Christmas/New Years 2011

I was able to spend 18 days home this past December and they were wonderful! Oh the pleasures of home - driving, carpeting, using tap water, not having to wear sandals in the shower, not having to walk outside to use the bathroom, having central heating... even tv! I definitely endulged myself in eating everything and whatever was in my face and as a result my plants did not fit towards the end of my trip, haha. I have been back 15 days, although it has felt more like a month, and I miss my family and my friends. I only have 6 months left in my service - which is something I haven't actually grasped juet yet. I feel like I've been playing this tug-of-war of being half-way here in Guatemala and half-way home. So when I actually go home for real, I'm not too sure if I will actually believe that I am staying and not leaving in a week!

While I was home I was able to spend time with some my best friends from high school which was so great. I was also able to make a trip to Annapolis, Maryland to visit Charles. While I was in Annapolis we were able to make a trip to Washington DC which we checked out some museums, and ate at a really great restaurant, Oyamel. If you live or plan on going to DC, definitely make reservations at this restaurant. It is a Spanish tapas restaurant where the food is just sooo good!

Saturday night my parents, Ben and Kristen and I went out to eat at this cute little restaurant in Willoughby- I forget the name - but it had a nice little atmosphere and a live band. Aren't my parents good-looking! :)

Here I am with my brother Ben and my sister-in-law, Kristen who just recently dyed her hair brown! Welcome to our side now ;)

With Leah, my best friend since the 7th grade! How I have missed that girl. I am so proud of her and all of her accomplishments! Can't wait to see more of her when I am back!

Here is Brandon, who I haven't seen in almost 2 years showing off the present I brought back for him. The oh-so-ever popular MTV backpack which every Guatemalan owns! This is funny because Brandon actually works for MTV yet no one in Guatemala has ever heard of MTV - well at least where I live.

Charles and I taking a 30 minute road trip to DC!

In front of the huge Christmas tree outside of the Capitol Building. There was no snow :(

I was able to see my cousin Jason in DC whom I haven't seen since my brother's wedding in June of 2009! The day after New Years he got down on one knee and proposed to her girlfriend in front of the Lincoln memorial. So romantic! Miss you cuz!

Charles and I celebrating the New Year at his restaurant, Paladar, in Annapolis, Maryland
Happy New Year!!

Inaguration: Stove Project 2010

So this is a little selection of some of the photos I took for my stove project as well as the inaguration. The inaguration was held the 13th of December, right before I went home. It was definitely an adventure to get here and man, was it an adventure! Enjoy!

I had to make sure that all the stoves were either built or in the process of being built, otherwise I told the women I would have to take their materials away and give the stove to another family. This is an example of how some women didn't want to lose their stoves, so they built the stoves in the middle of the corn field because they were planning on eventually building a new room around the stove. I thought this was pretty funny/cool.

This lady lived in one of the poorest homes. I was so thrilled to see her new stove! She built this by herself!

The cutest boy ever!! Little Miguel :)

Here is an example of a lady who hasn't finished her stove yet, but as you can see they are building a new room to serve as their kitchen :) She also had a very poor home. They cooked and slept in the same, small room. So the fact that they are building a new room is so great! She also just had her baby, and I gave her a baby blanket my grandmother sent me for special occasions such a these.

Some of the women insisted on taking photos with me which I thought was so sweet. This lady couldn't thank me enough for her stove. I think she thanked me for a good 20 minutes staight!

This is one of my favorite ladies of all time. She always had the biggest smile on her face when I would come to give health talks or come to visit her home. She was one of those ladies that where her soul was just out for the whole world to see and feel. Sometimes I found myself just gravitating towards her because she just was so incredibly dear, warm and good-hearted. As a "thank-you" for her stove she sent me away with 17 oranges, haha :)

Here I am with the "Big Wigs" of my town - or the Mayor's Coorporation. I'm wearing my town's traje/tradition clothing.

This picture was taken on top of a hill. The little houses on the left are where we had the inaguration. See how everything is just tucked away in the mountain. It is so peaceful here.

Here the Coorporation is sitting at their assigned seats, like the little kings they think are.

This I thought was so pretty. Here the family decorated their stove for the inaguration with branches from different plant light around where they live. On the floor they spread out fresh pine leaves.

Here Don Pedro is beginning the inaguration - Live on the radio! I about died....

Here I am praying with everyone over the whole project. That line of tissue paper serves as a "ribbon" to inagurate the stove project.

