The adventure continues: Entering Belize & Hopkins

Wow, wow, wow! So from Flores we started following the directions of the awesome travel agency guy from our hostel. We got on a bus bound for the border, took a taxi from the border to the next bus, and then the adventure really began. Crossing the border into Belize was like entering another world: the signs were in English, the houses were made of wood, people actually had yards, people are speaking English and Creole, basketball is more popular than soccer, and most of the people are black (I'm not being racist, but in Guatemala there aren't really black people...like, none). If you've ever been to Guatemala you know that the buses here are many and they run to every part of the country very frequently. Well apparently when you go from a country populated by 15.5 million people who take the bus everywhere to a country of  340,000, the frequency of the buses significantly decreases. So our trip was like this: a micro-bus from Santa Elena to Menchor de Mencos (G-malan side of the border), taxi from there to Benque Viejo (Belizean border town), bus from there to Belmopan (the capital city), from there we had to wait in the terminal for like an hour for the next bus that was going to Dangriga and then down to Punta Gorda, but they said they'd drop us off at the junction for Hopkins. Cool cool. Naturally we assumed there would be a bus coming soon that would go into Hopkins (because it's like 5 miles from the highway junction into the town), plus there were a bunch of kids waiting there too. Well, we waited for like half an hour and then a pick-up truck came by and all the kids jumped in the back, plus some other people who were waiting, and then the truck took off. We quickly learned that the spotty bus service is supplemented by hitch-hiking (something I'd never done before) and about 10 minutes later another truck came by and we hopped in. [Side note: it's really hot in Belize! I had a plastic bag from a grocery store in Santa Elena and the ink on it melted and started transferring onto my leg!!!] Once we got to Hopkins we started walking toward where we wanted to stay (did I mention that we didn't make reservations anywhere, because it's the low season so there's always space...we hoped!) and we had a little difficulty finding it. It was a bit further down the road than we thought because there was a confusing sign...and I really had to pee! Well we finally got there and immediately went swimming in the warm Caribbean sea (apparently we're the only ones who go swimming at night!) then we went in search of food. We went to this little place a few steps down the beach from where we were staying and asked what the special was. "Fish balls with coconut rice, beans, and salad." "Fish balls? Like....the balls of a fish?" "Hahaha! No, they're like meatballs, but with fish." "Oh!!!! Ok, we'll have 2 of those please." THE RICE WAS THE BEST RICE I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But anyways, all the food was awesome and when we got the bill it was only $30BZ for both of us (the Belizean dollar is fixed at a 2-1 exchange with the US dollar), and it was so much food!!! We were happy. :)

We planned for a few days in each place in Belize, so in Hopkins we got to just relax, go swimming, see the town using the hostel's bikes, eat some delicious food. It was super chill! The first day I got really really really sunburnt! The worst I've ever gotten in my life! From the tops my thighs down to the backs of my knees was the worst, but also my back and shoulders and the little strip on my stomach and back that my swim-suit doesn't cover. Apparently re-applying sunscreen is really important when you go to the Caribbean! So we bought new sunscreen from the store (by the way, every market-like store in Belize is owned by Asians, I'm not kidding!!) only to discover the next day that it had expired a year ago!! We still used it anyways, we just re-applied more often. And we struggled to find aloe vera, but we went to a school bus converted into a store/home called Sew Much Hemp where the lady had some hemp oil, aloe, avocado, something cream that we bought and that seemed to help....but then all my clothes started to smell like that stuff mixed with sweat and it wasn't the best combination. But it definitely beat laying in bed at night trying to decide which position hurt less....I couldn't lay in a hammock for a couple days, you never realize how it puts all the pressure on your shoulders and legs until you're sunburnt in those places. Haha!
 
The next night we went to this little place on the side of the road and ate our fill of salbutes and fry tacos (they're just little 3-4 bite yummy things) and the whole bill came to $3.50BZ (so cut that in half and you've got USD)....that's cheaper than eating in Guatemala!!!!!! 

