Rachel's Semester in Guatemala: Rain, rain, rain!

There has been way too much rain in Antigua this week! It is not just sprinkling either; it is pouring rain almost all day every day. Yesterday the rain held off and we thought maybe it was over but this morning my heart sank when I woke up to the sound of pouring rain yet again. There were three hurricanes along the Pacific coast earlier in the week that caused massive destruction and flooding in Mexico and Guatemala. The last I heard 20 people were dead and many more injured. Hundreds have had to escape their flooded homes and villages. Mudslides and flooding have wiped out several roads and bridges which may force us to delay our trip next weekend to Lake Atitilan. Several towns near Antigua were some of the hardest hit but luckily we haven’t had any major problems here. The worst here is that at times the streets have become more like rivers. I have never really cared for umbrellas but this week my beautiful black and white floral umbrella has pretty much become an extension of my body. However, umbrella or not, it is still impossible to go out without getting soaked. All my wet clothes are hanging up around my room but the humidity is so high that nothing dries, even shirts I hung up a week ago are still wet. Aside from being cold and wet all the time, the rain is kind of fun. The other day since we knew we were going to get soaked anyway me and my housemate Jen decided to jump right in…literally. We played a game where we had to jump in every puddle from our house to the market. Our other housemate who refused to join in at first was eventually forced to because it was impossible to cross the road without walking through the river in the middle of it.

(Kyle playing in the rain)

(I spent most of this week under this umbrella)

I finished my Spanish lessons on Friday and I have not gotten my practicum set up yet so this week is going to be really relaxing! It is so wonderful to have so much free time here. I overloaded on classes last semester so that I would not have to overload on classes here and that was one of the best decisions I could have made. Also, since the day I arrived on campus freshman year I have had at least one job at school which has kept me pretty busy. It is incredible to not have to work while I am here. I feel like I am getting to experience so much more because I am not overwhelmed by work and classes.

(Me and Glendy, my maestra on my last day)

This week I have gone to the market almost every day. The market really is an interesting experience and I am starting to really like it. At first it was a little overwhelming with all the sights, sounds, smells, and people. The main market in Antigua is enormous. The tiny winding pathways between different vendors and the crowds of people going every which way make it incredibly easy to lose your sense of direction. I was really intimidated by bartering when we first got here but now I have got it down. It is actually really nice to have a say in what you are going to pay for something. It is also fun because since you have to barter with the vender you can end up in some really good conversations and it is great for practicing Spanish. People here tend to be a lot more relational than in the states and you can get to know the vendors in a way that would just be awkward in the U.S. Me and Jen bought jerseys from a guy named Carlos and we ended up talking to him for probably a good 20 minutes. He was Guatemalan but had lived in Texas for a year before he got deported for not having his papers. He tried again in Arizona but was only there for a few months before getting deported again. It is really interesting to hear first hand stories of illegal immigrants to the U.S. especially as an American. It definitely adds some complexity of thought to heated topics in the states. I think that being here has definitely given be a broader understanding of the world and has taught me to think more critically about important issues.