One of the best things about being in a third world country...

...is that they let you do things that you would never be allowed to do in the US of A. From the first weekend I got to Antigua I had been hearing about this place called Semuc Champey and how I needed to do one of the weekend trips there. We finally found a weekend when we could all go so Clark, Drew, Julie and I all booked with our favorite little underground travel agency to do a Friday through Sunday expedition. Julie, if I haven't told about her yet, moved into the house where I was staying after Simon and Zoe left to go back to England. She is also from England and just absolutely adorable. We were friends within the first 5 minutes of meeting. So all 4 of us planned to go together. Clark and Drew arrived from Patzicia late as usual. But we met a new friend while we were waiting. Her name is Lizzie and she made up the 5th member of our weekend party of 5.

The drive to Lanquin, where we would be spending the night, took about 8 hours. It was not the funnest drive of my life, but we bonded with the other people in our group. There were two vans full of people. Our driver's name was Jose who I had become friends with from booking other trips and shuttles. His little friend Chris was also riding with us and we had a good time becoming friends with him. He was quite the ladies man. He told us one of the girls in our van was his girlfriend which was funny because she was at least 10 years older than his 12 years :) And every time I saw him around Antigua after that he usually had his arm around at least one girl. Anyway, the point is that our guides were really great. They were all originally from that area so they had grown up in the places they were taking us.

Saturday morning started early with a delicious breakfast and then we all loaded into the back of pickup trucks to drive the 45 minutes on a slightly bumpy dirt road down to the river/falls/caves. This was very reminiscent of a drive we took at a family reunion many years ago in the back of a cattle truck. We were on our way to Pacheco where my grandfather was born, but instead of 45 minutes it was 3 or 4 hours. Now that was an adventure. We were all sore for the rest of the family reunion.

When we arrived at the river our first stop was actually on the bridge that crossed the river. Jose stopped the truck, got out and told us this was our chance to jump. And so we all got out and most of the group jumped off the 30' bridge into the beautiful blue-green water. This was just the beginning of our adventures that day. After we all got back into the trucks we rode a little further to the trailhead of the lookout point for Semuc Champey which is a chain of natural pools that reminded me a lot of Havasupai. When we hiked down to the pools, our whole group followed our guides like little lemmings as they told us where to walk and when to jump off the waterfalls. We worked our way down the right side of the falls jumping, swimming and falling on the slippery rocks and finally arrived at the big waterfall where our guides tied a rope to this stake and then we all climbed down the waterfall. No we did not have harnesses, nor any sort of safety gear, yes there was water rushing down over my head preventing me from seeing anything, no we did not have any idea where we were going so when the guide told me to go down I was a little nervous about where I was going to come out. Turns out that there was a cave underneath the pools where the underground river comes out. So great!! After hanging out there for a bit, we jumped off the next little section of the waterfall, swam across the river which had quite a bit of a current (no they did not ask us beforehand about our level of swimming skills) and then climbed up the other side of the waterfall using another rope, no safety gear, with water pouring down over our heads. WONDERFUL!!!

We didn't have as much time to swim in the pools as we would have liked, but it was because we had to get on our way to our next adventure. And sadly I don't have any photos of this because we had to leave our cameras at the bottom. After walking back to the trailhead we walked back across the river and over to what is called Lanquin Caves. Here we left all of our stuff and then we hiked up a little trail to where a stream/river was coming out of a cave. As we entered the cave, our guide lit our candles that each of us had been given before hiking up. We walked into the cave and at first we were just walking through water, but then we came to a part where we had to climb up a ladder. And then we came to a part where we had to swim, well dog paddle while trying to keep our hand with our candle above the water. But the two best parts were where we arrived at a rushing waterfall and there was a ladder on one side and a rope on the other. I just assumed that even though our guide climbed up the rope that he was going to make us climb up the ladder, but he gave us the choice! And when you're given a choice between climbing a ladder or a rope up a waterfall, inside a cave, by candlelight in Guatemala, there is really only one option...the rope!!! It was exhilirating. We didn't actually hold our candles while we were climbing. We handed it to the guide before we went up, and we got it again once we got up. There were several times when everyone's candles went out and we had to get them relit. Just before we turned around to head back out, we got to a point in the caves where we could climb up on a ledge and jump down into a pool. At first when we stopped, we had no idea what we were doing and the guide was just kind of pointing and motioning with his flashlight. Then after the first guy did it, we understood what we were doing. And once again, cliff jumping inside a cave, by candlelight is not something you can say no to. It was hilarious because the guide would just point with his flashlight to the spot in the water where he wanted us to jump. AMAZING!! Once again, this whole description doesn't really do this experience justice. We all kept looking at eachother the whole time as if to ask, "Is this real? Are we really hiking/climbing/swimming/jumping in a cave by candlelight?". It was very much a combination of Pirates of the Caribbean/Goonies/Indiana Jones.

