Dear Diary, 2 Weeks!

We have been in Guatemala for 2 weeks now! We still are loving every moment :)

Sunday December 11th... We had 3 birthday parties to celebrate today! Luis’s Grandfather, Uncle, and Cousin all have birthdays in the same week. So a huge family gathering was required to celebrate these birthdays in Guatemalan style. Over 25 people, FAMILY, showed up for the event. For fabulous food we had empanadas, sopa de fideo con elote (noodle soup with corn), and ensalada rusa (potato salad with a different twist). After eating we skyped with Luis’s parents while hitting a star shaped piñatas and eating cake! Everyone got a chance to hit the piñatas including adults. The adults even ran to gather the candy once it was broken open, so funny! 

Abuelo (Luis's Grandfather)

Me hitting the piñata

Luis's uncle Alberto

Luis breaking it open!

                             

What was left of the piñata

The adults grabbing the candy!

Webcamming with Luis's parents while cutting the birthday cake!

Monday December 12th... We walked to El Mercado (the Market)! Uhm... how can I describe the market? Kind of like an indoor flea market but cooler. The market was under a block of the city. It was a sensory overload of bright colors, smells, sounds, and textures. Everywhere you looked was crammed with purses, clothing, jewelry, wallets, hammocks, things made out of clay, christmas decorations, wind chimes, and so much more that I can’t even remember! All of it being native Guatemalan. We walked around for a couple hours and still didn’t see everything! 

Tuesday December 13th... Since we didn’t see everything at El Mercado we decided to go again. Walked around the areas we didn’t see and Luis and I purchased quite a few items for very cheap. I was on a hunt for the perfect purse. Something that looked native Guatemalan but was colors I liked and had a large strap to go over the shoulder. Luis’s family was nice enough to indulge me in this mission and we eventually succeeded! 

Wednesday December 14th... Antigua! We finally got to go to Antigua with Luis’s Uncle and family. Such a beautiful city! It was the original capital of Guatemala but lives under the shadow of not one, but TWO volcanoes. Guatemala City then became the capital sometime in the early 1900’s. Antigua is only about an hour away so I have a feeling we’ll be going back often. Antigua has a distinct feel of Spanish influence. Walking down the cobble stone streets I felt like I was back in Spain! The colors and architecture were very reminiscent of colonial Spain. Each house was painted a different color, a very bright color, as you walked down the road. We walked around the city for a while, visiting the famous arch. Most pictures that you see of Antigua have this arch and the closest volcano in the background. 

The Volcano is called Volcan de Agua.. The top is blocked by clouds.

MAX!

We also got a chance to go to an old theater that Luis's family owns. It was no longer a theater but a market! Very similar to the one here in Guatemala City that we went to the day before. 

An old theater turned into a market

Three native Guatemalan women.. Baby included! I'm amazed at how they can carry stuff on their head with no hands. Such balance!

The street of Antigua, cobble stones, and the Water Volcano in the back

We then went to a restaurant that was native Guatemalan food. Very native. Luis tried a bite of his Aunt’s stew that was comprised of pig head parts. Pig. Head. It had brains, ears, tongue, nose, intestines, spleen, and stomach. So gross!! I had a more sedate meal with guacamole, beans, rice, and bistec.

A picture of the front door of the restaurant.. No music, no guns, and no dogs!

Max in the restaurant... Think we miss him much?

 After eating we went to the top of a hill called Cerro De La Cruz (Hill of the Cross). The hill overlooked the city of Antigua and the two volcanoes. Such a gorgeous view! 

From left, Alberto, Ara, Me, Luis, Clarissa. In the back is Ricardo and Aline (Aleen).

Luis and Max hanging out.. haha.

The last place we visited in Antigua was a famous candy store. A famous Guatemalan candy store. You would not find any familiar candy from the U.S. Some of the sweets were comprised of marzipan, egg and honey, condensed milk and sugar, candied yams, and gingerbread something or other. 

Those are just a few of the things we tried. After that we made our way home again!

Thursday December 15th... Not much to report today. The food has finally caught up with me. I don’t feel so bad though since some of Luis’s family is also sick. Looks like we all ate something bad. Stayed in my room the whole day wishing I had the energy to do something useful like update my blog!

