I just want to take a moment to assure family and friends of our safety. This might be hard to do considering recent events. However, we are very well informed and in a very safe place to live. Many recent events here in Guatemala have been devastating and ominous. Two recent natural disasters struck this tiny country; the size of the state of Louisiana. An active volcano near the country's capitol erupted killing several people, causing thousands to be evacuated, and created hazardous conditions raining down ash. Right on the tail of the eruption a tropical storm hit causing intense flooding and mudslides across the country. Besides natural disasters the political system has entered a period of turmoil. Drug cartels abound, the crime chief resigned, the attorney was just dismissed over corruption allegations, and in a political stunt some severed heads turned up in Guatemala City.
All this aside, we are in a relatively safe city. Quetzaltenango, or Xela, has a genuine small town feel to it. It only gets a little sketchy at night, but it's safe when walking in small groups. Although we are near the active volcano belt in Guatemala, we are relatively distant from any threat. Our house is also located at a high point so flooding during a tropical storm is unlikely. It was a kilometer away that people were being evacuated by small boats a couple weeks ago. As far as the political situation goes, we are white. Tourism makes up the base of the Guatemalan economy. Thus, we are fairly well protected and privileged over the mass populace. We also have a bad ass 4x4 truck and could get the hell out of dodge if need be. Other than petty threats of theft we generally feel pretty safe. For these we can arm ourselves with mace, our trusted machete, or a quaint hunting knife. It also helps being about a foot taller than most men down here.
We feel safe enough here that we are considering staying until late winter/early spring. We have been busy studying Yoga and making foodstuff to sell. I've even started teaching Yoga and would love to become more experienced. I've been teaching beginner classes in the mornings. My classes are usually in Spanish, but sometimes become bilingual. Aña has also been enjoying the steady Yoga routine. We are really getting into our bodies and making steady progress. We are constantly surprising ourselves with our bodies' capabilities. Along with the practice comes a great tranquility of mind that we are cultivating. Definitely worth sticking around for awhile longer. Of course, we'll see how events transpire.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Volcanic Eruption, Tropical Storm, Landslides, and Flooding oh my!
I had thought that having a minor cold for the last four days would be my only worry. I thought wrong. While sniffling away my Thursday morning shift at the bookstore a patron shared a rather disturbing newspaper. He himself had come to buy something to read while waiting for the airport in Guatemala City to re-open. I had learned that one of Guatemala's several active volcanoes, Pacaya, had just erupted. This is a volcano Aña and I climbed up three years ago to see flowing lava. It is located 30 kilometers (19 mi) from Guatemala City. Its eruption was extremely powerful. It was reported that there were two spurts of lava launched almost 1.5 kilometers (0.93 mi) in the air. Tons of rock, dust, and ash fell on nearby villages, Guatemala City, and its international airport. This was the initial cause of the airport being closed. Almost a thousand people have been evacuated from the volcano's proximity. Luckily we are currently residing quite far from that volcano.
The Thursday edition of the Guatemalan newspaper, Prensa Libre, also contained a sideline about the weather on the coast. It casually noted there were 4.8 meter (almost 16 foot) waves and heavy rains on the coast. The coastal weather slowly grew into a tropical storm that covered most of the country. It rained for almost three days straight where we're living; here in Xela. Many streets turned into muddy rivers. Most stores didn't even open. News slowly drifted in announcing several landslides, flooded rivers and cities, and further evacuations and deaths around the country. It also mentioned that a nearby hot spring site we've enjoyed, Fuentes Georginas, was completely destroyed. It was inundated by mudslides and a dozen or so tourists were trapped there as the road was also inaccessible. Even certain areas of Xela were evacuated as water levels rose and flooded houses. Luckily, again, the house we're living in is located at a relatively high point. Until today, many of the normal food sources have been unavailable. The landslides had cut off most major highways into Xela. Many people went into a buying panic stocking up on food preparing for the storm.
The international Airport in Guatemala City will be closed for another four to five days. The heavy rains have hampered the cleanup of the volcanic ash. The rain mixing with the the ash is creating a cement-like mud clogging drainage systems. Too bad the man I met in the bookstore only bought three books to wait for the reopening.
