Adam Ventures

A toast to my friends whom I met a year ago yesterday (January 4) and with whom I started my adventure a year ago today (January 5). Here’s to my friends who had no idea what they were getting themselves into but went fearlessly ahead into the unknown. Who put their lives on hold for 27 months, sold their cars, got out of their leases, left good jobs, left even better family, for something — they didn’t yet know what they would be doing just that they they were ready for something more.

from the article "Cuerpo de Paz celebra 50 años" from the Prensa Libre

Along the way, we’ve lost some cool people, gotten robbed or assaulted, been sick, felt mad or angry or lonely, been caught in the rain, been squished in micros, and been taken advantage of in myriad ways. That said, we’ve also met many cool people, formed deep friendships, felt happy and content and part of something bigger, gone to the beach, hiked volcanos, been treated better than we think we should have been, and eaten great street food.

Personally, I have been the recipient of extreme luck down here in Guatemala. My site is really spectacular: great views, really nice people, an active and involved association, and so much natural beauty. My friends are fantastic. And I, very fortunately, have not had the misfortune of being the victim of theft, robbery, or assault. I have only been sick three times. My luck may change in the future but I am grateful for what I have now.

In the year and three months that remain I will try to aprovechar of Guatemala in ways that I haven’t yet. For example, I haven’t yet climbed a single volcano — on my list are Santa María, Tajamulco, Tacaná, and Pacaya. I haven’t gone to Tikal, Río Dulce, Livingston, Tilapita, Todos Santos, Santiago Atitlán, Takalik Abaj, or Semuc Champey (Google those places!). I haven’t crossed the border and experienced Mexico or El Salvador. I haven’t ran a half marathon. Many things I haven’t yet done but many things I wish to accomplish. Friends, if you’re reading this and want to buddy up on any of these things, I will be happy to go with you!

But more than just those I flew on the plane with to Guatemala, I also would like to toast the volunteers who came in the year before me, in the years before me, in the year after me. Here’s to you for giving up an already rewarding life in the States to volunteer your time in whichever country you were sent to armed with only your goodwill and some anti-diarrheals. For putting yourself aside and devoting your blood, sweat, and tears into improving the lives and livelihoods of your counterparts and countrymen. You give me hope for a better world. Here’s to you, my friend!

A lot has happened since my last real blog post. My most recent post was easy to do and necessary for the Trainees who are about to join us in early January. So, what has happened?

July Fourth was celebrated with several other PCVs in Monterico, a town on the black sand beaches of the Pacific. It was a glorious three days of rest!

Halloween came and went with it being celebrated mostly among Americans down here. In Guatemala they celebrate more November 1st which is “Día de Todos los Santos” or All Saint’s Day. The idea much as I understand it shares a common belief with Halloween — that around this time of year (at the end of fall weather and the beginning of winter weather) the realms of the living and the dead coincide the most. However, in celebrating Día de Todos los Santos, Guatemalans gather in their families, head to the cemetery, and spend the day eating and drinking with family and friends. It’s a very beautiful ceremony, even if you spend all day in the hot sun.

Next up was Thanksgiving which I spent among a handful of friends at a Mexican restaurant in the city of Reuthe shortened name of the departamentoit's analogous to a state in the United States and cabeceramunicipality or departmental capital city Retalhuleu. The Mexican food was extremely delicious but it did not hold a candle to spending it with family. All in all though, I had a blast with my friends. Even more so when on the following Saturday we went to a really fantastic water park!

But my Thanksgiving festivities were interrupted from my duties of being “padrino de promoción”, or godfather of promotion. At least, that’s the closest I can come to capturing the honorific title. My duties were to, as far as I can describe it, be an active witness to the graduation of the tercero básico (9th grade) class. I was to accompany them to an excursion (soccer, then swimming) and lead them in the graduation ceremony. It was an honor to have been chosen as the padrino and it allowed me to grow closer to my 30 kids.

