Hasta Luego Costa Rica!

Well we have just wrapped up our time in Costa Rica and it went SO FAST! I think it was because we were so busy. But busy with really exciting things! There was parents´weekend, my parents didn´t come but I enjoyed meeting the parents of about half of us CASPians. We spend the weekend doing more touristy things like spending time in the capital, San Jose, visiting Volcan Poaz, going to the waterfall gardens and eating lunch at a coffee cooperative. We wrapped up the weekend by having a nice dinner at Lars´house outside of San Jose. Lars is a student in our group and he grew up in Costa Rica so we were able to see where his parents are living and I am so glad cuz his mom is a FANTASTIC cook! I had cheesecake, oh my goodness it was good.

The next week we spent in the cloud forests of Monteverde in homestays. I had an awesome homestay experience. I was living with an elderly couple who would not stop feeding me. Oh my, they just wanted me to eat every single thing they had in the house! They also had an 8 year old grandson staying in the house who I really enjoyed hanging out with! While at Monteverde we studied at a ecolodge/satellite campus for the University of Georgia. We learned about biodiversity, preservation, FairTrade and conservation. I soaked it up it was really interesting. Also, the best part of the week ZIPLINING! We had the opportunity zipline through the jungle and it was unreal. Flying through the air, above all the beautiful vegetation I just laughed and thought I´M IN CLASS RIGHT NOW WOOHOO!!!

We got back last Friday to the Center and for our final night (and my 20th birthday) we all got dressed up and went out for a night on the town! We ate really good Italian food (normally NEVER trust pasta in Latin America but we had it on good authority that this place was delicious and it was). I had an incredible birthday due largely in part because it happened that our third professor arrived and brought mail from our loved ones! We all go crazy when the mail comes out, it is like Christmas on steroids. I never imagined how amazing it could be to recieve simple notes from my friends and family but it really made my birthday the best so THANK YOU if you are reading this and sent me your love! Sadly, the next day we had to say goodbye to Costa Rica but were on our way to adventures in Nicaragua. We are in Nicaragua now, it has been a rough start but since I don´t have time to detail it now I will wait until my next post.

I learned so much in Costa Rica, it seemed like every adventure and every excursion was right up my alley. Once again, I would love to return to this beautiful country. It seems as though each country I visit can´t get better than the last and then it does! I am so pumped for what adventures we will encounter in Nicaragua!

Exploring the bridges of the Monteverde rain forest. This is where we got to zipline through a series of 13 cables above the forest. It was defintely one of the most awing things I have done.

Dressed up to go out for my 20th birthday! We really embraced the occasion to take a shower and wear something other than tanks, shorts and sandals. It was a fantastic night and a really happy birthday!

The double take that all the boys did was great when they saw all of us girls :)

At the waterfall gardens. I got to shake a monkey´s hand, hold a red eyed tree frog, watch a jaguar fight and enjoy some incredibly beautiful waterfalls. AWESOME!

Me and Al in the butterfly garden. Shortly thereafter was the hummingbird garden, frog house and snake house. This place was really amazing but probably 100 times more touristy than any other place we have been thus far. I think it was a little bit of culture shock for most of us haha

This is the coffee field, processing plant and restaurant that we visited during parents weekend. We were just so happy about learning more about coffee that we had to jump for joy!

Not exaggerating.

So I'm one of those people who tends to exclaim that that was the BEST movie I have ever seen, that kitten is the CUTEST in the entire world, that was the MOST FUN I have ever had, so sometimes it is hard to be taken seriously when I really do believe something is the best. Well, not exaggerating, this past week in Punta Mona, Costa Rica was one of the best of my life.

