Filed under: Life in Guatemala
These guys do amazing work in Guatemala City. My mission organisation Latin Link sends short termers there.
Filed under: Uncategorized
From Toybox´s Prayer Newsletter:
¨Street children in Latin America are thought of as vermin, as disposable and as having no worth. Many of them have never known both their parents, or have never been able to return to their families. Street children have little or no access to hygiene facilities and many have to beg or steal to ensure they have food to eat.
All of these things are a direct infringement of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
The right to an identity
Many children that Toybox encounters don’t have any legal rights and so need people to stand up for them.
The right to be safe
So many of the children living on the streets in Latin America have suffered abuse and domestic violence.
The right to be healthy
Life on the streets and in the poorer areas of Latin American cities have minimal facilities for clean water, if at all.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Tortrix
Tortrix = Guatemala
Really really nice corn chip snacks….
lots of flavours. Lemon, bacon, chilli, taco, etc…
1.25Q a pack (18 australian cents).
So you can guess what snack I frequently grab when I´m hungry. (Especially since I´m now not supposed to eat raw fruit, veg, or any street food…)
I guess that explains why I am now struggling to fit in my jeans I brought from Australia. That, and the fact that everything else I eat over here is either fried or half sugar. (I had to be trained my first month in Salem how when the powder cordial sachets declare ´dont need to add sugar!´ that actually means we need to chuck in at least five tablespoons, and how fruit smoothies need almost as much sugar as fruit to make it drinkable)
But it all tastes good!
Have tried to to look for alternatives. But the low fat food varieties we are so fond of at home don´t seem to have much demand here and artificial sweetner is expensive. And the fact that I have to travel to Salem each week on buses and on foot makes it hard to take my own food supplies for a week.
So.
Looks like more fruit loops and fried food for me.
Hope you’ll still love me if I come home a little chubby. 
Filed under: Life in Guatemala
I have always enjoyed receiving letters from the little chinese boy I used to sponser through World Vision. Although he did always draw me the same picture, a red circle with spikes. Either a flower or a crown of thorns, was never sure which.
This week in Salem, all the girls had to write a letter to their sponsors through Toybox in England.
And it felt really, really strange to see the process from the ¨other end¨.
To be with the girls that to their sponsers in England are just a picture and a few words, but to me are, well, people. With smiles, personalities, quirks. To know them by their laughter, tears, jokes and struggles.
It was pretty cool actually.
But I hate to tell you, writing the letters wasn´t all fun and games.
Very limited time (one afternoon. not long with 12 kids). And had 12 kids to direct at once.
They each had one sheet of paper on which to draw and answer a set list of questions. All the drama started when some misunderstood the order of a ´small´ drawing, followed by the realisation that there was now no room to answer all those questions. Then we realised the letters had to be written in black pen. Then we realised there wasn´t a single black pen to be found in the house (I have really, really bad luck with pens in this country). Then they started getting frustrated that they couldn´t draw as well as the next girl. Pictures somehow disappeared, crayons fought over, words were exchanged, tears shed. It was a little messy.
Then when we finally got some pens arranged and smaller drawings sorted, we had to write. Fine for the older ones, but for the younger ones who struggle to put words, let alonge sentences together, and can´t write letters less than an inch tall, answering all those questions was a little challenging. Especially when they are all asking for help at once.
Anyway. It got done in the end. Late night. But photos were taken, letters finished, tears stopped.
So when you get your sponser letter, appreciate it!
Filed under: Life in Guatemala
McDonalds in Antigua
Who would have thought that you would find what quite possibly is the nicest McDonalds in the world, here in Guatemala.
I would have thought maybe you´d find such an impressive Maccas in some extravagent place like Dubai, or New York…
But no. It´s here. Amongst the poverty and the hunger and the huge amount of litter.
Situated in Antigua (tourist central…), it is complete with a large McCafe decked out with couches and huge tables; as well as a large patio adorned with fountains and hedges that could easily be mistaken for a wedding reception venue if it weren´t for Ronald McDonald sitting on a bench.
Go figure.
[Most of the fast food joints in this country seem to be pretty huge...I´m guessing being massive companies in a country where the economy isn´t very strong, that their money goes way further here than at home so they can afford to splurge a bit...]
Filed under: Travels
Don’t worry the human sacrifices part is all history now (at least that’s what they tell us…hehe) but we did get to find out all about them when we visited the Mayan ruins in Tikal.
Spectacular.
Honestly, I don’t always find ruins that thrilling so wasn’t expecting that much, even though Tikal is known as the most ‘must see’ place of Guatemala. But I was pleasantly surprised to find Tikal terribly exciting. The Mayans have a rich and fascinating history. And there is something about walking through a jungle and seeing howler and spider monkeys swinging above you, a bright orange snake slithering across the path in front of you, and ancient mayan temples looming above the trees that gives you the distinct feeling you’ve just walked into an Indiana Jones set.
Unfortunately the president chose the same day to host a conference there for the local Mayans so we missed out on some parts, but still saw plenty. Climbing up some of the ancient stone stairways was a little scary as they were particularly slimy due to wet season and our guide was animatedly telling us stories of people who have slipped and fallen to their deaths. (Health and safety regulations and public liability insurance aren’t really an issue here…)
We also got to stay at Flores on Lake Peten Itza…another stunning Guatemalan lake. So many here. Our shower caught fire there. I guess that is what can happen when you mix electricity and water (most ‘hot showers’ here just have a showerhead with an electric element in it to heat water).
