I've been trying to upload photos with each of my blog entries, but have finally faced the fact that the Internet service we have here in our guest house, while adequate for many things, it a real bummer for uploading photos.
I'll try to find a WiFi site or Internet cafe where I can upload them in a reasonable amount of time.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
March 27
This morning I'm up and working on the computer until about 10:00 a.m., at which time I took our laundry down the street to the lavandaria.
When I got back to the guest house, Linda and I started walking down to Parque Calvario, by way of the Vrisa Bookstore, where we returned a rental book Linda had checked out.
From there we walked to Parque Central and stopped in at Pollo Campero to get a soft-serve ice cream cone, however they weren't selling them yet. Instead, we walked around the area on the east side of Parque Calvario. We checked out the area on the east side of the Palacio Municipal (city hall) to see if there was a market going on, but it was locked up. We walked through the Commercial Mercado, a two-story, semi-open air building with a basement (actually it's street level on one side), but most businesses were closed. We walked to the front of the Palacio Municipal to see of the town band (two marimbas, a snare drum and a string bass) were playing, but they weren't.
We sat in Parque Central on a bench in the shade for about a half an hour and only had to say "no, gracias" about five times. From there, we walked over to the site of a restaurant that offers live marimba music (or so we read), but got confused by the street names. The site we wanted was in Zona 1, where we were, but the address I used, which worked, albeit incorrectly, was in Zona 3.
Frustrated, we went to Pollo Campero for lunch and further study of our maps and location information. After lunch, we walked to the correct location for the restaurant we were seeking. It was across the street from Dispensa Familiar, so we went into the grocery and picked up some items we needed.
We then walked home and dropped off our purchases. I went to pick up our laundry. Today's laundry, which included our bed sheets, sweats and most of our clothing and towels, cost only Q40 ($4.80). After taking the laundry back to the guest house, Linda put it away while I went to the mercado on the corner to pick up some fruit and vegetables we needed.
Back at the apartment, I sterilized the fruit and vegetables I had purchased with Sanavida and put them away. I tried to work on the computer, but our connection was so bad I shut it down and read a mystery we had purchased at one of the used book stores we had visited.
Around 5:00 p.m., it was so pleasant outside, that we decided to go for a walk before fixing supper. We walked from our guest house to Parque Calvario, from there almost to Parque Central and then returned to the guest house to prepare supper.
Not long after supper, the third young woman living in our guest house, Saskia, a native of the Netherlands, returned from a three-week trip to El Salvador. We introduced ourselves and soon she and Paula were chatting away in Dutch.
Later, I tried to work on-line, but got frustrated and decided to upload all my completed blog entries and worry about adding the photos to them later.
When I got back to the guest house, Linda and I started walking down to Parque Calvario, by way of the Vrisa Bookstore, where we returned a rental book Linda had checked out.
From there we walked to Parque Central and stopped in at Pollo Campero to get a soft-serve ice cream cone, however they weren't selling them yet. Instead, we walked around the area on the east side of Parque Calvario. We checked out the area on the east side of the Palacio Municipal (city hall) to see if there was a market going on, but it was locked up. We walked through the Commercial Mercado, a two-story, semi-open air building with a basement (actually it's street level on one side), but most businesses were closed. We walked to the front of the Palacio Municipal to see of the town band (two marimbas, a snare drum and a string bass) were playing, but they weren't.
We sat in Parque Central on a bench in the shade for about a half an hour and only had to say "no, gracias" about five times. From there, we walked over to the site of a restaurant that offers live marimba music (or so we read), but got confused by the street names. The site we wanted was in Zona 1, where we were, but the address I used, which worked, albeit incorrectly, was in Zona 3.
Frustrated, we went to Pollo Campero for lunch and further study of our maps and location information. After lunch, we walked to the correct location for the restaurant we were seeking. It was across the street from Dispensa Familiar, so we went into the grocery and picked up some items we needed.
We then walked home and dropped off our purchases. I went to pick up our laundry. Today's laundry, which included our bed sheets, sweats and most of our clothing and towels, cost only Q40 ($4.80). After taking the laundry back to the guest house, Linda put it away while I went to the mercado on the corner to pick up some fruit and vegetables we needed.
Back at the apartment, I sterilized the fruit and vegetables I had purchased with Sanavida and put them away. I tried to work on the computer, but our connection was so bad I shut it down and read a mystery we had purchased at one of the used book stores we had visited.
