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Volcano Pacaya
Lindsey and I in front of the lava and YES our backs were HOT! 6/29/06
Last night, my school showed a movie ¨La hija de la puma¨about a Mayan girl who because of the army massacring her pueblo and surrounding pueblos, doesn´t know what happens to her brother when the survivors of her village flee to a Mexican refugee camp. She travels back into Guatemala and risks her life to find her brother. This movie takes place in 1982. 1982! Horrible events happening 20 years ago. It truly is inconceivable to me that terrorizing to this degree still happens. It´s a very hard thing to digest. We truly are lucky to have the rights, freedom amd lives we have in the US. I can´t even begin to explain how lucky I feel to be an American citizen.
Today was my last day of classes. I feel a multitude of emotions, starting with sadness and ending with excitement. I have learned so much from my teacher and the staff at Probigua, in addition to making close friends in such a short amount of time. It´s amazing how well you can know someone in circumstances like these. This afternoon I went to the Market and bought a few more things I thought I couldn´t live
My teacher
My teacher, Rebeca, and I on my last day of classes. without. Now I´m hoping that it will all fit in my pack without breaking my back! Tonight after dinner, there is a group of us going to listen to a Cuban band similar to the Buenas Vista Social CLub (I have even heard some of the members are related or part of the original). I´m really looking forward to it!
6/30/06
Last night was fun. We were sitting at dinner when Henry´s brother knocked on the gate. It turns out he lived in our house when he studied at Probigua last summer and was just coming by to say hi. He had no idea Henry was staying there now. It truly is a small world! After dinner, there were about 8 of us who went to the nicest restaurant I have seen in Guatemala. It was so nice that we only stayed a few minutes because there wasn´t room for a group of our size to sit without reservations, so instead we headed to a bar that was on the top of a building overlooking the city. When we got to the roof (which was covered in gringos), a guy told me that every few minutes one of
Hot Lava
It was coming towards us! the volcanoes was erupting. I never saw it but how cool!
Speaking of volcanos....this morning my borrowed alarm went off at 5:30am to get a 6am ride to Volcan Pacaya. While I know I have had many funny traveling experiences, this one is also worth telling. They picked the 4 of us up (Henry, Steven-his bro, Lindsey, and myself) and we drove around to pick up other tourists, when all of a sudden the bus stopped in the middle of the street and the driver said to get out. We were all a tad stunned as we heard that the ride was about 2 hrs to Pacaya and we were still in Antigua and had only traveled for 25 minutes. The faces of my fellow travelers were priceless. Finally, we understood as the driver walked us to a different bus. Apparently there was a line of locals waiting to use that bus as a city bus. It´s always an adventure!!!
After arriving, we started to hike and I have to say that while I´m not a big hiker, the first 20 minutes of this hike were more challenging than I could imagine. I was breathing so hard that
A view of Volcan Agua?
A few during our hikes of one of the volcanos surrounding Antigua. I couldn´t talk when spoken to and was thinking, ´what in the hell did I get myself into?´but alas, it wasn´t as difficult as it started and I would do it again in a heartbeat. After hiking for an hour and a half through the clouds (some of the more overweight guys paid extra to ride poor horses up), we saw it. Fresh lava from the volcano! The volcanic ash and rock was astounding. On our first view, our guide went down and touched the lava with his walking stick and it immediately ignited. It was incredible! We walked a bit farther and were within 5 feet of the lava. It was like an inferno and watching it slowly move and listening to it under the rock was indescribable. Several times crashing sounds from the molten rock falling was heard and had everyone taking videos. We were probably up there for 45 minutes just watching it and I´d say it moved about 10 feet in that time. The only word to describe it is INCREDIBLE!!!!!! I´m sure in the US we´d never be allowed that close, but if you ever get a chance, I suggest taking it! Some things that
Andres
I will miss my 'novio del Guatemala. occur in nature have a way of making you feel a part of the whole thing.
After leaving here, Henry, Stina and a lot of the other students left to go to Semuc Champey. It was a little sad watching them go since for the last 3 weeks, they´ve been my local support system and I will miss many of them, but as the way traveling goes there is always something to look forward to and I can´t wait to see Adam tomorrow to start our own adventure!
Things I don´t want to forget:
firecrackers going off without warning and for no apparent reason, the hundreds of dogs running through the streets, the conversation I had with the old woman and her husband from her window as I passed (he acted scared of me since I said I had a Cuban grandfather 😊, rellenitos (sweet plaintain ball stuffed with sweet black beans- I got the recipe), the rainstorms here, the way a chicken bus can come within 18 inches of me and I no longer flinch, Andres´s, Amilcar´s and Maria´s hugs, Tere´s teasing, Rony asking me to help him read English, the feel of a warm shower after weeks without one (it turns out we needed a plumber and today there was no secret way to get hot water, it was jut there.....ahhhhh!), the women walking around with baked goods and treats in baskets on their heads to sell, the way everyone greets you in the streets, the compliments I´ve received walking by, the feel of the market, laughing with Henry, Stina, Lindsy and Abby, walking through the grocery store to buy peanut butter, waiting time after time for a ride to somewhere and wondering if it will come (it always does), seeing movies at the Bagel Barn and Club 2000........there´s so much more, but that´s all I can think of right now.......On to my next adventure!!!!!!! Adios Antigua, Hola Tikal! Love to all of you!
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Adam
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On My Way....
It's Friday at 5:30 PM CST and I'm still at my office. I haven't packed and still have about 15 things to do tonight, including laundry. As promised, my cell phone and blackberry will remain in St. Louis. Tomorrow's itinerary: 4:30 AM wake up, 5:00 taxi to the aeropuerto, flight at 7 AM to Atlanta and then arrive in GUATEMALA at 1 PM to see you. I can't wait. I love you and see you in 20 HOURS!!!