Friday December 16th... Basically a spa day. We got ready for the two weddings we have to go to tomorrow. Luis got a haircut and I got a pedicure. I have to tell you, the pedicures here are amazing! They take such good care of you and spend as much time as needed with no rush. Each chair is separated by a wall so the clientele does not see each other. They had this machine that tickled my feet like crazy and I couldn’t stop laughing. Luis was with me to translate and he couldn’t stop laughing either at my reaction. I think he enjoyed it far more than I did! We then went to a mall to get Luis’s haircut and I went to a bank to get some cash. Each bank has a metal detector you have to walk through. I had a purse with a camera and change so of course the metal detector went off. The policeman at the entrance asked to look in my purse and then lifted the bottom to see how heavy it was. Apparently it was a good weight because he waved me on. I couldn’t help feeling a little nervous since I was pretty sure he was checking for guns! After Luis’s haircut we walked past a pet store. We couldn’t help but go in, I think we both are missing Max very much! We saw a little cage full of teacup chihuahuas for 200 bucks! Don’t worry, we didn’t get one but Luis’s uncle’s kids, Aline and Ricardo begged and begged their parents to get one. They sadly said no and we left (But on Sunday, they went back and got the dog!!). 

When we got home we did what we’ve been doing every night this week. We went over to Luis’s Uncle’s place, Alberto. The family that took us to Antigua and our Spa day. We’ve been staying up til 2 or 3 in the morning with them watching movies or just talking. I can’t believe how late I’ve been staying up! Of course, for me it also means I sleep in so much later ;)... Not that I mind sleeping in. I love knowing we are here for 2 months. We can do things at our own pace and not feel like we have to run around at a super fast pace in order to see everything. 

Saturday December 17th... 2 weddings in one day! Both weddings were cousins of Luis. We went with Luis's Grandfather and Aunt that is from the U.S. The first one was back in Antigua. The wedding was in a beautiful, old, yellow church. We were a little late to this one but it had the full one hour mass and we arrived right in the middle of it.  Luis was nice enough to translate stuff in spanish and after the ceremony about 15 more family members came up to introduce themselves. Luis's family is never ending! I really wish I could remember them all. We then drove to the reception with Luis's Godmother and husband. 

Luis with his Godmother Chely and her husband.

The reception was so much fun! It was a serious party and celebration. Where the bride and groom walked in there was a hanging piñata above their heads. This one, however, was not filled with candy but confetti! As the new couple walked under it, the piñata was opened and the confetti fell out on top of them. The piñata was in the shape of a bell and was white. The dancing was a blast! The DJ handed out balloons, silly headbands, and plastic top hats to the crowd. The food was delicious Guatemalan food, chicken, rice, and veggies. Sadly, in order to make it in time to the next wedding we had to leave early before they cut the cake!

David Andre and Ana Cecilia Larrañaga

Me, Velvet, and Luis

Dancing!

Switching accessories.. I think we look better this way don't you?!

The second wedding was in a beautiful church as well, back in Guatemala City. I couldn't see the outside since it was dark by the time we got there but the inside was gorgeous. The ceremony started at 8pm! We sat through another full mass and ceremony. The reception was at a beautiful hotel and the party was fabulous! They had a live salsa band and their first dance started off slow in the traditional way then picked up into a dance party for all the guests to join. My kind of people! The food was also delicious and the celebration was still going strong when we left at 12:30am! 

  

Mario Roberto and Patty Mendizabal

One of my favorite traditions that I learned about was giving almonds to the guests. 

"On happy occasions it is an old custom to give family and friends 5 almonds. The candy coating signifies sweetness and love and the almond represents fertility. Each almond has a special significance; Love, Health, Happiness, Prosperity, and a long life together." 

This was how our almonds were represented at one of the weddings. Beautiful!

Can't wait to see what another week in Guatemala brings! Especially since this week is Christmas!!

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!

Arriving in a new world

These past few days have been a whirlwind of everything. Here are a few of our first impressions of Guatemala...

Beautiful

Crowded

WARM!

Besos y Abrazos (kisses and hugs)

Names

The smell of Diesel Fuel

Old

Run down

Spanish

FAST Spanish

Music

Bright Colors

Bumpy Roads

Piñatas

Crazy driving

History

Garage door Stores

Delicious Food

Barbed Wire

Here is a link to some video that we took, a bunch of clips of us driving through Guatemala City. You can come up with your own impressions of Guatemala!