Around 5:00 p.m., it was so pleasant outside, that we decided to go for a walk before fixing supper. We walked from our guest house to Parque Calvario, from there almost to Parque Central and then returned to the guest house to prepare supper.
Not long after supper, the third young woman living in our guest house, Saskia, a native of the Netherlands, returned from a three-week trip to El Salvador. We introduced ourselves and soon she and Paula were chatting away in Dutch.
Later, I tried to work on-line, but got frustrated and decided to upload all my completed blog entries and worry about adding the photos to them later.
March 26
This morning, after breakfast, I worked on the computer until about 10:00 a.m. At that time, we decided that we needed to go on another adventure.
While we were preparing to leave, Ariana called to tell me that my USB drive was ready to return. She had transferred the files to it that she wanted to give me. We arranged to meet around 10:10 a.m. by La Torre Rosada (the Pink Tower), which is in the middle of the street near her apartment.
I have no idea what the story is behind La Torre Rosada. It's a tower with a pitched roof standing in the middle of the intersection of three streets. When I asked back in 2007, I was told that it probably was put there when they introduced electricity to this part of Xela. Other than that, no one knows much about it.
After picking up my USB drive, we walked toward Parque Central to catch a microbus heading for Hiper Paiz and Pradera Mall. We were looking for some cough medicine for Linda and thought that we might have more selection there.
Wonder of wonders, we did get to our destination without a problem. Once there, even though we had eaten a good breakfast, we were both hungry, so we headed for the food court and had a Q25 ($3.00) shrimp special at Pollo Campero.
After our early lunch, we walked through the mall and stopped by several shops selling computers to see if there was an external antenna that could be used with a laptop to increase the strength of a WiFi signal. (I later learned that there are, but that they are primarily used with external WiFi cards. There's really no way to use such things with internal WiFi cards, like you find in most laptops, unless you have a great deal of electronics experience and knowledge.)
We walked through Hiper Paiz looking for the cough medicine and were soon referred to the pharmacy department, where we found some Vicks Formula 44. When we showed it to the pharmacist, he recommended that we try a different product. It is a German preparation called Abrilar Jarabe (April Syrup), which contains an extract of Hedera Helix (Common Ivy).
We then headed over to the Pollo Campero on the street in front of the mall and had a soft-serve ice cream. From there, we crossed the four-lane highway by the elevated walkway and walked down the road to where the Burger King was situated. We had heard that there was a branch of the Bake Shop located there. We never found it, although we did find another strip mall with a very interesting fitness center in the middle of it's entrance.
Walking back towards Pradera Mall, we crossed the four-lane again by the elevated walkway and looked for a microbus heading for Parque Democracia, which isn't far from the original Bake Shop.
The Bake Shop, by the way, is a bakery that is operated by a group of Mennonites who live in the mountains surrounding Xela. It's only open two days a week (Tuesday and Friday), because it 's so difficult for them to make the trip into town. It's the only place in town to get American-style baked goods and real cheddar cheese. We purchased some cheddar and a loaf of delicious banana bread.
After getting our goodies, we begin to look for a microbus that will take us to Parque Calvario, near where our guest house is located. We start by looking where we had gotten one just yesterday, but saw none. We soon discovered that the routes were disrupted today by a parade and market day. We tried six different locations before we conceded defeat and soon found a microbus heading towards Parque Central. Once there, we decided to have an early supper. another shrimp special for Q25, at Pollo Campero.
After eating, we headed over to the Dispensa Familar to pick up some items we needed and then headed back to the guest house. Once there, we worked on our computers and read until it was time to call it a night.
While we were preparing to leave, Ariana called to tell me that my USB drive was ready to return. She had transferred the files to it that she wanted to give me. We arranged to meet around 10:10 a.m. by La Torre Rosada (the Pink Tower), which is in the middle of the street near her apartment.
I have no idea what the story is behind La Torre Rosada. It's a tower with a pitched roof standing in the middle of the intersection of three streets. When I asked back in 2007, I was told that it probably was put there when they introduced electricity to this part of Xela. Other than that, no one knows much about it.
After picking up my USB drive, we walked toward Parque Central to catch a microbus heading for Hiper Paiz and Pradera Mall. We were looking for some cough medicine for Linda and thought that we might have more selection there.