Once again it is difficult to really begin to describe how much I learned and how much I changed. So after two days at the Whitworth campus in Costa Rica, CASP drove all the way south to the Carribean Ocean to spend the week at Punta Mona. We arrived in Manzanillo, hiked through the jungle for three hours in order to reach our destination, a completely sustainable community totally off the grid, 100 feet from the Caribbean ocean. (We could see Panama in the distance). Punta Mona was a couple of living buildings, a community kitchen, and three stalls of composting toilets. Their main principle is permaculture and trying to create a completely self sustaining, environmently friendly community. All week we learned about organic foods, alternative medicine, agriculture, sustainablity and the environment. This place was literally right up my alley, it was INCREDIBLE! Ninety percent of the food we ate was right from our farm and garden there. And the food was awesome, whole wheat coconut tortillas, banana and sugar cane oatmeal, bean and mushroom veggie burgers, fresh papaya, pineapple and plantains not to mention fruits I had never even heard of such as zapote, jackfruit, biddiba, noni and waxed shamu. The toilets were self composting so each time we used them we would throw on a couple scoops of saw dust and when the toilets were full they would shut that stall for 5 months and after that time the insides would become a beautiful soil they use for planting trees. They have three stalls that they rotate year round. How cool is that!?! There was electricity powered by solar energy. The water catchment system was a large roof placed several feet off the ground so that when it rains it runs off the roof, into the gutter, and into pipes that direct it to the few sinks and the two showers. The buildings are made of recycled wood from falled jungle trees. I also learned about a variety of plants and herbs and foods that can be used as alternatives to medicine. This place was epic.

At first I was discouraged because everything there is exactly how I want to live my life and it is just not a possiblity as a busy, poor college student living in freezing Spokane. However, I quickly changed my mine as I began to reflect about the simple ways I can make changes in my life to live more sustainablity, conserve energy and serve the world. I have embraced my inner hippie and lover of the earth and I think that the changes within are here to stay. (I almost, almost did my hair in dreads because I didn't shower all week and the group almost had me convinced but don't worry parents I didn't.) I have never felt so on fire about something. I've been thinking about how I can integrate what I've learned here and how I want to live my life as part of my future career. The possiblities are endless, here I come!

I had some pretty rough times as well. We had to go sea kayaking, explore nearby islands, spend hours swimming in 70 degree tropical water, snorkel in the coral reef, and hike through the jungle but you know, life is hard some times. Now we're back at the Costa Rica Center and I'm ready to keep on growing and learning!

Taylor, Kylie, Bree and I getting ready to hike through the jungle to Punta Mona!

Yes, that is a HUGE spider on my face. Our guide so kindly told us AFTER it had crawled all over me that it has a poisonous bite...how nice. I was pretty proud that I was the one in our group brave enough to touch the scary ginormous spider :) I think sleeping with cockroaches for a month in Honduras has helped me to conquer my fear.

Debriefing lecture. On the beach.

This is Punta Mona. We slept and ate upstairs and cooked downstairs. SUCH a beautiful place.

Me and my housemates! This is one for the mantel :)

Every day we worked on our garden project planting new fruit trees and well, we got real friendly with the mud and the worms. Lars (the huge guy in the back) so kindly threw me in the mud pit we were digging. Then we all washed off in the ocean it was fantastic.

Every morning I went running on the beach and it was unbelievable. Absolutely awe-inspiring.

I went sea kayaking to that island in the distance. Here we are representin the sophomores of CASP!

COSTA RICA!

Hey all! I made it to Costa Rica and lovin it! What a crazy couple days of travel. The group is reunited and staying at the beautiful Whitworth campus in San Rafeal, Costa Rica before we head off to the cloud forests of Punta Mona!

Me and Allie eating our carrots in our hotel in Tegucigalpa getting ready to head to the airport! 

We made it to Costa Rica! WOOHOO!

 

Beautiful Costa Rican Whitworth Campus! I could defintely get used to going to school here :)

My month as a rural Honduran...

