1. The amount of food from lunch compounded with eating dinner means Debbie can’t move. Food is really good and beyond plentiful. Looks like they have figured that they have one week to fatten me up &
2. It’s raining……hard…as in torrential
So apologies all but here goes.
Has my first impression of SPLL changed any. Yes, somewhat. Do I love it here like I love Copan? No (but I openly admit a bias for Copan)! But, do I like it more than I did two days ago? Yes! So what’s changed? Perhaps some familiarity now with the place. I have a very pleasant family, nice room and as mentioned plentiful and great food. The local people are genuinely warm and welcoming. And, I have found a couple of good coffee shops with internet and where to get a cold beer. Plus, the fact that Saturday seems to have been the worst day so far for the hippy invasion. In addition I started school yesterday morning, giving me some focus and purpose.
I left you all after the last post just before I met my home stay family. I returned to the school at 4pm and was introduced shortly thereafter to Jose my new house “dad”. As we walked the 12 or so minutes back to his house he told me that he and his wife Maria have one son Felix, 7 years old. They have been hosting students for about as long as they have had Felix and often have two students. They tell me that they often get repeat students and family members of students. I was though, to be the only student they would have this week. Their house thankfully is on the east side of SPLL. Actually in truth, it could be north, south or west but in my mind it is east. No matter, it is on the other side of the port area and in a very traditional part of town with great views over the lake.
The house is accessed from the roadway via an alley. Then through some large wooden doors in to a hallway of sorts. There are two rooms that can be used for students. The bathroom is shared with the family. I was anticipating this in Guatemala so it wasn’t a shock. The bathroom and shower are under the stairs in really what is like a cupboard (for each). Jose told me that there was hot water, but I haven’t figured that part out yet so again showers for me at least seem to be “temperature del dia”. I gotta say I miss a hot shower…..it will be the first thing I do when I get home….except of course sit on my own toilet! You know what I mean………nothing like your own toilet! There is a big pila for washing, and for washing everything; washing hands, washing teeth; washing clothes; washing dishes. It is a one stop pila. Will snap a couple pictures of it when I can. The kitchen is upstairs in a wooden sided room on the roof top, or what will one day be another level to their house.
Through this door to my house.
Up the alley....
To the front Door.
My room
Pila
Stairs up to terrace and kitche; bathroom and shower under stairs; pila in between the two.
Anyway, Maria works most evenings as a cook in one of the local restaurants so I wasn’t to meet her that night. I did meet their cute son Felix who is slowly becoming chattier with me. Their first language is Tz’utujil but they speak Spanish with Felix (he doesn’t know any Tz’utujil yet) and of course Spanish with me. The Spanish here is clearer and slower and I am able to converse really well. I chuckled as Saturday night I went up for dinner and it was spaghetti which I had just had at lunch. Mind you, it was very good! Enough to feed an army. I had to ask Jose to give me less as I didn’t want to waste any. We had good conversation and I felt comfortable enough to ask him what he thought of the Hippies…and yes he knows that word! He told me that he thinks they are strange (hmmm) but in SPLL there is a “live and let live” type attitude.
View from the top of the terrace;
Path infront of house
I had a great and quiet night’s sleep. I woke up this morning determined to have a better attitude. Yesterday afternoon was a tough day for me. Travelling by myself is an adventure. Nobody to ask or rely on. You make decision as best you can taking any consequences for poor decisions as they come. It is empowering but it can on occasion, be tough. Yesterday was tough. I didn’t like SPLL and I wanted to be back in Copan. But Sunday dawned bright and sunny and I was determined that my mood and attitude would reflect this. On Sunday’s the family do not provide any food so I left around 8am to Casa Cristialinos for brekky. Coffee is good here, actually very good. They have free internet and after crepes filled with nutella and banana’s I was off.
On the recommendation of Jose I was bound for another village across the lake, Santiago Atitlan. There are different docks here depending on where and which village you are travelling to, but I found the dock to Santiago with few problems. I had about a 30 minute wait and a local lady and her two sons struck up a conversation with me. The locals are very friendly here and I appreciated the conversation and company. “So what do you think of the hippies” I asked after a while……… “they are strange and sometimes I am a little afraid of them” she replied….hmmmm. It was great to chat with her and we kept up a conversation most ways over the lake to Santiago. She also explained to me that the level in the lake is very high and many houses and docks have been flooded. Considering this is not yet the rainy season, it may only get worse.
