Guatemala: Days 6, 7, and 8

Today is Saturday, my last full day in Xela. I began the day by going to the restaurant, Gran Luna, with the family. Then I ran a quick errand to the school. There is a man, Amaro, who works with the school and he leads most of the trips. During these trips he also shares some history of Guatemala. There has been a lot of corruption and violence over the past century. Things are calm right now, but far from better. A new president just took office this week, which is a big deal. People feel hopeful, but also see that he is probably not much more than a puppet.

Amaro experienced a lot of this firsthand. He is in his fifties now, but as a child his father was captured and tortured. When he escaped, they went to Mexico to stay safe for awhile. Now Amaro and his father are back in Guatemala and Amaro stays very busy working as an activist. He sells shirts for the activist organization so that they can raise money. So I went to the school today to get one.

Then I returned to the restaurant for breakfast and a few games of Connectivo Cuatro. Pablo is still understanding the game, Daniela is a decent opponent for me, and Danilo is a tough competitor. I asked if he plays chess, which he does, because he is very good at seeing many moves into the future. He asked if I play too, but I said no because I can't think ahead.

Today is also a special day because there were two women at the restaurant making fresh tortillas. I asked Daniela, " Hacen las tortillas cado sabado?" "No," she said. " Hoy la primera vez!" So it was neat to watch them get set up and go through the process of making tortillas to sell.

Ahora, Chris is at the libreria, but I opted for sitting on the couch with the cat and Pablo as he watches Looney Toons in Espanol. The reason being: I am so sore! On Thursday, we had a nice trip to Zunil, which is where they have a special saint that likes to drink and smoke, so you pray to him by pouring rum in his throat and lighting a cigarette.

Church in Zunil

We saw one of the more popular churches and then went to a popular market. This is the place to go for fresh fruits and vegetables. I decided to ignore my mild allergies to avocados and buy a couple because they are a lot different here (don't worry, I made sure to only eat a little and share the rest, so I am still alive and well).

Market

River with a random sheep

I had a nice amount of energy on Thursday, so Spanish instruction went well. I simply cannot believe how much Spanish I have learned in a week and I MUST continue to improve in the states! My instructor is quite tough on me and I still know there is much to learn. But I like how I am at the point where I can go on tangents with her and discuss politics, schools, and of course my cats (all in Espanol).

After instruction I experienced one of the top highlights of my week: getting to play futbol! The school hosts a weekly game with students from the school and a few Guatemalans connected to the school. Chris only had leather, tough-soled boots, but I convinced her to join. We divided into three teams and cycled in and out. It was fun to play with the gringos and a few people who are really, really good at soccer. Chris held her own and she finally got to get me back for all the years I beat on her in childhood. We went head-to-head a couple time and she got me in the leg with her shoes. The bruises I have now don't do justice to how much it hurt that night! I also got to score a couple goals. Woo! Long story short, it was a blast, but my body is still not happy about it.

Yesterday went quickly. I wandered around the city, had my last day of Spanish, and participated in making dinner for that evening's community meal. I only did the first hour, where I helped prepare string beans and other veggies. That night's meal was chicken with rice and a special sauce, which apparently contained all the veggies: string beans, onions, garlic, cilantro, tomatoes, carrots, and probably more that I am forgetting. Kind of makes me realize that I am not taking advantage of my food processor enough. That night was the community meal and the graduation for those of us who are leaving.

It is bittersweet for me. I am excited to be back home with my Craig and my cats, but it will be hard to stay goodbye to the people I grew to know well in this short busy week. I am glad that I got to experience this with Chris because we will have these shared memories for the future. She pointed out that this was the first time we EVER went to the same school!

I hope to find time to talk more about the little things I have observed during this week. But for now, I am totally watching Back to the Future in Spanish. Adios!