When we left Flores we had our most interesting bus ride yet (have been on all sorts of buses for more than 27 hours this trip) which involved getting rip offed on the price (long story); having to stop at a protest in a small country town, where everyone decided to go to the bathroom; I was the lucky last, and when I came out the protest had cleared and the bus had gone. The driver finally listened to the whole bus load of people shouting at him to stop about a kilometer down the road and thanks to a kind driver passing by I managed to catch up to my luggage and friends! The bus then proceeded to break down about 4 times; for the last stretch we crawled along at about 30km per hour.
But we made it to Coban, found a really lovely hostel complete with hammocks, free internet, books, movies and the nicest staff.
Last day of our trip involved the much anticipated tour to Semuc Champey and the caves of Lanquin…
A beautiful, hidden river with natural pools where you can swim and jump off waterfalls and massive caves full of bats where mayan priests stil like to sacrifice chickens.
So that is my trip and excitement over. Back to work on Monday, will be great to see the girls. Am sick AGAIN however…other bacterial infection (‘something i ate’ apparently) and the flu still. I think Guatemala might actually run out of antibiotics soon at the rate I keep needing them. Hopefully will be right by Monday.
Filed under: Travels
Placencia
Where I just spent a week. Not bad hey.
But, it is definitely wet season which means what feels ilke 100% humidity…almost a bit too much.
And hurricane season. We woke up one night to a really windy storm and the electricity went out and we were quite convinced it was a hurricane coming to kill us…..haha.
But it was still incredible.
Filed under: Travels
Guess what.
The Caribbean is as beautiful as you’ve heard. And more. We’re in Belize. And yes there are lots of coconuts, lots of rum, lots of sand but I’m yet to see any pirates…
Life is ridiculously laid back here. It seems the locals can hardly ever be bothered to do anything. Perfect place for a holiday. So completely different to Guatemala. And the funniest english you’ve ever heard (I keep going to speak to everyone in spanish out of habit…so strange).
I’m here with Emma and three of her friends who have come out travelling from England. We have two weeks holiday and are travelling. We had a bit of a crazy trip here, involving a crazy and very wet hour long boat road across a very choppy sea in a tiny speed boat (i found it hilarious but I’m afraid Emma’s friends were quite traumatised). We’re doing our best to do as little as possible…actually harder than it sounds considering how insanely busy my life has been the last six months. But we’re starting to walk slower, talk slower, eat slower…
The days this week are mostly consist of eating and sleeping. Lounging on the beach, where when you’re lucky a generous local who goes by the ‘coconut man’ will cut you down a fresh coconut, hacked off the top with a machete, pour in some ice and a straw and serve it with a stick of sugar cane to chew on. Now that’s the life…
Hopefully photo or two to come soon.
Filed under: Deepness
I turned 23 this week. So I may not be about to kick the bucket but I am officially starting to feel old, and a little terrified at how fast the years are flying. I swear it feels like just last week that I turned 18.
Today I was listening to a podcast by my favourite author Don Miller about how our lives our like stories, we are the authors, and we have the chance to write an engaging and exciting story or a meaningless and empty one. Kind of cliche but it´s actually very inspiring. What kind of story will we write? A story that someone will want to read, with risk, love, sacrifice and adventure, or a story about a man who´s goal in life is to buy a volvo? (ok so he definitely phrased it much better….listen if you get a chance)
And in this feeling kinda old state it got me all inspired to live…just live. Dream. Laugh. Take risks. I don´t want life to just happen to me, to go through the motions, take the path of least resistance and one day wake up old. I want to happen to life.
You´ve heard all the cliches, ´live life to the full´, ´seize the moment´ etc.
But, what if they´re actually really good cliches.
It´s true…today is a blank page, and only you hold the pen. You get to choose what kind of story you will write. How you will treat those you love. How you will treat that beggar in the street. How many times you will laugh. If you will stay in that job you hate or do everything you can to find what fulfills you. How you can take that step of faith and run after what your heart beats for, maybe loving some AIDS orphans in Africa or joining a band.
¨Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn´t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream Discover.¨ ‘ Mark Twain
I read a book this week about a lady who moved to Lebanon with her husband to become missionaries, was working hard serving pregnant ladies in a health clinic when she was shot dead by a terrorist. A waste of a life, to put herself in such a dangerous situation, or a life well lived, lived to love and serve others, and laid down for a good cause? I´m not saying we should deliberately put ourselves in dangerous situations, but the fact is our lives are fragile.
Although we can reduce risk, death can actually surprise any of us, at any time.
So why do we let things like insecurities and fears hold us back? If there´s one thing I´ve learned this year it´s that we have so much to be thankful for and so many opportunities. I say let´s throw caution to the wind, find something that would be worth dying for, and then give everything we´ve got to live for it.
¨There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.¨
Doesn´t mean it´ll always be easy. I know I´ve had some emotionally challenging moments this year in Guatemala, dealing with sickness, a new language, feelings of isolation, culture shock and just plain homesickness. But the things I´ve learned, the changes that have happened in me, the people I´ve met, have all made it so worth the rough patches. And the rough patches themselves have been what have been the times I have grown the most.
So I challenge you…pick up that pen and write your story. Decide today what is important to you, laugh in the face of fear, love big, do something just for fun, let faith grow in your heart, play with a child, and just LIVE. You´ll never get this blank page back again.
I leave with you a quote from Rob McKee as quoted by Don Miller In this podcast:
¨Write every day, line by line, page by page, hour by hour. Do this despite fear, for above all else, beyond imagination and skill, what the world asks of you is courage. Courage to risk rejection, ridicule and failure. As you follow the quest for stories told with meaning and beauty, study thoughtfully, but write boldly. Then like the hero of the fable, your dance will dazzle the world.¨ Robert McKee
Filed under: Life in Guatemala
You can buy your bread already toasted here. Pretty cool, huh?
They don´t eat much toast. They think I´m a little strange in the home when I put my bread in the grill to toast.