Wonder of wonders, we did get to our destination without a problem. Once there, even though we had eaten a good breakfast, we were both hungry, so we headed for the food court and had a Q25 ($3.00) shrimp special at Pollo Campero.
After our early lunch, we walked through the mall and stopped by several shops selling computers to see if there was an external antenna that could be used with a laptop to increase the strength of a WiFi signal. (I later learned that there are, but that they are primarily used with external WiFi cards. There's really no way to use such things with internal WiFi cards, like you find in most laptops, unless you have a great deal of electronics experience and knowledge.)
We walked through Hiper Paiz looking for the cough medicine and were soon referred to the pharmacy department, where we found some Vicks Formula 44. When we showed it to the pharmacist, he recommended that we try a different product. It is a German preparation called Abrilar Jarabe (April Syrup), which contains an extract of Hedera Helix (Common Ivy).
We then headed over to the Pollo Campero on the street in front of the mall and had a soft-serve ice cream. From there, we crossed the four-lane highway by the elevated walkway and walked down the road to where the Burger King was situated. We had heard that there was a branch of the Bake Shop located there. We never found it, although we did find another strip mall with a very interesting fitness center in the middle of it's entrance.
Walking back towards Pradera Mall, we crossed the four-lane again by the elevated walkway and looked for a microbus heading for Parque Democracia, which isn't far from the original Bake Shop.
The Bake Shop, by the way, is a bakery that is operated by a group of Mennonites who live in the mountains surrounding Xela. It's only open two days a week (Tuesday and Friday), because it 's so difficult for them to make the trip into town. It's the only place in town to get American-style baked goods and real cheddar cheese. We purchased some cheddar and a loaf of delicious banana bread.
After getting our goodies, we begin to look for a microbus that will take us to Parque Calvario, near where our guest house is located. We start by looking where we had gotten one just yesterday, but saw none. We soon discovered that the routes were disrupted today by a parade and market day. We tried six different locations before we conceded defeat and soon found a microbus heading towards Parque Central. Once there, we decided to have an early supper. another shrimp special for Q25, at Pollo Campero.
After eating, we headed over to the Dispensa Familar to pick up some items we needed and then headed back to the guest house. Once there, we worked on our computers and read until it was time to call it a night.
March 25
This morning, after breakfast, I spent the morning reviewing documents I've received from Primeros Pasos. This is primarily background information dealing with their history, objectives and results. I'll need this backgrounding if I'm to prepare grant applications and letters of inquiry.
Late in the morning, I ran across a funding source in Houston that got my interest. Rather than call them directly, I turned to my daughter in Missouri city, Susan, to make the inquiry for me. I later heard that she had gone through quite a workout before she was able to leave a voicemail message. She's hoping that a carbon-based unit (i.e. human) will return her call.
Mid-morning, Ariana emailed me and said that if I dropped off my USB drive, she could get the files she wanted to give me transferred to it. It was such a nice day that Linda walked with me over to the Torre Rosada (Pink Tower), which was adjacent to Ariana's apartment. On our way back, we stopped by our corner mercado and picked up a dozen eggs. I had brought the empty carton from our last dozen and used it, since eggs are usually sold in a flat of 30. We also bought two avocados and bananas. We then returned to our guest house to put away our provisions and I continued working on my document review.
Just before noon, we decided to walk to Parque Calvario (just around the corner and one long block away) and pick up a microbus that would take us to the Minerva Terminal (where all the chicken buses in Xela congregate), where we could walk to the Pradera Mall for lunch in the food court. There are a number of fast food restaurants there that Linda feels comfortable with after just coming off of major intestinal distress.
By the way, a microbus is typically a van, but it could be actually a small bus, minibus, that is used for public (though owned privately) transport here in Xela. A ride anywhere in town only costs Q1.25 (15 cents). Today, we think we may have witnessed a worlds record when we rode with 25 people at one time (four were standing).
When we got to Parque Calvario, we just missed both a bus and a microbus that were pulling away as we crossed the park. The next three or four microbuses were completely filled, or so we thought.
Eventually a microbus arrives and several people get off, making room for us to get on. On the windshield was a sign indicating where it went. One of the destinations was Terminal, which I assumed was the Minerva Terminal.
