Las compras

So I´ve wanted to post about shopping for a while now.  And as I spent a few hours at the market this morning, I think today is the time to do it.

First of all, there are four different markets in Xela, and apparently they get more expensive the closer they get to El Parque Central.  Three of them are within easy walking distance to mi casa, and by far the most fun is El Mercado La Democracia.  I posted a few shots of this market a few days back, as part of the general feel of Xela.

But let´s talk about the shopping.  La Democracia comprises a three-block by three-block area where you can buy.. well, everything.  Fruits and vegetables are the most obvious items for sale, and it really does look like a lot of other pictures of third-world general markets you have seen around the world.  All sorts of fruits and vegetables, including many types I do not recognize.  In addition to produce, there are lots of beans, pasta, meat, and pre-packaged goods.  It is a full-stop place to get all the food you need to cook.  And although the vegetables look so fresh and delicious at times, Guatemalans never eat raw vegetables.. such a shame!

Vendors sell both on the side of the street, as well as in covered stalls in the interior of the block.  "Stalls" is slightly misleading; in reality, a whole block is one huge covered factory-like warehouse, and vendors have carved out sections of the floor in which to sell their items.  A lot of meat and other goods that might not be as delicious when covered with bus exhaust are sold inside.

But lest you think that the market is only for food, let me correct your misunderstanding.  You can also buy clothing...

and shoes (notice the Crocs in front!)...

furniture...

appliances (notice the bikes hanging from the ceiling)...

other bikes...

books...

pets...

and... well... Tom´s not for petting... the family laughed when I took a picture!

I´m upset that apparently I didn´t take any photographs of all the handmade Mayan clothing stalls.  I´ll have to get those next time!

Now, if a crowded downtown market isn´t your cup of tea, do not fret!  There are still a few supermercados in town.  And once you´ve seen one supermarket, you´ve seen them all...

too few cashiers...

Sue, you could work down here!  (I know, no cereal...)

But the supermarket is less fascinating than las tiendas.  It seems like on practically every block, there is a local convenience store which sells pre-packaged snacks and toiletries.. and that´s about it.  I do not understand how so many of them stay in business!  They´re absolutely everywhere.  It seems that often they are attached to a family´s house, such as the one next door to my house.  I really do not understand the business model here; it seems like the market would be way too saturated.

And they all follow the same basic pattern.. most of the merchandise sits behind a permanent gate.  You browse with your eyes, not with your hands.  The shopkeep gets you whatever you need.

Although these convenience stores have really caught my attention, I´d be remiss if I didn´t mention the other businesses throughout town that pop up everywhere.. bakeries, librarías (which mostly sell paper supplies... sometimes a few books), barber shops, and internet cafes.  Without a doubt, I have seen more internet cafes in Xela than in the rest of my travels.

Anyway, I cannot believe it, but today is actually my halfway point in my time in Xela.  I am actually pretty upset, because I´m having the time of my life.  I´ve been really blessed with a lot of great adventures in my life, but this one may actually be the best.  I´m not totally sure... that trip with Jason and Kate a few years back was pretty sweet too... but let´s just say that Xela is giving everything else a run for its money!

Why Xela?

It probably is worth a moment to describe exactly why Xela is such a great opportunity for studying the Spanish language.  Basically I have three premiere reasons:

(1) The price

(2) The accent

(3) The schools

Let´s be honest.. the reason I came here is because of the price.  I still find it incredible that it only costs $165 per week for home-stay AND instruction.  You cannot beat this price.  Why even try?  And this isn´t a backwater village; this is the second largest city in Guatemala.  If price is a factor, and for whom is it not a factor?, then you´ve got to consider Xela.

Secondly, before I came here, I had heard that the Guatemalan accent was a great one to learn from, but it was much under-emphasised.  I may not be an expert, but trust me when I say that you could not hope for a clearer, slower dialect than the one in Xela.  The people of Xela, not just the teachers, speak in a very clear and precise manner.  I have no idea if language programs inherit their recorded speakers from Guatemala or not, but they should!  Whether in a store, at Mass, or with my family, I am constantly bombarded with a picture-perfect accent that requires no "oh, right, they pronounce it like *this* here".  I would consider it pretty much the Spanish version of the Connecticut accent (which all newscasters are supposedly trained to use).  And the fact that they speak at a regular pace is pretty amazing too; I do not imagine it would be possible to learn Spanish in, say, Puerto Rico, simply from the supersonic speed with which people seem to chat.  I cannot recommend this Guatemalan (or at least Xelan) accent highly enough for someone who really wants to learn the language.