Waiting for the boat to take me to Santiaga Atitlan, the high level of water is apparent;
Boat to Santiago Atitlan and the view of San Pedro La Laguna as we left from the dock;
Santiago Atitlan is a very traditional town, strong in its Mayan culture. I wondered around for while enjoying the incredibly bright colours that are in everything from the men’s and women’s traditional clothes, to the buses and items hanging in the stores……
I enjoyed wondering through the market although the canopies are not meant for someone who is 5’ 9”. My experience in Santiago Atitlan was more enjoyable as I saw fewer tourists as I went….phew! As I was leaving SPLL a family of gringo hippies rolled in, in a boat. All barefoot, kids an all. Now, I have nothing against going barefoot. I like to walk around barefoot….in my house…..on the deck, even on the grass in areas that are devoid of landmines (aka dog poop). But not in the street…..there are a lot of landmines and people spit here. I had to look. Their feet were ingrained with dirt, black actually. By the looks of it, their feet hadn’t seen a scrub brush and soap in a quite a while. Don’t they wash their feet at least before getting in to bed?
I returned to SPLL again by boat and then wondered around until I passed a restaurant called “Hummus-Ya”. Decided to try if for a late lunch and was not disappointed. Kebabs with hummus and pitas. Good! Will be back. Afterwards I wondered up the hill in to the northern part of the town. Everyone is very friendly and again a local lady started to chat with me as I stopped to take some photos. “Where are you from” “Do you like SPLL”. I explained my trepidation the day before about the area around the port but that I was liking the areas to the north, “Yes, we have many hippies, they are strange”……hmmm. Last night I studied a little and had an early night, in preparation for my new school day.
I woke to overcast skies and heavy rain. This is very unusual as it is still summer here. Winter starts in May and then the rains will come. Breakfast was at 7am and I met Maria who I liked instantly. She has as warm disposition and smiles a lot. I was also greeted by a plate of three large pancakes. I think they feel that as I am tall, I need to eat enough for seriously two people. This was the case with Dunia. At the beginning of my stay I kept getting more food than anyone else and on physically bigger plates. “Why is this?” I had asked Dunia. “You are taller, you need more food” was the reply. They were amazed when I told them that Brent is even taller. Well, no complaints this time about the pancakes and I cleaned my plate.
I left for school in time to pick up my now traditional morning cup of café latte. I speak better Spanish after a cup of great latte. The path to my school winds up and around several small pathways, past numerous interesting looking cafes and bars. As well there is a good photo op of "Indian Nose".......I think you can see how it got it's name;
My teacher is Clarita. She has 15 years’ experience as a teacher and has been at the Cooperativa School for 7 years. Classes are taken in small pods with thatched rooves spread throughout a very pleasant garden area. I had to write an exam. Yuk. Did ok, not great, but my conversational level carried me through. Clarita thinks I speak well and have a good accent. She is trying to teach me to roll my “r’s”, something I think is genetically impossible for me. I sound like an idiot when I try.
My pod in the beautiful garden of La Cooperativa School;
The morning flew by. Back to the house for a quick lunch then back to school for two more hours…all conversation. She asked me at the end what I thought of the class. With the exception of parts of the subjunctive, I know in theory when I am supposed to use the different verb tenses (there are, give or take 14 in Spanish), I just need more practice in everyday conversation. I was glad we had done a brief review of two other tenses, preterit and imperfect, for those of you that care. But I was even gladder that we didn’t spend all day on grammar. It was a good balance for me and I know I will enjoy the week with her. “By the way Clarita” I asked, “what do you think of the hippies around the port area?” “I find them a little strange”…Case rested! Clarita went on to explain that a while ago a new mayor tried to clamp down on all the drug activity that is here and impose closing hours on the bars. For a while, bars had to close at 11pm. But, a new mayor, who doesn’t seem to care has reinstated the “stay open as long as you want type attitude”. I will say however, in the short time I have been here, I have never been approached to buy drugs not has anyone been anything but polite and courteous to me….hello etc. in the street. So, while I may not understand the hippy persona, I will adopt the SPLL attitude from here on in……live and let live. Clarita also told me as she laughed, that I don’t have a “I want to buy drugs look”, which is good thing in my books.
I have signed up for a visit on Friday afternoon to a women’s weaving cooperative in the neighbouring village of San Juan. I have been to a similar place in Honduras but this is in another village that I have read about and wanted to see. The students have to pay a little extra for this, $3 (mas o menos). Apart from that the week promises to keep me busy with 6 hours of school every day.
Took a few pics around town today in SPLL. Take a look;
As I will be in serious need of a diet when I get home I can only hope Brent recognises me when he picks me up on Sunday…….I shall be the roly poly gringo.
Hasta Tarde!
No comments:
Post a Comment