Day 1 and 2

I left huehue yesterday at 10 am (actually left the school at 9:40) and went to the terminal. Got a guate bound bus - not sure what to call it - not a micro bus and certainly not a chicken bus - more like an extra large micro bus. Cost to la cuchilla was 40Q. (note for future reference - la cuchilla is just about at km marker 133)
I stayed at Montefur for 42Q/night and am here for 2 nights.
Just sort of hung out - had lunch with Candelaria yesterday and today and bought 150 bracelets from her mom (2Q each) and ran into Concepcion and she was selling bracelets for 2.5Q (bigger ones) but when I asked her about the ones like the majority of what I bought they were 1Q - hmm. I bought 4 of Concepcion's bracelets for 10Q that are in the colors of Jamaica - wonder what it is about them that my students like????
Tomorrow I am headed for Nebaj and have reservations for 2 nights ($6 US/night). I am guessing it will take me a min of 5 busses to get there - will let you know. Right now I am sitting in a bar and connected from someones wireless - I'm guessing its the bar, but not sure. Right now I'm in Pana Arte which is owned by the brother of Margarita who is the owner of Maragritas Restaraunt in huehue which is right across the street from the stadium. I go there often for a beer after I leave the orphanage.
buenas noches

Esperanza

ah Esperanza - her name means hope - how much is there really for her?
Esperanza is a child whose father (aparantley) fathered many children with his daughter - so her father is her grand father. The word when I first met her was eight kids and that he killed 6 of them. Later I heard something that maybe he didn't and that there was other siblings living somewhere else. All I know for sure is that mom, her and an older sister live at the fundacion. The mom is a shell of a person - just sort of shuffles around, which is an improvement from 2 years ago where she was a zombie who just stood in place - although she stands alot now - she doesn't contribute, but then there is really nothing left of her. I'm guessing that it would take years of work to repair her psyche(?). Irma the older (maybe 12 or 13) is in first grade primary(I think) - but has learning/intelligence(?) issues. However, she can talk.
Esperanza has hearing issues and severe speach issues. She is maybe 6 years old - nobody knows, and is finally learning to talk - not in sentances but in words. look, thank you, bathroom, etc. Everyday I hear her say more words. She can count to at least 10 which is something considering 1 year ago she could say papi, and a few names and thats it. In march I gave her a bracelet from my wrist and put it on her ankle. The first day I came back in June she pointed to the bracelet (still there) and to me and smiled. Which at first suprised me but I am sure she has somewhat reasonable intelligence. Is she CD? or just LD? using our labels. Again who knows - if you can't talk how can you comunicate? learn? or even demonstrated your intelligence? I started giving her coins this year (normally 1Q) and she would run to the farmacia (the fundacion has a small pharmacy) and buy a small little bag of snacks. One time I gave her 30 centavos and she gave it back - can't buy shit for 30 cents. From then on occasionally I would try and give her a 10 centavo coin and she always refuses it - but she never refuses 50 centavos or 1Q - or paper money.
Twice I left the fundación without her but went with Estelita. Both times when I came back she ignored me - usually she is like glue at my side. Both times that she was ignoring me she gave me a big hug and a kiss as I was leaving, but up to leaving you could tell she was pissed that I had left without her the previous time. One of the times when she was ignoring me was the next day. She is extremely jeolous of attention that I give the others her age or smaller.
My worry for her - as is for alot of the kids is: what is her future? and I can't give help to all of them. For her to go to school - and there is a 'special ed' school in huehue I guess, you would need transportation - the money just doesn't exist.
ciao

Paty y Estelita

a bit more on my daughters:

Paty is now 17 and in first grade basico - which would be like 7th grade in our system. She is doing ok in school, hanging on but isn't a strong student - but when I met her in 2003 she was 12 and had never been to school (maybe she was in her first year - but I don't think so) and couldn't read at all. She has come a long way and has her head screwed on straight. She is very religious which I think helps. I was talking to her about my concerns re: the other girls leaving the fundacion (she is the last of the older girls that had been there for years) and the fact that Estelita is counting on her. I told her that I hope she stays until both her (not likely) and Estilita (likely) graduate from high school. She told me, "It was their decision to leave and I am not like them, don't worry my friend is God". I am confident in her.

