Dear Diary, Week One...

This is a rather loooong post, so get comfortable! I was trying to write something every night so we don't forget what we did each day. So here is a diary of our first week in Guatemala!

Saturday, December 3rd... arrived around 2:00pm. Was hugged and kissed by several family members that said their names so fast I couldn’t say them back to save my life! I later learned Alberto (one of Luis’ Uncles), Julita (Luis’ Dad’s half sister), Luis’ Abuela and Abuelo (grandpa and grandma), and Julio (Luis’ other grandpa). We were shown our room and ate lunch at Abuela and Abuelo’s house. Their house which is actually a school! They own and run a private school. Then we went over to Julio’s house for dinner. There were SOOOO many family members! I couldn’t keep all their names straight (sorry to those family members reading this!). The nice part about Saturday night was being able to speak English to one of Luis's cousins, thanks Velvet!

The decorations Luis's family put up for us!

Sunday, December 4th... Ate breakfast at a hotel buffet, treated by Luis’ Abuela and Abuelo. Went shopping at a new mall and Walmart... You have NO IDEA how big a deal Walmart is here. The parking lot was completely full and it took us over 20 minutes just to get out of the parking lot! At night we went to dinner with Luis’ uncle Alberto and his family. It was Alberto’s birthday and they took us to the most AMAZING Steak Restaurant! Muy delicioso! After returning home Luis talked with his uncle while I talked with their two kids, Aline (13 yrs. old) and Ricardo (11 yrs. old). Aline (A-leen) is the best student in her English class but she refused to speak English with me at first. While the grownups were talking, I got her and her brother to speak English! Well, we spoke Spanglish. Words they didn’t know in English I tried to supply in Spanish and vice versa. I learned more Spanish tonight than I have to date!

Monday, December 5th... Walked around Guatemala City! Not as dangerous as we thought. We still have to be careful, we still can’t walk to certain places or even on a certain side of the street. And Luis’ family will not let us go anywhere without them, not that we would want to. So we walked all the way to the National Palace, 8 blocks away. Also went to a beautiful Cathedral right next to the palace! The palace was where the president of Guatemala used to live but doesn’t anymore. It’s now used as a convention center and museum. We waited over half an hour before they finally told us no tours today. Some kind of convention was going on. 

               Tonight we went to a graduation party for one of Luis’ MANY cousins that officially became a lawyer.. So much family! Great music, great food, and several people that knew enough English so I could be a part of the conversation and Luis didn’t have to translate so much. Everyone Luis RE-met said his face looked the same and that he was just taller. I love how everyone we have met has been so happy and genuinely excited to see Luis again AND meet his wife! Those that didn’t know English still tried to include me in the conversation by looking at me and waiting for Luis to translate. I have never felt so welcome before! The highlight of the night for us was when a cousin of Luis’ father offered to take us on a trip to see the “Most beautiful lake in Guatemala”, Lago (lake) Atitlan in Panajachel. He had just met us that night! It is humbling and overwhelming to see how willing Luis’ family is to do things for us and show us around Guatemala. I love them already!

                                 Luis with 5 of his cousins (primos).. he's one of the tallest ones!

Tuesday, December 6th... Walked to the National Palace again, just missed a tour so walked around the market and Sexta Avenida (6th Avenue). As we were walking around the square we saw a large group of people wearing white button-up shirts, ties, and black tags. A whole group of missionaries from our church! So naturally I wanted to go over to them to speak some much needed English! Some were from Utah, Washington, and California and very jealous of Luis’ fluent Spanish. 

Sexta Avenida is a street in Guatemala City that is closed to cars and open for shopping. It used to be a normal city street that was not very safe and the shops were not visited hardly ever. One of the changes in the past couple years was to clean a 10 block section of this street, close it off to cars, and make it safe to walk down with your family. It also has beautiful twinkle lights hanging from side to side down all 10 blocks. The lights are only during the month of December in preparation for Navidad (Christmas).