So, naturally, the next holiday for me will be Christmas which, although I would love to see a Guatemalan Christmas, I’ll have to delay that wish until next year because this year I’ll be seeing my family for the first time in nearly a year. I’ll also have the fortune of spending New Year’s with them. I’m excited to get home, eat and drink some things that I have had hankerings for (in no particular order: a Qdoba burrito, margaritas, good beer, Dr. Pepper, cottage cheese, pizza, and cheese and ritz crackers).

As for work, I’ve been busy, although not quite as busy as of late. The coffee harvest has started here in Loma Linda which has taken the attention a slight bit away from my work. Since my counterparts are all busy harvesting their coffee, work has slowed down. And I do not begrudge them heading out to tend to their coffee since it represents the largest source of income for them.

When I come back home (Guatemala) from home (the US) things should start picking up again.

I am really enjoying living here in Guatemala. It’s a much simpler life down here.

In just over a month Peace Corps Guatemala will accept 50-something intelligent and attractive Trainees eager to change the world. Now, however, those Trainees-to-be are freaking about what to bring. Think about it — try fitting two years of your life into two suitcases (no more than 80lbs)! You bet your pupusathe greatest invention known to mankind – cheese (or fried pig skin) wrapped in two corn tortillas then fried until crispy and melty that you would be anxious too and trying everything to get it perfect! The following is a list of items that are helpful when coming to Guatemala as a Peace Corps Volunteer with some notes.

General Clothing

• Two to three pairs nice pants (lightweight that quick dry can be helpful)
• Two to four pairs of jeans
• Six T-shirts or short sleeve polo shirts
• Two to three blouses or dress shirts
• One to two pairs of shorts (not short-shorts)
• Two week supply of cotton underwear and socks
• One pair long underwear
• Two to three medium-weight sweater/sweatshirt
• One medium-weight jacket or fleece
• One poncho or rain coat (rain pants optional and advised by some)
• For Men: a few ties, one or two nice dress shirts & a sport coat (optional) for formal occasions
• For Women: two casual & one dress-up dresses
• Two to three “going-out” outfits You can freely take just one going-out outfit. PCPeace Corps/G limits how many going-out opportunities you have as a Trainee so it’s not worth bringing something that you can easily buy at a pacastores that sell second-hand American clothing when you become a PCVPeace Corps Volunteer, an active volunteer serving in country

Shoes

• One or two pairs of sturdy, walking tennis/cross-training shoes
• One pair of hiking boots or water proof shoes
• One to two pairs comfortable casual/dress shoe
• One pair sport and dress sandals
• One pair farm/mud boots (for agriculture Volunteers). Rubber boots are also very easy to buy in Guatemala.

NOTE: The overall selection and quality of shoes in Guatemala is more limited than the US. It is difficult to find women’s shoes larger than size 9 and men’s shoes larger than size 10. If you have larger feet, you may want to consider a plan for getting extra shoes once the ones you bring wear out (e.g., bringing a two-year supply, having people bring you shoes when they come to visit, or arranging for people to send them to you).

Personal Hygiene and Toiletry Items

• Your regular hygiene items (e.g., soap, shampoo, shaving cream, etc.) to get you started (replacements/ refills are easily bought here)
• Three-month supply of prescription medicine
• Extra pair of prescription glasses

NOTE: Peace Corps nurses will supply you with over-the-counter medicines such as: vitamins, painkillers, cold medicines, tampons, etc.