Thirdly, and something of which I was totally unaware, is that Xela is built for Spanish schools.  Okay, maybe that´s not quite what they had in mind when Spaniards started coming here in the sixteenth century, but it might as well have been.  Being (an interesting) four hours from Guatemala City, and more-or-less the same from Antigua, I would imagine Xela is really not on the tourist track.  It seems as though Xela has decided to attract tourists by specializing in these Spanish schools.  Everything important is within walking distance.  The schools are very professional (well, at least CELAS Maya is), and can provide you with every bit of information you need ahead of time, as well as providing you with help while you are in town.  It is really amazing how many foreigners you see here, and how much English you hear.  In fact, the ready availability is sometimes a problem, because you are not forced to use Spanish.  Fortunately, the locals are good about giving you an extra English boost only when you need it, or maybe when they think you will buy their wares!

But in all seriousness, Xela couldn´t be a better locale to learn Spanish.  It *is* immersion, and although you are definitely out of your element, it is not so foreign as to make you feel like an alien.  It is amazing to get to learn about the culture here in Guatemala, as well as really start to make the Spanish your own.  I thoroughly recommend it to anyone.  Which reminds me, the students are aged 18 to 80.  Okay, 80 might be pushing it, but there are definitely plenty of people here either with their grown children, or simply here by themselves for a while.  In fact, there are probably more people in their 50´s and 60´s than in their 30´s and 40´s.  So in other words, there is nobody who is reading this blog who can use age as an excuse to not try an experience like this... maybe I´ll give you a pass, Uncle Al!  But as for everyone else, no excuses.  Especially if you have considered it in the past.. hint, hint, Aunt Kathy.

Anyway, don´t really have any good pictures to go with this post, so just for fun, I´ll include a picture of a planter that I took this morning.  It doesn´t have a plant in it right now, but it could.  Come to think of it, I assume it´s a planter, but I suppose I don´t really know...

La Comida

Today, there was a cooking class, where we learned to cook a dish indiginous to the Ixil region in the highlands of Guatemala.  So it seems appropriate to talk a little about the food situation here in Xela.  But first, a couple of pictures of the cooking class.

The dish is called Boxboles (pronounced Bosh-boll-is), and is very simple.  You take some sort of large-leafed lettuce (to me, it tasted like arugula), and spread a mixture of harina (corn flour) and water on the leaf.  You fold each half of the leaf in toward the center, and then fold the whole thing again (so it is one-fourth the original width).  Then you steam them for "a while".  They kind-of look like grape leaves at the end. Here is a picture of Cesár, our chef, demonstrating.

Meanwhile, we also prepared two salsas.  One made from toasted pumpkin seeds, salt, and water (that´s all!), and the other made from chiles, tomatoes, salt, and water.  Nothing too fancy necessary.

This is me, hard at work, while Cesár mugs for the camera.  And by the way, it was hard work.  The pumpkin seeds kept jumping out at me.  Like cooking popcorn in an open pan.  We kept calling it La Guerra de las Semillas, the war of the seeds.

So busy eating, that I forgot to take much of a picture of the end result.  Oh well.

Anyway, as for other food.  First of all, Patricia, the mother of my host family, is an amazing chef.  She has given us such variety; our big meals have never been the same.  The problem is that I cannot really ask for the recipes, because it most cases, I still do not know the names of the ingredients.  But I can describe a few dishes.  For the most part, they are really made from the same ingredients that we have in the United States, if prepared somewhat differently.

Breakfast everyday includes oatmeal and tea.  In addition to the oatmeal, there´s usually a couple of pancakes with syrup, or slices of french toast with jam, or an egg and toast.  Often there´s a banana as well.  Today, we had a guava slice (or something like it), a pineapple slice, and a banana.  In other words, the breakfasts are very similar to what is available in the U.S., but obviously much better than I usually eat myself (except when Dad cooks at home, of course).

Lunch is the big meal, and we usually eat around 1:15 or so, when we return from school.  Everyday is something fantastic.  Today there was a ground beef-carrot-onion mixture, served with rice, and it was delicious.  Usually we have chicken or ham or fish.  Yesterday we had a dish with spaghetti noodles, a cream sauce, ham, and creamed corn.  There are often salads or homemade soup with homemade croutons (I have to stop using the word homemade, because it seems that everything is homemade, but it is just impressive that every meal is from scratch).  There´s lots of noodles.  My favorite dish is probably what I´d call a soft taco, but I´m not sure what it is really called down here, but it may have nothing in it except eggs and a vinegar-based salsa or picante sauce, but it is delicious.  Seriously, I have enjoyed every meal here, and what impresses me most is that the dishes do not seem to be too complicated, but there are always great.

Dinners are much smaller than in the U.S.  It is common to have fried plantains with a black-bean sauce and bread.  Or maybe a soup.  Or a couple of the egg-taco things.  Oh, and warm tortillas are available at every meal.  It´s weird, but we never have leftovers.  Whether that is because Patricia knows exactly how much to make for each meal, or whether it is because another family member always eats the leftovers, I am not sure.  But it is always fresh food for us.

I should mention horchata.  This is a common drink down here made from rice water, milk, cinammon, and sugar.  It´s pretty good.  I guess that the water in which the rice was cooked was traditionally reused for this drink, though I think Patricia purchases it at the store.  It´s an unusual white color, but it really is pleasantly sweet.

