A completely random update...with photos.

Pinata carnage from above. This was definitely the safest place to be at that point in time. Getting between a Guatemalteco child and their candy can be an extremely dangerous proposition. 

More of the countryside around my house. 

Katie and I with her host brother, Hendrick, who is quite the kid. Usually, this kid can be found covered in whatever he happens to have in his hands at the time. This can range from suckers to peaches to an entire cantaloupe. Seeing him this sanitary is a sight that few have had the pleasure of, so I felt quite honored and was compelled to get a photo. He was cleaned up and dressed up for his birthday, he turned 5 and we were able to help out with and attend the festivities. Over the course of 2 days, there were 8 cakes prepared by Katie for the birthday and on the day of the party two pinatas were completely destroyed by a number of children. Good times for all. 

More of the festivities in Chichicastenango. These guys were paraded around town throughout the day. 

The church in Chichicastenango. This was when Katie and I visited during their feria, when the whole town celebrates their patron saint. There were supposed to be men flying from a 80 foot pole, "los palos voladores", but we never saw them. It was still a pretty wild scene with non-stop music, firecrackers and thousands of people in a space intended for hundreds. 

Riding in the back of a pickup to get tamale dough for Christmas Eve. I spent Christmas in Katie's town with her family and we went with them to get tamale dough, which was located in a town near Lago Atitlan. So, this was on 12/24, and it was a balmy 70 degrees--a bit different than the weather most of you are experiencing in the States I imagine. 

Yes, I have been able to locate a grill here in Guatemala. Very nice. I was having trouble finding charcoal, so I asked a person in the market in Quiche if he knew where I could track some down. He directed me to "la puerta azul, cerca la carniceria"--the blue door next to the butcher, of course how did I not know that. So, I knock on this random door, and lo and behold, the guy comes out and asks how much I want. I get a good sized bag for 3Q, less than 50 cents, and this has provided two meals off the grill. Excellent. Also, as there is no lighter fluid, we use something called "jocote" which is basically a pine tree that is super sappy and when it finds flame it keeps it. It is pretty handy stuff and can be found in just about any market. 

That is all for now, enjoy the photos. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year. Hasta 2009.

One Month In...

The view of the lake from our hostel. 

Hiking into a meadow for a break during our hike. 

A view from my "office" for the next couple of years. 

Ola a todos y todas. I am about one month into living in my site and while it has been an adjustment (it was pretty easy to get used to someone cooking and cleaning for me) it has been going well. Work is a slow process, I have been able to visit several communities and meet a lot of people who have interest in my project, but we are still working to determine when and how we are going to get started. A great deal of the work is just getting the people to feel comfortable with me and forming a trust there, so it takes a few visits to make this happen. I am settled into my house and am really enjoying it so far. While not having my laundry done and food prepared for me is a drawback, being able to determine my own schedule and having a bit of privacy is definitely a plus. A couple tidbits from the last month:

A couple of weeks ago I was outside at my house doing laundry when a man approached my gate. He told me that he was from a community close to mine, had family that lived up the hill from me, and that they had informed him that a veterinarian lived here—me. It seems that his cow was not producing milk, but instead had blood coming from her udders. He was in my town today and was very happy to discover that a veterinarian, a gringo veterinarian nonetheless, lived here now. After clarifying that I was not in fact a veterinarian, I invited him in and we began to consult some books given to me by Peace Corps about animal husbandry and health. While looking for information, he mentioned that he thought the illness was called mastitis and not 30 seconds later I happened upon a recipe for remedying mastitis in a book of homemade animal remedies. I wrote the recipe down, gave it to him and asked him to let me know how it goes. He asked me how much he owed me, which was nothing since this is what Peace Corps is paying me for. Plus, I don’t need a lawsuit for practicing veterinary medicine without a license, despite the apparent rumors in Guatemala of my qualifications.

For Thanksgiving, I was not able to celebrate due to a meeting with my Junta Directiva on Friday morning, but after the meeting I was able to meet up with a group of other volunteers in my group at a hostel on Lago Atitlan and stayed there for the weekend. The lake was pretty amazing, on Saturday we rented kayaks and paddled out to the middle for a while and took a dip. 

One of the communities that I am working with is about a 2 hour hike, after a 25 minute ride in a pickup, from my house. There is a road in from the back, but from where I am, it is a hike. While that may seem like a bit of a chore, the scenery on the way there is amazing. So much so, that when a friend of mine visited a couple weeks back we decided to make the hike on a Saturday afternoon, just to check it out. She took some pictures which are posted above. Actually, all the photos on this blog are credited to Katie, as I forgot my camera on these trips. 

Well, that is about all for now; I will try to get more updates/photos on here when I can. Enjoy the photos and if I don't get back on here in the next few weeks, a happy holidays to all.