For the past month I have been living in a rural village in the mountains of Honduras, learning from my family and tiny village of around 120 people more than I ever could've imagined. I lived with a family of four, my Papi, Mami and little brothers Checho and Victor, ages 13 and 12. By the end of the month I felt as close as a daughter and sister to my family, it was incredible. I was also felt a member of my small community of La Colonia. My village was built around 12 years ago as a relief effort from Hurricane Mitch which hit Honduras in 1998. All of the families here lost everything in the hurricane and recieved their houses in exchange for 2 years work without pay. No one starves but they are hungry and they work to eat. I was so humbled living amongst them, having hours and hours of conversation, and learning their way of life. Everyone in La Colonia works cutting coffee but many were out of work because many of the fincas had been picked clean. I actually had the awesome opportunity to go to a finca and spend the day cutting coffee with the workers! It was so neat and I really loved it but I defintely wouldn't be able to do that every day. It made me appreciate so much the opportunities I have and the education I am recieving. Papi does not have a job because the finca in which he works no longer has coffee. However, he was the only person in our village who had a vehicle (really, old beat up pick up truck that I was deathly afraid was going to fall apart at any moment) so if anyone needed a ride to a nearby village he would take them and they would pay him a little money. My Mamí was the Kindergarted teacher in the school. Some days I helped out in her classroom with the little kids but most days I worked with grades 4,5, and 6 teaching English and Math. I also taught in the school in La Laguna, a small community about an hour's walk away, with my uncle Johnny who was a teacher there. Teaching was one of the best parts of my experience. I loved being with the kids and seeing the potential they have. What was really difficult was seeing the lack of resources and the inefficiency of the Honduran education system. The kids have so much ability and it kills me to know that their only real future in picking coffee or raising a family.

During my month in Honduras I became known in La Colonia as the "Gringa who can learn anything". I was so fascinated and interested in learning all there was to know and the people were just amazed. It was so funny they would say to each other "Erica learned how to make tortillas yesterday she wants to learn everything about Honduras! What do you have to teach her!?" And in this way I really did learn just about everything I could! I learned how to make tortillas with my ma, I made bread with Lencha every Saturday, I learned how to make a coffee picking basket with Juan, balleadas with Chela and tamales with Maribel. I got to explore the forest a couple times, learned where the huge water tank was where they recieved their water, and did some hard core splunking (cave exploring). Oh and of course I learned how to wash my clothes by hand, which i loved! It was so great to live and learn alongside my community and I could tell that I was not the kind of gringa they were expecting. They had only seen Americans once before when a group of missionaries had come to build a church in their pueblo. They told me that they had come, built in three days, ate only food from cans they had brought and left without really talking with the people of the community. They were so amazed that I was able to speak Spanish (well not very well but I got by), that I was interested in what they do and that I ate there food. They would say "She eats beans! And tortillas! Have you ever tried those before? Is it really different in the US? You should try carrots and bananas!" I explained that I eat beans and tortillas and bananas all the time in the US and they said ohhhh but I bet its way different.

 Every day I made tortillas with my ma, and almost always helped prepare lunch and dinner. We had a platano for breakfast (I LOVE platanos there better be platanos in the US cuz i'm rather addicted now), and beans, tortillas and some type of vegetable for lunch and dinner. Most of the time we had rice as well and many times my ma would fix me something extra like an egg no matter how many times I insisted that I would rather eat with my family what they were eating. That was one thing I really struggled with the special treatment. It killed me to be served more, better food than my two growing brothers who were so skinny and really needed the food. Also there were two small rooms in my house and they gave me one while the whole family stayed in the other. How humbling was their hospitality, I will never forget it. I literally had to fight the urge to give them everything I had. One of the first days I was preparing lunch with Mami she was trying to cut green beans with this dull piece of metal. (it was once a knife but had ceased to be so a long time ago). I brought out my leatherman to help with the cutting since the blade is really fine and it would be sooo much easier. We used that knife along with all the little tools and scissors that are a part of a leatherman for every single meal after that and I knew from the moment I showed it to her that I would leave it with them at the end of the month. They are going to use it more than I ever would.