Click here to see our first moments in Guatemala!

Sitting on the Steps of the National Palace in Guatemala City!

Buen Viaje!

as written Saturday December 3rd, 2011

Buen viaje (booen vee-ya-hey), bon voyage, safe journey! We are off! I am writing this while on the plane to Guatemala! We just had a layover in Miami, Florida and are on our final leg of the trip. We arrived in Miami around 11:00am and luckily did not have to go far to our connecting flight. From B16 to B6. As we were waiting to board the plane to Guatemala a women walked up, escorted by two people in uniform. At first I thought the people were police helping the woman to her terminal. Once they got closer I realized the badge said “Customs Border Patrol”. She was getting deported! Not something you see every day.

Anyways... 9 months of careful planning culminating to 6 hours of a plane ride. Sheesh. I feel like getting on the plane should have been more... should have had more.. umph. You know what I mean? More climactic. But I guess the climactic part is actually being in a different country. 

This past week of preparations has been a flurry of laundry, packing, and cleaning. As I look back on this week I wish we had done more cleaning! Here is a picture of what our bedroom looked like after the laundry and before we started packing...

Insane huh? Try packing light for 4 months! After washing our clothes we dumped them on the bed, as you can see, and separated them into 2 piles; clothes we want to take and clothes we don’t want to take. THEN we separated farther; clothes we don’t need and clothes we do need. Luis did a great job getting rid of clothes he didn’t need. His pile he was taking to Guatemala was far smaller than the pile he was leaving behind. Not so for me! It was so hard for me to decide! Who knows when I’ll need a white hoodie or denim jacket, my extra pair of chacos or an extra pair of sneakers!? Decisions, decisions! However, I was able to keep my luggage to the one carry-on and one big suitcase plan. I was even able to keep the weight close to 50 lbs. 55 lbs to be exact but the guy checking us in didn’t charge us extra, how nice! Here’s one of my first tips for you. I learned it from my Military father. Role your clothes instead of folding them! Saves SO MUCH SPACE! And bonus special: less wrinkles! Here’s a picture of my suitcase half packed...

If I had more time maybe I would have tried to fold the clothes and show you the difference but I’m not that organized... or motivated. Just take my word on it! Rolling clothes=much more space. 

The other thing we had to tackle this week was saying goodbye. I’m never good with goodbyes. I either show no emotion, or show too much. There’s never any happy medium. This time around saying goodbye to friends, co-workers, and family, I didn’t show very much emotion but just because I don’t show it doesn’t mean I don’t feel it! I am really going to miss my job, family, and friends. Really! It was just so surreal. Up till we had our layover and started hearing more spanish than english, I still didn’t quite feel like it was actually going to happen! Like it was some big joke and I’d show up for work Monday morning saying “surprise!”... but the joke would be on me. Weird I know but when you make such a drastic change in your life as we are doing, it doesn’t ever feel real. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I will be in a different country, speaking a different language (or trying to), going somewhere different each week, trying new foods, and who knows what else!

The one place I showed the most emotion this week actually surprised me. Saying goodbye to our dog Max. I cried! Sobbed! And I am NOT one of those insane dog people. I absolutely love him but I don’t dress him up or treat him like he’s my baby. He’s a dog. But I had the hardest time leaving him at our friends house. I just wish I could tell him that we aren’t abandoning him and that we still love him and that he would understand it! I wish we could take him but it just wasn’t possible. Another tip, if you are considering taking a pet on vacation out of the country check on the quarantine laws. Some countries require your pets to be quarantined before AND after your trip. And its not just a couple days, its a month, sometimes longer! It may be in your pet’s best interest to leave him with someone instead of sticking him in a kennel for 30 days, traveling on the plane (which can be extremely traumatic), and being in new places all the time. Hardest decision we had to make but we know Max will be happy. He gets to play with kids all day!

For Christmas my sister sent us the best gift ever. An almost life-size cutout of Max! She wrote saying he could now come with us on our trip. Such a great idea. Thanks Monica! Here’s the first picture of our trip, at Logan Airport waiting to board our plane, Max included! 