On Sundays, we are asked to use the restaurants to feed ourselves, to give our host families a break from cooking.  To be honest, Sunday is definitely the day where I eat the poorest.

More of Xela

Yesterday I took a trip to two local towns and took a bunch of pictures in the pouring rain.  I wanted to show them today, but then I realized that I really haven´t given a great feel for Xela itself yet.  So rather than try to show the towns first, let me overload the blog with photos of Xela.  Thankfully, the commentary will be kept pretty short (more a feast for the eyes than the intellect!).

Oh, and I should mention that I really have no stories about most of these photos.  They´re just places I thought would make nice pictures. 

Here we go..

First off, go here to see a good map of the city.  Google maps seemed pretty poor.

Here are some vistas of parts of the city..

The next few pictures are from El Mercado La Democracia, where you can buy anything and everything.

OK, and here are a few shots of El Parque Central, which is the, central park of Xela.

And maybe a few more general shots from around Xela..

One last one for today that I really like, but you wouldn´t see anywhere in the U.S. anymore.

I´m not typically a dog person, but it was fun to watch these guys just moving along together in a pack.  The guy looking back was definitely the leader.. the other dogs would just follow him wherever he went.  And notice, not one leash.

The Volcano Hike

This weekend, I took part in the midnight hike up the Santa Maria volcano.  Now, I´m not sure I have the story completely straight (since the story is told in Spanish.. our guides did not know English), but I think we climbed up Santa Maria, which is not dormant, but is not itself erupting.  The nearby Santiaguito (according to Wikipedia) is really just an outlet of Santa Maria, and it is what erupts.  So we climbed with the hope of seeing a volcanic eruption there, which happens pretty regularly, especially early in the morning.

Now let me set the stage by saying that this trek was probably my least favorite part of Guatemala thus far.  In the first place, I was not prepared enough.. I didn´t bring enough water, my sneakers weren´t really tough enough for the hike/climb, my clothing wasn´t really warm enough when we got to the top (although, whose was?), and I didn´t have a flashlight (although, to be fair, the Flashlight app that Dad downloaded on my iPhone worked amazingly well.. I figure that I hiked for about 45 minutes completely on my own, using only the flashlight app to guide me up the mountain.. there truly *is* an app for everything!).  Secondly, by the way, did I mention we left AT MIDNIGHT!?!?  And third, hiking is just not my thing.  I think Derrick or Ted or Katharine may have loved it, but as for me, give me a kayak anyday.  Still, I didn´t hate it; I´m just not sure I can go as far as saying, "I´m glad that I went."

The trip started about a fifteen-minute car ride from Xela.  The trip began about midnight, and it was DARK.  Many (probably most) people brought flashlights, because you are hiking in the complete dark.  And when I use the word hike, I mean it, this was no walk in the woods.  There were rocks, there was mud, there were 45-degree inclines; this was serious work.  There are many signs for abogodos (lawyers) in Xela, but I have a hard time believing that there are any civil lawsuits here, because I cannot imagine a similar trip in the U.S. sponsored by a school without having to sign a gazillion waivers.

About five and a half hours after we began, we reached the summit of Santa Maria, just a few minutes before the sunrise.  I am glad it took that long, because it was frigid up there!  Whereas we started the trip in short sleeves and shorts (well, not me, but others), at the top, we couldn´t possibly have enough layers.  But it was a nice sunrise, and we all took a bunch of photos.  Although, to be fair, I was so tired and cold that photos were the least of my concerns at that point!

Would be better without the spray-paint, of course.

The city of Xela sleeps below...

So we all admired the sunrise for a bit, and then we moved to the other side of the volcano to watch for the eruptions, which occur about a mile below the peak on Santa Maria.  Now, usually there is no visible lava from these eruptions, just plumes of smoke.  And it seems that there is always some smoke wreathing the dome.

It turns out that volcano watching is similar to whale watching.. you spend a lot of time, money, or both to attempt to view something that may or may not want to cooperate.  We were there for a while, but there was nothing really going on.  Finally, even our guides recommended we head back down to town, because it didn´t look like there was going to be any more action.  So we started to gather our things to leave, a little disappointed, when suddenly someone (it may even have been me) spotted a huge plume of smoke.  We did get to see an eruption after all.  The following pictures were taken in rather rapid succession, and though you cannot see anything other than the smoke, you can see that the plume on the left is growing relative to the plume on the right.

So, yeah, it was pretty cool to see an eruption live.  But a five-and-a-half hour climb up, followed by an hour of freezing, followed by another three-and-a-half hours down is a steep price to pay for a nice vista.  So I don´t know yet if I´m glad I did it.

There was one guy with us who dislocated his shoulder.  Fortunately, one of the other guys on the hike was a doctor, and was able to diagnose and pop the shoulder back in.  He said, however, that he had never treated an injury like this, in the dark, without medication, on a steep volcano before...