Today marked a lull in the tropical storm. After three days of rain, Aña and I over enjoyed the sun while reading and watching jugglers in Central Park. We're a little sunburned. This evening the storm is supposed to rage on continuing until Wednesday. We can only wait and see what further destruction awaits this tiny natural disaster havocked country. To the best of my knowledge we are in a safe location and we are fortunate. Last night we piggishly enjoyed a pizza potluck party cranking out devouring five pizzas. The 100% whole-wheat sourdough crusts were a huge success! Perhaps given the frustration of the weather, most people instinctively brought wine to share as well. A fabulous night and a comforting reassuring sense of community.
Stay tuned for an update on the second half of the storm getting underway soon!
The Thursday edition of the Guatemalan newspaper, Prensa Libre, also contained a sideline about the weather on the coast. It casually noted there were 4.8 meter (almost 16 foot) waves and heavy rains on the coast. The coastal weather slowly grew into a tropical storm that covered most of the country. It rained for almost three days straight where we're living; here in Xela. Many streets turned into muddy rivers. Most stores didn't even open. News slowly drifted in announcing several landslides, flooded rivers and cities, and further evacuations and deaths around the country. It also mentioned that a nearby hot spring site we've enjoyed, Fuentes Georginas, was completely destroyed. It was inundated by mudslides and a dozen or so tourists were trapped there as the road was also inaccessible. Even certain areas of Xela were evacuated as water levels rose and flooded houses. Luckily, again, the house we're living in is located at a relatively high point. Until today, many of the normal food sources have been unavailable. The landslides had cut off most major highways into Xela. Many people went into a buying panic stocking up on food preparing for the storm.
The international Airport in Guatemala City will be closed for another four to five days. The heavy rains have hampered the cleanup of the volcanic ash. The rain mixing with the the ash is creating a cement-like mud clogging drainage systems. Too bad the man I met in the bookstore only bought three books to wait for the reopening.
Today marked a lull in the tropical storm. After three days of rain, Aña and I over enjoyed the sun while reading and watching jugglers in Central Park. We're a little sunburned. This evening the storm is supposed to rage on continuing until Wednesday. We can only wait and see what further destruction awaits this tiny natural disaster havocked country. To the best of my knowledge we are in a safe location and we are fortunate. Last night we piggishly enjoyed a pizza potluck party cranking out devouring five pizzas. The 100% whole-wheat sourdough crusts were a huge success! Perhaps given the frustration of the weather, most people instinctively brought wine to share as well. A fabulous night and a comforting reassuring sense of community.
Stay tuned for an update on the second half of the storm getting underway soon!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Busy Times!
Last week and weekend were extremely busy! It started Sunday night with us making dinner for the house. Continuing with our food fetishes, Aña and I jarred up four of our five gallons of kimchi for eating and selling. I made a big batch of 100% whole wheat sourdough to sell and hand cranked out eight pounds of peanut butter. Aña made some chocolate truffles; some with Chai spices, and some mixed with a blackberry reduction.
In the middle of the week we hiked up nearby Volcano Santa Maria. The peak is at an elevation of 3772 meters (12,375 feet). That means the climb to the top was a nearly 1200 meter (4000 foot) somewhat grueling adventure. We did the hike with our friends Elly (who we have the pleasure of living with), and Katie who has, sadly, just returned to the States. We left at seven in the morning, but it was not early enough. During our two and a half to three hour ascent we had spectacular views. The views were taken in frequently as we had to keep stopping to catch our breath. About two thirds of the way up we could see some clouds rolling in from a nearby valley. I rushed ahead to the top to chance a clear view. Unfortunately the clouds had already rolled in on the South flank obscuring a view of an extremely active smaller volcano. On the bright side, another friend and former house-mate was already at the top. He is a Mexican and was celebrating the birth of a son in Germany. So, naturally, he had a bottle of fine tequila with him and a fat cigar. A slight indulgence of celebrating with him helped me to warm up in the cold high altitude air. Mysteriously, there were also four to five cows up top who practically surrounded us while we ate lunch. Luckily, as we learned, they're afraid of bananas.
We made it back down from the volcano just in time to attend the 5:15 yoga class. It was great to stretch out after such an intense hike. Yoga has become very fundamental to our daily life. I've even started teaching two morning classes a week. It is a great experience and very rewarding. It also pays a little. On the downside, it's hard to sleep in past 6am.
