Rocking Chairs and Gray Hair

We made it to Nicaragua and have been in the city of Leon for about a week. Even though we've been in Nicaragua for just a short time, we've quickly noticed how different it is from Guatemala. First of all, it’s hot. Day and night. It is even 89 degrees at 9 PM. The people here are also very friendly, and busy. Whether selling plantain chips and Hollister shirts, biking their kids to school, or demonstrating for the re-election of Daniel Ortega, the city is filled with life.

All this movement must breed a necessity for equal rest. Peeking inside the houses, I've noticed that almost every house has an open courtyard with at least one tree and about eight to ten wooden rocking chairs (according to our Spanish teachers they are comfy). Almost every household has rocking chairs, often framing the equally ubiquitous open courtyard. Our Spanish school even had a small courtyard, where a mango tree would drop its mangos and provide us daily snack. At sunset many people bring their chairs out to the curb to chat with their neighbors.

Speaking of food, we have also noticed a change in the food. The traditional food of Nicaragua is Gallo Pinto--whole red beans mixed with rice. There is also an increase in fruits, fresh juices, and licuados (blended fruit shakes), perhaps to counteract the intense heat.

As for school, our Spanish teachers know so much besides Spanish. They have been willing and able to tell us details about Nicaragua's Revolution. One of our field trips included a visit to a huge mural depicting all parts of the Nicaraguan uprising. Most of us are really enjoying Leon: for a change the city feels very safe (it nearly always felt okay to walk home after dark) and there is a huge feeling of personality and friendliness from practically everyone we encounter.

One of the best things we did in Leon was volcano boarding. We drove about an hour from the city to the youngest volcano in Nicaragua called Cerro Negro. Trampling over lava and cinder, we climbed to the top of the active volcano, looking down into the smoking crater. We changed into ridiculous neon green and yellow jumpsuits along with elbow and knee pads, gloves and goggles. We then grabbed our boards, either a wooden snowboard or a plank of wood and piece of rope made into a toboggan, and slid down a 50 degree angle hill. We each flew down the mountain, reaching crazy speeds, with gray pumice-like volcanic rocks flying at our face. By the time we hit the bottom, we had cinder and rocks glued to our bodies, in our noses, ears, teeth, eyes, toes, and bellybuttons. It was also caked into our hair, but we all thankfully walked away uninjured and with big smiles on our faces.

With love from Leon,

Kaile'a

Semuc and Beyond

Hi all!

Well I´m sorry to be posting so late and so little but there´s just so much going on and so little time to write about it!

A lot has happened in the past few weeks since we left Rocj Pomtila.Our first stop was the beautiful mirador at Semuc Champey where we climbed the breathtaking waterfalls and explored a network caves. We began our cave tour by wading into the mouth of the cave with only candles to light our way, but within minutes the water quickly rose above our waistlines. We walked farther and farther in, slipping on rocks and occasionally swimming with our candles raised above our heads as we climbed slimy ladders to higher platforms, only to drop back down into the chilly water. When we had gone as far as we could, we turned around, expecting to go back the same way we came. However, we faced a slight twist.

Instead of the ladders we treacherously climbed on the way in, we now faced a small tunnel in the rock with water gushing through it--the idea was for us to hold our breath and drop through the hole without seeing the other side. At that point I honestly would have rather just stayed inside the caves forever, but I eventually overcame my fear joined the rest of the group on the other side. I dont think I've ever been so happy to see the sun. Óverall the experience was well worth it but it was definitely one of the scarier things we´ve done.

Since then we´ve stayed in San Andres, completed spanish school and lived with families in homestays (and now the same in Leon, Nicaragua!!!!!). In between we took a day trip to the famed Mayan ruins of Tikal which was incredible and of which I hope to post more about later when I have a bit more time.

Basically, things are great, a lot has been happening and I´m sure Kailéa will be filling you in on all of the more recent things soon.

Lots of love
xxxxxx
Helena

Mangos, Bon Bon Bums, and Orange Coconuts

Hey everyone,

Though long over due, here is my post for Rocj Pomtila:

There are some benefits to having a 20 degree sleeping bag. The first of which is the rare instance when Guatemalan weather decides to be cool. There are a myriad of survival tips that solely rely on a sleeping bag. Be it braving the mountains of Lake Atitlan or hiding in Helena`s abnormally tall bag (I am about 5´4 while she is 6`) the sleeping bag may be the most essential tool on this trip. However, there are times in which the 20 degree bag becomes bothersome.

I, similar to others, awoke the first night in a dark abyss to an ensemble of cicadas and gallos. Even though the blackness of a 3am morning hindered my sight, the sense of touch told of an epoxy resin held to my face a polyester cocoon of a sleeping bag. As I clawed at the amorphous mixture of sweat and drool from my face, I quickly became aware of the mosquito net that ensnared me. Trapped, similar to the mosquitoes outside my bug-free haven, I stumbled to the only source of light, a tiny glimmer under a door. I tore open the door only to be faced with another anomaly not found in suburban Buffalo , NY, a tree with orange coconuts. Thus, began our community service project in the rural village of Rocj Pomtila.