Miscellaneous

• One to two sets of flat sheets and pillow cases for a full bed if possible, get two of the fitted sheets for a full bed. The elastic band wears out so it’s best to get two new fitted sheets and buy the rest of the sheets second-hand in-country
• Two bath towels (quick dry towels are convenient for travel)
• Flashlight (headlamps are popular)
• Sturdy backpack/duffel bag for three- or four-day trips
• Day pack/Small backpack easily purchasable in-country
• Watch (fairly cheap and water-resistant/proof, although cell phones can also serve as a watch.) not necessary/easily purchasable in-country
• Small travel alarm clock (Most people use the alarm on their cell phone.)
• Money belt (30% of PCVs in Guatemala report theft so this is almost a necessity)
• One water bottle I recommend two
• Pocketknife (basic knife, corkscrew, screwdriver model is very handy, e.g., Leatherman)
• Shortwave radio
• Start-up supply of stationery, pens, journal, etc.
• Light sleeping bag and sleeping pad (e.g., thermarest)
• Digital camera (blank CDs are cheap for copying files). Film developing is also easily still accessible in many towns.
• Good scissors
• Photos of family, friends, and home (Guatemalans will LOVE to see your photos)
• Decks of cards and favorite board games are popular
• Small sewing kit
• One or two books to get you through training (PCPeace Corps has a very large library/ book exchange)
• Travel guide to Guatemala
• Music (Many PCVs have iPods, although they are targets for theft. Some people bring small radio/CDCountry Director/MP3 players, but others buy them in Guatemala.) CDs are sold in every market at very cheap prices.
• Small, basic cookbook/favorite recipes (Peace Corps/ Guatemala also sells Que Rico! a cookbook of Volunteer-compiled recipes that are easily prepared with common items sold at market)
• Duct tape
• Instrument (harmonica, guitar, etc.)
• Comfort foods (favorite snack foods)
• USB storage stick 4 GB (easy to use and hardier than disks for saving important documents)
• Laptop or netbook computers are very useful, just be aware that computer theft can be common on public buses so the property insurance policy is a good idea. do not bring a new laptop, it’s not worth it. Bring an older laptop so that in case it’s stolen or stops working you aren’t out any additional money. In other words, take the one you have been using.

This list was taken and adapted from Peace Corps Wiki’s packing list page.

I hope this list is helpful.

Worm composting!

Yes, you read that right. I am a worm wrangler. A worm jockey. A lombrizworm, as in worm composting lassoer.

But what’s the point of worms? They, unfortunately, are a necessity if you wish to capture their manure compost.

Panorama of the coffee beneficio

This is our coffee beneficioa building where they process coffee from the coffee fruit through to toasting, or where the coffee is taken to directly from the campocountry, as in countryside. Here, it is depulped, fermented, and left to dry. Across the street is where it is later roasted and toasted to be sold by Mundo Verde, an organization of Loma Linda women.

Before this ecological beneficioa building where they process coffee from the coffee fruit through to toasting was built the pulp was discarded into the river. If you have never smelled decomposing coffee pulp you can thank your lucky stars. It is putrid. So needless to say the pulp, that was discarded in the river, fouled up the water for those who depended on it downstream. There was a need to do something else with the pulp. Enter vermiculture, or lombriculturaworm composting Spanish.

Coffee pulp

Here is a mound of coffee pulp. Slowly decomposing coffee pulp. Slowly wafting its noxious fumes to whomever has a ready nose.

Okay, it’s not so much putrid or noxious as it is unpleasant. It’s certainly strong but not overpowering. And you cannot smell it until you are in it. Which is a necessary part of feeding the worms.

Where 720 000 worms live!

Here are pilas 1, 2, and 3. Each pila holds an average of 65 sacks of compost and 240 000 worms. It is here that the worms work their masticatory might and convert slightly decomposed coffee pulp into pure, organic compost. Every 14 days we add a new layer of pulp, around 10cm. Every 5 days or so we turn the top layer over so that the worms can completely digest the new layer of pulp. You see, worms are scared of the sun. Well, to be honest, they are scared of the birds that fly in that then see the worms in the light of the — you guessed it — sun. Therefore they rarely make it to the surface. They instead like to dwell underneath where it is warm and moist.

Pilas 4 & 5, where the remaining 480 000 worms reside

These pilas were the first pilas that were built. You can’t see it, but the door is to the left and there is a wall directly behind me. Instead of carting the pulp in wheelbarrows to the pila on the right, you have to enter the building as far as you can (where the photo was taken from), transfer the pulp to baskets, schlep the baskets to the far pila and dump. Lather rinse repeat with 15 wheelbarrow loads. Exhausting? Bad design of the pilas? Yes on both accounts.

