I cannot believe that I have been here for two months
now. It has truly flown by. I have learned so much. Just today at lunch, the mother of the
family I am staying with was telling some other students living here that when
I came, we could not talk at all since she only speaks Spanish, but now, we can
talk! She is constantly amazed at
how far I have come. This is a
good thing to hear since I get frustrated at how much more I have to
learn!
Looking back over the past two months, I have many memories of
Xela and Guatemala. I thought I’d
share some with you. In Xela, I
have such a routine and it starts with going to school each day at 8:00
am. This is the same time that the
elementary school on my street starts.
So, as I am off to school, I pass the children walking with a parent to
school. I live just five minutes
from my school so I can leave at 7:55 and be on time. Almost every day I see the same mother and daughter running
towards school as I approach mine.
I always think to myself, “Why not just get up 5 minutes earlier? And then you would not have to
run??” But it has become almost a
comfort to see the mother and daughter running to school, I know this is my
world.
In Xela, you walk almost anywhere you go. I walk to school. I walk to the grocery store. I walk to our activities the school
hosts in the afternoon. If I meet
a friend to study in the park or a café, I walk there and back. The only time I ride a bus is if I am going to catch a chicken bus to another town or if I am going to the
large mall that has a larger supermarket (think Super Wal-Mart—it actually is
owned by Wal-Mart) and more stores.
To ride around town, you take a microbus. This is a small three-seat van that is supposed to hold
maybe 10 passengers. I think the
most I have seen on there would be close to 25? The conductor is a small boy or maybe a man that rides in
the door and yells the destination as the bus nears the “stops” or corners of
the street. For example, if I want
to go to Terminal Minerva to catch a chicken bus or walk from there to the
Hiper Pais (Super Wal-Mart), then as the bus drives towards me on the corner,
the conductor hangs out the door or window and yells, “Minerva, Minerva,
Minerva!” and you wave your hand and nod yes. You then cram in as he yells “Cuatro per silla por favor!
Cuatro per silla por favor!”
Meaning 4 to a seat please.
The seats are made for at most 3.
Then they have another seat facing the 3 that are placed
originally. This means the front
two faced each other. And then there
is a board behind the front seat they have put in so you have 5 rows instead of
the purposed 3. This can be
interesting as you cram in to any available seat or part of a seat. And then you ride the bus through town
with the conductor yelling what stops are coming up and if you want off, you
need to tell him. Otherwise, they
blast on by. And there is some
communication between the conductor and the driver. And finally, you get to your destination and pay 1.25Q (if I
have done my math right, it is about 15 cents) for this adventure. And it usually is an
adventure.
The other type of bus I take to other small towns with my
teachers or to visit other areas around Xela is a chicken bus. This is simply an old school bus like
we have in the United States, but they have painted it vibrant colors and
also painted the route on the windshield.
(I put up some pictures of a chicken bus.) Inside, the seats are very close together and the “aisle” is
very, very narrow. And they have
installed racks above the seats for packages and to hold the speakers for their
radio or tape player that constantly plays Spanish music at a very loud
volume. And I’d guess that these
buses are built to hold maybe 60 people?
The most I have seen on one is around 100. You put three on a seat built for 2 so that is 6 across and
then at least one in the aisle most of the time more. There is a conductor similar to the microbus. He yells the destination as you near a
“stop” and hops off to let people on or to put your bags on the top of the bus
if they are too big for the rack.
He then comes through the aisle (which you recall is full of people) to
collect the fare to wherever you may be going. Sometimes it is so full he walks on top of the seats. Often I have seen them go out the back door and walk across
the top of the bus and then enter back in the front, while it is moving. Both the emergency exit on the back and
the front door are used for both ingress and egress. Most often, the tourists or foreigners are the minority on
the bus. So, it is a good look at
how the local people travel and live.
The other fun part of this is that just as you think there cannot be
room for one more person on here, they stop at the side of the road and five
more people get on. They will pick
up and let off at any location, as there are very few “formal” bus stops. I asked my teacher one time as we were
riding these buses to a market in a nearby town, “Why do y’all squeeze so many
people on here? It is full, is it
not?” And it was explained to me
that it is just the custom. There
used to be very few buses and so it was necessary to get on one or you might
not get to where you needed to go.
