As I looked down at my plate this evening, I knew we were in for another fun night in the Cobell-Silva room. !Frijoles, otra vez! (Beans, again!) Like many Latin American countries, rice and beans tend to adorn the table quite often, and Guatemala is no exception. With almost two weeks here under our belts, we have likely eaten an average of two meals per day with beans as the main event. Frijoles para desayuno (breakfast). Frijoles para almuerzo (lunch). And almost a requirement here in Guatemala, is a bowl of sopa de frijoles negro para la cena cada noche (black bean soup for dinner, every night). Don’t get me wrong, the food here is actually quite lovely, and our homestay family spoils us with fabulous meals. However, there is a reason why they call ‘em a “musical fruit,” and to be honest, our stomachs are just plain tired.
– We had the privilege of riding the infamous “chicken bus” yesterday. You may wonder what exactly this could be. Imagine a bunch of U.S. retired high school buses, repainted with bright colors and strong religious reminders across the sides (think red flaming letters with the phrase “God is the only way”), with large black clouds of diesel smoke farting out the back (hmmm…must’ve had beans for dinner), and a short Guatemalan man yelling out “Guate” “Guate”. For both of us, it was like going back in time. Our many years taking the bus to school came rushing back, but for some reason, the seats on the bus seemed much smaller.
– Our last day of school was today. We tried to be very American, and blow off all the work we needed to do (I mean, geez, it IS the last day of school and all) but our maestros (professors) were not about to let us off. So we studied more, and then took them out for a café and shared some of our RTW photos with them – all narrated in Spanish of course. It has been such a highlight for me to watch my husband learn Spanish on this trip. He never ceases to amaze me. I mean, even in his broken basic Spanish my husband can light up any room. And I can’t take my eyes off of him. He has learned so much in such a short time – wonderful.
– We leave Guatemala tomorrow. I have made sure to add frijoles to my repertoire along with my new Spanish skills as we return home. I guess you know now what to expect when you get invited to our house for dinner!
WOW, you too are amazing…what faith you have to leave the comfort and safety of the US and live in a new place. I will follow your journey. I love reading the updates and hearing about the lessons and experiences learned. I hope that Cara finds a job and you get settled into your new home soon. I agree that having a home base is crutial and I too would be all out of sorts not knowing where things are. Good luck to the both of you and I will check back soon.
Most people don’t think “adventure” when it comes to living their lives; a few think about it, but the two of you really live adventure! Way to go out into the world to make a difference (not that the rest of us can’t make a difference right where we are planted). Joan and I will pray you will find the right housing at the right time and in the right place.
Reading your blogs is like a combination travel log, upper division class in African History/culture and a personal letter written home. Keep up the great narrative and the more pictures, the better!
Ed & joan