I'm a little overwhelmed writing out this blog because there is just so much to say and so much I want to explain but can't. This past month I woke up many a time to the sound of cockroaches scurrying under my bed or roosters crowing at every hour of the night. I used an outhouse and came to love my bucket shower whenever we had water and I had the opportunity to bathe. Almost every day I was sweaty, dirty, greasy and completely bug bitten. However, it was one of the best months of my life. Waking up at 6am every with the sun, looking out into the endless mountains of the Honduran campo, I was struck with what an awesome opportunity I had been given and how much there was to learn. I was both amazed and frustrated by God. His creation so beautiful and his gifts so amazing, but why are there some blessed with opportunity and others not? Why do I have money and access to education and ability to travel when others are having to work so hard just to eat? My life has been so changed and from day one I knew that I would come back here, that I want to continue to work and live them my community and perhaps somehow give them opportunities that they otherwise wouldn't have. I will continue praying and walking with God and I'm confident that he will provide a way.



Part of my lesson plans was Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes :)

I was constantly amazed by how intelligent these kids are and how

much potential they have. They loved to learn and picked up on things so

quickly, I would love so much to continue teaching. Some day :)



CAVE EXPLORING! I went with my bros and Juan to a cave nearby and we

had a serious adventure. Crawling on our stomachs in the mud through tiny holes
in the rock, bats flying inches above our head, hearing our voices echo through the
cavernous spaces filled with stalagtites and stalagmites...epic.

This Lencha, and two friends of mine, Vanessa and
Kailee. We are grinding the corn to make flour for the
bread Lencha makes most Saturdays. Oh my word,
grinding is so much work! And unfortunately due to a
miscommunication I'm pretty sure they thought I wanted
to grind ALL the corn...that was a long couple of hours...
But soooo worth it.

The kids I taught in La Laguna. We learned colors, numbers, greetings
and their favorite, the song Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. It was so
incredible teaching in the school, I think I learned more from them than
they did from me.

This is my wonderful and incredible family! Papi Sergio, Mami Mirta,
Hermanito Checho and Hermanito Victor. By the end of the month I
felt like their daughter and sister it was unreal. They are eagerly awaiting
my return as I am eagerly awaiting an opportunity to return.

Me and my little bros on our way to the cave! Victor, 12 is
on the left and Checho, 13, is on the right.

Making tamales with Mami! We started at 8 and finished at 4
but the end product was delicious. Can't wait to make them for
all my friends and family in the states I hope I remember how!

Two of my great friends, Keiri and Dehli. We were on our way
to walk to the stream and explore the forest.

This is making bread with my neighbor and good friend Lencha! She makes bread every
Saturday and it is quite the process. We had to make the flour one day and then the next
assemble all of the ingredients. There is no such thing as bowls and spoons, we just dumped
everything on the counter and mized it around with our hands! I was up to my elbows in dough
and it was great. Then we baked the bread in the outdoor adobe oven, trying to shove them all in
one end and pull them out the other before they burned! It was so fun and so great to have bread, yum!



Making coffee with Maribel. I went up to the coffee fields, picked coffee, sorted it,

layed it out in the sun for a few days, peeled the beans out of all the berries of coffee,

toasted it over the fire, and here, I am grinding it up. Honduran coffee made completely

by me!



Life sucks and then you get a new passport...

Well…I’M ALIVE! What an extraordinary last couple of days it has been…

Saturday morning we had to wrap up our time in Quetzaltenango and say good bye to our families. It was really sad but I was sooooo excited for the Plunge! The first time I ever heard about CASP is when I overheard a professor talking about a student’s experience in “the Plunge”. I inquired as to what it was and he explained that after studying for a month in Guatemala, all of the students in CASP were split into small groups, given a little money and the name of a city and were expected to find that city, explore the history culture and economy, find a place to stay, places to eat, means of transportation for three days. I immediately thought I don’t know anything about this program but I’m going.