And now that there are tons of buses, it just doesn’t change. But also, there are always people that
want on, so I guess there is still a high demand and low supply? Either way it can make for an
interesting ride. The other
interesting part is that the roads may not be paved, but the driver does not
seem to mind. They take the curves
on two wheels, and speed all around as you are bumped up and down on the pot
holes, thrown into your neighbor on the curve and then try to fish out your
money when you are wedged in so tight you can hardly reach your pocket or bag
to get to your money! Again, travel
in Guatemala is an adventure.
Bus rides are fun, but most of the time I walk all over
town, which can also be an adventure.
The sidewalks here are interesting. They are very small to begin with, and then they change
widths and heights at any given time without any warning. And often there may be stairs in the
middle of a sidewalk and very often a large electrical pole. The placement of these poles means what
was a very tiny sidewalk is now cut in half. And then to add to the excitement is the other people
walking around town also. You
learn quickly how to do the sidewalk dance when passing others on the
sidewalk. It sometimes looks like
walking a tightrope as you veer to the very edge of the sidewalk. The other option is to walk in the
road, which I often do, but then you have to be aware of the traffic. Traffic signs or directions are merely
a suggestion here. Luckily, the
drivers know exactly where their horn is and use it often, so you get some
notice before the car zooms past.
The other fun part of this is that the streets are all cobblestone in
Zone One (where I live, go to school, and do most of my shopping). So, as you walk on the streets, you
also get the uneven pavement and fun of walking on cobblestone.
Add to these bus rides and walking around town the
locals. The average height for a
man must be close to 5’ 5”. That
is average. So, even I am towering
over most people. So on buses, or
walking in the street, you stick out like a sore thumb. Yes, I walk very fast (those who try to
keep up know this), but also, because we are so tall even a normal American
pace is way faster than the Guatemaltecans walk. So, it is not unusual for them to feel you behind them
walking on a sidewalk and they just stop and let you pass. Also, most of the women here still wear
traditional dress. So you are on
this microbus with a woman who has on a beautiful skirt and blouse and most
often a basket full of who knows what on her head. The woman all walk around town with either a piece of
material that is similar to a small blanket wrapped around their shoulders and
either a baby or full of other things on their back or a basket on their
head. I once saw a woman carrying
12 dozen eggs on her head. It was
quite a site!
Xela is Guatemala’s second largest city, but it has retained
a small town, local flavor. This
is due to the many people that wear traditional dress and the fact that Zone
One is the historical district and that is where I spend most of my time. I have been to a few of the other
zones, but there are parts I have not even seen yet. But the people here are very friendly. It makes a Southern girl feel at
home. People say Good Morning,
Good Afternoon and Good Evening to each other on the street as they pass
(stranger or friend). And everyone
is very helpful and accommodating in the market, stores, or cafes—especially as
we students practice our Spanish!
They are very patient and it is a great place to study and learn
Spanish.
Another thing that will always come to mind when I think of
Guatemala is the electric shower.
All the showers in Guatemala are electric. This may sound like an oxymoron because it is. Water and electricity don’t normally
mix, but here in Guatemala, the shower is electric. You have wires running to the top of the shower and this is
what heats your water. (See
picture in the photo gallery.) The key is to get just the right amount of water
and heat. The water makes a sound
like rain on a roof when the electricity is there and it is running hot. So, for example, here in my house you
have to turn the water on ever so slightly until you hear the pitter-patter of
rain. Then you stop immediately to
get the hot water. You can turn it
more and get more water to come out and a little more pressure, but it will be
colder and colder because you are adding more cold water. So, it is a balancing act that I have
learned to perfect. Also, I might
have to ask them to turn the water on.
When it is washday and they want to get a large bin of water to wash
clothes or bed sheets, then they turn the water to the bathroom off. Today, for example, I was showering and
the water just cut out before I even got fully wet. I guess I got what was left in the tank before they cut off
the water. I had dress (half wet)
and go out and find someone to turn it back on. They did and I proceeded with my warm shower. All a part of the adventure!