Exhudado, a liquid foliage fertilizer

In addition to the solid manure compost the worms also produce a liquid manure compost. Unlike the solid, which is applied directly to the ground, the liquid is sprayed on the leaves of the plant. The nutrients are readily absorbed and in addition the spray acts as a (weak) insect repellent.

Above you can see where the PVC pipe, which runs the length of the pila and is perforated on the top, drains into a 3-liter Big Cola bottle.

Exhudado, the liquid foliage fertilizer end product

Above you see the end result. Pure exhudadoliquid foliage fertilizer.

All in all, lombriculturaworm composting brings a smile to my face. To see a community take what was originally trash and convert it into a rich, organic fertilizer makes me all warm and fuzzy. And to further see that they sell it at half the market price so that the local cafecultorescoffee grower can afford it and return the composted coffee pulp back to whence it came makes me sleep well at night.

Personally, there isn’t much that is new here other than I found a house that I will hopefully be moving into within the month. Due to the community rule that everyone receives one (and only one) equal-sized parcel of land to build their house on means that there aren’t many vacant houses. The house that I hope to move into is the only one in all of Loma Linda. It’s kind of on the pricy side but it’s also really nice. Best of all it has a great view of the coast and Santiaguito!

The entrance to the magical garden.

Tuesdays are the days that I work in our community organic garden. Our garden was created to help with food security and to show the community that it is easy to grow food that can help your family with better nutrition for no cost and little maintenance.

The land where the garden is located is actually owned by the Cooperativa Loma Linda, the cooperative in charge of organizing and aiding the coffee growers. ASODILLThe Sustainable Development Association of Loma Linda (La Asociación Sostenible para el Desarrollo Integral de Loma Linda), the association I work with is a project by sons and daughters of the Cooperativa members so there is a mutual appreciation of each other and the Cooperativa, being financially self-sufficient, is very friendly towards the association. The land that the garden is built on was originally going to be a soccer field but due to erosion the field would not last long there and the soccer field was moved to the other side of the hill. The land is still owned by the Cooperativa but is being put to good use by ASODILLThe Sustainable Development Association of Loma Linda (La Asociación Sostenible para el Desarrollo Integral de Loma Linda), the association I work with.

Although ASODILLThe Sustainable Development Association of Loma Linda (La Asociación Sostenible para el Desarrollo Integral de Loma Linda), the association I work with does not have many salaried employees it believes in the garden so much that they do manage to pay someone a salary to tend to the garden daily. In addition, the vegetables that are ripe are sold in the community by members of the association to provide a (meager) source of income for the female members of the association and for the association itself.

The garden. Deceptively big. Corn, beans, plátanos, and bananas in the foreground.

Mary, Mary quite contrary what does your garden grow? We grow a lot. First up…

Bok choy

Bok choy? Yes, bok choy. I’m still not sure about how they heard about bok choy which is a vegetable so new to the America that we have not yet repatriated its name (see Freedom Fries). Still, it grows here and it grows well.

Bledo. An herb.

Bledo (center). An herb. That’s pretty much all I know. It smells nice when you crush a leaf.

Carrots (extreme left), nabo (left), weeds (center, where you walk), beets (right, red leaves)

We also grow carrots although we are still working on providing carrots with better growing conditions. For whatever reason they grow as thick as would be normal but end about 2 to 3 inches deep. So you end up with short, stubby carrots. Still delicious.

Nabo is another herb. I cannot say much for this herb either other than it is delicious when cooked with eggs (tortas de nabo).

We grow weeds. We are great at growing weeds. In fact, we grow weeds without even trying to cultivate them.

Beets. In the beginning of my stay in Loma Linda I ate some sort of beet salad at least twice a week.

Some sort of pepper

Some sort of pepper. It is not yet ready to pick. You will know when it is time because they turn fiery red.