Well I did indeed end up here and Saturday was the moment I had been anticipating THE PLUNGE. Saturday morning we received our assignments and I was with Aaron, Katie, and Lars headin to San Felipe! We set off on our journey hauling our huge backpacks in search of the bus terminal. On our way there Lars asked a man for directions and he told us that we needed to go to “La Rosa” and a bus there would take us directly to San Felipe. This was different than what I thought because I thought we needed to go to La Terminal (the main bus station). Anyway we went with this man and he started throwing our stuff on a small microbus. There was some disagreement whether we should walk or take this small bus (because we were trying to save every cent) but we decided to just take it and soon we were on our way out of Xela. We got off the bus on the freeway and we got on to another larger bus heading to San Felipe. I was a little nervous because we looked like disorganized tourists so I decided to check my things. When I looked in my backpack I realized that I had been robbed.  Camera, passport, all of my money, MasterCard, drivers license, international student ID, copy of passport and birth certificate, and health records. Gone. I couldn’t breathe for a few moments but when I finally could speak I told my group that we had to get off the bus right away. Lars ran to the front and begged the driver to stop. He did so reluctantly and we were ejected onto the side of the freeway. We were able to flag down another microbus heading into Xela. When we got there we knew we had to contact Kim (our professor here). She had told us she wasn’t leaving til 2 so we ran to a café and called the number we had for the home she was staying in. She wasn’t there but one of our TAs, Travis, was there and we agreed to meet as soon as possible in Central park. Lars, Katie, and Aaron went back to Kim’s host home and Travis and I went to a café to use the phone to cancel my debit card. We then met up with Danielle and Kim and Kim told me that I had to go file a police report right away. At this point I was mad and sad but I had accepted that dumb things happen and it wasn’t the end of world. I knew I would have to go to the embassy in Guatemala City on Monday to get a new passport but Kim told me that I could continue on with the plunge if I wanted and if my group was okay with getting back into Antigua (final destination for everyone on the Plunge) by Sunday night instead of Monday morning. Well, of course I wanted to continue but when I returned from the police station I found out that my team had decided to continue without me. I was devastated but totally understand why they decided to move on. I was to spend the weekend with Danielle, Travis and Kim and wait for everyone to return. I kept thinking over and over Why doesn’t life have a rewind?

We made it into Antigua Saturday night and went to the Lutheran Center where we were staying. I collapsed into bed hoping that the next day would be better. Well, God provides. Sunday was sooo much better.

We got up in the morning and went to breakfast and when we returned to the center Don Esteban (the guard in front) told us that 4 of our group had already returned. We argued with him that that was impossible and there was no way but he insisted. I asked if they were all wearing really big backpacks and he exclaimed “Si! Mochilas grandes!” At that point I was thought NO WAY and went sprinting down the driveway and into the center. Sure enough, there was Alex, Kat, Megan, and Bryce sitting at a table playing cards. They were equally surprised to see me and I explained to them what had happened. Then they told me that there city was super lame with nothing to do so they decided to come explore Antigua instead. They weren’t planning on staying at the center because it was too expensive but just wanted to check in with Kim. I ran back to my room and when I came back they all said Erica we are adopting you into our Plunge group and we are going to go with you to the embassy in Guate City!

I was soooooo happy! That afternoon Alex, Bryce and I (and the TAs) went to hike up a volcano. It was AWESOME. We hiked all the way up and then down into the volcano and you could feel the heat radiating from the ground. We even went down into some holes that felt like a sauna. When we got back the five of us went for dinner in Antigua and then found a hostale to stay in. Haha what an interesting experience. It was a pretty sketch place and our room only had two beds so it was us three girls in one bed and the boys in another. It didn’t matter though because we only slept about three hours. We were up at 4am heading to the capital to go to embassy to regain my identity!

After hours of waiting and lines I got a temporary passport to last me a year! Hoorah! During our time in Xela we watched a movie called Reparando. It was a documentary about La Limonada, Latin America’s biggest slum, located in Guate City. It was an incredibly powerful movie and it really affected each of us. Well as we were talking about going to capital we wondered what adventure would be worth having. We thought longingly, wouldn’t it be awesome to visit that woman in the movie and talk to her about her work in the slum? Well, we made it happen. Through a contact of a contact of a contact we were somehow able to get a hold of Tita and she invited us over to her house right next La Limonada! We made it there and participated in one of the most inspiring and encouraging discussions about poverty, transformation, faith and how we can positively respond the difficult things we have and are sure to encounter on this journey. It was beyond explanation, I had such an incredibly time.