After a 4-5 hour car ride from San Marcos, we found ourselves watching the van
pull away along with our driver Edgar´s advice, ¨Bug spray?¨ As the only sign
of technology pulled away from our new home the hands of tiny children invaded
our hair. This type of greeting was of no surprise, neither was the calls of
¨Gringos, Culocho,¨ or ¨Chino.¨ The guide explained, with the help of Alex´s
translations, that we would be laying foundation for a school to be and building
a shower for tourists. The guide forgot to mention, however, the type of climate we would be
working in. From the hottest of days, which produced the same slimy mixture that
plagued me at night, to the downpours that forced us to wear the red clay we
shoveled as face paint, we continued to work. To condense four days of work, us
little worker bees pick axed, hoed, shoveled, and wheelbarrowed earth with a
wooden sign we conveniently named the plow. Rain or shine we continued to work
only to pause for the 10 o´clock snack or the noontime lunch break. Our only
retreat from the sweltering heat and insets was our communal bath time in the river.
As suds from the clothing being washed by the local women floated
down the river beside us, we soaked the stress, aches, and pains away. Fish would nibble
at our already sore red legs that were covered in fire ant and insect bites.

Once the waters numbed our bodies, we left only to congregate again in a feast of
1Q bags of chips and 50c bonbon bums, a type of lollipop. We laughed as we
attempted to toast our bagged water. A side note, all the water in the village
is boiled, but it somehow acquires a smokey flavor, thus earning the name of bbq
water. Gluttonously, some of us ate mangoes because dinner at home only meant a
cup-o-noodles. It was at home, where various dinners were served, that the daily
restart button was hit and each day we awoke to the same situation, me being
stuck to my sleeping bag, some a chicken in their room, and for others the same
rooster that cursed us all. We would awake to these noises, work all afternoon,
and then fall asleep to the church music that blared through the town. As I
write this, ironically, the voices of two group members, Vita and Devon, have come over the loud speakers of the church. Looking back, as I listen to the Carpe Diem version of Jason
Mraz, I take notice of what we have accomplished in 4 days--We built a shower and
moved a mountain of dirt, only to make smaller hill, so that the school had
enough room. To top off our work we were able to visit El Corazon del Rio to see
where all the water we bathed in comes from. With Semuc Champey and
language school in San Andres ahead, we ended our time in the village by skipping
the middle man, jumping into to the fresh water and bathing in waterfalls.

To conclude, hello to everyone at home and others reading this post. Please
excuse the tardiness of this post and for not saying my greetings earlier. Also,
hello to all the Parkies and friends--I miss you all. I hope school is going
well and will see you soon for graduation. To my friends outside of school, the
same for you as well. Most importantly, to my parents, I miss you and hope the cold
weather of Buffalo isn´t as bad as you are telling me. I love you mommy and dad.

Peace and Love,
Lukas Eng

San Andres: Saint of enchanting light

We just arrived in Nicaragua after being blessed with a beautiful time in San Andres, Peten. Check out some of the moments that closed out our unforgettable time in Guatemala with these pics...

A tease

Saludos our loyal blog followers!

Our group is alive and very well in San Andres after an adventurous 9 days living and touring stunning Alta Vera Paz. For nearly all of these 9 days we didn´t have access to electricity or even running water and, needless to say (but to likely more dismay of the group), internet. Unplugging and un-showering were well worth it though, as we shared daily baths in a turquiose-emerald river with nutria and stopped in the pristine rain forest to drink from underground springs. Take that facebook! Though we´ve just uploaded some new photos to our flickr page, stay tuned a short while longer for student updates. Tis a delicate battle for the 2 computers with a fast internet connection in town!

With love and licuados,

Alex and Jackie

3 days, 46K

Some pics from our recent 3-day, 46 K, trek in the Guatemalan Highlands, from near Xela to San Marcos...

Check out additional photos on our Flickr page!

Relaxation on the Shores of Lake Atitlan!

Hi all!

Well, here we are, almost done with a relaxing week in San Marcos, Guatemala. It is incredibly beautiful here! It really is like a relaxed, tropical paradise. It was so amazing to arrive here, especially after our crazy 3 day trek. All in all, our trek was a total of 48k, with some pretty ridiculous mountain climbing the whole way. We crossed rivers on tiny log bridges, walked through clouds, and forged our way through tunnels of bamboo. The temperature fluctuated from steamy hot to freezing cold in minutes. We often shed layers because of the extreme heat, only to put them back on only moments later. We had the treat of a hot springs on the first night, which felt amazing on our cold, dirty feet. We traversed some of the steepest trails I have ever hiked, often balanced precariously overlooking treacherous cliffs. On the morning of our last day of hiking, we witnessed a beautiful sunrise (though unfortunately surrounded by heaps of trash). We tackled our last decent with ease, into the city of San Pablo. There we took a boat over to our current abode, San Marcos.

San Marcos is incredible! We are all taking it easy for the most part, which is the exact opposite of our trek. The food here is incredible, with tons of little cafes and restaurants to choose from. I find it hard to imagine no longer having 3 delicious meals a day after San Marcos. I and three others have been taking massage classes, making us extremely valuable to the rest of the group. All in all there is a very "hippy" vibe here. I have only eaten meat once in my stay here, and dreadlocks, tattoos, loose clothing and chill attitudes are the norm. I can confidently say that more people here speak English than Spanish. However, I am enjoying it thoroughly, and I will certainly be sad to leave.

I hope you are all doing well, and stay tuned for another update next week!

-Montana