Then to culminate events, we had to cross the border to renew our Guatemalan visas. We put out an open invitation to others and ended up going with our friends Katie and Cody. We decided it would be fun to go to one of the coastal crossings and spend a night on a Mexican beach. After four hours of crazy driving we arrived in the border city of Tecún Umán. We were harassed by half a dozen guys trying to "help" us in hopes being tipped. They were not helpful at all and very sketchy. We were distraught to learn that we could not renew the permit to have our truck in Guatemala. Apparently, we would have to keep our truck outside of Guatemala for 90 days before it could re-enter. This would have really screwed up our plans. One of the sketchy guys, who became my shadow, suggested transferring the vehicle tittle to Aña or bribing the customs official. I sneaked back in loosing my sketchy shadow and pleaded with the customs official some more. After making a phone call he told me we would have to bring the truck to the border crossing we entered at. That crossing, at La Mesilla, was a long ways from where we were.
We ended up making the most of our trip and finding a beautiful beach in Mexico near the border. At Playa Linda, we found a small family owned restaurant with a small pool, trampoline, and palapas to pitch our tents under. After playing in the waves and riding a strong side town down the beach we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. I cracked open some good "Sol" Mexican beers I had stopped to buy for the occasion. Then, we enjoyed a fantastic dinner at the little outdoor beach restaurant. We dined on fresh ocean fish and the most amazing shrimp Ceviche I've ever had. The owner brought out three parrots to keep us company while we ate. It was hard to sleep in the tent as the sultry humid air had us sweating while laying down. We awoke to play in the ocean once more before heading back to our homes in Xela.
The next day Aña and I drove to the other border crossing another four hour drive away. It still took some pleading, but we were able to gain permission to keep our truck here for another three months. Suprisingly, at La Mesilla, there were not any sketchy guys and the customs worker was very genial and sympathetic. Another day with too much crazy driving. Whoever said passing school buses on blind curves was a bad idea?
This week, I've continued enjoying teaching morning Yoga classes. I've also been going to a couple other Yoga classes each day and the feared boxing class. I plan to go back up Santa Maria this Sunday in hopes of getting a better view. This time I'll be leaving with a small party at around 5am. Hopefully we'll beat the clouds.
In the middle of the week we hiked up nearby Volcano Santa Maria. The peak is at an elevation of 3772 meters (12,375 feet). That means the climb to the top was a nearly 1200 meter (4000 foot) somewhat grueling adventure. We did the hike with our friends Elly (who we have the pleasure of living with), and Katie who has, sadly, just returned to the States. We left at seven in the morning, but it was not early enough. During our two and a half to three hour ascent we had spectacular views. The views were taken in frequently as we had to keep stopping to catch our breath. About two thirds of the way up we could see some clouds rolling in from a nearby valley. I rushed ahead to the top to chance a clear view. Unfortunately the clouds had already rolled in on the South flank obscuring a view of an extremely active smaller volcano. On the bright side, another friend and former house-mate was already at the top. He is a Mexican and was celebrating the birth of a son in Germany. So, naturally, he had a bottle of fine tequila with him and a fat cigar. A slight indulgence of celebrating with him helped me to warm up in the cold high altitude air. Mysteriously, there were also four to five cows up top who practically surrounded us while we ate lunch. Luckily, as we learned, they're afraid of bananas.
We made it back down from the volcano just in time to attend the 5:15 yoga class. It was great to stretch out after such an intense hike. Yoga has become very fundamental to our daily life. I've even started teaching two morning classes a week. It is a great experience and very rewarding. It also pays a little. On the downside, it's hard to sleep in past 6am.
Then to culminate events, we had to cross the border to renew our Guatemalan visas. We put out an open invitation to others and ended up going with our friends Katie and Cody. We decided it would be fun to go to one of the coastal crossings and spend a night on a Mexican beach. After four hours of crazy driving we arrived in the border city of Tecún Umán. We were harassed by half a dozen guys trying to "help" us in hopes being tipped. They were not helpful at all and very sketchy. We were distraught to learn that we could not renew the permit to have our truck in Guatemala. Apparently, we would have to keep our truck outside of Guatemala for 90 days before it could re-enter. This would have really screwed up our plans. One of the sketchy guys, who became my shadow, suggested transferring the vehicle tittle to Aña or bribing the customs official. I sneaked back in loosing my sketchy shadow and pleaded with the customs official some more. After making a phone call he told me we would have to bring the truck to the border crossing we entered at. That crossing, at La Mesilla, was a long ways from where we were.