SO, what started out to be a pretty horrible beginning to my Plunge experience turned out to be an experience of a lifetime! Granted, I have no money and no camera and no drivers lisence but what do those things matter? I have a new passport, friends who can lend my money, and Kim let me borrow her camera all weekend long! God is good.

We spent a few days in Antigua and yesterday we crossed the border into Honduras! Honduras is BEAUTIFUL.  We went to ancient mayan ruins this morning and now is my absolute last chance to update my blog, respond to email and such before I leave bright and early tomorrow morning for my one month homestay in La Colonia! La Colonia is the small community Im going to be living in. we received our assignments last night. Most students are in groups of 2, 3, or 4 in communities that are within 1-4 hours walking distance but I am by myself. Aaaaahhhh it will be FANTASTIC!  I am so excited and soooo nervous but I know that God will be with me every step of the way. If anyone wants to send me a letter I would LOVE that! It has to be to Esther Louis at 300 W. Hawthorne Rd. Whitworth University Spokane WA 99215 by Feb. 9^th.

Anyway my friend Alex made up a slogan for this weekend that I like very much. “With every hump, comes a new hope.” I encountered a lot of humps but each one provided a fantastic new opportunity.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and I will update everyone in a month after my time out in the boonies!! Who knows I might now know how to speak English…or operate technology…



Yup we are inside a volcano. It was soooo flippin hot in there!



YAY NEW PASSPORT!!



Me and Kat in the Capital! This is Central Park in front of the cathedral.



What a week!

In the market!

At La Pedrera. This is Flori, Alejandra and Maribel.

On our way to La Pedrera, Xela in the background.

Me and my teacher Lucky on our way to the museum!

SALSA!!! so. fun.

Allie, my mama Judith, hermana Sara, and me in our dining room!

Taylor and I making chocolate. yum

Future housemates and I soaking up the sun in Panajachel.

The group at Lago Atitlan! A fabulous weekend.

Wow what a week it has been! I had no idea that I would be this busy in Guatemala but at last I have the opportunity to update about what I’ve been doing!

Last weekend we went to Panajachel, a town on the beach of Lake Atitlan, a Lake in the crater of an inactive volcano. It was about two hours away so we had ourselves a little mini vacation and stayed overnight in a hotel in the town. The city and the mountains were absolutely BEAUTIFUL and the city was beautiful as well. The market was so much fun, so much to look at, I wanted to buy everything and the only reason I didn’t is because I don’t have any room in my bag… We ate at the Papusaria and I had a spinach and cheese papusa that was sooo good. My friend Annie and I took a ride all around the town in this little red vehicle called a TukTuk and it was so much fun. We had a great conversation with our driver who was a 16 year old native named Jose. On Sunday we crossed the lake in a boat. It was a beautifully sunny day and the hour boat ride was almost perfect. The only reason it wasn’t was that I burned my face really badly…oops. We boated over to the island of Santiago and got to explore there and visit a huge church. There was a service happening and it was neat to see the religious differences in cultures. We had a mini lecture on mayan and catholic religious practices and then we were given more time to explore. We all got choco bananos (basically the best thing ever, some of us think we should start a choco banano stand when we get back) and then returned by boat to Panajachel. We made it back to Xela around 8 and got ready for another week of school!

Monday Allie and I woke up early and went on a run around Xela. We ran up one of the nearby hills and the view was spectacular. I felt such an incredible connection with God and was overwhelmed with gratefulness that he has given me this opportunity. After, we went to school. I am learning subjunctive tense, future and conditional, and prepositions. I have felt rather frustrated with Spanish this week because I feel like I am not improving but I just keep telling myself to stick with it and it will come in time.

Tuesday after class we got to learn how to make chocolate. We went to this woman’s house and she explained to us the entire process and after we got to mold the cocoa, pound it into bars, smooth it out, cut it, and then stamp it. Oh my, it was so fun. We also got to try hot chocolate that she had made and it was possibly one of the best things Ive ever drank.