We rode this microbus from Parque Calvario, past Parque Juarez, past Mont Blanc (the smaller of the two shopping centers in Xela), past the Minerva mercado and, just as we expected it to turn right to go to Terminal, it turned left. We ended up about as far out in Xela as we could get and still be considered in town. By this time the microbus had emptied except for us and when I pointed to the sign and said that we wanted to go to Terminal, the driver just shook his head.
Instead, he drove us on until he found another microbus waiting by the side of the road and asked them if they were going to Terminal. They said they were (should I believe them?) and we changed microbuses. This one took a different route back and before we knew it, we were back at Parque Calvario, where we had started not so long ago.
We decided to take our chances and repeated the route we had earlier taken, but, this time, we got off at Parque Juarez, as we had spied a Pollo Campero on the corner. That we saw it was somewhat of a miracle, since both sidewalks along side the restaurant were filled with stalls selling shoes.
We went into Pollo Campero and were surprised to find almost every table filled and it was only 1:30 p.m., which is early for lunch in Guatemala. Since Linda's blood sugar was only 105 this morning, we celebrated by ordering fried chicken. Mine was extra crispy, while Linda ordered tradicional. We ordered the dinner (2 pieces of chicken, french fries, roll and beverage) and were only charged Q30 ($3.60) each.
After we finished lunch, we walked along Parque Calvario and continued on to Mont Blanc, the smaller of Xela's two shopping malls. Like Pradera Mall, it's two stories, but not as long. We went there for two purposes: first, I needed an ATM to replenish our funds and second, we needed some groceries and there is a Supertienda Paiz, which is smaller than a Hiper Paiz (think Walmart Superstore), but larger than a Dispensa Familiar (think small grocery store).
After getting our groceries, we walked back outside and returned to the street that the microbuses were using. The usual street, in front of Mont Blanc, is under reconstruction.
It wasn't long before a bus appeared. I asked if they were going to Parque Calvario and got a negative response. I got the same response from the next vehicle, a microbus. Finally, a minibus appeared and when I asked if it was going to Parque Calvario, the auydante replied vuelta (return), so we got on. We rode on this minibus to the end of the route and then it returned right to Parque Calvario and we got off right in front of Calvario Church.
On our walk back to our guest house, we once again stopped by he mercado for some additional fruits and vegetables that we would need for supper.
While Linda fixed supper, I started reviewing possible funding sources for Primeros Pasos projects. I took a break when supper was ready and resumed my search after I had eaten. When I finally stopped searching, I had identified seven possible funding sources, not including the one Susan is checking on. While most of them have submission deadlines next fall and winter, several have submission deadlines as early as May and, in two cases, no submission deadlines.
My final task this evening was to record my daily activity for posting on my blog. I'm still behind on my postings, but at least the text is practically finished.
Late in the morning, I ran across a funding source in Houston that got my interest. Rather than call them directly, I turned to my daughter in Missouri city, Susan, to make the inquiry for me. I later heard that she had gone through quite a workout before she was able to leave a voicemail message. She's hoping that a carbon-based unit (i.e. human) will return her call.
Mid-morning, Ariana emailed me and said that if I dropped off my USB drive, she could get the files she wanted to give me transferred to it. It was such a nice day that Linda walked with me over to the Torre Rosada (Pink Tower), which was adjacent to Ariana's apartment. On our way back, we stopped by our corner mercado and picked up a dozen eggs. I had brought the empty carton from our last dozen and used it, since eggs are usually sold in a flat of 30. We also bought two avocados and bananas. We then returned to our guest house to put away our provisions and I continued working on my document review.
Just before noon, we decided to walk to Parque Calvario (just around the corner and one long block away) and pick up a microbus that would take us to the Minerva Terminal (where all the chicken buses in Xela congregate), where we could walk to the Pradera Mall for lunch in the food court. There are a number of fast food restaurants there that Linda feels comfortable with after just coming off of major intestinal distress.
By the way, a microbus is typically a van, but it could be actually a small bus, minibus, that is used for public (though owned privately) transport here in Xela. A ride anywhere in town only costs Q1.25 (15 cents). Today, we think we may have witnessed a worlds record when we rode with 25 people at one time (four were standing).
When we got to Parque Calvario, we just missed both a bus and a microbus that were pulling away as we crossed the park. The next three or four microbuses were completely filled, or so we thought.
