From our second week in Panajachel

So, I’m going to try to sum up our first week and a half here in Panajachel.  When we arrived at the airport our luggage arrived with us – yay.  A very nice airport employee helped us get all of our luggage on carts for a small tip.  Once we got the carts outside Hector was there to meet us.  The drive to Panajachel is about three hours.  You round a corner and there it is, the lake, the vocanoes – it’s absolutely beautiful. 

Before we left a very thoughtful family offered to let us stay at their house for a bit here in Pana– until we could find a place to rent.  We have been adjusting to the differences in Guatemala from their home which is in a gated community.  Here are some interesting “differences.”

People are out everywhere.  The store fronts are all open and the stores are small and specific.  One store is plastics others are shoe stores, bakeries, second hand clothing, barbers and many others.  I think there is a barber on every street, but I’ve never seen a woman getting her hair cut.  It’s rainy season now so the streets flow with water in the afternoons.  One of the great things is these little cars called tuc – tucs.  They are always driving everywhere and you just flag them down and they take you anywhere for five Qs (70 cents). 

Laundry has been an adventure and it hasn’t even gotten interesting yet.  There are no dryers as far as I know.  Where we are staying they have a washer – cold water only.  And you hang the clothes to dry – or throw them on the lawn.  In the house we will be renting, like most homes, there is a big concrete wash basin in the yard to wash your clothes in.  Apparently most gringos hire a Guatemalan women to do their laundry for a small fee.  I guess it can be pretty hard on your hands.   We’ll see – I’m not sure what we will do. 

We went to an amazing little town that you can take a boat across the lake to.  San Marcos.  A little girl gave us a tour and Cian played with some kids.  There are some ancient Mayan sites there that we hope to see on another visit.  Also, there is a place you can jump off a cliff into the lake. 

Today we rented an apartment.  We have been looking for a week.  This home only cost 150.00 US dollars a month to rent.  The landlords are a very understanding Guatemalan   couple.  They don’t speak any English and have been patient with my Spanish.  So here, when you rent a home many times it has nothing – no stove, refrigerator – nothing.  Then in a town where most people do not speak any English you have to figure out how to furnish your home. 

Fortunately, a family was moving back to the states so we bought some things from them, but then you have to figure out how to get the stuff across town.  That’s where the fuete comes in.  There is a line of trucks someone told me about, but then everyone just looked at me with a blank took when I said, “donde esta fuete.”  So I asked the librarians who brought a guy to me.  For ten US dollars he moved two loads of furniture for me.  Our landlords are wonderful.  The home is very clean and they have fruit trees and a little fishing boat in the little yard out back.  I hope we will be able to grow a little garden. 

Last night I spoke with a woman a coworker of Brian’s gave me a number for.  She lives on the other side of the lake and wants someone to stay with her elderly husband a couple days of the week.  Cian and I are going to visit with her next Tuesday.  By then we should be settled in to our new home. Addios!

A Month In Pana

As we approach our month anniversary in Guatemala, I am amazed at how much we have done and learned in such a short time.  Here are a few highlights:

(1) We survived getting 5 people and 10 suitcases through customs and out of the Guat City airport and to Panajachel with relative ease.

(2) I started work at Panajachel Colegio Internacional.  Life is not easy for teachers here.  We have hardly any text books, no copier and no real budget to remedy the situation.  Despite lacking these educational tools, my fellow teachers and I are amazed at the level of quality the students have.  Engaging in deep, thoughtful discussion is the norm for the classroom and the young people come to school actually wanting to learn!

(3) Jill found us a house and negotiated the deal.  We moved in with the help of some Guatemalans with a pickup truck.  Jill found a lumber yard and got us some wood to build dressers.  Jill also prepares our meals in a kitchen with no running water, no oven and a two burner, portable stove top.  We sleep under mosquito netting which somehow Jill found and hung one day while I was at work.  Turns out during the rainy season, the mosquitoes see us as Thanksgiving dinner.  What is most amazing about all this is that Jill has done it all (and much more) with little to no Spanish!  It is amazing what can be accomplished with a few improperly used verbs and nouns.

(4) The kids are settling into school but it has been difficult given that they are the only students who are not fluent in Spanish.  All the other kids talk to each other in Spanish between classes and on breaks.  Despite this small barrier, Camden and Atira are adapting well and learning the new language quickly.