When we returned to daylight, the last adventure of the day was tubing down the river to where the truck would pick us up. And after all the exercise we'd had that day, I was more than happy to plop down in a tube in a beautiful blue-green river, surrounded by jungle and just relax for a little while. Sigh. It was magical.

The rest of the trip was just full of bonding with the others in the group, eating good food and spending more time in the van on the ride back. There were once again SO many great people in this group. We would run into them all the time for the rest of my time in Guatemala. Mary Claire from Scotland, Suzy from Canada, Lizzie from England and the list goes on.

It was one of the best weekends EVER!

I'm home and ready to update

Updating is obviously something I'm struggling with. That is partly because the computers in Guatemala were pretty slow with blogs and partly because I was having so much fun that I didn't want to spend time blogging about the fun things I was doing. So my goal for the next week is to update with at least most of my adventures that I had while in Guatemala. I'm going to start where I left off which was really just the first week I was there. The second week I was there I actually got really sick. The kids at the orphanage all had the flu and kindly passed it on to us volunteers. I now understand why so many elementary teachers keep large bottles of hand sanitizer on their desks. I called my mom during this weekend and she thought I was going to die from the sound of my cough. I felt like I was going to die. And I realized that even though being sick at home is not fun, it is a far cry better than being sick in a third world country without the comforts of home. After a few days of sitting in my red cement walled room for several days straight I left to attend church partly because I wanted to find the Elders to ask them to give me a blessing and partly because I was so sick of being in my bed. It's amazing how much better it is being sick when you have television and movies to pass the time. Needless to say, I didn't go anywhere fun that week.

By the next weekend I was finally recovered enough to venture out. There were some volunteers from the orphanage who were heading to Honduras to visit the Copan ruins, so I decided to go with them. The actual distance is not that far, however, the journey was less than exciting. We left at 4am on Saturday and there were 12 of us packed into a small shuttle van. The roads are windy and the van got hot. I was in the back seat and the only way I kept from getting sick was putting my headphones in with some calming music and telling myself over and over that I was not going to be sick. My friend Tom who was sitting in the back with me did not have a system like this and we ended up having to pull over to let him out. After that he switched places with someone and sat in the front for the rest of the journey.

We finally arrived in Copan Ruinas, which is the quaint little town next to the ruins, around 10am and quickly found a really cheap but lovely place to stay and went in search of some breakfast. The ever faithful Lonely Planet had some suggestions and we took one of them, ending up at the most delicious little restaurant called. The breakfast was delicious and it was accompanied by a fresh mango smoothie that was even better. They have fresh fruit smoothies called liquados in almost every restaurant and because they're so cheap, having one with my meal became a tradition while I was down there. After breakfast we headed to the ruins. Copan is part of the Mayan civilization and it is famous for its well preserved carvings. As you can see in these pictures, many of the columns and temples have carvings on them that are very clear. We had a great tour guide and had some fun taking photos. It was so much hotter and more humid down there than in Antigua. We were all gross and sweaty by the time we were done looking at the ruins. But it was beautiful. It is so incredible to think how many hundreds of people lived in those civilizations over the years. They built them all without machines or even wheels. I don't know how they did it. We took it easy that night as we were all so exhausted from our early morning. Phoung and I were sharing a room and we actually watched Gossip Girls in Spanish for awhile. That was pretty entertaining. Because of the long journey home, we had to leave at noon the next day, but luckily our shuttle was much less crowded on the way home. In fact I had my own seat and was able to sleep most of the way home.

It was a quick trip but I'm so glad that I went. I loved getting to know Phoung, Tom and Simon better. We also ended up meeting some other new friends while we were down there who went around the ruins with us. Meeting new people was one of my favorite things about my time down in Guatemala. Everywhere I went there were fun new people who were just waiting to share their stories and make new friends. It was delightful. I love people!

Lake Atitlan

This is a typically dressed little Mayan girl. It never ceases to amaze me how they can just walk around/sit/converse with tons of stuff on their heads.


This is a woman doing the typical Mayan backstrap weaving. These take forever and I can't imagine doing this for your entire life.











This is our photo shoot for the next "Lake Atitlan" teen drama series. As you can see I'm the only girl character...you can only imagine what kind of drama is going to happen!!