Eventually a microbus arrives and several people get off, making room for us to get on. On the windshield was a sign indicating where it went. One of the destinations was Terminal, which I assumed was the Minerva Terminal.
We rode this microbus from Parque Calvario, past Parque Juarez, past Mont Blanc (the smaller of the two shopping centers in Xela), past the Minerva mercado and, just as we expected it to turn right to go to Terminal, it turned left. We ended up about as far out in Xela as we could get and still be considered in town. By this time the microbus had emptied except for us and when I pointed to the sign and said that we wanted to go to Terminal, the driver just shook his head.
Instead, he drove us on until he found another microbus waiting by the side of the road and asked them if they were going to Terminal. They said they were (should I believe them?) and we changed microbuses. This one took a different route back and before we knew it, we were back at Parque Calvario, where we had started not so long ago.
We decided to take our chances and repeated the route we had earlier taken, but, this time, we got off at Parque Juarez, as we had spied a Pollo Campero on the corner. That we saw it was somewhat of a miracle, since both sidewalks along side the restaurant were filled with stalls selling shoes.
We went into Pollo Campero and were surprised to find almost every table filled and it was only 1:30 p.m., which is early for lunch in Guatemala. Since Linda's blood sugar was only 105 this morning, we celebrated by ordering fried chicken. Mine was extra crispy, while Linda ordered tradicional. We ordered the dinner (2 pieces of chicken, french fries, roll and beverage) and were only charged Q30 ($3.60) each.
After we finished lunch, we walked along Parque Calvario and continued on to Mont Blanc, the smaller of Xela's two shopping malls. Like Pradera Mall, it's two stories, but not as long. We went there for two purposes: first, I needed an ATM to replenish our funds and second, we needed some groceries and there is a Supertienda Paiz, which is smaller than a Hiper Paiz (think Walmart Superstore), but larger than a Dispensa Familiar (think small grocery store).
After getting our groceries, we walked back outside and returned to the street that the microbuses were using. The usual street, in front of Mont Blanc, is under reconstruction.
It wasn't long before a bus appeared. I asked if they were going to Parque Calvario and got a negative response. I got the same response from the next vehicle, a microbus. Finally, a minibus appeared and when I asked if it was going to Parque Calvario, the auydante replied vuelta (return), so we got on. We rode on this minibus to the end of the route and then it returned right to Parque Calvario and we got off right in front of Calvario Church.
On our walk back to our guest house, we once again stopped by he mercado for some additional fruits and vegetables that we would need for supper.
While Linda fixed supper, I started reviewing possible funding sources for Primeros Pasos projects. I took a break when supper was ready and resumed my search after I had eaten. When I finally stopped searching, I had identified seven possible funding sources, not including the one Susan is checking on. While most of them have submission deadlines next fall and winter, several have submission deadlines as early as May and, in two cases, no submission deadlines.
My final task this evening was to record my daily activity for posting on my blog. I'm still behind on my postings, but at least the text is practically finished.
March 24
Today we were up early, had breakfast and headed over to Parque Calvario, where we are meeting Ariana to take a chicken bus to Tierra Colorada Baja, the location of the Primeros Pasos medical clinic, for which I will be doing some fund development consulting. We met up with Ariana at about 8:50 a.m., but discovered that chicken buses heading the direction we wanted to take were few and far between. I even headed over to a tienda thinking that would cause one to appear quickly. It didn't! Finally, a chicken bus does appear going the direction we want and we get on board around 9:40 a.m.
It was really different from the chicken buses we rode in the La Antigua area. Those chicken buses were bursting with passengers most of the time, while this one was practically empty. The trip took about 15 minutes and cost Q2 (24 cents).
Once at the clinic, Ariana gave us a quick tour and took us to the "salon de salud" (health room), where we observed a first grade class being taught about intestinal parasites and how to avoid them. This is a significant problem for about 20% of the people in this part of Guatemala. When the lecture was over, each child got to look through a microscope at a parasite and then received a tooth brush.
After the lesson was over and the children had left, we talked with one of the children's health volunteers from Houston. She said that she typically went to the participating schools and did three 40 minute health presentations for each grade level. Unfortunately, her team partner had returned home, so she was helping with children's health presentations at the clinic for the time being.
While waiting to meet with the education coordinator, we felt the ground move, but didn't think too much about it. Later, we learned that there had been an earthquake (4.9 on the Richter Scale) on the Guatamalan Pacific coast.