Here's something we quickly noticed about the men in Belize: they ask a lot of questions! Ok, let me back up. In Guatemala the men are always whistling or tch-tch-ing or "Hola mamita!"-ing foreign women. But they just do it as you walk past and that's that. In Belize the men follow you/walk next to you/ride their bike next to you and ask you a ton of questions with a completely straight face: "Where are you from? How long have you been in Belize? How do you like it? Where are you staying? Do you like to party? What's your name? How old are you? What do you do in the states? Are you two cousins?" In Placencia (I know, I'm getting ahead of myself, but whatevs) this guy road up next to us on his bike (we were walking, so he was biking super slowly) and said, "I saw you when you came into town." That doesn't inspire me to tell you where I'm staying!!!!!!!

Anyways, Hopkins was pretty chill. Not super touristy, which was cool, with awesome food!! Then we mentally prepared ourselves for the trip from Hopkins to Placencia (see above map to orient yourself).  

 

Let the 2-week madness begin: Flores & Tikal

My awesome friend Erin Sweeney tends to travel around this time of year. She came to Xela and spent a week with me and then went to Antigua to spend a week with her YWAM friends from last time she was here, Eder and Carolina (and their baby girl Sami!!), while I finished up teaching. While she was in Xela we planned our 2-week adventure so that I could go to all the toursty places in Guatemala (that most people go to even if they're only here for a month...I'd been here for 10.5 months without visiting any of them) and go to a beach in Belize. Here begins our story:

I met Erin in Antigua where we had to kill the afternoon before our night shuttle left for Flores. Somehow we managed to go to the arch in Antigua and Tikal in the span of 20 seconds. Haha! Well, night time came and we hauled our bags to the Refuge Cafe to wait for our shuttle to Guatemala City, which would take us to our bus for Flores. Our bus to Flores was the luxury line and we didn't know why until we sat in the cloud-like seats and the attendants quickly brought us each a blanket, a bottle of water, and a hot dog. Then we basically just slept on the bus the whole night. Erin said we passed through some towns with a lot of speed bumps.....I felt nothing.
We arrived in Flores at 5AM and as we stepped off the bus we were surrounded by people trying to get us to stay at their hotels/hostels. We opted to do a lap around the island (this took about 15 minutes....and apparently everyone thinks 5AM is the perfect time to go running, and everyone there goes running!) just to see what there was to see, then we checked into our hostel. We weren't super tired so we decided to book our trip to Tikal for the same day. We arrived in Flores at 5AM and boarded our shuttle for Tikal at 8, just enough time for me to get some good hammock time and take a shower.

  

On her iPhone is the photo of her "in TIkal" from Antigua

Upon arrival at Tikal we had to buy our tickets to get in. Ok, so I knew that it was Q.150 to get in, and the prices for these things are always lower for nationals....but it was only Q.25 for nationals!!! I mean, do I try to ask for at least a half-price ticket since I've been here for so long?! Anyways, they don't even give you a free map when you arrive, it's Q.25 extra. Good thing Erin tore out the Tikal map from her Guatemala guide book and put it in her bag before we left the hostel! It was quite warm when we arrived in Flores at 5, by the time we got to Tikal it was hot, hot, hotter! But we walked around a ton and saw almost everything, there was only one area that we didn't have time to go to because it was way on the other side. But it was super cool, especially because it's the tourist low-season right now, so there were times when we looked in all directions from on top of a ruin and didn't see a single person. Basically we had Tikal to ourselves.

A French woman insisted on taking our picture in the most random place!
And she didn't speak English or Spanish...good thing I know like 5 words in French!

