Day 1- 4/5/03 [Trip to/arriving in Guatemala]
We got our passports and our boarding passes (for the plane) and we began our jurney. (Spelling mistakes are due to my age. geez. hehe I was never a good speller. get over it)
Mom and i were the only ones in our family who didn't have a inspection for our body. eric had one for a object in the first aid kit. Brad got stopped because of his hat and his boots, and I'm not sure what dad got stopped for. Well anyway, we then got on the plane and man, we ran fast. We were soon in the air riding with the cloads, then we were above them soaring free. But on the way up your ears were killing you. They were popping likes crazy. On the way down it was even worse, but I haven't gotten to that part yet. We saw a movie. Spirit. We saw wonderful and beautiful landmarks were water meets the land. I will remember (yes the word was underlined) to take pictures of that on the way home. i forgot on the way there.
We borderd to planes. Both of wich I have the remaining part of the bording passes. (One was long the other was short, airplane rides) They're in the front pocket of the journal. We waited in a hallway for about half an hour, we played cards, waiting for the busses that would take us to our place that we would stay. This ride took 4 hours. As soon as we arrived we all jumped out of the vans and into the building. (big jump!!) We unpacked our stuff got a room, I have a room with mom and dad. (3 beds). We then filed downstairs into the dining room so we could eat. We had a huge dinner and by time you were done you were ready for bed so thats what we did. I slept in the far left side of the room near the window. Well that's all for today.
- Sarah
Day 2- 4/6/03 [In Guatemala]
Today we are going to learn how to make the stoves. there are plenty of beautiful sites to see, and there are plenty of kids to play with. Big-small, tall-short, and everything in between. We brought out all of our materials for making the stoves and sorted them into ten groups (one for each stove). everyone is so nice and even though I don't speak thier language but they're still kind and it seems like they are still talking to you. Oh and man they are strong, while I carry one cinder block they have little 4 year olds that are caring 2. They have little kids carring 3 on his back and they have to walk a long way to get to his house. While one person from our group would be carrieng (almost got the spelling right! I just keep trying haha. that's dedication) one brick anouther older woman would be caring (woops we're back tracking now) three cinderblocks in one hand, a stove top (really heavy) on her head, and a baby on her back... can you believe it? (It's true though, those natives were very very strong. You think I'm exaggerating...)
they have tons of animals there. They have chicken, turkey, pigs, cow, horses and all these animals help one family make a living. Goat was milk which sold for money. Goats and sheep were also there. (hehe I like goats) Everyting there is wonderful only different then ours here. I'm looking forward to tommarow.
- Sarah (yes. I did sign each entry. Just in case i forgot who I was. You know how it is)
Day 3- 4/7/03 [Building Stoves]
Today we built our stoves and even if we didn't finish it the mason will. First we made the cement and flattend out the ground. We laid the cement blocks out and cemented them together then filled it with sand. We will finish the stoves tommarow and help in the schools. Our family (that we built the stove for) had 6 kids and a mom and dad. The dad, my dad, and I were working on the stove while others were outside playing. Tonight we had a lecture on cultures and how humans are exactly like the universe. (mmhmm don't remember that at all..) This is what i did today. (I'm so good at wrapping things up with one quick sentence lol)
- Sarah
Day 4- 4/7/03 [Finishing the stove/helping in schools]
This morning we had cereal, bread and pineapples too. for breakfast. Then we went to the school (that we've been going to) and went into the classrooms and played with the kids outside. We played soccer and catch and just ran around. We tought them how to play duck, duck, goose and Hockey Pockey. They taught us how to play cat and Mouse. That was a game where everyone made a circle and one person was the cat and anouther person was the mouse. the cat and the mouse have a conversation then the cat tries to catch the mouse and the people of the circle tried to prevent the cat from getting the mouse. (fwew! that was definitely a difficult game to understand.) This was a game that the people of Guatemala taught us. We then went down and finished our stoves. Ours looked great. (YAY!) in our family there were four boys, Paublo and three other boys (HAHA i like how i can only remember Paublo) and two girls, Olga and maria. There was the baby which I included in as a boy. Everyone was very friendly, and they even held a party in honor of us. There was pine needles on the ground which they only put out for realy special cerimonies. (They also had soda. Which was a big deal because one bottle of soda was an entire day's salary. They were really happy to have us there and to share this experience with them. They're gratitude was amazing. Something I won't forget. Not to be corny or anything. And I didn't even like soda at the time. I just remember how expensive, and yet how happy they were to have us there and to be able to do hold this kind of celebration for us.) This is quite a pleasure just to be here. Then we gave our gifts and said our goodbyes because we are not going back there. We are going to the market tommarow and I hope to find something to buy.