We then walked back to the Palace, waited another HOUR and finally got to do the tour! It was commissioned to be built by the Guatemalan president Jorge Ubico during the 1930’s. He had 5 letters in his name so everything in the palace has the theme of the number 5, 5 windows, 5 arches, 5 doors, 5 staircases... Very beautiful place, so much detail in the floors, ceilings, walls, doors, and everywhere! I feel like I need to go several times just to catch everything. There were gorgeous murals of Mayan natives and Spanish Conquistadors, stained glass windows of more Mayan culture, beautiful patios that opened up to the sky, 5 huge pools of water (50 ft long, 5 ft wide) with 5 small fountains in each one, and so much more!! 

The Guatemalan National Palace

After walking home from the palace we tried to get internet connection in our room. It wasn’t working so we tried the internet in Luis’ Abuela’s office. We finally got to update our blogs and let people know we are alive! We are alive! 

Wednesday, December 7th... Just relaxed today. Got the internet working in our room so we’ll be updating our blogs more often AND skyping family and friends!  

              Luis’ Abuela (Grandmother) is like your typical grandma. She keeps on trying to stuff us with food at every meal AND in between and always makes sure we have a jacket because it’s cold outside (hace frio). Here, 70 degrees is cold, can you believe that?! She always makes sure we have filtered water in our bedroom at night and refuses to let us pay for ourselves when we go places! I am again humbled by the natural service that Luis’ family willingly does on a daily basis. I hope to be like them and to not forget their example!

             Tonight in Guatemala is called Quemando El Diablo (The Burning of the Devil). Everywhere in Guatemala they buy pinatas that look like devils and at night they burn them on the streets! It is to signify purifying sin from Guatemala for the coming year. A very cool tradition! Every street you look down has 2 or 3 pinata devils burning. Firecrackers are set off and even real fireworks are shot into the sky! All this is going on while cars are passing through the streets. Firework goes off and a car goes right under it! I wish we did Quemando El Diablo in the U.S. and I wish it worked! 

Over 20 feet tall burning devil pinata!

P.S. Remember Pearl Harbor today!

Thursday, December 8th... We went to an amusement park today (IRTRA), called Petrapa Mundo. We went with one of Luis’ aunts, Abuela, and 5 cousins! We had a blast! There was a really fun ride where you sat on a bullet bike but it was a roller coaster. It went super fast! There was also a zoo attached to this amusement park and Luis was brave enough to feed a free roaming peacock by hand! We were amazed to see 50 free roaming peacocks around the amusement park. They're not caged animals here. We both fed peacocks, monkeys, and a monkey/raccoon looking animal. Also, did you know that raccoons are so rare in Guatemala that they’re put in a zoo!? YES! Luis and I couldn’t stop laughing. Raccoons in a cage and not peacocks?!

Bought this photo for 3 dollars! Me and Luis' cousin (prima) in front, Luis and another cousin next to him.. and ANOTHER cousin behind Luis!

Part of a playground for kids at the amusement park.. we are just big kids after all ;)

Luis feeding a monkey popcorn!

Me feeding a monkey popcorn!

A pretty waterfall at the park.

                After getting home we had an hour before El Baile del Torrito, The Dance of the Little Bull. We showed Luis’ cousins the photo booth application on my laptop and the different effects. Laughed so hard we cried! Then at 8pm we walked outside to the street where El Baile del Torrito was taking place. There was a procession of an alter of the Virgin Mary being carried by several men, and when I say several I mean at least 30 men! The thing was huge! It was basically like a float at a parade in New York City, but carried. We later found out that the dance was a native ritual when they wanted to thank the Gods for a great harvest or a much needed rainfall. They continue with it today to remind themselves of where they came from and the traditions of old. All the people on the streets were gathered around 1 man dancing in a circle with a contraption on his shoulders FILLED with firecrackers, fireworks, and sparklers. While still dancing the fireworks on his back were lit. This dance was repeated 3 times by 3 different men. Then REAL fireworks lit up the sky as native Guatemalan music filled the air (beautiful marimba music). Such a cool experience! I think I’m going to like Guatemala, they do fireworks ALL the time! 

