anita

So Tuesday I decided it was finally a good time to shower. Apparently, 9:00am is prime shower time as the water in the solar power shower is just warming to a comfortable temperature but has not yet hit the scalding temperatures it can reach if you wait any later. However, the water temperature takes a turn as clouds cover the sun and the daily torrential rains that are so common during the rainy season start. Point being, there is a very particular hour for getting the optimal showing experience. Armed with this knowledge, I hop into the shower at about 3:00pm...NOT optimal showering time. With temperatures outside cooling quickly from the 75 degree high that day and the water being significantly colder, I hopped enthusiastically into the shower and stuck my head under the freezing cold water. A small yelp later, I noticed the cold water that was hitting my body was transforming into steam rising from me. It was by far the coldest shower I've ever taken, but I made sure to get completely clean before jumping back out as these showering occasions are few on my part. And I loved it.

THEN on Wednesday we were serenely leaning against the cabañas, talking about something-or-other when the ground and cabañas started to rock a bit. We all realized that it was an earthquake, but because it didn't appear as though any foundations were going to be crumbling or anybody in immediate danger, we were able to "enjoy" the rocking sensation. It lasted for about 25 seconds and when it finally ended, one of the volunteers called up his fiancé and asked her to look up what had happened. Apparently a 6.8 magnitude earthquake had hit near the Pacific coast of Guatemala, 70 miles directly south of Guatemala City, so we felt just a hiccup of the actual earthquake. It was very cool all the same.

And everybody's doing well...last night my sleeping-with-dog numbers went from the usual 2 up to 3, and though I was left with only about half the bed, I was also left with lots of warmth. We've been having a wonderful time with singing, guitar-ing, weeding, chicken-over-the-fire cooking, chatting and keeping up lots of positive energy...and inevitably running through the torrential rains :D

hasta pronto,

annemary