(5) Cian has become a celebrity in our neighborhood.  He plays soccer and kick-the-can on the street with all the kids.  He is the youngest but in his mind that does not matter.  The older kids love him and protect him like a little brother.

Those are some of the highlights of this wild adventure.  While there are a lot of things we miss about the States (and Laramie in particular), we are so fortunate to be having this experience of a lifetime.

El Rey Leon

Things you don't want to do in Guatemala:

- Allow your little brother to watch The Lion King in Spanish. Because he won''t stop.
- Something else.

At the persuasion of my mother, here is a list of things I brought:
- A large Ziplock baggie of LEGO Minifigures
- BIONICLE sets 8531, 8532, 8533, 8534, 8535, 8536, 8544 and 8565.
- Vacuum Metal Krana Kal Ca
- BIONICLE: Quest for the Masks Trading Card Game: Toa Theme Decks 1, 2, and 3 (Plus First Edition copy of 3), Bohrok Expansion Decks 1, 2, and 3, one box of First Edition Rahi Challenge Booster Packs, several Booster Packs, and one Limited Edition Pack.
- A lot from Ebay of LEGO Shop at Home Catalogs from Fall 1999 to January 2005.
- The Bionicle movie trilogy
- Lego Universe game and promotional items for it, including postcards, code key for Beta Testing, Nexus Force Astronaut and Rocket, and game cards.
- The Ubiguziga, my first LEGO creation.
- BIONICLE comics #1-15, including promotional comics that spanned the same time frame.
- Small amounts of LEGO Bricks.
- Set 6918

Camden

San Marcos

8/22/2011
Yesterday, August 21, 2011, my family and I decided to go across Lago de Atitlan to a small town called San Marcos. When we arrived at the docks, we met a person who gave rides across the lake. The price started at Q 450, but when he found out we lived in Panajachel he quickly lowered the price to Q 350. when we finally stepped on to the boat, we set off immediately. The ride seemed like it was forever. It was surprising because Atitlan is big, but not so big that you cant see the other side. So what seemed to be a 10 minute ride turned out to be 30 minutes.

When we got to the docks of San Marcos, there was a young Mayan girl. When we got out of our boat, she tried to sell us chocolate. We said, " No, gracias," then we tried to walk away. Sadly it takes more than that to get rid of a good sales woman. So as we started to walk around the town so did she. She became our little guide. She showed us around so we could see all of the sights. we saw a playground where Cian, my 3 year old brother, played with the Mayan children. Also a Catholic Church, and some beautiful views of the lake on a foggy day. we headed home after an hour and a half of fun, but not before paying our guide a gracious amount. we all had a wonderful time on our visit to the beautiful town of San Marcos.
Atira Neely

How A Family of 5 Ended Up In Guatemala

So - a while back Brian was bringing our kids home from school. On the way a conversation took place that has changed the course of our lives. Atira and Camden started talking about a story they had both read in Spanish class. Then Camden wanted to tell them about another book from his Spanish class. He felt its plot was flawed and it made for a hilariously poorly written book. It was about a girl who lived in the town of Panajachel, Guatemala.

Interestingly, the previous day Jill had spent time meditating on our family being in a very green place with mountains around, everyone happy, and Brian being able to teach- something he had always enjoyed and wanted to do for a career. She had not mentioned this to Brian or the kids. As fate would have it, the unseen beings that orchestrate our lives were quite busy on this day.

When they arrived home and we were all together in the living room Brian said it was kind of odd that this remote town in the highlands of Guatemala kept coming up. Not only had Camden read the story about Panajachel, Guatemala, but Brian had just seen a job opening in Panajachel posted online that day. Adding to the strange coincidence was the fact that Brian had been to Panajachel about 10 years ago and had brought back small toys we still have today!

We thought, "What are the odds?" At the same time we were very excited.....what if these "coincidences" really weren't coincidences?

That was two months ago. Two very busy months ago. It has been amazing to see everything fall into place. Friends, family and people we don't even know have been so helpful to us. This incredible journey wouldn't be possible without all of you who have been so supportive. Everyone has a journey. This is ours and we would like to share it with you. We will be taking turns blogging about what is happening in our lives here in Panajachel.