San Francisco and dance
Yesterday, I went to San Francisco the largest market in Guatemala. It spans forever! You name it and it's sold there or if someone owns something you name a price and they will sell it to you! I write about my experience in my journal for about 1 hour last night so I've gotta make it concise for you. I'm glad I brought my journal because I just can't possibly write about everything I experience daily here.
The weather has been so beautiful and I've been feeling great. The Amoxicillin did its job. I plan on going on the two day hike next week. I'm scared about using the bathroom outside that and sleeping in a tent, but I must must hike up another volcanoe before I leave. I'm going to try to convince somone here to hike up the active one before I leave too. It spurts about every 20 minutes. I don't know how close we get to it...however, the hike is at 11 p.m. at night and you hike up it all night and watch the sunrise on the top and eat breakfast. Beautiful, huh? I've gotta do it!!!!
OK, I had an awesome time with my teacher at the market. I know how to get there so Nolan if you're up for experience a really traditional market not infiltrated with gringos than we can go. It's every Friday! We left school very early and go there in about 45 minutes. The bus ride is incredible and we passed the waterfall again. It's in the same direction, but before the mountain I visited in June, Momo. The chicken bus was packed and I was the only gringo on the bus. An adorable indigenous girl got on at a bus stop, it's really just the side of the road, there aren't any designated bus stops. She was carrying something wrapped up in a blanket. A few minutes later a head of a turkey popped out from under neather her arm! It kept trying to squirm it's way out of her grip but her hands weren't going to let it go! I ddin't see a chicken on the bus yet, but there were turkeys yesterday! When we got to the market she exited with her mom and two turkeys flew out of her moms purse. They wrestled them to the ground to stuff them back into the bag. Crazy!
Louis Fernando, my teacher, said that there aren't that many people here, but in about 1 more hour it would be packed. I thought, geez, it's packed now. We tried walking through some areas I thought I was in a mosh pit at a rock concert or a ping pong ball. People are pushing you around to pass you and get to their destination. It was scarying when we were walking up hills or stairs. I'm not sure what the hurry is, but everyone wants to get by and get by quickly. There are these tiny pathways and on each side are vendors. I thought, "how are the venders not getting trampled." I was practically so who knows! I didn't bring anything of value as pick pocketing is very prevelant here. I stuffed my money in my bra it was Josefina's recommendation. When I bought something I'd dig around for my $. I tried to slide it underneath my strap. All the women here keep there money in their bra. It's the safest place...the indigenous women anyway. A lady I bought something from had to dig around in her bra to get me change. She apologized, but I told her it's no big deal because I had to get my $ from there too. LOL! I had to bargain for my purchases, it reminds me of NYC. Nothing as an exact price...Josefina said that I got a good price and I did a good job! Whew!
I'll write more later as I have to pick up my laundry at the laundry mat. I found a cheaper one so I'm going to take it there instead of having someone pick it up from the school. I'll try to return later today to write about my experience.
One a quick note, my dance classes are good, when my teacher shows up. I feel as thought I'm at the level I was before I got very sick. He's tough and I llike it. I tell him off sometimes and he's quite rude. He speaks english so I can really express myself. My posture is bad, i'm not on rhythm, you can't lead because salsa is a very macho dance, I don't turn in one place, i don't read his hands correctly, i don't move my hips enough, i don't keep my head up enough to exude confidence. i'm so focused on my damn feet. the music is so complex and it has many, many instruments playing. you have to focus on the softest background music to get the beat of the entire song. I still can't hear it and I doubt I ever will. I'm just glad I'm a women and I follow and don't have to set the pace. My feet are getting pretty beat up, my shoes are comfy, but yesterday I danced for 2 hours. I'm going to try to have classes 4 to 5 hours per week until I leave. It's fun...if my teacher doesn't show up a lot again then I'm just going to take aerobics clases and resume my dancing in Chicago this fall.
San Francisco is to be cont...
