The importance of a vowel

This weekend I took a 3 day 2 night trip to the Highlands. It was a very interesting experience to see remote towns that I would have never experienced on my own. With that said I would like to say that most of the weekend was spent in some sort of discomfort, whether it be car sickness, hunger, being bloated from overeating, or itchy. However I am still glad I did it. I am not going to let a little discomfort get me down. (To date: No need of stomach medication, other than a few tums. SCORE!)

So we left Friday morning at 6:00 AM - yes a whole hour before I usually wake up, but I made it somehow. Our guide, Juan Carlos, was funny. He was totally a Dad to all of us. He was always concerned that we were happy and enjoying our trip. We stopped to pick up another woman and then continued on to San Francisco El Alto to visit a local Animal Market. This was definitely a new experience for me. While I have decided that many of the markets in Guatemala are similar, this one I don't think I would ever see again. I am pretty sure we were the only tourist there. I seriously thought about becoming a vegetarian. It was really sad to hear the pigs squeal and be put into bags for easy carrying.


After a short stop we got back into the bus. Driving was always an adventure. Basically I was either sure we were going to hit an on coming vehicle as we tried to pass a car, or I was going to fall off the seat as Jose, or driver took mountain curves at what felt like 90. Next stop was at the top of the hill for lunch, and just at the right time. I was about to be carsick and I was hungry - not a good combination. Next challenge: using the "bano" which was a toilet like structure over a hole, no door. Yes I now think I can pee anywhere, not sure, but I might be more proud of that than my college/masters degrees. Lunch was lamb, rice, beans, and tortillas.

Yep you guessed it back in the car, I am getting better at bracing myself against my seat and the seat in front of me. We arrive in Todos Santos. Juan Carlos thinks it would be nice to walk to the house we are staying at. After hours in the car, we all agree. 3 minutes later - down pour. Oh yes now the new shoes are also getting wet, luckily our driver comes back to get us, so the aren't too bad, but they are muddy:

FYI: This picture was taken the next morning after our 6 am hike. I will come back to the hike. Standby. Notice the hot orange details - nothing beats the Antigua market for shoes

So we finally get to our house. Next challenge of the day, sleeping in a room that is not the cleanest, has a foam mattress only covered with blanket, no sheets, and a pillow case that's last wash date is unknown, but it does tell me "Dios te ama" I feel better.

Note the dirty walls. I think this picture could be and add for Berkeley dorms: "Come to Berkeley, at least your dorm will look better than this. Surprisingly I did not get any bites at this hotel, I am pretty sure it was too freezing cold for them.

So back to the hike that happened BEFORE breakfast. Necicito comer ANTES hiking. So we are hiking up this hill to the equivalent of the Hollywood sign of Todos Santos, except its made out of white rocks. Poor Rebecca has gotten altitude sickness and is finding it really hard to make it up the hill, I am hungry, two of the girls did not bring tennis shoes and are hiking up in these flat slipper like shoes, Juan Carlos does not know what he signed up for. We finally make it up the hill:
HAPPY! Not quite. So after enjoying the rest and the view for a few moments I in my great effort to leave the silent period of my language development exclaim, "Tengo mucho hombre" (translation: I have a lot of man) Yes this of course puts everyone in stitches, because its funny. I realize my mistake and say, "Tengo mucho hambre" (literal translation: I have a lot of hunger) Lesson learned: and 'o' is never the same as an 'a' - especially in Spanish when it can be the difference between having lots of men or lots of hunger. Last shot of Todos Santos:

So after breakfast I feel better. Again we drive for hours. When I ask Juan Carols, "A que hora vamos a almorzar?" He responds that we are not going to have lunch because we are having a big dinner. Has he learned nothing from this morning? Like Mary, the key to keeping me happy is food, regularly. Skipping a meal is not ok, ever. So I make it through with some lime flavored fritos and water. We check into our hotel, way better than our first night n the Highlands, or so I thought. We finally get dinner at Nebaj. Good food. I am so hungry I take no pictures, an eat so much I think I am going to burst. We go back to our hotel and watch "The Green Mile." Its on TV in English with Spanish subtitles. I forgot how much I loved/missed TV.

The next morning, Rebecca and I oversleep and get ready in 8 minutes - go team. It is not until we get to breakfast that I discover bites on my arm, then on my lower back, then on my legs. They are multiplying and turning red. They are not yet itchy, but I put on some cream anyway. Dr. Eric thinks I will be ok (no really he is a doctor.) I was going to take a picture and post it, but I fear that my mother will have a heart attack if she saw it so take my word for it is not pretty. (but again still not stomach problems so I am A-ok) At this point in the trip I am ready to go back to Antigua.

Luckily we just have two more stops: Chicicastenago and Lake Atitlan. We shop a bit in Chichi as it is called sometimes here in Guatemala. I bought another one of my new favorite accessory: the headband bandanna, you might recognize it in all the pictures of me. That's what happens when you have no hair product or straightener. Chici is a this huge market and there are so many beautiful things to buy, I am overwhelmed. Rebecca gets her shoes shined, something you can always have done in most towns in Guatemala for 5Q:
We leave and stop at Lake Atitlan for for lunch. I have a chicken sandwich, after all the comida tipca this weekend, my stomach is happy. We stop by a farmacia to by some anti-itch cream, by far the best 60Q i have spent thus far. Final group shot before we leave:

We get back to Antigua, I bag up all my clothes for the laundry, as per the request of Gail, the owner of my posada. She shreeks in horror when she sees my arm. She is sure they are bed bugs and does not want them at Posada la Merced, neither to I. Its good to go away for weekends, but it is also good to have anti-itch cream and a great, long, hot shower when you get back. Not to mention a clean bed to get into.

Update on Casa de Lenguas: Today was big day. I have moved from the Nivel Basico (libro azul)to the Nivel Elemental (libro rojo). What does this mean? Well to use the words of my fellow classmate, Grey, "Yes! Now I can speak, read, and write Spanish as well as a 6 year old." I think this is good news. Now I can talk to my students, good thing I am teaching first grade this year. And come July when I start my new school year I will know one thing. When 11:30am comes around and my stomach starts to rummble I will know to say 'tengo mucho hambre' and remember that and 'o' is never the same as an 'a'.