We ended up making the most of our trip and finding a beautiful beach in Mexico near the border. At Playa Linda, we found a small family owned restaurant with a small pool, trampoline, and palapas to pitch our tents under. After playing in the waves and riding a strong side town down the beach we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. I cracked open some good "Sol" Mexican beers I had stopped to buy for the occasion. Then, we enjoyed a fantastic dinner at the little outdoor beach restaurant. We dined on fresh ocean fish and the most amazing shrimp Ceviche I've ever had. The owner brought out three parrots to keep us company while we ate. It was hard to sleep in the tent as the sultry humid air had us sweating while laying down. We awoke to play in the ocean once more before heading back to our homes in Xela.
The next day Aña and I drove to the other border crossing another four hour drive away. It still took some pleading, but we were able to gain permission to keep our truck here for another three months. Suprisingly, at La Mesilla, there were not any sketchy guys and the customs worker was very genial and sympathetic. Another day with too much crazy driving. Whoever said passing school buses on blind curves was a bad idea?
This week, I've continued enjoying teaching morning Yoga classes. I've also been going to a couple other Yoga classes each day and the feared boxing class. I plan to go back up Santa Maria this Sunday in hopes of getting a better view. This time I'll be leaving with a small party at around 5am. Hopefully we'll beat the clouds.
Kimchi on the market!
We're finally advertising to sell Kimchi and other cottage industry goodies. Using 12 heads of cabbage and other veggies we were able to make 5 gallons of Kimchi. This will finally be enough to meet demands greater than those of our house-mates.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
My First Earthquake! A nearby 5.6!
How exciting! This morning I experienced my first earthquake. (Apparently I did sleep through a small one when Ilsa was still with us.) Aña and I were in the kitchen making a carrot-mango-papaya-banana smoothie when things started shaking and rumbling. It seemed like there was a huge truck or train right out side our house. I went to the window and there was no truck, or train for that matter, on the street. My incorrect instinct was to run outside. Although this put me in a potentially more dangerous spot I was able to watch buildings vibrate and electrical lines sway.
I guess growing up in the mid-west didn't really prepare me for earthquake safety. I now know that it's better to get under a sturdy desk or table. According to the U.S.G.S. website most injuries happen when people try to move about during the quake. Being outside in a city also puts you at risk for falling walls or windows, and I'm guessing electrical lines as well.
The rumbling lasted only a few exciting minutes. I guess Aña hadn't even left the kitchen. So, we finished our smoothie before she had to go to work. Twenty minutes later I checked out the "official report" on the handy dandy United States Geological Survey (USGS) website. I learned that it was the tremor from a 5.6 magnitude earthquake. It struck the Guatemalan coast about 40 miles from here and about 40 miles deep. Twenty two people had already reported feeling it on the website, some from Guatemala City twice as far away as we are.
A big deal for me, but not for the earth. Four earthquakes with magnitudes over 5.0 have already occured today alone. Almost fifty have occured today with magnitudes between 2.5 and 4.5. The big earthquakes that have occured this year in China, Haiti, and the Baja along with the Iceland Volcano have sparked interesting conversations. A popular theme seems to be the "Mayan Prophecy" interpreted with an apocalyptic scenario. Statistically, however, the number of earthquakes and geological events is actually lower than most years. Just coincidental consciousness hype I'm afraid, so far.....
Earthquake Details
Magnitude 5.6
Date-Time
* Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 13:30:58 UTC
* Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 07:30:58 AM at epicenter
* Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 14.523°N, 92.014°W
Depth 64 km (39.8 miles) set by location program
Region GUATEMALA
Distances 50 km (30 miles) SE of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
65 km (40 miles) WSW of Quezaltenango, Guatemala
160 km (100 miles) W of GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala
930 km (580 miles) SE of MEXICO CITY, D.F., Mexico
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 4.7 km (2.9 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST=233, Nph=233, Dmin=745.9 km, Rmss=0.92 sec, Gp= 79°,
M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=7
Source
* USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID us2010vfa9
I guess growing up in the mid-west didn't really prepare me for earthquake safety. I now know that it's better to get under a sturdy desk or table. According to the U.S.G.S. website most injuries happen when people try to move about during the quake. Being outside in a city also puts you at risk for falling walls or windows, and I'm guessing electrical lines as well.
