La Vida es Loco!

I`m ALIVE.

PULGAS.

Tengo Pulgas. I have fleas.

Yepp. I have fleas. Well, not so much have them as fleas don´t actually habitate on humans because we don´t have enough fur...but, they attacked. And thats to put it lightly.

Today I counted. My right hand ( this includes front and back and very upper wrist ).
I have 45 bites on my right hand.
And, if you continue to count up my arm...just a couple inches more, you´ll count another 20. And this is only one arm!

Arms, legs, stomach, neck, face. Covered.
I am a dirty, filthy, itchy, swolen mess.

Guatemala has given me:
Food poisoning.
Fungus.
Fevers.
Flus.
Fleas.

what next....



Ready to fly home. Only three more days.

Your friendly Guatmalan street-animal,
Vicki

SEMUC CHAMPEY

Que ondo amigos-

I am a bit late, as is my style, on the update from my past weekend which took me to Semuc Champey. Semuc is known as the prettiest place in all of Guatemala....It´a National Park, river with limestone pools.

You can swim, tube and cave- all of which are amazing. But, as I´m looking back in my journal...I noticed that I completely under-rated Semuc Champey after my first night there. Whoops.

Our first day was spent in the limestone pools of beautiful turqouis water. Now, I´m warning you that I am a brat before I go into my speil. I have been spoiled by the hot springs, and the turqouis waters of Southern Thailand...nothing can really compare and therefore I wasn´t all that impressed with Semuc Champey ( to begin with ). But then.....we went caving:

* The whole gang inside the caves*


Caving. Indian Jones Style. By far the coolest thing I ever done....so far. The caves were pitch dark so we all held onto hand dipped candles to light our way. What made this extra exciting is as one is continuing on in the cave- you begin by walking around on the rocks, then you find yourself wading in the water untill suddenly it is too deep to stand and you are swimming ( with one hand holding the candle high enough to light your way ). Then to keep exploring, you have to climb up rickety ladders that are barely holding onto the rocks, crawl through tight places, and even climb up a waterfall- with only a rope and your body weight. It was exhilarating!

It is somewhat amazing that we all survived. haha...just a joke.

I find myself wondering: Where does my anxiety go when I leave the U.S.? I must leave it behind tucked away...i wish it would stay there.

After caving, we took a relaxing tube ride down the river right back to our hotel.

* El mirador de todo del Semuc Champey*

Semuc is pretty far out there. From Xela we first had to take a 10 hour shuttle to Coban, ...and we stayed in what is called the Cloud Forest-Which is exactly as it sounds. You are high enough in the mountains that when you look down amoung them, clouds seem to me growing right out of the valleys. Its beautiful.

The following day, it took us another 3 hours to get to Lanquin, closest town to Semuc, and then we had to leave our shuttle behind...all pile into the back of a pickup truck ( 15 people standing with our backpacks ) for a 45 minute very windy and VERY bumpy ride that took us down futher into the valley to reach our hotel near the park. The hotel had electricity for only 3 hours per day, 6-9 PM. Lights out.

By the end of the weekend exploring and sleeping in the rainforest, I was eaten alive and completely bruised and cut up from the caves. I´d never hesitate to do it again, completely worth it.

Now I am off on one last adventure. It is my last weekend here before I return home. It is very sad, but i am starting to feel ready. Heading off to Lake Atitlan, surrounded by volanoes in just a few hours.

See you all soon,

Vicki

Fue un exito!

Ayer fue le noche de Trivia yyyyyy fue un exito!

( Yesturday was Trivia Night annndddd it was a success! )

*Myself and Zach- Your Mcees for the evening.*

So, at this very moment I couldn´t be more proud.

Extatic, bouncing in my seat with excitment proud.

