Volcanoes, Mariology, and Rain, Rain, and More Rain...

Hello friends! So I realize I have been slacking a bit with the posting of new updates. I don't have much of an excuse for that; I suppose I have been caught up in other things!

Since my last post, things have been a bit more interesting in Antigua. For one thing, last Saturday, I hiked Volcan de Pacaya, which is just outside of Guatemala City. It was an astoundingly beautiful hike. I went with a tour company because it is easy and cheap (for the ride, the guide, a driver, and entrance to the park, it was around 15 bucks. Can't beat that). I was lucky too because I probably went on the last good weather day that we will have for a while (more updates on weather in a bit). Volcan de Pacaya is special because it is one of only three active volcanoes in Guatemala. In years past, people on hikes could see actual lava. However, in May of 2010, Pacaya erupted, and this eruption was significant enough that the Guatemala City airport had to be shut down for a bit. Since then, there hasn't been any lava, BUT, near the top of the volcano, you can see pockets of steam, kind of like mini saunas. Click here for a link to pictures from my Facebook. For now, here is a preview of some highlights:

The peak of the volcano. It used to look more peak-like until the 2010 eruption. Now there is a crater and a crevice at the top. You can click on any image to make it bigger, too.

Some great views at the top.

See that smoky stuff? That's steam from the lava just underground. It was super cool.

One spot was hot enough that we could roast marshmallows. On a volcano. What the heck?

I took a video as well, just to give you a more panoramic view, as well as a better look at what the steam is like:

Since my trip to Pacaya, pretty much from that afternoon until today, it has rained practically non-stop. There was a tropical storm from the Pacific that decided to linger over Guatemala. I'm used to rain here, but usually it's super clear in the morning and by three it rains off and on into the night. However, Tuesday night I knew something was really wrong when I woke up to the sound of rain pounding on my windows so hard, I thought they might break. That night there were some horrendous landslides in parts of Guatemala, and there continues to be flooding and landslides. I am fine where I am, but it is impossible to travel anywhere (not that I'd want to...). Right now a lot of tourists are getting cozy in Antigua, bunkering down to wait out the rain. Not a bad idea in my book. 

To get an idea of how much rain we've had, here's a video I found through Facebook of a river in Jocotenango, just a few blocks and a coffee plantation away from my house. It's absolutely insane:

Although the rain is a bummer (not to mention super cold...the temperatures here aren't too low, probably in the low sixties, but with that much rain, the air is so damp that it's really cold sometimes), it has taken away some distractions, allowing me to focus on my Spanish much more. The beginning of last week, my teacher asked me to explain some theology to her, because I need to practice my Spanish and because she's interested. I gave her some topics that I know a thing or to about, and the one she picked was Mariology. Ever since, I've spent part of my lessons giving her "lessons" in Mariology. Surprisingly, she's been able to understand all the points I've made. So I think that's a good sign, especially since there's a lot of technical stuff involved in Marian theology. The Biblical study of Mary is very intricate; you have to know the significance of some words in Greek and Hebrew, you have to compare multiple passages in different books, Old and New Testament, there's a lot involved. So, what this all boils down to is that it has been quite a challenge for my Spanish, and, simultaneously, excellent practice. 

I was talking to a teacher at my school the other day, and I received a bit of encouragement. We were talking in Spanish, of course, and she was like, "I remember when you first got here; you were so timid and couldn't say anything. Now I hear you and I'm like 'Is this the same girl? She speaks plenty.'" Well, that made me feel pretty good, especially since I often have days where I doubt my abilities. When I hear things like that, it gives me a bit of a confidence boost, and I feel like I can talk about anything. So I'm going to hold onto that for a while, and keep studying hard for my last two weeks. 

Hope all of you are well and that fall is beautiful in the States right now. I can't say that I don't miss home, but I do know that I will feel the same way about Guatemala when I get back to the US.

Peace to all who read this!

Random Observations

Hello friends! Sorry it's been so long since my last post...I've had some technological difficulties (we didn't have Internet or water for a couple days this past week). Plus, there's not a whole lot new to report. So I decided to write down some things about Guatemala/Antigua that are very unique but don't really fit into other posts because they're a tad random. So I decided to make a list of them. Sounds boring, but these are super random so get excited:

Beans are hugely popular here; people eat them at almost every meal (including breakfast), but oftentimes they aren't whole beans--they are pureed in a blender or mushed up with rice. It's very interesting. I don't know what they have against whole beans, but that's the way they like them I guess.

Speaking of food, no matter what you eat, there are tortillas. Beans and....tortillas. Rice and....tortillas. Spaghetti and...tortillas. Always. Oh, and there is always chile. They never make spicy food because they serve chile on the side so you can make it as spicy as you want.