The rumbling lasted only a few exciting minutes. I guess Aña hadn't even left the kitchen. So, we finished our smoothie before she had to go to work. Twenty minutes later I checked out the "official report" on the handy dandy United States Geological Survey (USGS) website. I learned that it was the tremor from a 5.6 magnitude earthquake. It struck the Guatemalan coast about 40 miles from here and about 40 miles deep. Twenty two people had already reported feeling it on the website, some from Guatemala City twice as far away as we are.
A big deal for me, but not for the earth. Four earthquakes with magnitudes over 5.0 have already occured today alone. Almost fifty have occured today with magnitudes between 2.5 and 4.5. The big earthquakes that have occured this year in China, Haiti, and the Baja along with the Iceland Volcano have sparked interesting conversations. A popular theme seems to be the "Mayan Prophecy" interpreted with an apocalyptic scenario. Statistically, however, the number of earthquakes and geological events is actually lower than most years. Just coincidental consciousness hype I'm afraid, so far.....
Earthquake Details
Magnitude 5.6
Date-Time
* Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 13:30:58 UTC
* Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 07:30:58 AM at epicenter
* Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 14.523°N, 92.014°W
Depth 64 km (39.8 miles) set by location program
Region GUATEMALA
Distances 50 km (30 miles) SE of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
65 km (40 miles) WSW of Quezaltenango, Guatemala
160 km (100 miles) W of GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala
930 km (580 miles) SE of MEXICO CITY, D.F., Mexico
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 4.7 km (2.9 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST=233, Nph=233, Dmin=745.9 km, Rmss=0.92 sec, Gp= 79°,
M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=7
Source
* USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID us2010vfa9
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The Glory of Kimchi!
We have started making delicious Kimchi to eat and sell! We sold our last three gallon batch in individual small jars. It sold out before I had a chance to put up some advertising flyers I made!
Not only is kimchi delecious, but very healthy when consumed with some moderation. It is a very nutritious digestion supporting pro-biotic. It also contains anti-cancer and cholesterol lowering properties.
This was made from a modified recipe found at HERE!
More info found HERE!
If this interests you and you haven't checked out the book Wild Fermentation, do yourself a favour and find a copy!
Not only is kimchi delecious, but very healthy when consumed with some moderation. It is a very nutritious digestion supporting pro-biotic. It also contains anti-cancer and cholesterol lowering properties.
 |
| From Xela Kimchi and Yoga House |
This was made from a modified recipe found at HERE!
More info found HERE!
If this interests you and you haven't checked out the book Wild Fermentation, do yourself a favour and find a copy!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Yoga, Food, Samana Santa, and Settled in Xela
Within a mere half hour from waking I was having vicious punches thrown at my face. Severely weakened and fatigued I was barely able to defend myself. It was definitely a more interesting way to leave the vestiges of the dream world than by sipping some fine local coffee. Not only are there Yoga classes at the Yoga house, our house, but boxing classes as well. I felt out of shape when after a few sets of squats, pull-ups, push-ups, crunches, and boxing drills, I could barely hold my arms up. The main Yoga teacher here also teaches the boxing classes. He pushes hard. If I would have let my guard down I would have gotten popped in the face. Soon I'll be stronger and have better stamina.
It's a fun little world that we've settled into here in Xela, Guatemala. The locals are friendly and there's always a changing eclectic mix of travellers. People come here from all over the world and all walks of life to learn Spanish and get involved with volunteer programs. We are living in a housing collective with about 15 people total. Our Yoga House house mates are from the U.S., India, Holland, Sweden, Mexico, and England. Most of the people we live with are volunteering, studying Spanish, and working part-time. Almost everyone here attends at least one of the daily Yoga or boxing classes. We have a nice big shared kitchen to cook in where I find myself spending much time.