Last night, Wednesday night, I commenced the very first Trivia Night in Xela, to benefit Trama Textiles. I´ve been working so hard to get this going...finding the right venue, promoting the event, and just general organizing and researching questions. After all my effort, the night was a blast....I honestly couldn´t have asked for it to go any better. We filled the bar...30 people, about 9 teams...and even had some locals!... Oh, and the locals WON! Their team name was the Rabbit Masacre....quite creative as well. haha.

We had a grand prize donated by another local pub ( Who call themselves Beer and Pool. Gosh, i love it here), free pizza and beer- not to shabby! We charged 10Q to play, just over a dollar...which isn´t much...but in Guatemala terms, we made about 40 dollars in one evening, which is an amazing amount! Especially considering we only had about 5Q in our account before hand. Trivia consisted of 5 categories, being: International current events, Michael Jackson, Monsters, Basic Sports and Leisure, and General Music Knowledge. I also threw in a few random´Shot Questions´ in between rounds, taking after Trivia Nights in Connecticut by Radio104. Everything went so well that we can´t wait to do it again next week...even if we get half the amount of people, I´d be happy.

A complete success!

Estoy Muy Feliz!!! Vida es bueno.

As for myself, I´m taking off tomorrow morning for the weekend....off to Semuc Champey. Yes, I decided to go after much debating. Throwing my money out the window and just enjoying it. It´s said to be the prettiest place in all of Guatemala...and I get to swim in waterfalls, tube down the river and splunk in some caves. ha. Needless to say, its a trip right up my ally and I can´t wait....why was I thinking of not going??

Mas historias cuando regresso.

Super Chivos!

NEWS FLASH:
Anoche, Xelaju tomo la victoria y ahora estan en la Finals- de futbol, por supesto. En caso tu no sabes, Super Chivo es el apodo de Xuleju.

Chivo is a Goat.

So, yes. Last night was the final game of the semi-finals of football of Guatemala. The game toom place here in Xela. Let me tell you, there´s not much more exciting that one can experience. They weren´t deemed to win this game beforehand because they did so poorly against the same team earlier this week. But, 2-0...two over times, and it took Penalty kicks to win the game. Then the entire city broke out into celebration. You would have thought the Red Sox had wn the World Series after 80 years...ha. Hundreds of people filled Central Park and the partying didn´t stop until the morning. A very unique experience...and now we have Saturday to look forward to.

The Final game of the finals is taking place here in Xela this weekend. Which has me contemplating my travel plans...because, can I really miss it???
HELP ME DECIDE!
Semuc Champey o Finals de futbol???

Also, i´m looking for a new place to live. I found out that I could get an apartment for less than a hundred dollars a month- two bedroom place- right next to Central Park. I´ve decided I´m retiring in Central America. I will also sell chocalate dipped fruit out of my window. In ten years time, this is where you will find me.

K, Must run- we´ve been busy celebrating Aaron- my new roomies- birthday. We had McFlurries instead of cake and filled his with 24 birthday candles and set them ablaze in McDonalds. Quite the perfect celebratory act I think. OH, and Dad will be proud....I taught the crew how to play dice and It´s a Hit!

Amo a todo,
Vicki

Tambien, Necesito dicer ´Feliz Dia de Madres´a todo las madres!!!

( Today is Mother´s Day at Home, but Tomorrow is Mother´s day here.)

( Celebrate Twice!)

Caminata

Este es mi caminata a casa de escuela:

* Keep right at Ugly Peach Statue...if that´s what you would call it... *

* Turn Left at Vulgar Graffiti in English *

* Turn left at Blue Garage *

HOME

La Historia de Antigua

¡Hola todo el mundo!


I haven´t been healthy since the day I got here. I hope it doesn´t mean anything more than I just have shitty luck...