This lake is so beautiful and the pictures don't do it justice. I didn't want to leave.

Lake Atitlan at Sunset from our deck and from the restaurant where we ate dinner.

Our boat ride across the lake was AMAZING. We actually had our own private boat and he took us to three of the small villages. They were each so beautiful. We felt like each one was actually it's own island.

Here I am riding in the back of a truck on the way to visit "Maximon". A local idol who is known as the black Jesus. He smokes and drinks and he moves from place to place. They took us to the house where he was and they were having some type of ceremony. Very interesting. The drive around the lake was beautiful though.

Photos of the kids and Guatemala

These are pictures of Antigua where I'm living. It is a beautiful and fun city.









Hermana Aury, Alejandra, Levy, and Brandon.














Marina



















Tania














Oscar. He is so adorable and probably one of my favorites. But they're all adorable.


Mangy, Bryan, Neta, Andrea and Tania.

FUNEMPLOYMENT!

The title of this post comes from one of my new Guatemala friends who told me that is what I have been doing since I was laid off. And it's true. My unemployment is definitely fun. The last 6 weeks have included sightseeing in Washington DC, New York, San Francisco, and of course Utah. Those were some good times. But as good as they were, I think my first week in Guatemala eclipses them all.

Like any major change in life, it's been a little scary and stressful. Monday was a little crazy since I got no sleep on Sunday night. I flew in from Utah at 10:30pm and had to be at the airport to leave for Guatemala by 5am. So I did some packing and cleaning, and no sleeping. By the time I arrived in Guatemala I was a little bit tired and delusional. Mandy and Guillermo picked me up from the airport to take me to the orphanage which was an hour away. I was grateful that I was not the one driving. Holy cow they are crazy here. Aaron, I now understand the rules of driving that you were explaining to us when we were in Puerto Rico. There really aren't any. But my first glimpses of the country were beautiful. Everything is so green and beautiful. A different green than I've really ever seen anywhere before. The fields that go straight up the side of the mountains are great

That first day I arrived at the orphanage and met the kids and some other volunteers who I'm working with, who are all so great. Simon and Zoe are a married couple from London who have been traveling south and central america for the last 6 months. Tom is a student from England who wanted to do something fun with his summer. Phoung is a school therapist who also wanted to do something great with her summer. And the list of fun new people goes on and on.

There are 15 kids at the orphanage, ages 13 - 11 months. They are adorable. I have had a chance to hear some of their stories and it is heartbreaking. Mandy and Guillermo are doing an incredible thing by bringing them in and giving them a home and a family. Because that is really what the orphanage feels like. The kids fight and play and help eachother all the time. I love seeing their interactions (not so much the fighting ones). I will post some photos of our activities. But basically what we're doing is teaching them school. Which is pretty awesome since none of us are teachers AND each child is on a completely different level. It's pretty crazy some days trying to figure out how we can help in the best way. The reason they're not in school has to do with the way Guatemala runs their public schools. A little messed up. But I'm happy I can help. We do school in the morning and activities in the afternoon. Sometimes I feel like I'm babysitting 10 kids...which can get a little out of hand. But the kids just love you and love being around you, and it's nice to be loved.

The latest development is that I actually moved to Antigua on Monday. I was at the orphanage for a week and after talking to the other volunteers I found a homestay for really cheap that provides all my meals and I am taking Spanish lessons once a week. I actually feel really spoiled down here. I don't have to cook or clean or do anything except teach school, play with kids and do fun things on the weekends. Anyone who wants to join in the fun is welcome to come down. It is amazing. I need to write an entire different post about this last weekend. But I want to get something posted tonight so I'm just going to post this right now. I'll also remember to bring my camera cord next time to send some photos.

Hasta luego!!

Guatemala!!

Well this has to be quick but I just wanted to let everyone know that I am leaving for Guatemala in about 5 hours. I will be gone for almost 3 months and email will pretty much be the only way to get ahold of me. The story of how I got to this point has more details than I have time to write on here seeing as how I am still in the process of packing, but I would be more than happy to answer any questions if you comment or write me an email. I will be working in an orphanage in Chimaltenango and I am very excited about it. I am going to try to post updates occasionally. Wish me luck!!

Sun, Scuba and...Swine flu?

No I do not have the Swine Flu. But I did have a great time in Mexico. And I am grateful for the Swine Flu only because after being in Mexico for a week, my office would not let me return to work for another 5 business days! I had to "work from home" for another week!! Which means that instead of just one week of vacation I practically had TWO full weeks of relaxation. Well, to be honest, the second one spent at home was probably more relaxing than the first one spent in Mexico. This is due to the decision Dianna and I made to get scuba certified while we were in Mexico. It turned out to be more of a challenge than either of us anticipated. Those who have been will hopefully sympathize with me. If not, please don't tell me how easy it was for you, I don't want to hear about it.

