Only in Guatemala...
1.) El Ratoncito v. The Tooth Fairy? Forget about the Tooth Fairy visiting you-- El Ratoncito (The little mouse!) comes to visit kids to exchange their teeth for quetzales. We discovered this recently when one of Mona's sweet students lost a tooth and upon asking her if the "Tooth Fairy" visited her, she replied, "You mean the Mouse!??! Yes, the Mouse visited me last night and left me some money!" I don't know about you, but there's some magical and sweet about thinking a little fairy is delicately slipping under your pillow. As a kid, I think I'd be panic stricken thinking about a mouse creeping under my pillow in the middle of the night.. Although if that's what you're brought up to believe as a kid, I guess it isn't all that different from believing a human size bunny trots into your house every April. (If you want to read more about El Ratoncito, here's a great link!)
"El Ratoncito Perez"
2.) Guatemala as the Land of Eternal Spring? That's partially a lie. I don't know who dubbed this country like so, but it is far from the idyllic "Eternal Spring" weather that I was imagining. The only similarities that we've seen so far is that it rains allll the time (think "April showers..") and that it's almost always chilly in the mornings/nights like in March. To be honest, I can't completely figure the weather out: some days, I'm sweating like it's July, other days I'm sopping wet like it's April, others I'm wishing I had a parka because I'm so chilled. Apparently though, it's "winter" right now, which consists of temperatures between 55-75 degrees, so I'm definitely not complaining. :-) I just can't wait for the REAL spring to roll around!
3.) **BONUS ITEMS** in the grocery store? This is actually hilarious. Mostly, Mona and I shop at the fresh market, but when we go to the real grocery store here, La Bodegona, we always get a good laugh at the absolutely random things that are sold as *BONUS ITEMS.* Our favorite example is the "Free spatula with a purchase Goya black beans!" ............ What? We have now acquired about 20 *BONUS* spatulas that were casually adhered to the Goya cans with clear packaging tape.. Spatula, anybody?
4.) The humidity is out of control. Really.. it's crazy. We have a humidifier for the copier at school, but the moisture in the air continually dampens the paper and ink dispenser, causing "un astasco" (a paper jam) legitimately every other day. On top of that, I left some banana bread on our counter for less than a week, only to accidentally ingest a moldy slice without knowing it. Never will I ever again consume banana bread...
5.) The views are OUT OF THIS WORLD! First of all, the vibrant colors of the city buildings are preserved by law; shop owners are only allowed to repaint the shops their original color to preserve the ancient feel of Antigua (appropriately named..). This combined with the mostly brilliant blue skies and the panorama of volcanoes continually leaves us speechless. Even though we've been here for 2 months, there's not a day that goes by that I'm not just amazed by scenery. I've taken about 300 pictures of volcanoes alone at this point and not a single one does them justice.
6.) Two Words: Las Pacas. Las Pacas comprise part of the fresh market, but consist only of clothing. Imagine TJ Maxx or Marshall's in American to the nth degree. Las Pacas have designer clothes, shoes, etc. at ridiculously cheap prices. I bought a Marc Jacobs dress there for 35Q (roughly $4.50) and found True Religion and 7 For All Mankind jeans there (each for about 50Q or $6 but unfortunately the wrong size :-(.) Everything is perfectly good quality-- mostly with tags, but somethings gently used. If Las Pacas were in the US, TJ Maxx and Marshall would certainly have a run for their money!
7.) Canons firing are like the heart beat of Antigua. Mona and I honestly thought the city was under attack when we first got here, because these dang canons (or often, fireworks) are fired continually throughout the day, beginning as early as 5:30 in the morning and lasting well into the night. Every day. As we learned more, we found out that they're fired for celebratory reasons (birthdays, weddings, anything that calls for attention) and began to grow accustomed to them. Now, we hardly notice ever them and consider them to be like the city's heartbeat.