Raspberries

Raspberries. Need I say more? Perhaps just this bit: you must keep your eyes on the raspberries when people are walking through the garden for people with sticky (red and black juice-stained) fingers.

Güisquil

Güisquil (gwee-skeel), known in the US as chayote, is a squash. Also delicious. Usually eaten boiled.

As for the duties of the garden, for the most part I have pulled weeds from the garden. I have also planted, picked ripe vegetables, help put a roof on the greenhouse, help construct a semilleroa seed nursery, a place for seeds (usually from trees) to germinate, and gather dirt to fill bags for a viveroa tree nursery, where saplings become strong enough to brave the wild world that awaits. Not very glamorous but a nice way to pass a Tuesday.

According to my work plan, Mondays are reserved for senderismo — trail maintenance and construction. All around my community there are trails used by the loma lindeños to get to their parcelasa plot of land, generally used for agriculture. After ASODILLThe Sustainable Development Association of Loma Linda (La Asociación Sostenible para el Desarrollo Integral de Loma Linda), the association I work with formed they began to see a few of the trails as having potential for supporting and attracting ecotourism.

There are four trails that have the most potential out of our network of trails. Two of those carry the potential to see the resplendent Quetzal, of which my departamentoit's analogous to a state in the United States is named after (Quetzaltenango).

Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno). Photo by Steve Bird

Of the other two, one has a beautiful waterfall and the other has a gorgeous river with waterfalls of its own.

The Chilamate waterfall

The Río Ocós

Due to the rain and the fact that these trails are used daily by people traveling to and from their parcelasa plot of land, generally used for agriculture laden with firewood and pacainaa decorative leafy plant exported to the US for use in floral arrangements, these trails are subject to some hard wear and tear. In addition, some sections of the trail were poorly chosen — through a narrow pass or up a steeper section of hillside — and would be better placed elsewhere. Therefore, we maintain and create trails.

I have only created about a 20 meter section of trail and the rest of my effort has been in the maintenance of the existing trails. With the exception of clearing the weeds and undergrowth for creating a new trail, the work is the same. Most of the work that goes into trail maintenance and construction is ensuring that the trail surface is level across its width and length, the latter of which requires steps or switchbacks. An important but less common form of maintenance is cutting back the weeds and plants from choking the trail.

New steps on a trail

Amazingly, all of this work can be done with just a machete and a hoe. At first I thought that the machete was very versatile. As it turns out the hoe is just as versatile. In addition to pushing and pulling dirt, it can also be used to chop through stubborn tree roots, as a shovel and as a mallet. A necessity.

Personally there hasn’t been much new here. We had our annual security meeting 2 weeks ago — we being the volunteers of the departamentoit's analogous to a state in the United States of Quetzaltenango. The topics covered were general Peace Corps news, a medical refresher, and the potential natural disasters that may affect us here in Guatemala. The rainy season is supposed to have a strong beginning for the month of May and perhaps even June and the threat of a large earthquake is present as well. The pattern for large earthquakes in Guatemala has been every 35 years and…I’ll let you do the math since the last one in 1976. Not that you can predict earthquakes.

Next weekend is the Quetzaltenango and San Marcos welcome party in XelaOr Xelajú, the Mayan name for the city (and also department) of Quetzaltenango. On the day of the party there are salsa (dance, not delicious accompaniment to pretty much any food) lessons that we will show off at the clubs later that night. Though I’ll probably skip the lessons and head straight for the bars.

Volcán Santa María (large) & Santiaguito (nub on right slope)

Today marks 1-month that my fellow Sustainable Community Tourism PCVs and I have been in our sites. And what a month it has been! There are two things to be said about a Peace Corps experience. The first is that the days go by like months and the months go by like days. The second is that a Peace Corps experience is an emotional rollercoaster.