On Wednesday we had a salsa dancing lesson in the afternoon. It was so incredibly funny seeing the guys in our group trying to salsa. The lady who was teaching kept using me as the example when she was showing the guys to dip and it was so fun to do it with her and then try doing it with the boys. No offense guys, but the teacher (who was only a little bigger than me) was way better…

That night we all went out salsa dancing at the La Parranda and my goodness it was fun! I danced with one of the salsa teachers there and I learned a lot!

This is me learning how to spin!

Lake Chikabal with Jen and Bree! This can go over our mantlepiece in our house next year :)

Thursday I went with my teacher to the Museo de Traje Tipico, which was a museum full of typical indigenous clothing throughout the ages and the machines they use to construct them. We had a tour of the museum and I really learned a lot. After school we hiked up to La Pedrera, an after school program for kids who need a place to be. I was working with the younger kids and I had the time of my life. The little girls were adorable and would cling on to me at every possible moment. They wanted me to play with their hair and give them piggy back rides and play play play. The boys liked to pull on my hair and play chase. We played kickball, did homework, and colored with crayons. At the end we handed out a snack we had brought them. For some of these kids this was the only food they would eat all day. Being there with those kids was such an eye opening experience and something I could definitely see myself doing in the future.

Friday my teacher and I went to the market. Never in my life have a seen so many fruits and vegetables. All along the street were mounds of fresh, locally grown fruits and veggies, bins of beans and rice and dried fruits and dehydrated fish and nuts. I could just feel the culture pulsing through my veins it was fantastic. I bought three huge mandarins, three apples and two plums for 15 quetzales. That is less than $2. It blows my mind that I can buy $10 worth of fruit for a mere two! And oh my the mandarins…de. lish. Friday afternoon we went to a hot springs in the mountains! It was like a big swimming pool but full of steamy water. I haven’t felt water that warm in weeks it was absolutely fantastic…

Saturday we woke up early and headed up to Lake Chikabal. We were all in the school bus driven by Don Luis. On our way up we had to drive up some pretty steep hills and the bus was having a very hard time. Finally it just came to a stop and Luis said ya no mas. No more. Haha so ten of us got out and started walking so the bus would be Fighter. The bus started again and was able to make it up but for ten of us the hike started early! The hike was absolutely beautiful. There were trees of every sort, bamboo, wild flowers, I felt like I was an adventurer in a beautiful volcanic jungle. We could see the volcano Santa Maria steaming in the distance and when we reached the summit we could see down into the crater where Lake Chikabal was located. Then we hiked down 589 steps (Kim´s sons counted) and arrived surface level at the lake. It was breathtaking. We could here voices singing and when we walked the perimeter of the lake we encountered several indigenous Mayan groups worshipping. It was unreal! That evening a bunch of us went to a professional soccer game at the Xela stadium. The game was between Guatemala City Municipal and the Xela Superchivos. Of coure we were rooting for the Superchivos and they won 3-0! Woohoo!
Sunday we went to Momostenango to the house of Telma and Luis. Telma and Luis come to Casa Xelaju (my school here) every day to sell their products to the students. We went up to their house to learn how they make everything, from shearing the sheep, combing the wool, spinning the thread, dying the thread and weaving the yarn into rugs, hats, purses, jackets and more. It was so interesting and I even got to spin some yarn! After we returned a bunch of us went to go get ice cream, we are trying to get our ice cream fix in before we are deprived in Honduras J I can´t believe Honduras is a mere week a way…

That was my week this week, it was fantastic and busy and I learned sooo much! I hope to post again before Honduras but if not it might be a while before I see a computer… AH!

I hope everyone is doing well!

Yay got some pictures to work!

I was able to load some pictures hoorah!

Our first day in Xela. This is all the girls in Parque Central.

This is when we walked up to a huge church on the hill, the view of Quezaltenango was incredible. After the service we spoke with the pastor for a couple of hours! I am learning so much...

Making tamales! Doña Isabel taught us how to make churchitos (mini tamales) and empenadas. Oh my goodness it was so much fun!

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Here we are with our tamales!

At the airport! Of course out of everyone on the trip guess who had the heaviest pack And the smallest girl is the winner ringing in at 46 pounds!



Me and my hermana nueva Allie! This is our first Guatemalan meal!