- Sarah
Day 5-4/10/03 (date's are a little mixed up.. woops...) [The Market]
Today we went to the market and man it was crowded! We stopped at a smaller place to wait for the other van and all the people that wanted to sell somthing were in the car and swarmed around us trieng to get us to
Then, the market! We got out of the car and started walking to the bank (to change american dollars into Quetzalies (Guatemalan Money) (Hehehe yes that was just like a parenthesis inside a parenthesis that doesn't end anywhere. I'm such a cute lil' kid.) Then dad was swarmed by ladies with blankets that were so kool and they had designes and they followed him through the whole market triing to bargain with him but he never took it. I bought a flute with a quetzal on it (never did figure out how to play that thing...) and a shirt with a quetzal, state bird, and awsome designs on it, and a cool mask. (which is currently hanging to the right of my bed here at home. It is what I believe to be a wolf's face with different designs in sections across the face. There are paw prints and zebra stripes, haha even as a little kid I was indecisive! Some things never change. Anyway...) I liked the market and loved all of the different designs and colors in all of the items. I liked everyting and hope to experience something like that once again.
- Sarah
Day 6- 4/11/03 [The Spring/Going to the Mam Village]
Today i went with the whole group and we drove to the Mam village, the place where the people there speak Mam. (.... really?... woah..) We had to walk up a big hill to get to the village and that was or took a long time! Most of the people in our group wore flip flops or sandles and their feet got realy dirty. Luckiely I was wearing tennis shoes. (Smart girl.) When we got there we listened to them talk and sing songs then we got to see the chicken coop and head home. Later on...
We are on our way to the spring. Wow, another guy just hit the side of the car and made a scratch (he didn't stop eiether) (I was sleeping with my head against the window and I remember this point because when that car hit ours, my head bounced back against that window so hard.. so rude. Ok mind you I think I forgot to mention we're riding up to the top of a mountain. Meaning we're on a cliff. Meaning. woah now. that's a far drop and i could have died if you hit any harder. Thanks dude. Now on to the spring, sorry) The spring was warm and hot in some places. There were people there with only the underwear and girls without shirts. Good thing we bought our bathing suites. We stayed for about half an hour then headed back. That's all for today.
- Sarah
Day 7- 4/12/03 [Lake/Antigua]
We are going to the lake, the most beatiful in the world! It had about three volcanoes on the far side and it was pretty foggy so we could barely see but it was still pretty. Then we went to Antigua. This was were we slept for the night and ate before we go home. We had a exelent lunch, cheesburger that was huge, chips and
- Sarah
Day 8- no date. [Flying Home]
Today we are going home. I will get the bording passes and passports then get on the plane. We watched the last castle (a movie) and that was pretty good. Now we are getting close time to change the time back forward an hour. We played cards on the plane and the hotel shuttle will pick us up and take us home then we will retrieve our own cars and head home. Two more long hours. Well, now we're home. I'll write later.
- Sarah
So yeah. That's my trip. I was eleven years old and yet some of those memories are vivid even today as a freshman in college. I found the notes and had forgotten how amazing that trip really was and what an impact that experience had on my life. Not to mention how silly I was as a little kid :)
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