It has taken me a month to post another entry to my blog to kind of equilibrate with my new reality. Before moving here I lived in a conurbation, of sorts, of 25 000 people that was not 20 minutes away from Antigua, a touristy town with much to offer. In contrast, I now live in a town of 1200 people that is 1 hour away from the nearest city. It was a big adjustment and one that took a while. Whereas I had my choice of panadería and tined to get my snacks from, I now have just 1 panadería (still haven’t found it) and 4 tiendas (none of which sell Coca Cola!). Whereas I had a bus leaving for Antigua every 20 minutes, I now have 3 that leave all day. Whereas I could see my friends with no more than a 5 minute walk, I now have to plan out a weekend in XelaOr Xelajú, the Mayan name for the city (and also department) of Quetzaltenango and travel 2 and a half hours to see them.

It was a big adjustment to make and while I was adjusting I felt a little down. And it is never a good thing to post a blog entry when you are feeling down. But I am feeling better now about it all and I am excited to have received this site.

Since the last blog post the most important event to have occurred was our swearing in. On March 25th, 2011 Sustainable Community Tourism and Healthy Schools trainees became full-fledged volunteers. It was a grand occasion because it also coincided with Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary. It was such a big event we made the front page of the nation’s best newspaper (http://www.prensalibre.com/noticias/Cuerpo-Paz-celebra-anos_0_451154918.html or here in English).

The event was held at the US Ambassador’s house in Guatemala City. Each trainee was able to invite 2 people from their host family so my mom and her sister came.

Me with my mom (left) and aunt (right). And it's a Guatemalan carry-all.

Santa Catarina Crew

In addition, there were many current PCVs in attendance as well. The event itself was a little boring and they ran out of food quickly. Later that night we had a blast though. How could you not with 200+ PCVs running around Antigua for fun and merriment?

After swearing-in weekend we went to our sites. For almost everyone else that means heading through XelaOr Xelajú, the Mayan name for the city (and also department) of Quetzaltenango but for me that means heading along the southern coast in an un-airconditioned bus in a tropical country. While the bus is in motion it’s hard to get too hot but when it sits in Mazatenango for 20 minutes you really feel the heat.

My first couple weeks in site were spent mostly helping out in the community organic garden (bok choy, herbs, vegetables, chiles, raspberries) or in the worm composting bins. However, since then we have developed a work plan:
Mondays — trail maintenance and construction
Tuesdays — community organic garden
Wednesdays — worm composting
Thursdays — flexible day, meant to be used for community events
Fridays — a day for me to run personal errands or errands for the association
Saturdays — a day of rest
Sundays — teaching English to 70+ kids and some adults

More on what each of those entails in future blog posts.

I also received my first package in the mail! Thanks Gram and all those involved in getting my soccer cleats and peanut butter chocolates here. There were very much appreciated. But what an adventure trying to get to it!

My community is an aldeaan outlying rural village of a larger municipality of El Palmar, Quetzaltenango, which means that anything sent directly to me stays in El Palmar. Therefore, I had to travel an hour and a half to El Palmar to receive my package. But I had never been to El Palmar before. Alone and unaided with but a few ideas of how to get there, I found the correct microbuses (think 15-passenger vans loaded with people, so many people that the first leg of the journey I had to hang outside the micro) and eventually found my way to El Palmar. Great, now where’s the Post Office? I arrived in El Palmar at 2pm on Friday and it was raining. I had to be back at a location 45 minutes away in an hour and a half in order to make the last bus to my site but up until now I had yet to locate the post office. I found it, but I found that it was closed as well. In the rain and with no knowledge of the layout of the city I asked around. As it turns out, the postmaster doesn’t hold regular hours at the Post Office. Everyone just knows to go to her house. “Oh, how do you get there?” I ask. “It’s above the health clinic on a little street.” Descriptive, no? But I found it! And my Reese’s peanut butter goodies were soon parted.

