually eat this, but for example at Loma Linda, they use it as food for the worms. After removing the pulp the bean has to be in water for 48 hours. The reason is the smeary substance around the bean. right after this 48 hours the bean has to dry for 24 hours in the sun and another 24 hours in a dryer. The dryer is heated up by fire. According to that, a man has to be there all the time to control the temperature and the fire. So, you can see, coffee needs over two days from the plant to the roasting facility. Coffee farms normally don´t roast their own coffee, they sell the dry beans to roast facilities in the USA or Europe. But the Gautemalan coffee goes mainly to the USA.
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| the fruits (picture from Loma Linda) |
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| weight |
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| remove the pulp |
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| waiting 48 hours |
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| sun drying |
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| drying mashine |
Then we drove to a house were workers live in the main harvest time. What I saw, I don´t want to live there! But our director said, that this like a 4 stars house. First, it had a tight floor (not soil), second: walls, third: a roof, fourth: light (one tiny lamp). But he also told us, that families come with little children. When a little child is sick and cries all the night, nobody might sleep, but they have to work hard the next day.
Our last stop that day was the Pacific Ocean in Champerico. We ordered food and went to the beach. The sand is black and very hot. Erin underestimate this and went barfoot. Big mistake! So she runned, jumped on her towel to relax, and runned again. For me it was kind of funny! Sorry Erin.... The water was so warm, the waves high and the current strong. But I expected more nature, more trees or palm trees. But we were in the city, I think out of the city there is more untouched beach and more beautiful than Champerico!
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| beach in Champerico |
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| me in the Ocean |
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| she likes beef and chicken |
Mittwoch, 20. Oktober 2010
Because pictures say more than words...
I show you one video, which is from the waterfall at Loma Linda. You can see there how amazing it was, you can also see Ryan and Courtney and how much wind produce the water. Unfortunately you have to hold your computer in your hands or turn your head! But doing this for one minute it´s really worth it!
Mittwoch, 13. Oktober 2010
Don’t eat this Guatemalan cheese wrapped in banana leaves!!!
This can affect you bad pain in the stomach and give a sleepless night, like I had it from Sunday to Monday.
I was on the coffee farm ‘Loma Linda’ near Retalhuleu expecting staying at first two months volunteering and, if I like it, stay longer. But after a few days I changed my mind. Why? Well, the first day I helped in a garden a man is developing, showing to the others that it is possible to work without chemical stuff. Great idea!! But after more or less two hours I had so much bites, unbelievable. Here aren’t mosquitoes, but flies which are a lot tinier and you can’t feel it when they bite you. Terrible! So I counted 48 at the left hand and 25 bites at the right hand! The second day I helped the same man with his worm project. We had to feed the worms which kept me busy like one and a half hour. He is producing fertilizer with the worms. People can buy that very cheap and use it instead of chemical fertilizer. The problem is, it is very heavy, so people prefer to buy a little bag of chemical fertilizer than carry a really heavy bag over hours to their land. And after this day, there weren’t something to do for the volunteers, so I was sitting every day in the hotel, waiting for….what I was actually waiting for? So I feel that I wasted time there doing nothing all the day. I decided to leave at the same time with the other volunteers Courtney and Ryan and head back to Xela.
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| Loma Linda from the Albergue |
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| waterfall in the jungle of Loma Linda |
But, I will tell a bit about ‘Loma Linda’. This community has about 120 families and is a lot bigger than ‘Santa Anita la Union’ and ‘Nueva Alianza’, for example. There are three camionetas every day going to Reu (Retalhuleu) and back. The first starts between 5 and 6 o’clock in the morning. They have a church and all of them are catholic Christians. Courtney (she and her husband already visited some coffee farms) told me, that you of course might have another religion, but then you have to leave the community. They don’t sell alcohol here which doesn’t mean that there aren’t people with alcohol problems. But these people have to go to Reu every day for drinking. Every family has a lot of children, somewhere between 5 and 12. Here is one school until 15 years old kids. Older ones need to go Reu to school. The families have different sources to earn money, some only life from their land, other also have a little store or a bakery or build furniture or are teachers or even camionetas drivers! This farm isn’t 100% organic; there are two groups, an organic and a conventional, which is almost 50\50. The day I arrived I asked if the land of the families is far away or not. Pascual told me that they are not far away, but some people have to walk 2 1\2 hours. Imagine that, if you want to start working at 8am you have to leave home at 5:30am. Then you have to walk through the rainforest up and down and in the rainy season it is very slippery. On the way back a lot of people carry fire wood, vegetables or coffee, I also have seen some with bamboo. What they have is a great waterfall very close, it is like 20 minutes walk, you can see some pictures. There is also a volcano very close, who is active and there is always volcanic ash on the street. Ok, that should be enough for today; soon I will tell you what I’m planning to do when I’m not working on a coffee farm! Enjoy the pictures!
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| this bird makes strange sounds! |
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| Santa Maria from the Loma Linda site |
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| a bit more jungle |
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| who likes flowers? |
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