El mercado y una boda, San Pedro La Laguna, el 26 de noviembre, 2016

I love Saturdays!  Even though I'm 'on a holiday', I still have had to get up during the week to go to school.  Today, nada!  So after coffee and reading the Star Phoenix, Maria and I went to el mercado.

She is choosing potatoes-

And tomatoes that cost 54 cents/pound. Once selected, they are weighed-

And then dumped into Maria's shopping bag-

The Maya women wear traditional dress all the time.  It's a multi colored wrapped skirt with a matching blousa called a huipil-

Carne is a treat.  Pollo is chopped-

Weighed, then wrapped in a large leaf.  This chicken breast cost $4.50-

It's plopped into the grocery bag, on top of the tomatoes, cebolla and mint-

I bought a large piña for $1.80.  Not bad!  2 large and deliciously ripe avocado cost 36 cents.  30 large eggs cost $4.86. That's pretty expensive and I'm not sure why.

San Pedro, the Saint for whom this pueblo is named, stands in front of the only iglesia catholica in town-

After a great lunch of guacamole and tomato/onion/mint/lemon ensalada, it was time to get ready for the boda!  I wore a traditional Maya outfit-

and was really looking forward to the wedding- something exotic to eat, maybe some Ron, a little dancing...

Upon entering the church, I was given a ribbon to wear that said Nuestre bodo:  Domingo and Wendy-

The ceremony was at the Baptist church-

There were a lot of beautiful flowers and the bell hanging from the ceiling is a gift from the groom's parents.  It is filled with rice and beans but is not broken open like a piñata.  

The front of the church was very fancy.  There were large white bouquets of fresh flowers-

There were 8 attendants - each.  They formed an arch with gladiolus along the aisle and were individually introduced to much applause-

Eventually, the bride entered.  Neither her parents nor the groom's looked very happy but I think that's a Guatemalan thing.

The first 45 minutes of the ceremony was the civil part.  Wendy and Mingo sat in chairs for this long, legal part-

There was a lot of singing.  Maria and a friend started-

Once the couple moved up onto the stage-

A procession of women came by bearing gifts-

And then they sang-

The minister yelled for about 20 minutes, then the couple, with their parents, prayed-

Next, a group of men sang-

followed by a group of teenagers.  Apparently, it is not a requirement to have a good voice and be able to hold a tune.  The backup music is loud; whether it be recorded or live: an accordion, guitar, drums, tambourines, maracas or piano.  It's hard to hear the singing over the music but I know why :)

There were a few more speeches, then the rings were exchanged and the part everyone was waiting for-

Afterwards, we went downstairs for a small comida-

We each only ate one tamale so Maria put the extras in her purse.  The super large dry buns were also packed up.  The coffee had pre-added sugar - that's the way they serve it at my house too.

The cakes were nicely decorated-

I went up on the roof afterwards for a view of San Pedro-

We got home about 7pm.  The ceremony was about 2.5 hours, then the visiting and eating was another 1.5 hours.  The wedding wasn't what I hoped, but it was how they do it here and I was lucky to have been invited!  Tomorrow I'm going to Panajachel, another pueblo on the lake.  They are supposed to have the best market in Guatemala. I think I've heard that before!

San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala, El 25 de noviembre, 2016

On Fridays, students and their teachers visit families that are financially supported by the school, thanks in part to our tuition.  Some are helped out with housing-

food and scholarships for primary/secondary schooling.  Mynor and I visited-

a mom and her daughter who live here.  The Dad was killed a few years ago and so the Mom needs a little help.  She has an electric sewing machine and makes blousas which she sells at the mercado.  She is standing in front of her home.

Our next stop was down a narrow alley to a sheet of tin doorway.  A blind man about 30 answered.  His mother came to the door too and spoke in tz'utujil, the local Maya language, because she cannot speak Spanish.  She only had about 5 teeth and the two on the bottom in the middle flapped when she spoke.  Her son was born blind so she cannot work and relies on the handouts from the school.  Both families were very happy to see us.

While we were walking, we came across this funeral door.  Someone here has died and it is tradition that they be buried on the same day or the next.  I like the choice of white rather than black as white signifies hope to me and black, well denotes anger or fear-

The school supper was uneventful.  I visited with other students, one being a woman who grew up in Shellbrook!! but now lives in Kamloops.  Ron was flowing and they mix their drinks very strong!  

Afterwards, the family went to church-

50% of Guatemalicos are Catholicos and 50% are Evangelicos.  My family is Evangelico.

Maria sings with the choir-

She is the third mujer from the left.  They all play instruments so it is very difficult to hear the words.

Elenita accompanies on drums-

I only stayed an hour but there was singing by the choir and the congregation, bible readings, and prayer.  Just about everyone, probably 100 people, ended up front at the altar, saying their prayers out loud.  This went on for about 15 minutes.  If they don't want to go to the front, they kneel facing their chairs and put their faces into the chair.

I came back to the house and thought I should share the back of my door-

There is a large steel door leading into the hallway but a curtain for added privacy when the door is open.

I've decided that 2 weeks in San Pedro is going to be sufficiente so I've applied to the Escuela de Español Sol Latino in Quetzaltelango where I'll study for 2 weeks.  I don't really like my teacher here and it was interesting last night when another student commented that he seemed arrogant to her.  I felt better hearing that, thinking that it isn't just me.  Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm not learning, I am, it's just his attitude could be better.  Also, there isn't a lot to do in San Pedro!  

Speaking of learning, I start the past tense on Monday!  Moving up in the world!

San Pedro de Laguna, Guatemala, el 24 de noviembre

Today was pretty slow.  Class was good, then after lunch I walked around the town.  There are quite a few Spanish schools around and also lots of cheaper hotels for backpackers.

