Week 2ish

I haven't taken too many pictures this week, because I have mostly just been at Hermano Pedro orphanage (where we're not supposed to take pictures) and at Chris and Donna's house (the missionaries). Anyways, my week has been as follows.
Tuesday was relaxing. We stayed at Chris and Donna's, did laundry, attempted a 3000 word puzzle, but were missing too many pieces on the outside, so we quit, played some Uno, etc. In the evening the whole Mooney clan came over (17 in total, including us) and we had an amazing feast in honour of Ben's (and Bailey's) birthdays. We had bbq'd chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, fresh buns, creamed corn, cukes garnished with lime juice, fresh limeade and lots of desserts: angel food cake (imported from USA), home-made ice cream in rootbeer floats, and cheesecake. Almost right away after dinner everyone left and we all went to bed.
Wednesday was our first non-Campero-breakfast-day and we 3 girls went with Saul to the workshop and picked out wheelchairs that would be suitable for people at the orphanage, and then went to the orphanage in Antigua and set them up. They were quite complex, so we only completed about 1 1/2 that day. We got back, had a delicious sweet-and-sour stirfry made from fresh pineapples and Horchata tea (made from hibiscus leaves and cinnamon sticks boiled). Oops - it sounds like all I talk about is food, isn't it? Well, I find it interesting! :D Again, we were in bed by 8:30-9ish
Thursday we again went to the workshop and orphanage. Our first chair required a carved back b/c the person's back was so twisted sideways and needed support. The other boy had one leg 4" longer than the other b/c his hip was out of its socket.
At lunch in a very north American bagel place we met a girl from New Mexico who needs to get out of the country to renew her visa, so Alyson will probably travel with her now next week.
Friday was pretty similar to Thursday, and the grandkids came over for the night too and we watched Karate kid. When we went to bed I had to put my earplugs in b/c the rain was coming down so hard on the tin roof right above my head.
Saturday (today!) we went to Antigua. It rained most of the day (usually it just rains for an hour or so around lunch and we wandered around. I signed up for Spanish school and we went to the markets. I bought some nice leather sandals for 100 quetzales ($12.50).
Since this is a "shorter" update, I'll give you an idea of what it's like here in Guatemala:
1. Driving is a big game of chicken. There are no traffic lights. Apparently they tried it one time and there were too many accidents!
2. Riding in the back of a pick-up truck is illegal and so is riding a motorbike without a helmet, and not using seatbelts, but cops do all 3 of those things...
3. You legally don't have to pull over for cops unless there are at least 4, because of corruption of the authorities.
4. Guatemalan food is flavourful, but not hot spicy like in Mexico
5. Women's traditional dresses cost about $100 and they wear the same one for a long time (years and years) because they can't afford a new one
6. Lime goes on every dish
7. Bananas, pineapples, plantains, limes, avacadoes, coconuts, etc. are all very delicious fresh!
8. Land crabs exist. I'd never heard of one until I saw it in the garden at the hotel
9. Beans are grown using corn stalks as poles
10. Bimbo is the name of a bread company.
11. Teachers at the schools will tell their kids that they will be sick (the following Tuesday through Thursday, for example) and the kids will just have the day off. No subs.
12. I definitely haven't done much on my English course... :P oops...

You might be interested in my schedule: Next Tuesday Bailey leaves and Alyson goes to Belize with a friend and I will go to Antigua for Spanish school in the mornings and volunteering in the afternoons. The week after I will join a new couple from USA and we will go to an orphanage in Xela to work on wheelchairs. That weekend I am going to go on a sailing trip on a catamaran on the Rio Dulce to the Caribbean with Alyson and her friend http://www.sailing-diving-guatemala.com/sailing-rio-dulce.php . Then I will participate in another distribution on Oct 12 and fly home on the 13th. Busy, but exciting.
Okay, so maybe not a short post again, so if you made it this far I'm impressed! :P