None of the rooms have heat or air-conditioning so it can
get very cold at night. Xela is at
altitude and you feel it when walking around town and up and down hills as well
as in the cool climate. So, as you
lie in bed with four blankets and your long underwear on and at times I’ve even
slept in a hat, you wonder why has no one thought to bring in an electric
heater? Or a gas heater or
something? But no, you sleep in a
room with no insulation and with very cold temperatures. When I first got here, I could see my
breath in my room when I was lying in bed. Often it was below 40 degrees in my room. But you get used to it. You put on more clothes and your hat to
sleep (the head is where we lose most of our heat). And then as soon as the room with a window is available you
tell your host mother you’d like to move into that room because it actually can
retain a little heat from the sun during the day. And again. . . it is part of the adventure!
Finally, talking about lying in my bed reminds me of the
dogs. They are everywhere
here! Packs of dogs roam the streets,
which mean you must be careful where you step (more adventure for your walks
around town). Also, you hear them
at night or early in the morning.
I often hear these packs just barking up a storm early in the
morning. I don’t know if they are
fighting over something? Or looking for breakfast? And they go everywhere. There is a restaurant that we enjoy that has outdoor
seating. This can be nice when it
finally warmed up during the day here, but it is unnerving when a pack of dogs
runs under the table and through your legs. Especially since the first day I got here one of the other
students living in my house was telling me about being bit by a dog and how he
was taking rabies shots for it. But
not only do you hear dogs in the morning, my roof is tin and I always here
either a cat or some sort of rooster walking around on the tin roof. I don’t even set an alarm anymore
because I know the dogs or the animals on the roof will wake me. And last, but not least for the odd
noises you hear--firecrackers.
It is customary to fire firecrackers (not the pretty ones, just the
noisemakers) when someone has a birthday.
I think someone near by has had a birthday every day or every other day
since I’ve been here. It was
startling at first, but now I hardly even notice!
It may sound like I am complaining or griping about living
conditions here. To be sure, they
are subpar for the United States, but actually, I love it. I think it is just part of the
adventure of travel. I was reading
somewhere recently that someone at FPC’s mission conference said, “Mission
minded people do not mind inconveniences.” What a great way to put it. Many people might find the travel and living conditions here
in Guatemala and Peru as a major inconvenience and very bothersome. I find it exciting and a part of travel
that is necessary to live and understand another culture. I thank our good Lord that he blessed
with me with this spirit of adventure—that I find inconveniences as something
that are exciting and interesting about other cultures rather than a
problem. I still remember my first
trip abroad. I studied in Dublin,
Ireland for two months one summer.
I was so sad to be coming home.
I had loved living abroad and studying at Trinity College. On the plane from Atlanta to Jackson,
most of the passengers were returning from overseas trips. This one man was lamenting about what
all he missed and how he was ready for a real shower, drinks with ice, etc.,
etc. I mentioned that I was not
ready to return at all and that I loved being overseas. His response was, “Well, you just
didn’t spend enough time there. I
was gone for two weeks. How long
where you gone?” He didn’t have
much to say when I said, “Two months.”
But it was immediately apparent to me that we are not all cut out for
traveling abroad. God gives us all
gifts. I always wondered, what is
my gift? And am so thankful to
find out that I can serve Him in places where so many would be uneasy,
uncomfortable, and downright miserable—yet I am at home and even find it
exciting, an adventure, and enticing!
My time in Xela is quickly coming to an end. I will be sad to leave the people of
Xela, Guatemala and my friends from school, but am excited about getting to
Peru and starting my work full time!
Even more exciting and interesting is that when I thought of leaving
Xela and going “home”, I thought of my apartment in Peru. What a blessing to feel so at home
where I know God is leading me before I even move there! And I cannot wait to begin my
adventures in Peru! What the Lord
has in store for me I do not know, but I am confident that I have the spirit of
adventure to embrace it and make the most of it for Him!