When we met with the education coordinator, we learned that each school sends each of their classes to the Primeros Pasos clinic once each year for a physical examination, a dental check and a health lesson. They also do health lessons in each of the ten participating schools. In addition, there are women's educational classes. Of course, the clinic is available at a modest cost for anyone needing medical attention.
Soon after noon, we began waiting for a chicken bus to take us back to Parque Calvario. Ariana had given me a large folder of additional information that I will use in my fund development work and I wanted to drop it off at our guest house.
On the way, we stopped by the corner mercado to pick up some vegetables to make soup for supper and a mop (actually a handle with a wire mechanism that allows you to attach a towel to the end).
After dropping off the material, we walked to Parque Central to have a grilled chicken caesar burrito with fries and a drink at Pollo Campero. They are quite tasty and, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, they only cost Q20 ($2.40).
After lunch, we went to Dispensa Familiar to pick up some needed items and returned to our guest house, where Linda took a nap and I worked on the computer doing my daily job search and working on my blog.
Supper was an excellent soup, followed by more blogging. Actually, the blogging goes fairly fast. It's the picture loading that takes time, especially when the daily blog that I loaded today has seventeen photos.
It was really different from the chicken buses we rode in the La Antigua area. Those chicken buses were bursting with passengers most of the time, while this one was practically empty. The trip took about 15 minutes and cost Q2 (24 cents).
Once at the clinic, Ariana gave us a quick tour and took us to the "salon de salud" (health room), where we observed a first grade class being taught about intestinal parasites and how to avoid them. This is a significant problem for about 20% of the people in this part of Guatemala. When the lecture was over, each child got to look through a microscope at a parasite and then received a tooth brush.
After the lesson was over and the children had left, we talked with one of the children's health volunteers from Houston. She said that she typically went to the participating schools and did three 40 minute health presentations for each grade level. Unfortunately, her team partner had returned home, so she was helping with children's health presentations at the clinic for the time being.
While waiting to meet with the education coordinator, we felt the ground move, but didn't think too much about it. Later, we learned that there had been an earthquake (4.9 on the Richter Scale) on the Guatamalan Pacific coast.
When we met with the education coordinator, we learned that each school sends each of their classes to the Primeros Pasos clinic once each year for a physical examination, a dental check and a health lesson. They also do health lessons in each of the ten participating schools. In addition, there are women's educational classes. Of course, the clinic is available at a modest cost for anyone needing medical attention.
Soon after noon, we began waiting for a chicken bus to take us back to Parque Calvario. Ariana had given me a large folder of additional information that I will use in my fund development work and I wanted to drop it off at our guest house.
On the way, we stopped by the corner mercado to pick up some vegetables to make soup for supper and a mop (actually a handle with a wire mechanism that allows you to attach a towel to the end).
After dropping off the material, we walked to Parque Central to have a grilled chicken caesar burrito with fries and a drink at Pollo Campero. They are quite tasty and, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, they only cost Q20 ($2.40).
After lunch, we went to Dispensa Familiar to pick up some needed items and returned to our guest house, where Linda took a nap and I worked on the computer doing my daily job search and working on my blog.
Supper was an excellent soup, followed by more blogging. Actually, the blogging goes fairly fast. It's the picture loading that takes time, especially when the daily blog that I loaded today has seventeen photos.
March 23
Slept in. Worked on those questions for that job application. At 10:00 a.m., I took our laundry down the street to be washed and, after I returned, we walked over to INEPAS and found the outside door open, but the inner door locked. We rang the bell and the owner came out and let us in. Supposedly, she was to be my contact for the village computer project. After discovering that she didn't (or wouldn't) speak English, we pieced together what she told us in Spanish. Evidently they have computer labs in 40 villages and each village lab has from 35 to 40 computers. In other words, we're talking about 1,400 to 1,600 computers. Furthermore, she let us know that our Spanish wasn't good enough to work with them and that next week, Semana Santa (Holy Week), everything would be shut down anyway. To cut to the chase, we thanked her for her hospitality, informed her that we probably couldn't accomplish much and left intending to check with Entremundos later.
From there, we walked to the Vrisa Bookstore, where Linda found two books she wanted, one of which we're renting rather than purchasing.