8.) Diet Coke does not exist here. Okay, okay.. I know this isn't specific just to Guatemala. For the life of me, though, I cannot grasp why the US seems to be the only country in the world to have "Diet Coke" instead of "Coke Light." If you're unfamiliar with Coke Light, it's roughly the same flavor as Coke Zero in the States (which, if you're an avid Diet Coke drinker like myself, you know these are not the same!!) I've searched high and low for it, but have had to relegate myself to this lesser version of Diet Coke. Is it fair to say that I am eagerly awaiting a SPREE of Diet Cokes when I arrive home in December? :o)
My thoughts exactly.
9.) Iguana Tomato Smoothies. Apparently, they're a delicatessen here? As Mona and I were shopping in the market last weekend, she was casually smacked in the back by a foreign looking tail. (If only I had captured her reaction...) To our surprise, the people were carving out the insides of a healthy sized iguana. Attempting to keep our disbelief under wrap (what the heck were the doing with this poor guy?!), we asked the Guatemaltecos what dish they prepared using the iguana. Very enthusiastically, they informed us that "Iguana Tomato Smoothies" are a delicious treat here and explained in great length each step of the preparation process. I'm all about trying to new things on this adventure, but that is way beyond my comfort zone! Yikes!
Early morning trips al mercado.
10.) Machine guns at street corners are typical. I almost don't think twice now about the heavily armed men throughout the city streets. They stand rather stoically at various spots around town, equipped with machine guns to protect the city's residents and visitors. While Mona and I are appreciative of these extra safety precautions, we always are asking each other, "What type of event do you think warrants the use of those big ol' machine guns?" Hopefully, we aren't ever around to find out. :-)
11.) Toilet Paper in the trash cans? This isn't really specific just to Guatemala but instead all of Central America. The septic systems here simply aren't equipped to handle TP in the toilets, so instead, every restaurant, shop, home, etc. utilizes little bathroom baggies for its disposal. You didn't realize how much you take for granted our complex septic systems in the US, did you? I will never take for granted this simple convenience ever again!
12.) When the clouds aren't out at night, there's an incredible view of the stars! It isn't entirely common to have clear skies at night here, but when you do happen upon a clear evening, it's hard not to lose yourself to the blanket of stars across the Central American sky. Just for fun, I looked up a map (click here to see it) of the light output across the world. If you zoom in and compare the light output on the eastern coast to Central America, specifically Guatemala, you'll notice that there just isn't generally as much light, which leads to a fantastic view of the night sky. Just walking back home tonight after Spanish lessons, Mona and I took a moment to see all the stars. Lucky girls we are, huh? :-)
13.) Traffic regulations are not enforced. Bear with me- there is a positive spin to this. Considering stop signs are viewed as "yield signs," seat belts are entirely optional, and passing on narrow, windy roads is like a free for all, I thought for sure I was going to witness a plethora of accidents- if not be in one myself!- while living here. (I hope I'm not jinxing myself..) Much to surprise, I don't think I've seen any. Generally, people are friendly and just wave to each other at the intersections to indicate which car will advance first. Drivers literally share the road by taking turns. It sounds strange (and trust me- I say this cheek and tongue because I still wear my seat belt shamelessly and would never be able to drive here without having a nervous breakdown..), but this system that they have really seems to work. The laws in Antigua actually prohibit honking your horn, in hopes that the city can be kept as tranquil as possible. Compared to other places that I've been, I have to say I've definitely been pleasantly surprised with the driving here!
Well, there ya have it.
The top 13 things that we've marveled at since arriving here- the beautiful, the strange, the downright appalling (Iguana Tomato Smoothies? COME ON!), and more! Some of these things make me appreciate the luxuries that we consider to be staples in the US, but others make me realize how seriously blinded we are by all the stuff that we are engulfed in. Despite the hilariously odd and unusual things that exist in this city, I continue to believe that Antigua truly is a beautiful place with so many incredible things to take in!
Missin y'all at home. All my love!
xoxoxo*KEB