I have a feeling that a favorite part of our trip will be finding crazy places to take pictures of Max’s ‘almost life-size’ cutout. So keep your eyes peeled for him! 

My last tidbit of the day, before all electronics must be shut off and we land on Guatemalan soil (yay!), is that when you get on the plane that takes you to the different country they require you to fill out a form. Just regular questions like, destination, reason for traveling, country you’re from, passport #, stuff you would expect. On the bottom was a checklist. Check off if you’re bringing gifs into the country (check), any weapons (no check), live animals (no check), drug or medicines (check.... wait a second. I didn’t read the fine print, Drugs or medicine subject to special permission... uh, did I just admit to bringing marijuana? That’s what Luis said, hahaha. So start over with a new form. So THAT is what finally made me realize WE ARE DOING THIS! Are we crazy? Or just stupid? Oh well, whatever we are we’ll have a great time figuring it out in Guatemala!! 

Signing off for now... I'll write another post soon!

The countdown begins!

Oh my goodness, ONE MONTH! 31 days til Luis and I leave on this crazy adventure! I didn't think it was ever going to feel real! Well, it got more real after we FINALLY bought our tickets. First little word of advice for other travelers, purchase your tickets at least 5 months in advance. The tickets are so cheap! Unfortunately my husband kept on pushing back the date to buy the tickets. He had very valid reasons but still, our tickets were not as cheap as they should have been. But I digress (returning to previous excitement)....


....I can't believe how close it is! I feel like I should start packing or throwing away perishable food or something. After the doctors visits, shots, buying the tickets, planning logistics, and such, we are kind of at a stand still. Well, maybe some A-type personalities would already be packing but I'm not A-type personality, or B, or C... I'm more like Z-type personality. I'm still wearing some of the clothes I want to take to Guatemala, plus in our tiny apartment we don't really have places to put the luggage. Speaking of luggage, Luis and I are trying to each take ONE suitcase (count it, ONE) and one empty bag for souvenirs. Traveling light, as hard as it may be, will probably be the smartest idea we'll have. Less baggage to carry around and less baggage to loose.. Less is more right?


Any-who... where was I? Oh right, feeling like there isn't much to do right now in terms of getting ready for our trip. One thing I've been doing religiously though is reading our Frommer's Guide to Chile. Second word of advice? If you are going ANYWHERE out of country get the Frommer's Guide! It is the easiest to read and funny. It's literally like a bunch of your friends opinions rolled into one fantastic guide book. There's this one part where they talk about a hotel that is really great but the owner is extremely grumpy but to not let that stop you from going there; and there's this other part that talks about staying away from a certain club because "gringos are not welcome"! There's tons of stuff like that in the book, it makes you realize that the people writing it have actually been there. Also, they do have important stuff like tips on hotels, restaurants, outdoor activities, clubs, phone numbers, when to go to the previously mentioned places, how to get there, and maps galore.


One thing that we should have been doing and haven't is improving my Spanish. It is sorely lacking and we haven't tried very much to make it better! I do understand quite a bit but can't really speak it. When Luis and I first got married his parents always spoke in English whenever I was around. They raised Luis speaking Spanish in the home so I was very grateful when they spoke English because I knew they were trying to include me in the conversation. However, when we first talked about this trip with Luis's parents they told me that they would no longer speak to me in English, only Spanish! But as much as they tried to only do Spanish they usually caved in and spoke English when talking to me. Although, they would talk to Luis in Spanish while I was still in the room so I have still heard more Spanish than normal!


On a side note, one of the things that I love about the Spanish language is that there are three different ways to say love. When we say love, I can love my guitar and love my husband. The only thing that separates the meaning is my tone of voice and the moment it's in. In spanish, I would say "Me encanta la guitara!" But if I'm talking to Luis I wouldn't use the verb encantar, I would use either "Te quiero Luis" or "Te Amo Luis". For those of you who know nothing about Spanish except the Taco Bell commercial "Yo quiero Taco Bell", then yes, it does mean to want something. So let me explain... When you use "Te quiero" to a person it does not mean 'want', it means love. If you use 'yo quiero' and you're talking about food or an object it will always mean want. Some people say that 'te quiero' is most often used between family members and sometimes budding relationships. Those same people say 'Te Amo' is most often used between a husband and wife and longer relationships. Personally though, I love hearing Luis tell me "Te quiero mucho"! I don't just feel loved, I feel wanted :)... I  love that the spanish language has the distinction between loving something and loving someone. It seems much more special when someone says those words to you.