We continued on to where the microbuses load to go out to Hiper Paiz and the Pradera Mall. We soon found one and left on our Q1.25 (15 cent) trip. The route was much more complex than during our last trip, since there was major road work that had to be avoided.
Eventually we were let off in front of Hiper Paiz and decided to have lunch at Pollo Comparo. Once again we ordered the Chicken Caesar burrito, but the camarero (waiter) tried to tell us something that we didn't understand. Later, when examining the promotional piece on a nearby table, I understood. The Q20 price was only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We ended up paying Q33 ($3.96) each, but they were still tasty.
Following lunch, we walked through the Pradera Mall, a two-story shopping center. We found two mugs and a knife that really cuts at one bargain store and clothes hangers at another. We then walked through Hiper Paiz, where we found some unsalted peanuts, trash bags and some live culture yogurt that Linda wanted.
We next walked over the four-lane highway on the crosswalk and found a minibus heading back towards Parque Central. After getting off downtown, we stopped by Dispensa Familiar, but didn't buy anything.
We headed back to the guest house and worked on our computers. Just after 4:00 p.m., I picked up our laundry (a large laundry bag full). The charge was Q25 ($3.00).
Supper was scrambled eggs, avocado and a banana. We spent the evening trying to catch up on our blogs. Hopefully, I'll get caught up soon. The text is almost all up-to-date. The delay is due to the time it takes to upload photos. Oh, how I long for true high speed Internet!
From there, we walked to the Vrisa Bookstore, where Linda found two books she wanted, one of which we're renting rather than purchasing.
We continued on to where the microbuses load to go out to Hiper Paiz and the Pradera Mall. We soon found one and left on our Q1.25 (15 cent) trip. The route was much more complex than during our last trip, since there was major road work that had to be avoided.
Eventually we were let off in front of Hiper Paiz and decided to have lunch at Pollo Comparo. Once again we ordered the Chicken Caesar burrito, but the camarero (waiter) tried to tell us something that we didn't understand. Later, when examining the promotional piece on a nearby table, I understood. The Q20 price was only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We ended up paying Q33 ($3.96) each, but they were still tasty.
Following lunch, we walked through the Pradera Mall, a two-story shopping center. We found two mugs and a knife that really cuts at one bargain store and clothes hangers at another. We then walked through Hiper Paiz, where we found some unsalted peanuts, trash bags and some live culture yogurt that Linda wanted.
We next walked over the four-lane highway on the crosswalk and found a minibus heading back towards Parque Central. After getting off downtown, we stopped by Dispensa Familiar, but didn't buy anything.
We headed back to the guest house and worked on our computers. Just after 4:00 p.m., I picked up our laundry (a large laundry bag full). The charge was Q25 ($3.00).
Supper was scrambled eggs, avocado and a banana. We spent the evening trying to catch up on our blogs. Hopefully, I'll get caught up soon. The text is almost all up-to-date. The delay is due to the time it takes to upload photos. Oh, how I long for true high speed Internet!
March 22
Slept in (Note: When I write this, I'm getting up between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m., just not at 5:00 a.m.). In the morning I worked on those questions for that position I'm applying for. Around 10:15 I start walking to Ariana's office, which is in the same building as Entremundos, a local non-profit that works to support other non-profits in the area. Naturally, I can't find it, so I have to call so that she can help me find the location.
Regarding my inability to find her office, I'd like to point out that street addresses in Guatemala are very strange. For instance, the street address of the guest house we're staying at is Diagonal 12, 6-58, Zone 1. Now, "Diagonal 12" is the name of the street. "Zone 1" denotes the area of town in which the address is located. I know of at least six zones in the urbanized area of Xela, but there must be more in the rural outskirts, since I saw some land for sale in Zone 10, where ever that is.
We had a nice visit and I learned quite a bit about the project and their needs. She also promised to email me some other documents about the project that would be useful in preparing grant applications. Since we need to see the clinic that is the core of the project first-hand, we made plans to meet at 8:50 a.m. at Parque Calvario, not far from our guest house, so that we could take a chicken bus to the clinic.