The weather has been so beautiful and I've been feeling great. The Amoxicillin did its job. I plan on going on the two day hike next week. I'm scared about using the bathroom outside that and sleeping in a tent, but I must must hike up another volcanoe before I leave. I'm going to try to convince somone here to hike up the active one before I leave too. It spurts about every 20 minutes. I don't know how close we get to it...however, the hike is at 11 p.m. at night and you hike up it all night and watch the sunrise on the top and eat breakfast. Beautiful, huh? I've gotta do it!!!!
OK, I had an awesome time with my teacher at the market. I know how to get there so Nolan if you're up for experience a really traditional market not infiltrated with gringos than we can go. It's every Friday! We left school very early and go there in about 45 minutes. The bus ride is incredible and we passed the waterfall again. It's in the same direction, but before the mountain I visited in June, Momo. The chicken bus was packed and I was the only gringo on the bus. An adorable indigenous girl got on at a bus stop, it's really just the side of the road, there aren't any designated bus stops. She was carrying something wrapped up in a blanket. A few minutes later a head of a turkey popped out from under neather her arm! It kept trying to squirm it's way out of her grip but her hands weren't going to let it go! I ddin't see a chicken on the bus yet, but there were turkeys yesterday! When we got to the market she exited with her mom and two turkeys flew out of her moms purse. They wrestled them to the ground to stuff them back into the bag. Crazy!
Louis Fernando, my teacher, said that there aren't that many people here, but in about 1 more hour it would be packed. I thought, geez, it's packed now. We tried walking through some areas I thought I was in a mosh pit at a rock concert or a ping pong ball. People are pushing you around to pass you and get to their destination. It was scarying when we were walking up hills or stairs. I'm not sure what the hurry is, but everyone wants to get by and get by quickly. There are these tiny pathways and on each side are vendors. I thought, "how are the venders not getting trampled." I was practically so who knows! I didn't bring anything of value as pick pocketing is very prevelant here. I stuffed my money in my bra it was Josefina's recommendation. When I bought something I'd dig around for my $. I tried to slide it underneath my strap. All the women here keep there money in their bra. It's the safest place...the indigenous women anyway. A lady I bought something from had to dig around in her bra to get me change. She apologized, but I told her it's no big deal because I had to get my $ from there too. LOL! I had to bargain for my purchases, it reminds me of NYC. Nothing as an exact price...Josefina said that I got a good price and I did a good job! Whew!
I'll write more later as I have to pick up my laundry at the laundry mat. I found a cheaper one so I'm going to take it there instead of having someone pick it up from the school. I'll try to return later today to write about my experience.
One a quick note, my dance classes are good, when my teacher shows up. I feel as thought I'm at the level I was before I got very sick. He's tough and I llike it. I tell him off sometimes and he's quite rude. He speaks english so I can really express myself. My posture is bad, i'm not on rhythm, you can't lead because salsa is a very macho dance, I don't turn in one place, i don't read his hands correctly, i don't move my hips enough, i don't keep my head up enough to exude confidence. i'm so focused on my damn feet. the music is so complex and it has many, many instruments playing. you have to focus on the softest background music to get the beat of the entire song. I still can't hear it and I doubt I ever will. I'm just glad I'm a women and I follow and don't have to set the pace. My feet are getting pretty beat up, my shoes are comfy, but yesterday I danced for 2 hours. I'm going to try to have classes 4 to 5 hours per week until I leave. It's fun...if my teacher doesn't show up a lot again then I'm just going to take aerobics clases and resume my dancing in Chicago this fall.
San Francisco is to be cont...
posted by USFBULL2002 | 11:49 AM
1 Comments:
Ok, I'll start with the night time hike. Is this a QT hike? Is it a large group of hikers? Is it even remotely safe?
As far as the market i will have to adopt your attitude and say i'm up for anything as long as it's safe. we can go to this market if you decide you would like to attend it twice.
not sure i could handle the pet cemetary part...
good advice josefina gave you regarding the $$$ in the bra as well as the dirty cup. Seems she really looks out for you which is GREAT!
thats crazy to imagine someone hiding a live turkey in a bag.
why do people buy dogs as pets if they dont want to care for them?
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