We flew into Cabo San Lucas on Saturday afternoon and our trip was already off to a rocky start. Our flight from DC to Atlanta ended up sitting on the runway for much longer than it should have due to a gate change. This made an already tight connection even tighter. We made our connection, but were certain that our luggage would not. Our fears were confirmed when we arrived in Mexico and were greeted by no luggage, but instead a form with our name and information on it saying the next flight that could bring our luggage would be arriving the next day at the same time. We were very disappointed to leave the airport without our luggage but comforted by the fact that they had been organized enough to already have our info ready when we flew in. We were the first in our group to arrive at the resort and we couldn't check-in so we went on a tour. We were staying at a very nice place called Villa del Arco. Great pools and an okay beach. Honestly, the best beach I have been to is still our beach in Rocky Point. Love it. We ate an incredible pizza at the outdoor restaurant over looking the ocean while we were waiting. All in all, we were just happy to be in Mexico enjoying the beautiful weather and freedom from real life, even without our stuff.

Lucky for us, we were sharing a room with two other girls, my sister Tara and her friend Amanda. We were able to make due with the few things we had with us until the next day when our luggage gratefully showed up as promised. Sunday was a great day that started with a visit to the local branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. I love visiting church in different countries. It was in Spanish so I understood some, but not all. You also never know who you're going to see there. For instance, Ryan Denney happened to be visiting that Sunday as well with his family. Now I didn't know that it was him, but other people who actually recognize professional athletes told me that it was him. We made some new friends there who directed us to the best local bakery and tortilla factory. As I have already mentioned on here, I love good food. And so much of traveling is about the good food you get to eat. Fresh tortillas are at the top of my list of things I love most, so anytime I can get them, I eat a lot. We also found at the bakery these cream cheese bread that we always get with my family when we're at Rocky Point, but I promise these were the best I've ever had...Princess Bakery, you rock. We made a stop at Costco to get some supplies for the week. Yes there is a Costco and a Sam's Club down there. It was just like at home. My experience going to Costco in a foreign country wasn't nearly as exciting as my cousin Shane's. He went in Tokyo and wrote a very funny post about it.

Monday started our SCUBA training at Amigos Del Mar. The first day was just book work and watching videos with our instructor Jonathan. Since we had both read the book on the flight there, we had the info pretty fresh in our minds and passed each quiz with flying colors. We wrapped up early and were feeling good about getting to practice in the pool the next day. We went to this random pretty empty resort across the street from the scuba shop and their pools were nice. What wasn't so nice was us in the pool. To make a long story short, because I don't want to type it all, the actual practice of the moves ended up being a lot harder than reading about it in the book. We survived the pool practice with all the gear and and the floating and the breathing, etc. For some reason, I could not get the "hovering" along the bottom down. The next two days we had our ocean dives and Dianna and I were each at different times terrified and frustrated beyond belief.

The first dive ever in the ocean, we weren't down that deep and I had a REALLY hard time with the whole neutral buoyancy thing and I accidentally floated to the top a couple of times...without being told. And for those of you who know something about scuba diving, you know that this is a very bad and potentially dangerous thing to do. So much so that after the second time it happened, when I finally got back down with the rest of the group, Jonathan, our instructor, grabbed my arm and pulled me down until I was sitting on my bum on the bottom of the ocean. He then proceeded to scold me for my bad performance with a lot of gesturing and finger shaking since talking/yelling was obviously out of the question. Needless to say, my first dive was not my favorite. In fact, when we were finally back on the boat, the only thing I could say was "I hate scuba diving". Sad. Fortunately the next dive that day went better inspite of getting caught in some crazy currents. And the two dives the next day went well for me. I started to enjoy the things we were seeing a little bit instead of just being constantly worried about whether Jonathan was in sight and if I was getting too close to the bottom. Dianna was not as lucky. During our first dive of the 2nd day, she actually kicked her fin off and had to go back to get it. She was kind of panicked which caused her to breathe harder, resulting in her running out of air and getting to use our newly learned air-sharing skill in real life. Crazy. She was pretty shaken up, but she got back in and we conquered. I have to say that I will definitely need a break before trying it again, but I am proud that I got the certification.

The trip was amazing and I came back with a great base tan to start off the summer :) Though I must say that I think I like Rocky Point and being at the beach with my whole family a little bit more. Viva la Mexico!!