Estilita is 12 and is in 6th grade primary (same as our system) and is finally doing good - last marking period all her grades were 90% and up. When I asked her what was different she said, "I want to be a singer and I have to do good in school, before I didn't care and was bored". I'm not sure I see the conection between school and singing - but whatever works. Actually there was a connection - I am now paying for voice lessons 1 hour per week, and it was made clear that her performance in school had something to do with this oportunity. Everyone - me, Sandra and Otto stressed to her that she needs to keep her grades up - I hope she was listening. I also told her that if she took advantage of this opportunity that there would be more in the future (guitar etc). Unfortunetly I'm not sure there is a way to make a living as a singer (not to mention a singer just interested in christian music) but its her dream and if along the way she gets her education then all is good.

Paty and Estilita are both "leaders" in the fundacion. Estelita and another girl (I always forget her name, but a real sweetheart also) have the little ones (4- 6 yr olds I would guess) and their is about 6 of them and Paty (alone I think) has the next group (maybe 7 - 12). Not sure how many. They are responsible to make sure they are clean, teeth brushed etc. They sleep in the same room with them. I spent most of my time with estelitas girls. They eat in their rooms - they set up tables and bring in the food in big serving dishes and sit down together at tables and eat. The girls make sure they say grace (its cute with the little ones) and afterwords they clean up. They used to eat in a big common room - this is more 'family like' and I like it.

By and large I would say the girls are doing really good - they now have email accounts so hopefully I can write to them a tad more.





Estelita y Esperanza at the feria after they got their trensas

Saying Goodby

Well people are wondering if I'm still alive. Well only Don and Angie. I'm alive and kicking. As normal I spent the last 5 weeks studying (my word, definitely not the word my teachers would use) and visiting my girls. I went to pana, chichi and Quiche one weekend but due to my getting sick the last 2 weeks I didn't get out of huehue. I got the worst damn cold and cough. At its worst I wasn't sleeping at all at night, just coughing - no fever, the doc listened to my lungs - no problem, just a virus I guess.
This past week Sheny (director of the school) wanted me to stay for 2 more days (free lessons) and to stay at the school - I did, but instead of lessons I worked with her on the computer.

I was leaving on thursday morning so wed was my last day. Since there was a group of gringos with an activity on wed at the fundación salvación they gave me a going away party. Its normal to have an activity where they sing, dance, etc - however they had a dinner specially for me. Sandra had asked what I would like, chicken? or what was my favorite food. I told her that my favorite meal was tortillas, eggs, frijoles and rice. It really is just about my favorite food for dinner here. So thats what we had - it was really good. They always give me a gift (doesn't Sandra realize I am traveling with a backpack?), but this time my grand daughter got a present also (lucky kid got one from Sheny also). Paty and Estilita had to say something and give me the gifts. Estelita was first and could barely talk - I couldn't hear her standing next to her, she was fighting back the tears. Paty flat out couldn't talk and just sobbed - a precurser to the next day.

The next day was my last and I didn't want to hang out at the fundación after saying goodby so I just picked up paty and estelita (and esperanza) so that they could do what all good teenage girls do - spend dads money (sorry Angie - I forgot about that part when you were younger). Estelita is taking voice lessons 1 hour per week and its important that she gets there on time so I wanted to buy her a watch. Paty wanted cd's and they both wanted small packpacks. The only thing that esperanza asked for was somehting to eat (less than $1). I wanted to buy esperanza a stuffed animal so we went to this small stuffed animal store and I told her she could have any stuffed animal that she wanted - what did she pick? a big ugly thing - dora? is that from the dora the explorer that I have heard about? not sure, but there sure were cuter things than that to pick from - oh well, its her present - not mine. Well it was time to say goodby - I don't think that Esperanza understood that I was leaving - but maybe.