I spent a lovely weekend at Monterrico Beach, killing my flu with the sun and attempting to escape Bed Bugs. Killing the flu was a sucess, bed bugs- not so much.
Monterrico is about 8 hours away, on chicken bus, shuttle, and however else you want to travel- up and around nasceating roads. I bet it would only take a few hours if it wasn´t for all the volcanoes and mountains that stand in our way. Anywho..since it´s so far, we decided to take the 5 hours trip to Antigua first and spend a night there. I had been told by many that it was a city worth visiting....I disliked it. A lot.
Antigua.
Gringo central.
If you ever have an urge to want to say you´ve been to Guatemala, but actually don´t want to come to Guatemala- then Antigua is the place for you. The whole city is a show for rich European travelers...the culture has been sucked right out of it. I honestly felt like I had left Guatmala and landed in another country....closer to Scandinavia. For some, this may be the perfect place...but when I come to live in a place I want to experience it´s people and its culture in its true form and there wasn´t a drop of it in Antigua. Guatemala is a very poor country, rich in Mayan culture and its poverty speaks through it´s people...even in the cities, but Antigua is a different story. It´s filled with over prices Steak Houses and Cuban Cigar shops, Art Galleries and High-end Jewlery stores....you can even find a Pizza-hut like shop on just about every corner and coffee close to that of Starbucks.
Ugh, even telling you about this right now just makes me shake my head. It´s shameful. Most of the Europeans who travel there fly right into the Antigua airport-which you pay twice as much for-and leave from there as well. It makes me sad to think that Antigua is all of Guatemala that some people experience. The real story is everywhere else, and its soooo much better!

I had originally thought about studying in Antigua for a week, since many students go to study there...but, One afternoon was more than enough.

Anyways, the point of this run-off story was that I got eaten alive in Antigua as well.
Estoy siendo comida viva.
Don´t stay at the Black Cat. They may offer a mean breakfast, but you´ll be breakfast for about a dozen bed bugs first. Then, I arrive back home in Xela (thankfully)...finally having kicked all my illnessed and I get FOOD POISONING. Turns out I should stay away from the Milk....

Mas practica es necesario

Today is my 28th day in Guatemala-

-and i'm still sick.

This is my medicine to get rid of the hongos en mi estomago

One capsul=one shot, twice a day

Have you ever seen such a thing??

So...unfortunately...i'm still sick. I can't seem to kick this darn cold. The ash is still hanging in the air. The volcano is still angry and spewing ashy clouds into the air every day, which truely isn't helping. AND, to top everything off, I now have bed bugs. Mushrooms in my stomach, an 8 day and counting cold, cough from angry volcanos, and now bed bugs. First I just had bites on my feet, so I thought maybe it was something else...but now i have them on my cute little belly and arms. ARGH. I really can't catch a break. I'm having my sheets washed again- so, keep your fingers crossed. Hopefully the little creature was living inside them.

I'm also looking into an escape to the beach this weekend, escape from the ash. HOpefully meet some friendly animals in the mangroves.

Interesting daily thoughts:

1. It's been cooler and rainy the past few days. The rain was nice at first, felt like it was cleaning the air a bit from the ash, the air needed a good washing- but, it's still not clean.

2.The cobblestone streets make walking in the rain like hoping across pebbles in a stream. I enjoy the game, but dislike the rain.

3. The cars seem to drive even faster in the rain! The drivers are never overly cautious to begin with, but the rain seems to just pump them up. Let's see how wet we can get the gringos! I've been drenched twice....and I prepare to keep counting.

4. Men are mainly the drivers and they don't stop for women in the street, this upsets me. I swear they'd run me over and not feel bad about it. Men don't have to take a test to get a license, but women do. Interesting, eh? Machismo at it's greatest.

5. Ash is still coating everything in the city. A nice little blanket for these cold days...but i'd rather go without it. The knowledge that i'm breathing in that nice coating, is not a happy knowledge...it's disgusting and I'm feeling the consequences.

6. I've been eating more meat here and I think I need to stop. My stomach doesn't like it- but where are the vegetables? I see them growing in the fields, but I don't see them in the mercados.

