Xela and Around

After five weeks in San Juan La Laguna and four weeks of Spanish lessons under our belt, Taryn and I jetted for Quetzaltenango, or Xela (pronounced 'shela') for short.

It was especially difficult for Taryn to say goodbye, as she had snuggled in warmly with her family, but we were both ready to go . . .

Xela is Guatemala's second largest city, but you wouldn't guess that from walking around: very few buildings higher than two stories, cost of living is very low, traffic is considerate, people are considerate. It is a nice town, very relaxed, with cobblestone road and plastered homes. Gringo's abound here, but they tend to blend into the larger fabric of the city. In the other places I've visited, gringo's are a SPECTACLE, and you feel like a spectacle as people whisper and stare and giggle around every corner. Here, us whitey's are accepted, and even respected, for the funds and service work that we provide Xela. Its easy here, and feels like a distinct world from the rest of the country. There is culture here, and commuter cars, and consumer commodities . . . and even more novel to Guatemala - good food!

Taryn and I had a blast here - gorging ourselves on street food, pizza, Indian food, and Mango Lassi's, watching the Latin American Idol, walking the dog, and taking day trips to local markets. Generally, we planned our days around where we were going to get a cup of good coffee and a tasty meal. But we definitely did splurge - instead of spending our usual $15 / day, as we did in San Juan, we approached $25 / day in Xela. Yep, we really broke the bank. At this rate, I am going to be broke some time in the year 2012.

I rented a bike to take a day trip to the nearby town of Zunil. After an hour of climbing switchbacks, I remembered that the guy who rented me the bike told me that there weren't any serious hills between Xela and Zunil. I asked a passerby and realized that I had committed some serious navigational errors. But I pushed on, as I was informed by the same passerby that I was "soon in for some great views". I have come to learn that the word 'soon' is relative term on the push bike. Another hour and I reached the top of the the hill and snapped these photos for y'all - I hope it was worth it!

As with many Guatemalan city's, Xela is vast, disguisting, disorganized, dirty sprawl of concrete.

These pics are from the nearby town of Zunil, once I finally made it there . . .

These are some pics of Zone 1 (the tourist section) of Quetzaltenango

San Francisco el Alto is home to the largest market in all of Guatemala (not Chichicastenango), and possibly all of the central Americal (but do not quote me on that). The pinnacle of this market (literally and figuratively - the market is sprawled out over a hill) is the animal market. People hawking goats, used clothing, pigs, clothes hangers, sheep, nail clippers, puppies, weavings, and roosters spread over a dusty, baking wasteland, trying to sell you hair products and sick, depressed, emaciated animals. Despite the nausea, I stopped to ask the price of an eight week old puppy - $3. On my way out, I nearly stepped in a stream of rasberry juice. I looked up to find the fruit stand to buy a smoothie. All I saw was a swine, bleeding from it's anus. I am not a vegetarian, but I have no excuse.

A street dog named nunchuck

The saga continues . . .





As you all know, Taryn found a puppy on the street in San Juan. Two days later, Taryn decided that she was not going to be able to part with it. One day after that, the puppy had a collar and leash, a veterinary appointment, and a reservation with Taca airlines.

Chocobanano is going to fulfill every guatemalan´s dream - US citizenship.

The puppy does not have a name yet: chocobanano is out of the running. Still in contention are Luna, Xela, sofia, and Chaco (spanish for nunchuck).

Votes or suggestions? We´re looking for a Spansish name, preferably.

Our last night in San Juan!

Here we are celebrating over beers our last night in Xela. The gringos are me, Taryn, and two volunteers at Centro Maya. The Moreno´s are members of the family Taryn lived with.

This was my room in San Juan . . .

I had more personal space than anyone else in the house. I had a lock on the door. My bed was newer and comfier than any other bed I encountred in San Juan. Most people share wooden beds with spouses or siblings that may or may not have a foam pad.

The creation of a new species of bird . . .

This is my first painting.



I´m actually bubbling with pride, so keep your cyber laughter to yourself!

Centro Maya is the school I´ve been checking out. Thinking about committing a good chunk of time there at the end of August. That means giving up the fall work trip and another season on the ice.

Centro Maya is a daycare \ school \ food program \ job placement \ physical therapy center for children and young adults around the Lago de Atitlan area.

Hit me on up my bling celly

I've got a cell phone now. Kind of weird, to have a cell phone, but its too cheap here to not have one.
Here's my digits, babes: 00-502-42327734
'00' is for international calling, '502' is the country code, the rest is my number.

So Long, San Juan

I had my last day of classes today. Its exciting, I guess. I'm digging San Juan, big time. I will miss the friends I've made here, I will miss the lifestyle, I will miss the spanish school, I will miss the school I´ve been working at.







But I've also got that heavy, empty feeling in my stomach that is only smothered by the freedom of the road. Time to Go!
I leave for Xela (Quetztalanango, but 'Xela' (pronounced 'Shela') for short) on Saturday morning.
Taryn and I have a week there to play, sounds like there is all kinds of eye candy in the areas surrounding Guatemala's second largest city.
More pics and updates to come soon, when I find an internet center with a speedy connection . . .

Puppy, anyone

If there is one thing that Taryn's friends know about her, its that she NEVER wants kids. ''Kids are cute, so long as they are someone else's,'' is her motto.
Dogs on the other hand, is another story. Never have I seen a motherly instinct so intense, as I've seen in Taryn over the past few days . . .
On Tuesday night, Taryn found a stray puppy, starving, shivering, and helpless, in the street (apparently it was laying next to the other 650,000 starving, shivering, puppies in Guatemala). But it was love at first sight! By the next day, the puppy had a name (chocobanano), its only personal shampoo, blanket, food dish and specially designed puppy food. The only dog in Guatemala that sleeps inside is currently nestled in a designer skirt in a cornflakes box in Taryn's room.



But, I have to admit, Chocobanano is darned cute, and it has grown on us both as we cared for it over the past couple days. Taryn has even investigated the possibility of bringing the pup back to the states. But after a couple sleepless nights, the decision was made to leave Choco with a neighbor (pictured above) who has been dying for a dog . . .
Taryn and I worry though, as dogs are certainly not 'man's best friend' in Guatemala. In fact, kicking dogs is a favorite pastime of the children here . . .
But our teacher at the Spanish school, Erwyn, is an animal lover (rare as snow in Guatemala) and has agreed to look after Chocobanano!

Bad News

Friends and Lovers,
German Marie has chosen her ex-boyfriend. Looks like we won´t be travelling together, as I had hoped.
I´m in the dumps . . .
´Asi es la Viva´!

I visited the city of Chichicastenango this last weekenk. It is a town that can only be desribed in pictures.