This past week was the major celebrated week — not day, week — in all of Guatemala. The week before Easter is called Semana Santa and its celebration takes on many forms. Locally that means that sweet bread (pan dulce) is baked on and before Tuesday to hand out to kids carrying dolls depicting Judas on Wednesday and Thursday. Thursday evening and overnight the kids from the junior high create an alfombra, or rug, made of colored sawdust that stretches from the school at one end of the community to the church on the other end. There are various designs and icons that are made with the sawdust.

I’m sure it was all very beautiful. I was otherwise occupied with a bout of the Ole Bacterial Infection. Name a symptom of getting sick and I had it. Scratch that — my nose wasn’t running. And due to the fact that it was the holiest of weeks here all of the pharmacies (pharmacies that are an hour away, mind you) were closed. Luckily, a visitor who was visiting Loma Linda from Denmark left behind some medication that helped me get rid of the bacteria. Thanks, Cecilie!

Speaking of Cecilie, she spent several weeks here in Loma Linda graciously volunteering her time to help in the community organic garden, worm composting, cutting firewood and pacainaa decorative leafy plant exported to the US for use in floral arrangements for her family. She enjoyed her time here so much that she designed a flyer highlighting Loma Linda and giving advice on how to get here. She stuck these flyers up in XelaOr Xelajú, the Mayan name for the city (and also department) of Quetzaltenango about a week and a half ago and we have already received our first visitor as a result of the flyer. Congrats, Cecilie!

In other news, I have visited the nearest river here, the Río Ocós. It’s about a 30 minute hike down a steep hill and a 45 minute hike up that same hill. But it’s worth the effort expended!

Adam, before Guatemala

Have you seen this man?

[Don't worry, he's fine]

Since getting to Guatemala these few short months ago I have grown into a different person than I used to be.

Before I never drank coffee. Now I drink coffee at least twice a day (and I’m the proud owner of a french press).

Before I used to buzz my own hair, keeping it very short. Now I am growing my hair out after my host mother disapproving of me trimming my hair so short.

Before I used to go to sleep around midnight. Now I go to bed around 9pm or 10pm and wake up unaided around 6am.

Before I used to be connected all the time to technology and news. Now I consider accessing the internet a bother.

Before my attention span was tiny. When I would watch television I would have to be doing something on the computer to keep myself occupied. Now I can placidly wait half an hour for a bus or to meet someone.

Before I would eat carbs and actively work out to maintain my weight. Now I eat carbs more than ever and don’t actively work out but due to the fact I have to walk everywhere and people here play soccer I have lost more than 25 pounds.

Before as soon as I would get home my shoes would come off. Now I wear shoes and sandals everywhere (even in my room). It’s a necessity.

As you can see, I’ve changed from who I used to be into someone I am still proud to be. If all this has happened in 3 short months while still in a bubble of American friends and weekly interaction with several dozen Americans, just imagine who I’ll be at the end of 24 months with just myself and maybe a handful of transient gringos!

———–

In other news today I and 47 of my closest friends became full-fledged Peace Corps Volunteers! Congratulations to my fellow GT128ers! Tuesdays will feel different without seeing you and hackey-sacking with you. Take care and see you in 3 months!

Last week I went on a trip to my new site for the next 24 months of my life. I will live in Aldeaan outlying rural village of a larger municipality Loma Linda, El Palmar, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. (Aldeaan outlying rural village of a larger municipality means “small town/town that isn’t a municipality”. El Palmar is the name of the municipality. Quetzaltenango is the departamentoit's analogous to a state in the United States Loma Linda is in.)

We started out, though, on Monday with the Meeting of the Counterparts. On the day before our counterparts were to travel to Antigua in order to meet us on Monday and take us our sites on Tuesday. I had two friendly and helpful counterparts who, as is common with people from smaller towns, were kind of shy.

Monday was a day for Peace Corps to set their expectations for the PCVPeace Corps Volunteer, an active volunteer serving in country-counterpart relationship and for the PCVPeace Corps Volunteer, an active volunteer serving in country and counterpart(s) to get to know each other. Tuesday was a day for our counterparts to help us with our luggage and make it safely to our site. On Tuesday, we left the Peace Corps offices at 11:30am and finally made it to our site at 7:00pm after a long and hot drive in un-airconditioned buses along the southern coast.