Don Miguel cutting the "ribbon"

Everyone checking out my sweet stove! lol

Everyone gathered inside the kitchen to see the decorations and the stove.

The first fire in the stove :)

The women preparing our lunch.

The women making tortillas in an open fire. To the right, there is a little structure that looks like a pyramid. This is where the families bathe. There is no hot water. So they use this structure like a sauna. They heat up water on rocks inside this structure and sweat it out.

The women getting ready to sign a book that documents the events that happened today.

Ana the president, making the first signature.

Felisa and I waiting for lunch to be served.

This was an enormous bowl of soup. The funny thing about this picture is that I helped pick out the chicken you see here in my bowl the week before.

Trying to blend in with the women :) They normally see me in jeans, so this was a big surprise for them.

RIP my little Honeybear...

So I thought I would share with those of you that might not already know, but my dog, Tuk, was hit by a car and died while I was home in the states. The news was very heartbreaking for me. As I type this I find myself trying to hold back tears.

I had never owned a dog before. Tuk was my first pet. When I first bought him I had no clue what I was doing and I automatically regretted buying him as soon as we got home. He grew on me over time and he became more than just a pet. He helped me get through this rollercoaster ride I like to call Peace Corps. Being thousands of miles away from your family, your pets here become your family. He would listen to me while I talked to him about my day, give me kisses when I was having a bad day and he was the best company I could have asked for while I've been living alone. To come home to an empty house was really hard adjusting to, I don't think I'm quite yet there. All I know is that I will never own a dog like him ever again but for the time I did have him he has everything I could have asked for in a pet.

So this is my dedication to my beloved dog, Tuk. May you rest in peace little guy.

This is something my mom sent me in an e-mail and it touched me so much I wanted to share it with everyone: "Bye, Tuk Tuk, to me you will be "Tukito" for I feel that as many times you licked my daughter's face, you licked mine as well. Andrea loved you so much and I loved you through her, for she shared wonderful moments that only you and her will never forget and neither will I. I love you Tuk Tuk"

Semuc Champey

Me overlooking the waterfall

One of the first photos I took once we reached the pools.

Now that I am back from my Christmas/New Years vacation I can finally update my blog! I was planning on doing that while I was home, but I was way too busy enjoying my time home! I first want to share will you all the Thanksgiving vacation I took with some of my PC friends. We all decided to take a trip to Semuc Champey in the deparment of Alta Verapaz; a southern department in Guatemala. This place was absolutely beautiful. It is this tiny town tucked away in the mountains and after about a 45 minute dirt/rock ride you enter into a park where you encounter limestone pools that were created by a category 6 rapids. On top of this once solid piece of limestone rock are there beautiful aqua pools that you can swim in and walk along but underneath there is a category 6 rapid! It is insanely beautiful. I can't get over the amazing beauty of this country, it always surprises me.

We all took a hike towards "El Mirador" which is the look-out point on top of a mountain that looks down on the limestone pools

Me looking down from "El Mirador"

A closer look...

The category 6 rapid underneath this limestone pools.

A long view.

Touring bat caves!!

I'm not going to lie... this cave was scary. It is damp, gloomy and there are bats flying around your head. I felt like was in Lord of the Rings. In this picture you can kind of see how incredibly huge this cave was. The lights gave everyone a path to stay on, otherwise you could fall to your death in many of the cave's endlessly dark cliffs...

Walking through the cave... "dodging" flying bats.

Following the lighted path. The cave I felt like went forever. But towards the end there was this enormous "tower" that took millions of years to develop - and it was caused by water droplets of sedement falling from the ceiling of the cave. Here you can see somewhat how that works from what looks like "cones" hanging from the ceiling.

At exactly 6:30 pm they turned the lights off. We all sat in silence as we head a huge swarm of bats leaving the cave to eat. Here you can see some bats flying out. It was unreal.

The girls and I waiting for the bats to leave the cave.

The hostal we stayed at in Lanquin. A small little town right outside of Semuc Champey.

Here I am standing on the second story of our hostal.

This was cool. A bunch of us went through another cave, but this time we were guiding ourselves by the light of a single candle. The water was really cold, and it was definitely scary walking through a pitch-black dark cave. There were points in the cave where you were treading water because you weren't able to touch the ground and we all had to keep our candles above our heads.

The girls and I in the cave.

Everyone putting their candles together.

This is where the rapid comes out. On top are the limestone pools.