I hope you other travelers are either going to an English speaking country, or know the language, or just worked harder than I did. If you don't know the language then at least have someone with you that does! I have a feeling that I'm going to be relying heavily on Luis. I'm so used to being independent and figuring things out on my own, even after we got married! So amidst the language learning, money translating, and food trying, we'll be growing immensely in our relationship as well!


I feel like my thoughts are very scattered today, hope you guys could follow along :)


Still can't believe we head out in a month!

Belonephobia

Approximately 10% of the population has a needle phobia, or an intense fear of needles and sharp objects. I, unfortunately, am one of those 10%. Uhm, self-diagnosed that is.

For the faint hearted read no farther! Well, it's not really going to get very intense. I just like to say things for dramatic effect... Moving on! 

There are 2 things about traveling that I dislike very much. One, is packing. No matter how much you prepare you either A) always forget something, or B) end up not having enough room.  The second thing? Needles. As mentioned previously, I am terrified of needles! None of this making sense? 

Well, after you've made the decision on where you're going to travel to, one of the first things you should do is go to your local Travel Clinic. They will tell you, depending on where you go, what medicine you need, what diseases to look out for... and what SHOTS to get. 

Today was that dreadful day. 

Luis and I went to our Travel Clinic where they recommended we take malaria pills called Chemoprophylaxis, an antibiotic for stomach or skin viruses, and 3 shots. Guatemala is the country where we need to watch out for malaria, Chile's elevation is too high for mosquitoes (how amazing is that?!). They then told us that we should get the flu shot because we'll be on planes so often, a typhoid fever shot, AND a Hepatitis A shot. Oh boy. 

Now I know I probably don't have a real needle phobia but it's pretty darn close.. My heart races, body tenses, tears flow, the works. I try to avoid needles as much as I can help it. Luis had heard of my fear but had never seen me get a shot until today. I think I cried more in tears than the actual amount of liquid that went into my body from the injections!  Thankfully guys, he still loves me even after seeing me go through this ordeal! 

The nurse was super nice and treated me like I was a terrified 5 year old, probably since I was acting like a terrified 5 year old. She did mention, however, that the majority of people who come in and are afraid of shots are actually men! She said she has had grown men sobbing like infants when they had to get their injections. I felt a little bit better about myself after hearing that. So while injecting me with the various vaccines she asked me what we were going to do while in Guatemala. I think I got as far as "We're... going to-to go... (tears, clenching fists).. see the-the-the pyramids (deep breathe, a few more tears)..." And at that point I stopped trying to have cordial conversation. But after all the torture I received, I got a Spongebob and Sleeping Beauty band-aid for my bravery! 

I know most people don't really care about shots, as evidenced by my husband who was chatting and didn't even realize the nurse had given him his! Oh to be like that (wistful sigh)! But for those who are more like me? Despite the pain and fear you may go through it is FAR more worth it to get these shots than get the diseases or viruses that are prevalent in other countries. Traveling can be so much fun and exciting, you don't want your trip ruined or cut short because you got sick and refused to get the vaccinations! If I can do it than anyone can! At least that was the pep talk I gave myself to make it through ;)...

 Alright, off my soapbox and back to more relevant information. Make sure all the rest of your shots, such as tetanus, are up to date. The Travel Clinic will do it for you but if you go to your primary doctor its cheaper. Once you've gone through this process they will give you a yellow booklet for all your troubles. You should keep that with your passport as some countries won't let you in until you show that you've had the proper vaccinations. 

Now the fun stuff comes! Packing lists, selling as much of our things as possible to have more money, 'NOT going out to eat just because I don't want to cook' to save even more money, making sure we have enough luggage, talking with Luis's family in Guatemala, labeling everything in our home to Spanish so I won't feel SO isolated while in a foreign country... oh boy, did I say fun stuff? I think the real fun stuff comes later!

Okay, enough for now. I'm going to go nurse my 'wounds' and milk them for all they're worth! Maybe Luis will make dinner :).