Luis and I with the alter behind us and the fireworks behind that!

Friday, December 9th... We did two things that were pretty cool today. Guatemala has a park where there is a huge, perfect replica of the country. We went to that park and got to see how contrasting Guatemala really is. There is one side of Guatemala that has tons of mountains and volcanoes (where Guatemala City is and where we are) and the other side is completely flat (where the famous Mayan ruins are)! Here’s a picture of the map. 

              That night we finally got to go to Sexta Avenida and see the lights lit up. It was beautiful! We walked down the street listening to street musicians, watching dancers, looking at all the shoe stores... There are TONS of shoe stores here, every women’s dream! We then returned home and went over to Luis’ uncle’s house and watched two movies! Real Steel and In Time with Spanish subtitles of course. We stayed up till 2 am and for those who know me, that is certainly an accomplishment! 

Sexta Avenida

Saturday, December 10th... Woke up early (after staying up late) and drove to Luis’ family farm, la granja (la gran-ha). We drove up into the mountains even higher to get there. We had to drive over a very bumpy dirt road for the final stretch. It was so cool to see the farm! Luis and his family usually went to this farm on the weekends, kind of like a vacation home but with work. When Luis’s family moved to the United States they hired caretakers for the farm. In the past few years they decided to rent out the farm. First a Greek, then an American. When they rented it out, their usual caretakers had to leave. Sadly, the renters did not take very good care of the farm and all the orange, peach, apple, pomegranate, and lemon trees had to be cut down! They still had one avocado tree, french green beans, radishes, and tomatoes, hardly anything compared to what they used to have. While there we got to meet the caretakers and their children. They were making tortillas and they offered us freshly home-made ones! When we come back to the U.S. I’m going to have a hard time eating the store-bought brands, I love the fresh food here! There were 2 homes on the farm, one for Luis’s family and one for Luis’ aunts family. The homes were old and needed repairs but they were still beautiful! They had all cedar beds and closets, the floors were tiled and the ceilings all wood. Then when you look out the window to the view, gorgeous! Maybe Luis and I will move here ;)... Such a beautiful place! 

The entrance to Luis's Family Farm (La Granja)

The steps leading to Luis's home.. Luis, his Abuelo, me, and his aunt Ara.

            After visiting Luis’ farm we went to another family members farm for a reunion/party. Another family member was visiting from the States so a party it is! They had clowns, 2 pinatas, delicious food, and tons of people! Luis’s family is never ending, I am having such a hard time keeping all the family straight! 

Luis with a hat on his head and a clown in the background.

            After returning home we took a short nap and went back out again. Luis’ uncle took us to a fireworks display. They set off fireworks for a straight hour every year on the 10th to celebrate and welcome the Christmas Holiday. So awesome! We went on a bus (when we were told to avoid all public transportation) and then walked a few blocks to the event. On our way back we went on another bus. This one was different. The bus we took back had been implemented only in the past year or so and there are two policemen on every bus and policemen waiting at every stop. However, this bus was so full, we were packed in like sardines! I wasn’t holding on to anything but I never fell, I was being held up by the people around me! Craziness. After the bus we went back to Sexta Avenida and walked down it one more time, ate dinner at a place called... Picadilly! Nothing like the one in the U.S. but still very yummy. I had a spanish version of Mac & Cheese. Yumm :)..  Luis was in awe that my plate and his STEAK plate cost us a total of $10.15!!! Food. Is. So. Cheap. Here! Then we came home and went to bed. 

Our first week in Guatemala. So much family, fun, and food. I’m glad we’ll be here for two months, there is so much to see! Luis and I are loving every minute of being here and have felt completely safe and welcomed. I have a feeling that Luis and I will be coming back to Guatemala often.. and it’s only the first week!