Anyway I brought Paty and Estelita into the office to say goodby. The poor girls - Estelita just sobbed in my arms and Paty was crying (truth be told I was also). There just is no easy way, the kids had a really rough life and I have been the only constant (go figure - me and the word constant) in their life besides the orphanage. I dearly love those girls...

Guate to Huehue

I got into Guatemala City in the early afternoon, cleared customs, and had to wait a good 20 minutes for my taxi - I could have taken another but I forced myself to be patient and he finally arrived - its a good thing I waited.
Stayed at the Posada Belen - expensive, but I do enjoy the place. Left at 6:30 in the morning for Panajachel and stayed at Marios Rooms (130 Q for the night but included breakfast and I got the wireless internet to work on my computer). I stayed 2 nights and just chilled, visited Candelaria a bit, read alot and drank some Gallo. Saturday I also went up to Solola just to hang out and eat lunch - nothing to exciting.
Left sunday morning for Huehue and made the mistake (huge) of having 3 cups of coffee. I had to piss in Los Encuentros (the most disgusting ¨sanitario¨ that I have ever used), then again I had to piss in Cuatro Caminos (nice new and clean sanitario) and then had to piss when I got off the bus in Huehue - 1 cup of coffee maximum in the future.
pana to solola - 3Q
solola to los encuentros - 3Q
los encuentros to cuatro caminos - 15Q
cuatro caminos to huehue - 20Q
there was no delays on the road to cuatro caminos but the construction still is not finished - the road will be much nicer, but people will drive faster and it will be just as dangerous I think, oh well.
The weak US dollar is hurting this year, instead of 7.8 Q/dollar its more like 7.45 Q/dollar and because of the gas price 38Q/gallon everything is more expensive - less Quetzales for my money but stuff costs more - shit.
beer
tienda 10Q
paper moon 15Q

arrived in huehue at about 1 pm on sunday afternoon

Home to Guatemala City

Left Two Rivers wed. early afternoon for Chicago and stayed at what was the Exel Inn for $71. Left the motel at 4:45 am for my flight to Mexico City. The following was written on the plane from Mexico City to Guatemala City.

Arrived in Mexico City at 11:40, which was 20 minutes early - cleared customes at 12:59. I hustled to customs knowing the drill and the line moved ever so slowly. There were some people complaining that the had conecting flights and they were let thru - pissed off the rest of us. What really sent my blood pressure up was when I finally got to my gate one of the girls that 'had a flight to catch' was at the gate waiting for the same plane I was. I walked at a slow sprint to get to my gate but made it 20 minutes before they started boarding (time enough for one 38 peso beer).
Thoughts for the future - never cut the time short in Mexico City.

Next to the gate was a money exchange kiosk and they were buying dollers for 10.15 pesos and selling dollers for 10.75 pesos. Under the sign it said 'no commision' huh? If I exchanged my doller and then decided to reexchange it I would be .60 pesos short - if that ain't a commission what is?
Flight from Chicago was booked but this flight has empty seats. Again I love flying mexicana - the food is good and the beer is free, though I confess I didn't have a free beer, instead bought one at the airport (never claimed to be smart).
Right now I am typing this on the plane using a text document and plan to paste it onto my blog - hope it works.
Thoughts on the Chicago terminal - ugh, ugh and double ugh. You go thru security and then you can't even get a cup of coffee - course you also can't bring it with you - dangerous liquid and all. Than goodness I learned from my trip with Don at spring break - so at least I ate and had a cup of coffee before I went thru security. Got to the terminal with ususal Roger like efficiency - I was there at least 45 minutes before they opened (but at least I have never missed a plane like someone else I know (deb))

plans change

Well for all of you that wondered what happened to me here it is. The floods in Illinois caused my train (from Galena to KC I think) to be held up. They were busing the passengers but the trip was already somewhat to long and any delays would mean that I got to Flagstaff to late in the night, so I said screw it - I´ll do the Mexico thing on the way back. An added advantage is that my Spanish will be better. I was able to get 100% of my money back and then left 1 day later on mexicana airlines - $340 for a one way trip with good food and free beer.