LAVA ROASTING!

So... if you just read my previous post, you may wonder, "why, katharine, did you purchase marshmellows in a bag the size of a small child?"  Well, for all you inquisitive friends of mine, let me tell you! 

On Independence Day (explanation coming in the next post), Tina, Eva, Tina's boyfriend Chris, and I celebrated by going on a trip to Pacaya, one of the 3 active volcanoes in Guatemala that blew in May. 

The hike up was really fun - we were a part of a group of about 16 (all of whom fit in a tourist van not meant for that many people, but that just gave me more points on the "count how many things you would get arrested for in the US" game).  Out of the 16 of us, we had 6 or 7 countries represented.  We got to know a guy from the US, a girl from Australia, and another guy from Israel decently well - it's fun to talk to people from all around the world and who have been all around the world.  Their lives and stories are fascinating. 

The hike was phenomenal - we had gorgeous views including seeing the mountain we live on (Volcano Agua) and it's friendly neighbor who is active (Volcano Fuego).  I even got a picture with Fuego letting off steam.

 Our guide was fascinating.  On our hike back down, I got to talk to him a fair amount about the volcano explosion.  As you can tell from the picture at the top, the volcano is still very much active... it's smoking all the time!  The man lives just down the valley from the Volcano and was talking about the destruction the volcano caused - his pueblo wasn't hit the worse and they lost 7 people and 37 horses.  He also spoke to the psychological trauma that the kids experienced.  When we were meeting people at CEDEPCA (the organization Marcia works for), one of the social workers was showing us the photos that kids had drawn when they were asked to remember the volcano.  The pictures drawn in watercolor of a mountain exploding, people running, and houses burning were foremost in my mind as this man talked about how his family of twin 5 year old boys and a 2 year old girl have been living in a school as they save up money to repair their house.  FEMA, home owners insurance, and the red cross dropping off doughnuts to displaced people doesn't exist here.  The picture on the left is of his town...

When we got to the top of the volcano, I got a cross-cultural sugar experience.  We walked on a trail through the lava (probably another point in the "things you'd get arrested for in the US" game) to a place where it was really, really hot.  That place is here:

Inside this hole, if you and the sun were at agreeable angles, you could see the red lava.  That stuff is really warm!

But, warmth leads to excellent heat for marshmellow cooking, and cooking we did!

Due to my excess of marshmellows and chocosittas (read former post), I began sharing with everyone up there.  After some strange looks, we had successfully introduced people from Australia, Denmark, France, Chile, Israel (including three Israeli girls who were deaf), and Mexico to the joy of S'mores.  Evidently, S'mores are not a universal delicacy, however, after Wednesday, we're one step closer!

All in a day's shopping!

These items comprised my purchases of the day on Tuesday. 

It is an amazing collection of items, and with explanation, they are rather representative of my time here in Guatemala.

The yellow bottle is conditioner... I think.  It is huge, it smells good, is creamyish, and was next to Shampoo but doesn't say shampoo.  Therefore, our process of elimination has declared that it is conditioner.  I still have hair after using it a few times, so it can't be that bad.  Additionally, this bottle is HUGE and it only cost Q8 (approx $1).  I won't have to buy conditioner all year!

Then, there's the marshmellows.  Like the conditioner, they are HUGE (the size of a small fist) and they come in a 1kg bag (read: approx 150 marshmellows in a bag the size of an infant)

After the marshmellows, you need to have graham crackers and chocolate, right?  Well, when you're purchasing these for a hike, it's necessary that they are compact.  That's why you buy chocosittas... graham crackers and chocolate TOGETHER!  PERFECT!   Except, the chocosittas are about 1/3 the size of the marshmellows, so the proportions are a bit off... and they come in groups of 3... strange...

Finally, there are my favorite things.  I can't remember, let alone spell, the name of these amazing things, so I call them "spikey fruits" and that name is fitting.  They're a bit of work to eat, but the eyeballish fruit is to die for.

The beauty of nights

There are some nights that would be criminal to not share the beauty...  

Here's the sight from Parque Central in San Juan after the bus last night.

And... there's the fire poking through the window...

Mercado in San Juan

Sunday was a great day.  I woke up early... 5:30... for Spanish Catholic Mass.  My host family and I got in the green 1970s car and drove to church.  The mom insisted that I sat in the front and I couldn't figure out why.   It was later, coming back home, that I realized that they were telling me I had to sit in the front because I'm "muy alta".... HA HA HA!  I'm not tall!   But, I guess I am taller than my host brothers (24, 21) and host parents.  What a weird thought...

Anyways, after church, we returned to the casa and I got ready for church #2... the English Episcopal church!  It was a great service... both talked about (evidently everyone in the Christian world is on the same liturgy) the parables of the lost coins, sheep, and prodigal son.  They have gotten me thinking alot... when those thoughts are more processed (aka have grammatical structure that is understandable), I'll share.  Until then... I'll continue with my story!

When we returned from church, we were treated with a market in San Juan Del Obisbo.  It was gorgeous!  And so much fun!   I loved the community feel and the great food!    Here are some pictures from the market...

The market tents... and let me point out to you the bells at the church... the nuns ring them BY HAND!

A girl playing hopscotch on the market squares

Two brothers were playing with homemade kites

A family sitting at the square observing the market

El Pilar

Last Saturday, we saw nature at it's finest.  We went to El Pilar, a finca outside Antigua (I think a finca is a farm type thing... but I'll confirm that as I learn more) and took a gorgeous hike up this mountain.  This place was a little paradise.  Not only did it have a swimming pool (guess who's going to go back there!!!), but it also has bird watching, a fancy hotel, an industrial park, and gorgeous houses and picnic tables on top.  Walking through, Juli said, "how could someone not believe there is a God when they see this?"  It was that gorgeous.

Pictures can't do nature justice, but I'll try!

Even if you don't like spiders, you have to be impressed by their creation

The landslides had taken out some of the stairs (there were a lot of stairs...) so it sometimes took some creativity to get up the trail

Some men were fixing them... look at the pretty new stairs!

Unfortunately, the stairs led to nowhere so we had to scurry up a muddy hill until the friendly old man came and offered us a ladder.  He was really, really nice!

The coolest root system EVER.  It didn't even fit in my lens!

And then, at the base of the roots, there's a cool cross.

Did I mention that there was a water tank along the trail that had a plaque thanking God for their water?  That doesn't happen too much in the US...

And then... at the top, there was the coolest hippie van... with an amazing hippie inside.  He was very nice and had a great view from his house

 

 

The view!

I want to live down this road...

What a gorgeous country!