I returned to the guest house, where we had some homemade soup for lunch and following lunch, walked over to INEPAS, a Spanish school, that has computer labs located in a number of villages surrounding Xela. The sign on the door stated that they would be open at 3:00 p.m., but they weren't, so I walked over to the Vrisa Bookstore, which boasts over 4,000 used books for sale. After checking it out, I walked back to INEPAS and found it still locked, so I headed over to the North & South Bookstore, which is a more conventional bookstore selling primarily new books. From there, I returned once again to INEPAS and found it still locked, so I decided to walk over to XelaPages, an Internet cafe facing Parque Calvario, to see Tom Lingenfelter.
Tom was very helpful during our last visit to xela and I wanted to ask him some questions. When I arrived, Tom was sitting at his desk by the front window in the Internet cafe he owns (he has other related businesses also). He recognized me (perhaps my hat was a giveaway), but needed help with my name, which isn't unexpected after an absence of over 2 1/2 years. I discovered, to my dismay, that Cubatenango, a restaurant that we had really enjoyed on our 2007 trip had closed because the owner had not been able to find good help. I did get other restaurant recommendations and, after telling Tom why we were in Xela, a suggestion that I contact Entremundos to see if they need any help with their computer lab. Evidently, according to Tom, they do.
After leaving Tom, I walked back towards the apartment. First, however, I picked up some fruits and vegetables that we needed at the corner mercado. As you can imagine, it's really convenient to be able to walk half a block and pick up fresh, ready to eat produce.
Back at the apartment, after sanitizing our fruits and vegetables, I once again worked on my blog and other computer tasks.
For dinner, since Linda was feeling better, we went back to Pollo Campero to try a chicken Caesar burrito for Q20 ($2.40) that we had seen advertised. We each had one and enjoyed them so much, we ordered another to split.
After dinner, we returned to the guest house and I continued working on those questions for the latest job opportunity I've located and continued on that project until about 10:00 p.m.
Regarding my inability to find her office, I'd like to point out that street addresses in Guatemala are very strange. For instance, the street address of the guest house we're staying at is Diagonal 12, 6-58, Zone 1. Now, "Diagonal 12" is the name of the street. "Zone 1" denotes the area of town in which the address is located. I know of at least six zones in the urbanized area of Xela, but there must be more in the rural outskirts, since I saw some land for sale in Zone 10, where ever that is.
We had a nice visit and I learned quite a bit about the project and their needs. She also promised to email me some other documents about the project that would be useful in preparing grant applications. Since we need to see the clinic that is the core of the project first-hand, we made plans to meet at 8:50 a.m. at Parque Calvario, not far from our guest house, so that we could take a chicken bus to the clinic.
I returned to the guest house, where we had some homemade soup for lunch and following lunch, walked over to INEPAS, a Spanish school, that has computer labs located in a number of villages surrounding Xela. The sign on the door stated that they would be open at 3:00 p.m., but they weren't, so I walked over to the Vrisa Bookstore, which boasts over 4,000 used books for sale. After checking it out, I walked back to INEPAS and found it still locked, so I headed over to the North & South Bookstore, which is a more conventional bookstore selling primarily new books. From there, I returned once again to INEPAS and found it still locked, so I decided to walk over to XelaPages, an Internet cafe facing Parque Calvario, to see Tom Lingenfelter.
Tom was very helpful during our last visit to xela and I wanted to ask him some questions. When I arrived, Tom was sitting at his desk by the front window in the Internet cafe he owns (he has other related businesses also). He recognized me (perhaps my hat was a giveaway), but needed help with my name, which isn't unexpected after an absence of over 2 1/2 years. I discovered, to my dismay, that Cubatenango, a restaurant that we had really enjoyed on our 2007 trip had closed because the owner had not been able to find good help. I did get other restaurant recommendations and, after telling Tom why we were in Xela, a suggestion that I contact Entremundos to see if they need any help with their computer lab. Evidently, according to Tom, they do.
After leaving Tom, I walked back towards the apartment. First, however, I picked up some fruits and vegetables that we needed at the corner mercado. As you can imagine, it's really convenient to be able to walk half a block and pick up fresh, ready to eat produce.
Back at the apartment, after sanitizing our fruits and vegetables, I once again worked on my blog and other computer tasks.
For dinner, since Linda was feeling better, we went back to Pollo Campero to try a chicken Caesar burrito for Q20 ($2.40) that we had seen advertised. We each had one and enjoyed them so much, we ordered another to split.
After dinner, we returned to the guest house and I continued working on those questions for the latest job opportunity I've located and continued on that project until about 10:00 p.m.
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