Coast, I said? Yes, coast. My site is technically on the Boca Costathe strip of land in between the mountainous highlands and the southern coast, "The Mouth of the Coast", a name given to the spit of land in between the mountainous highlands and the coast. My site, however, is spared much of the heat and humidity of living on the coast because it’s up in the mountains at 4000ft of elevation and situated to the south of an 85-acre cloud forest. From the nearest cabeceramunicipality or departmental capital city (Retalhuleu) it’s an hour’s ride north on a pot-holey paved road that eventually turns into a pot-holey dirt road. About 3 kilometers from my town you have to cross/ford a river. The river is thankfully low but we haven’t yet hit the rainy season. After you cross the river you have to go up switchbacks, which are basically hairpin turns in the side of the mountain that help make it easier to get up and down. At the top of the hill (Loma Linda means “Pretty Hill”) you find my new home.

Aldea Loma Linda's main street

What you see above is the main street of my town and more or less the only street. There’s one other dirt road that branches off this street but few people live on that street. Behind the camera is the town’s only Catholic church which the town has since outgrown. The yellow house on the right is the 4-room albergueour 3-room hostel where tourists can spend the night where tourists can stay when they visit. Behind that is the beneficioa building where they process coffee from the coffee fruit through to toasting, where they process coffee. The paved area is where they put the beans to dry after they have been depulped. The white building at the very end of the road is the school and marks the other end of the town.

A little bit about my town:

• population: 1200
• language spoken: 100% Spanish, 5% K’iche, 5% Q’anjob’al
• elevation: 1250 meters (4100 feet)
• founded: 1970
• roads: 1.5

A little bit about what I’ll be doing:

• worm composting (we take the unused coffee pulp and the worms turn it into organic, potent fertilizer)
• gardening (radishes, cilantro, and various other herbs and vegetables)
• trail maintenance and construction in the surrounding forests
• bird watching/aviturismobird watching (Quetzals!)
• environmental education in the schools
• teaching English in the school

Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno). Photo by Steve Bird

Needless to say I’m pretty pumped about my new site. My project sounds amazing! I’m sure there will be upsets and downtimes but I’ll just have to stop and take a look around.

The only thing I’m not looking forward to are the cold showers. And if that’s my biggest worry, then I have it made.

• Today has been a day too full of goodbyes. First a great (!) friend and just now my little brother and sister. No more, please. #
• Just used Trans-Urbana for the first time in Guatemala City. #conditionyellow #anxiety #
• On a Pullman bus to Retalhuleu (Reuthe shortened name of the departamentoit's analogous to a state in the United States and cabeceramunicipality or departmental capital city Retalhuleu). Will probably arrive at Cuatro Caminos Reuthe shortened name of the departamentoit's analogous to a state in the United States and cabeceramunicipality or departmental capital city Retalhuleu around 5 30. I hope my luggage makes it. #
• Think i an south of Atitlan right now. Im at Cocales if that helps. #
• Melting in Mazatenango. HOT! #
• Safe and sound! #
• FYI my Tigo service is very very flaky. Ergo no phone. Ergo no internet. Be advised. #
• Day 1 at my site. [see pic attached] And that's AFTER I put on insect repellent. http://t.co/ebj9UoT #
• Hey whatcha doing? Me? Nothing much here. Just watching a soccer game while sneaking peaks at a smoking volcano. #
• By the way, my name is now Adan. #
• Third day in my new site and already Ive played in an organized championship soccer game. #PeaceCorps #Guatemala #
• I'm in Antigua an feel like a beer. Any GT128ers up for one? #
• GT128ers: Rileys. Be there. #
• GT128ers: Ocelot. #
• Today was a success. Managed to make it unaided from my site to my CBT site without incident. Also found out I have great friends still. #
• These mfing papusas. #sogood #