7.Mas practica es necesario. I noticed my awful mistake in my 'hola senor tortuga' post....i originally wrote: signor. My problem with Spanish is that I keep mixing it together with peices of Italian, sometimes even a bit of French. I think that perhaps I'm really not learning Spanish, but just creating a new language of my own. Italiaspanglishcais.

*Working on our mural in the TRAMA office*

The past couple days have been spent volunteering at TRAMA and I´m really liking it there...things are slowly coming together. Painting is fun, the women are super friendly and we get to dive into whatever sort of projects we want. I actually feel like I'm helping. AND, next week I start volunteering with Habitat as well. We start building at 2 on Monday, so I'll have exciting stories after that as well!

More soon.

Yo Prometo.

-Victoria

Es muy importante saber para comprender

Disculpe todo,

Posting again quite soon, I know...but at the moment I´m busy sitting at the computer doing research for another organization I started volunteering with and had to share some information on Guatemala with you.

First, the new orgnization I am helping is called TRAMA- It is a women´s weaving co-operative and we work with over 400 women in 17 different co-ops in the area surrounding the city of Xela. All of these communities are Indigenous villages of Guatemala. At the moment, I am researching info in order to search and apply for grants, but on a more exciting note: I am also painting a mural at the center today! I´m very excited about painting and using my artistic skills...it´s been far too long!
Anywho-At the center, the women offer weaving classes and also have a store to sell their goods, which are all absolutely amazing. If you have a free moment visit the website at:

http://www.tramatextiles.org/

You can also buy stuff online! Or contact me and I´ll ship anything out for you.

Back to the important stuff:
I am also busy trying to brainstorm fundraising ideas for the orgnization. I want to start up a weekly Trivia night at a local cafe, searching for a venue that will take us, in order to raise a little money on a regular basis and just get word out there on a more regular basis as well. Before starting to work at TRAMA I knew very little about the state of women´s rights in this country. From working at Nuevos and talking to my former teachers about Guatemalan life I was exposed to the statistcal numbers and the high rate of violence against women..one teacher informed me that 98% of women are estimated to be abused in some way: physical, mental, sexual, etc. Rarely these go reported because most of the time it´s by their own husbands. Here is some more detailed information I found today on the SIGI website: Social Institutions and Gender Index. Worth a read!

"The physical integrity of Guatemalan women is not sufficiently protected and violence against women is a serious issue. The incidence of rape, disappearances, torture and murder of women is high and continues to rise, and there is a culture of impunity in Guatemala regarding such crimes. Violence against women is prohibited by law, but is not punishable by a prison sentence. Domestic violence can lead to legal proceedings only if visible traces of the abuse remain on the victim for at least 10 days. Such violence is widespread and it seems to be difficult for women, especially indigenous women, to access the judicial system. There seems to be no social awareness in Guatemala about the gravity of violence against women.
Rapists are exempt from prosecution in Guatemala if they are married to their victim and the Penal Code lays down the criterion that women must be “honest” to be considered victims. It has been reported that the government plans to remove these clauses from the Penal Code, but no information is available to confirm this report. There is currently no legislation in place in Guatemala pertaining to sexual harassment."


Another interesting tidbit:

"The incidence of early marriage is quite high: a 2004 United Nations report estimated that 26 per cent of girls between 15 and 19 years of age were married, divorced or widowed."

Busy contemplating how lucky I am,
Vicki

¡Hola Señor Tortuga!

¡Hola otra vez!

Since my update on my first three weeks here was so brief ( sorry for the semi-failure), I figure... When I have the time I´ll share the most important stories with you. Today you get to hear the story of my trip to the zoologico.

During my first week here, if my memory serves my correctly, I looked into doing some volunteer work with a wonderful organization based here in Xela called Nuevos Horizontes. Nuevos Horizontes runs both a Women´s shelter for abused women and their children and a Day Care center for single working mothers- all volunteer run. They were taking the kids from the Day care on a trip to the Zoo...so I jumped at the chance to help out.
It was a great way to meet all the volunteers and all the kids, in total we had 30 kids that day and 15 volunteers.