People are very careful with how much water and electricity they use because it's so expensive. My host mom is a real stickler about not using lights during the day because they aren't necessary. When we want to take a shower, we have to flip a switch to turn on the hot water heater. Between 10pm and 6am, more or less, the water in our house is turned off. And as I've mentioned before, everyone hand washes their clothes. It sounds like a pain, but in the long run, it is definitely better for the environment.

Fruit and vegetables are super cheap here, and the typical American "cheap" foods, like coffee, peanut butter, oatmeal, and cans of tuna, are expensive. You can get a pound of apples for a dollar, four avocados for a $1.25, and fresh flowers for 50 cents. It's incredibly cheap and negociable. But a 6 oz. jar of peanut butter is five dollars and a can of tuna is $1.50. Go figure.

There are SO many stray dogs here. It's absolutely insane. I feel bad for them because a lot of them are really skinny, but they manage to get by somehow. Every day, I probably see at least 15 stray dogs. Insane.

Here, the number of people that can fit on a moped is infinite. I've seen five people riding on one at the same time: a mom, a dad, and their three kids. That would not go over well in the US. But here, cars are expensive, so people do what they can to get their kids to school, themselves to work, and whatnot.

If it ever snowed here, everyone would freeze because no one could ever have indoor heating since every house, restaurant, tienda, etc. has a courtyard or a patio in the middle. For example, in my house, I could never go from my room to anywhere else in the house without being "outside" for a short period of time. In essence, no houses are airtight. But they don't need to be in a place that's always no more than ten degrees above or below 70 degrees farenheit.

Masks are a big deal. In the states, the only occasions for mask-wearing are Halloween and bank robbing. Here, people wear masks for every celebration they have. I asked my teacher why, and she said she's not sure about their significance (I think for the ancient Mayans they did, though), people here just really like masks. It's not like people walk around with them at all times, but if there are fiestas with dancing, a lot of times the dancers will wear masks (some of which are really scary).

No one really minds other people's kids. What I mean is that people bring their kids to everything and it's totally normal. At Mass, toddlers often wander around freely. More than once a lady has had to go on to the altar to fetch her kid who had strayed a little too far and in the wrong direction. Every day, I see women walking around carrying heavy baskets on their heads with a baby strapped onto their back with a big piece of fabric. And it's not unusual to see small children selling newspapers all by themselves, working a stand at the market, or shining shoes. Which is another big problem in Guatemala: child labor. Many kids, especially in rural areas, don't go to school so they can work. Education here is very poor and I think this is a huge cause of poverty and corruption.

In the past, Mayan peoples, much like Native Americans in the United States, had a great respect for the Earth. Every time people would harvest a crop, they would say a prayer of thanksgiving and of permission to the gods. It's unfortunate, however, that some of this mindset has been lost. How do I know this? Cities in Guatemala are SO polluted: fumes from buses and piles of trash on the street are the most obvious factors. In some places, trash on the street is so bad that garbage workers have to pick it up in shovelfulls. It's a shame that this belief in the sanctity of the Earth has been lost by people who don't give a second thought to throwing trash on the ground. I think the spread of consumerism, and the throw away mindset that comes with it, is partly to blame. It's just one of the many products of the West's neo-colonialism (controlling another place through mass media and globalization instead of through armies and conquerors) that is eliminating some of the traditional aspects of Guatemalan culture. I have a lot more to say about neo-colonialism in Guatemala/Latin America (because it is, unfortunately, both fascinating and horrifying), but I can't write it all here. Just know that it is very obvious in Guatemala.

One aspect of Guatemala that is just fascinating to me is the level of belief in mystery. For example, tons of people readily and willingly believe in miracles. In my conversations with different Guatemalans, this became apparent to me. Now, while I believe that a certain dose of skepticism regarding miracles and the paranormal is healthy, I think there is something quite admirable about the level of faith that such a belief requires. Belief in spirits and in lugares encantados or "enchanted places" (which are inhabited by spirits) is widespread. It's such a stark contrast to the skepticism and cynicism of Western society. Now, I realize that many of you might be thinking that such a belief in mystery is only the result of people being uneducated. This may be a factor, but I also think that the religiousness of this country, and of Latin America in general, has much more to do with it. People here readily see the divine in the world. There's something quite beautiful in that.

Well I guess that started out as random observations and ended in random reflections. Take it as you wish. Hope it gives you a bit more of an idea of what this place is like. Also, for a bit of eye candy, yesterday I walked around the ruins of the old San Francisco Cathedral. How beautiful! There are two stories, which give you quite a view of Antigua. It's one of my new favorite places. Here's some pictures:

That's all for now...peace to all who read this!