AY AY AY! GUATE!

I’ve been here in Guatemala for a week now and it is both familiar and foreign. Riding in the Camioneta (fondly known to americans and extranjeros alike as “chicken bus”) I couldn’t help but feel like I hadn’t left the states with a Taco Bell billboard on my right, Burger King on my left in Guatemala City- so far, so good. There was of course the cautionary tales about the water and how there is basically not a drop of uncontaminated water in this country and the fact that I took out my earrings after de-boarding the plane (as to not be a target for crime) to remind me that I’d left the shallow end of the pool. I wish I could say that the transition was breezy but the reality is that it’s more difficult than I expected.

My first few days were punctuated by my moving in with my first host family and hours upon hours spent at the peace corps office in outside of Antigua. My first host family had many-a-times had peace corps volunteers stay with them and one RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) happened to be visiting them when I was there which was an added benefit. He had maintained a relationship with these people over the past 6 years; I cant help but praise his generosity as I soon found out that he was helping to put their children through a private school in the city to help give them a chance to go to college. So far, the bar’s been set pretty high. Ha ha.

After a short stay with my first family I was moved into my host community where I will be spending the next 11 weeks. I have Spanish class daily for about 6 hours (I can’t tell you how much I need this) except for Tuesdays when I get to ride the Camioneta to report to the PC office for more technical/safety/medical training and the remainder of the time I spend with my new host family. Again I wish I could say that my stay in this host community has been all flowers and sunshine however it has been a little less glamorous. I am currently in a small pueblo about 20 minutes north of Antigua. This particular pueblo has never had PCVs (peace corps volunteers) before and so there has been a lot of adjusting that continues to happen. My family is the picture of Guatemalan friendliness and welcomed me with open arms - and corn tortillas. Mi madre has four children, two of which have special needs, ages ranging from 8-20 and has been a single mother since the passing of her husband some years ago. After spending my first whole afternoon crying to myself about how bleak her situation seemed I decided to suck it up and focus on how happy this family is despite their obvious challenges. I would like to say that I was really unselfish and didn’t feel sorry for myself at all; but that would be a lie and I’m embarrassed to say that instead I was jealous of my fellow volunteer’s relative ease of transition and hot showers. SO LAME. Bucket-baths are actually really cool…

Admittedly, during this transition I also became extremely ill of a food/water-borne illness; just another added benefit of living in a place where people really do think that having diarrhea and throwing up is completely normal because that is the reality of their daily lives. So I wake up at 4 in the morning feeling like I’m going to vomiTRON and as I’m running out of my room and towards the toilet the dog lunges to attack me. And I’m thinking…this dog is a problem. The dog’s name as it so happens, is “Loba” which means, as I later found out, “female wolf”….very fitting. Haha. And as a little side note- this dog is scary, I mean in an “I’m-going-to-catch-something-from-that-dog” kind of way. It looks extremely malnourished and has recently survived a brutal attack from another dog which has me thinking it’s a real possibility that this dog’s got rabies (it’s very common in street dogs or “Chuchas” as people call them) So I’ve got that going for me. I tried to go to Spanish class that day but as it turns out, vomiting all day is a buzz-kill; so instead I hauled my butt home and stayed in bed with clear liquids for the next 30 hours. And while I was laying feeling pretty bleak and wanting a hug or a cuddle or something I remembered that I had brought my snuggie and, I feel silly to say it but, IT CHANGED MY WHOLE LIFE when I slipped that blanket-with-sleeves on, no joke; back in saddle again! Haha, go figure.

Yesterday was my first day back at near full-steam and while I still have some apprehensions about eating, well, anything, I am glad to say that I feel really good about where I’m at. No, the dog doesn’t like me yet- but I got phase 1 of my pre-rabies exposure series and a pocket full of dog-treats so I’m feeling pretty good about my chances. The photos are from my new digs; pour some tap water out for your hommie! More to come my friends, I miss you guys! The adventure continues!