The smiles and beautiful faces of these children describe all I could ever say about my time with them. No words, just pure joy.

I hung around specifically with one amazing young girl, who had to say hello to each animal we encountered: ¡Hola Señor Tortuga, Hola Señorita Poloma!

Haha, an amusing part of the Zoo was the polomas, which means there was pigeons at the zoo. Yes, Pigeons! In a cage! As a display!...and its not like they don´t have them here, because they take over the Parque Central at all times of day...but, just in case you don´t get enough bonding on a regular day walking around the city, you can always visit your friends, las polomas, at the zoo.

Each day is an experience I will never forget.

(Cada dia es una experiencia que yo voy a olvidar nunca.)

Nos hoblamos pronto. Adios por ahora.

Tu amiga en Xela,

Vicki

Oranges are green here.

¡Hola!

So, as you know ( and if not, now you do!) I´m off on another adventure. This time life has taken me to Guatemala...busy existing in the second biggest city of Quetzaltenango, but more preferably refered to as Xela.

Now, i debated for some time whether it was even worth my effort to update you all on the past year of traveling I experienced in Italy and Thailand...I decided to sum it up. Both changed my life forever.

Italy was an escape to never forget, literally.

Thailand will forever be indescribable. My time spent there was the most amazing and rewarding thing I´ve ever done. Thailand, the culture and it's people will have a special place in my heart forever.

Shed a few tears and move on...


...to more current things...I´m in Guatemala!

First of all, i´ll update you on why i´m even here...

I lost my job and was going semi insane at home ( sorry parents ), pero Yo digo la veridad! I decided on Guatemala because
One- its cheap.
Two- I figured, if I was taking a long vacation I may as well also gain some sort of skill and do some volunteer work.
My wonderful cousin had taken Spanish courses here in Xela before, so I enrolled! I am studying Spanish at a school called Celas Maya, 5 days a week, 5 hours a day. As part of the program I am also living with a host family. 5 dollars a day for a room and 3 wonderful meals, can't quite complain!

So, my blogging skills are subpar and I've now been in Xela for 3 weeks without even attempting this. So, bare with me as I rapidly inform you on the on goings of life here.
I've studied for three weeks and feel like my spanish is atleast coming along, perhaps not as well as I had hoped...but its a process. There have been 3 msall tremors since I've been here, all within a few days which was a very exciting new experience! ( don't worry parents! ) I've also been growing fungus/mushroom in my stomach, which have been wonderfully painful AND contracted some nasty cold on top of it...AND, to top that off..the nearest volcano has been angry lately and spewing lots of wonderful ash into the air which is making my cold soooo much better.
Outside of class, I've swam in volcanic hot springs, climbed a volcano ( dormant- again, don't worry parents!), traveled to nearby village visiting these beautifully YELLOW churches, visited a glass factory and was able to Blow Glass!, wandered aimlessly through the never ending mazes of markets, riden on many a chicken bus- with actual chickens!, and swam in the Pacific Ocean for the very first time.
I also have been overwhelmed by the amount of volunteer organizations in this city. I spent a week volunteering at a Day Care run for single working mothers. The kids will melt your heart with one smile...and i've been dissapointed that my studies have been overtaking my free time lately, but its a hard balance. I also plan on helping out with the construction of a home with Habitat, and it takes about a month to build one house, so I look forward to seeing the whole process. I also have a the prospect of volunteering for a women's weaving cooperative, helping in the office and HOPEFULLY treking around to nearby villages to take photos and interview the women who take part in the cooperative to put together a story on them and the organization.

Ok- well this doesn't even begin to describe everything i'm experiencing. There just aren't enough words and never enough time. For now, this has been a little taste and as time goes on I'll fill you in on the important stories and new adventures occuring here, in my life, in Guatemala.

Adios por ahora. Hablamos pronto.