Samana Santa is just passed by in all its grace. It's really crazy and I find the religious displays gaudy and tacky. An organization that helped enslave the people of the past and present is paraded passionately through the city. Maybe I'm too cynical. I've been reading about the catholic inquisition's eradication of the pacifist Cathers and the historical relegious role here. Anyways, each church has they're own processions. These consist of segregated sexes in they're finest clothes or black robes carrying huge fluorescent lit floats with plastic biblical figurines. The floats are followed promptly by a loud diesel generator in a cart and a very out of tune band attempting to play religious music.
It's interesting to note the ethnic segregation too. The wealthier churches (with latifundistas and Spanish descendants) have more elaborate and gaudy floats and uniformed garb. Poorer churches can be distinguished with women in traditional mayan clothes. Often mayan families pass by the processions with little interest and affection.
Aña and I have both been working part time here. Aña's been working at a cafe where she gets to prepare individual meals and esthetically arrange them. I've been working at a bookshop where I meet interesting travellers and have plenty of time to read. I'm also hoping to start teaching English soon. We've also been putting our culinary skills to use in our free time to generate extra revenue. I've been making fresh roasted peanut butter, whole wheat sour dough bread, and kimchi, to sell. The 3 gallons of kimchi sold out before I even had a chance to advertise it! Aña's been making sweets, like cupcakes and biscotti, to sell though the cafe. All and all, we're not working to hard and having fun. It will be easy to cover our costs of living. Since we're settled here, it's not hard to live on $5/day!
Somewhat sadly, we have made some great friends here. I say sadly, because leaving friends you love in other places in the world is perhaps one of the hardest parts of traveling. Sigh, the nomadic lifestyle. We have wonderful friends scattered from Wisconsin to Oregon, and throughout Mexico. There is only the hope of seeing them again somewhere, at some point in the future. At least reunions will be sweet and joyous with new skills and ideas to share. Also, while traveling, you eventually begin to realize there are friends everywhere.
It's a fun little world that we've settled into here in Xela, Guatemala. The locals are friendly and there's always a changing eclectic mix of travellers. People come here from all over the world and all walks of life to learn Spanish and get involved with volunteer programs. We are living in a housing collective with about 15 people total. Our Yoga House house mates are from the U.S., India, Holland, Sweden, Mexico, and England. Most of the people we live with are volunteering, studying Spanish, and working part-time. Almost everyone here attends at least one of the daily Yoga or boxing classes. We have a nice big shared kitchen to cook in where I find myself spending much time.
Samana Santa is just passed by in all its grace. It's really crazy and I find the religious displays gaudy and tacky. An organization that helped enslave the people of the past and present is paraded passionately through the city. Maybe I'm too cynical. I've been reading about the catholic inquisition's eradication of the pacifist Cathers and the historical relegious role here. Anyways, each church has they're own processions. These consist of segregated sexes in they're finest clothes or black robes carrying huge fluorescent lit floats with plastic biblical figurines. The floats are followed promptly by a loud diesel generator in a cart and a very out of tune band attempting to play religious music.
It's interesting to note the ethnic segregation too. The wealthier churches (with latifundistas and Spanish descendants) have more elaborate and gaudy floats and uniformed garb. Poorer churches can be distinguished with women in traditional mayan clothes. Often mayan families pass by the processions with little interest and affection.
Aña and I have both been working part time here. Aña's been working at a cafe where she gets to prepare individual meals and esthetically arrange them. I've been working at a bookshop where I meet interesting travellers and have plenty of time to read. I'm also hoping to start teaching English soon. We've also been putting our culinary skills to use in our free time to generate extra revenue. I've been making fresh roasted peanut butter, whole wheat sour dough bread, and kimchi, to sell. The 3 gallons of kimchi sold out before I even had a chance to advertise it! Aña's been making sweets, like cupcakes and biscotti, to sell though the cafe. All and all, we're not working to hard and having fun. It will be easy to cover our costs of living. Since we're settled here, it's not hard to live on $5/day!
Somewhat sadly, we have made some great friends here. I say sadly, because leaving friends you love in other places in the world is perhaps one of the hardest parts of traveling. Sigh, the nomadic lifestyle. We have wonderful friends scattered from Wisconsin to Oregon, and throughout Mexico. There is only the hope of seeing them again somewhere, at some point in the future. At least reunions will be sweet and joyous with new skills and ideas to share. Also, while traveling, you eventually begin to realize there are friends everywhere.
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