The lanchas are always ready to go-

to one of the neighbouring 11 villages.

Brenda (9)-

And Elenita (13) is wearing traditional Maya clothing.  They're working in their craft room-

making bead bracelets to sell.  

It's very fine work but Elenita can finish one in an hour or two-

I've been busy planning February and March.  It takes a lot of time to try and coordinate flights and pick the 'best' and cheapest places to stay!  Internet in my casa is super quick - way better than in Antigua so that is helpful.

Tomorrow ends my first week.  There's a graduation ceremony for those who are moving on and a school supper.  It should be interesting!

San Marcos, Guatemala el 23 de noviembre

Well I'm very happy to report I had a great sleep in my 'new' bedroom.  I moved downstairs into a room with a very small window, with the hope of quiet and warmth.  I was not disappointed!  I still have to go upstairs to use the bathroom which is no problem, however, the toilet tank piece that lifts to allow water to fill the tank has been sticking and two days in a row, it stuck open and drained the water tanks on the roof.  It's fixed now but cost the family 2 tanks of water.  I don't want to ask the cost.

School went well: Mynor, my teacher and I talked a lot and played a few games of memory with question development using different verbs.  After lunch, I went to San Marcos.  There are about a dozen pueblos that surround Laguna Atitlan and San Marcos is known for meditation, yoga, holistic healing and massage venues.  I didn't visit any of these but found a French restaurant on the water, in the sun-

Lanchas make continuous stops around the lake and are a cheap way to travel.  It cost 10 Q = $1.80 each way-from San Pedro to San Marcos-

Because the lake has risen over the years, mainly because of earthquakes, the trees are now flooded and the beach has disappeared.

I enjoyed some vino tinto and nachos, not something I usually eat at home but can't resist here-

They were smothered in melted queso and had a huge dollop of guacamole in the center.  Frijoles and salsa were also included.

Needless to say I didn't need supper.  Tomorrow is another day of classes and who knows where I might end up!

San Pedro de Laguna, el 22 de noviembre, 2016

School was good - I'm learning more specifics in grammar and am expected to do homework every night.  I don't mind that as there isn't much else to do in the evenings.  

We get free food at coffee time and today it was chuchito- ground maize with a tablespoon of meat, piquante salsa and a chile.  It's wrapped in a corn husk and boiled.  I had this a few times in Antigua for supper but usually Odilla made them with whipped potatoes, not corn-

Last night was horrible- I wore leggings, a long sleeved shirt and a hoody to bed, had 3 blankets and still partly froze to death.  As if that wasn't enough, dogs barked, music played - starting at 5 am (even before the roosters crowed!) and at 4 am, some asshole was blasting firecrackers that sounded like loud bombs, or at least what I think bombs might sound like.  Needless to say, I woke up tired - again, something I'm not used to at all.  So, I'm moving downstairs to a different bedroom with a window towards the back of the property.  Hopefully I'll get a better sleep!

This afternoon, four of us decided to check out a wine and cheese restaurant in San Juan.  We came across this example of trompe l'oeil-

Eventually we found where we were going: El Artisano is well known for wine and cheese and I know why-

Can you believe that!  There are 27 different kinds of cheese!  It was so good!  We also tried 4 different wines, then walked home-

San Pedro de la Laguna looks great from the water.

Tomorrow- more school and a film in the evening as a class activity.  Buenas noches!

Adios Antigua, Hola San Pedro de Laguna, Guatemala, el veinte de noviembre, 2016

After 3 weeks of studying in Antigua, it's time to move on.  I said goodbye to Odillia, mi madre and Olivia - my friend from Birmingham, England and caught a shuttle to San Pedro de Laguna-

The Pan Amercain Highway is 2 lanes each way and in good shape.  However, it's very curvy and up and down.  At times it seemed like we were driving along the top of the volcanoes because there were valleys on either side.  The fields are very lush - they grow tomatoes, corn, onions, cabbage, squash, beans, cucumbers and garlic-

Even though there hasn't been rain since I arrived, everything looks good.

Driving down to Laguna Atitlan was a long switch back road.  The lake is 130 square kilometers and has an average depth of 220 meters.  The town of Santa Cruz is at the bottom-

The road is not good- lots of potholes and gravel and for a couple kilometres, only one side is paved.  

I'm glad this happened before I got here-

This rock is huge and sitting on one lane of the road.  My teacher said they don't know what to do with it.  They can't push it down the hill because who knows what it would destroy.  They have to smash it to bits to remove it and that takes time and money-

My host Armando and his 8 year old daughter Brenda met me at the school and we walked up hill-

 to my new home for the next 3 weeks-

  I do not feel like a queen in my new bedroom-

But I can see Lake Atitlan from the balcony-

The kitchen sink-

The entry into the casa with bedrooms on either side-

as well as a workroom where Maria, mi Madre, sews-

San Pedro has a high population density-

And as the wind is howling tonight, the sheet metal is rattling and vibrating on the roof.  My windows are closed but leak, really leak.  A man just finished a 10 minute speech on a loudspeaker.  Babies are crying, tuk tuks are roaring by, dogs are barking, metal gates are squeaking and music is playing.  Am I going to get any sleep?  Inspite of all that, the family is wonderful.  We had coffee and cookies at 5 and I went to a basketball game with Brenda and Elenita who is 13 and wants to be a doctor-

They play outside and during time outs, the kids go wild, playing soccer, running around or shooting hoops on the court.  Feral dogs race across too.

The scoreboard is manual-

I think I am going to like it here.  The family is very friendly, inclusive and talkative.  In my last family, they were only in the house to cook meals and then sit with us while we ate.  I actually live with this family.  

There is one other student here, Sean-

from San Francisco.

I've already been warned that the town wakes up at 5:30 and starts making noise.  We'll see!