11. They have these little taxis called tuk tuks. They fit 3 people, one driver and two passengers in the back. From what I've seen in passing, they are like a trike but with a shell of sorts.
12. The cows on the farms are very skinny, probably because they don't get any extra nourishment like silage and grain. They just eat the grass which is already pretty short.
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| We caught a bunch of frogs one night |
13. HOL has a school on its property. It has become so good that it has won awards and now many of the wealthy people want to send their kids there too. They charge the wealthy twice as much to provide an education for the orphans. By bringing the wealthy and orphans together, they break a lot of social boundaries since they all wear the same uniforms, learn the same things, and have to get the same grades to graduate. This way the orphans also learn to develop goals and future aspirations. By learning about different professions, they can dream about being that. In the village, if you ask a kid what he wants to be when he grows up, he'll most likely say he wants to pick corn like his dad does or make tortillas like her mom does. They don't know anything else so that's all they can dream about. The younger kids have school from 7:30 to about noon, and the high schoolers have class in the afternoon, from 1-6.
14. Everyone dries their clothes on the line outside. Most also do their laundry in the river.
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| Kids with their TOMS |
15. From what I've seen of Guatemala, there are only a few main roads and then the villages branch off of them. From Guatemala City to Rio Hondo we took one road. At night, you can clearly see the lights and villages forming a line that go along the main road.
16. When it rains, it pours. It usually rains during the night or in the evening. I've only been caught in it once but we just embraced it and continued watching the soccer game soaking wet. Sometimes it rains so hard that you can't even talk to someone right next to you.
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| Stick bug |
17. Here there is no hiding when it comes to breast feeding. In the US, women will buy these tents to cover themselves while they breast feed but here there is no shame. They will whip it out in church, in restaurants, in the middle of a conversation, anytime. They also don't carry around their babies in carriers. In the US, so much money is spent on the car seats and strollers and the like but there just isn't a need for that here. Their money is used on more important and necessary things.
18. The sound of bug spray is very common in the mornings as everyone is getting ready for their day. There are a lot of mosquitoes and I get at least a few every day. My legs look absolutely horrible because they've scabbed over. I need to be sure to wear long pants for the flight home so that they don't quarantine me for having some weird disease. I've stopped using bug spray though. I found that it didn't help at all. I might get a few more but I'll take that over feeling disgusting and sticky all day.
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| A banana tree |
19. The temperature isn't as horribly warm as I had expected. In the morning and evening/night, it's really nice. Some nights I could have worn a sweatshirt but I was fine without. During the day it does get pretty warm but not unbearable since there's usually a breeze. In the two days I've been home, it has been so much warmer than it was down there.
20. To get your attention, they do this "ch-ch" noise. At first I was a little offended because I thought they were talking down to me but then I realized that everyone does it. It would be like saying "Hey you" in the States.
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| The last view of Guatemala City |
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