After 5 hours walking around Tikal we got back into our air-conditioned shuttle to head back to our hostel in Flores. Then we were really really hungry. We hadn't really eaten anything since dinner the night before...I mean, I ate my hot dog on the bus and we had a little fruit and some granola bars throughout the day, but that's it. So we went in search of a restaurant and we found a great one that was empty of people and the owner was a super nice chatty guy. The best part was, there were some kids playing with a little toy keyboard and they were playing Jingle Bells the whole time we were there!! Eder apparently has been trying to get that song stuck in Erin's head since it's "almost Christmas." Then we just walked around Flores some more. Our hostel also had a tour agency and so we asked about getting to Belize. I knew they had a direct shuttle to Belize City, but Erin and I weren't headed that far north, so I asked about getting off the shuttle at the highway turn-off or something, but the guy working said it's a direct bus and they can't let anyone on or off along the way. So I thought he was going to try to sell us some other travel package, but no! He asked which city we were going to and then he looked some stuff up on his computer and told us exactly where we needed to go for each bus and where to make connections and stuff like that. He was super nice and really helpful!! So, if you're ever in Flores and you need some travel help, hit up Los Amigos Hostel. :)
That night we went to the Santa Elena mall (ok, maybe this is a little confusing: Flores is a really small island connected by bridge to Santa Elena, both cities would be the best place to stay if visiting Tikal because to actually stay at Tikal is super expensive!) to get some ice cream. I guess when it's still hot and humid out you have to eat your ice cream really fast, otherwise you end up with a puddle on your table. Plus there was a huge screen (as you can kinda see behind Erin) covering the World Cup Qualifier matches (USA-Panama & Mexico-Costa Rica).
The next morning we go some breakfast at Cool Beans Cafe and started making our way to Belize. It seems like we did all of the Tikal, Flores, Santa Elena thing in the span of a couple days, but it was just one long day. We figured we'd start the trip off by trying to kill ourselves the first day.

This country ain't big enough for two redheads...

In Toto

So my super awesome friend, Erin, showed up last week on Sunday. Instead of letting her sleep and get settled in when she first arrived, I drug her to my apartment just to dump her stuff and then made her go to a soccer game with me. Good thing she's not a whiner. We spent a week playing in Xela (by which I mean, I had to work everyday, but after work we got to walk around and while I was at work she got to explore by herself). In one week we went to Megapaca (only the greatest thrift store ever!!!) 3 times....every trip brought us more treasures. On her last day in Xela my friend Ivan offered to take us on a church tour (which was really, "Lisa, I'm too tired to drive, you drive and I'll tell you where to go."). So we went to Totonicapán, San Francisco El Alto, San Cristóbal, San Andrés Xecul, and Salcajá. I'd only been to the ones in San Andrés Xecul and Salcajá so it was cool to see the other ones.

In San Cristobal

Of course, we told people that we were sisters...different dads. Don't think we quite convinced anyone, but it was worth a try. We also spent a little time planning our big 2-week adventure that's going to start next week. Erin said that if we could drive to Scranton, PA and back in 2 weeks, imagine what we could do in Central America with 2 weeks.....so true!! Except that the roads here suck so it takes a lot longer to get from place to place. That being said, more detailed planning is underway and it looks like we'll be hitting up Tikal, Belize (I can't wait to just be on a beach!!!), Lake Izabal, and Semuc Champey...maybe some other places too, we'll see. I'm super stoked to visit these new places with my half sister!! If you're sitting at home worrying about 2 awesome girls traveling alone for 2 weeks in Central America, don't. Erin packs a mean kick!!

In SF el Alto

I have no clue why she didn't want to buy a toothbrush from a thrift store!!

In Salcaja

San Andres Xecul

Top 10 Things I'll miss about Guatemala (Xela, specifically)

As my time in Guatemala is coming to a close, I'm looking back at my last (almost) year here. It's been good times! There are so many things that I will miss like crazy about being here....I could go on for way too long about the things I'll miss (because, let's be honest, G-mala is pretty bomb.com!), so I've narrowed it down to my top 10 (in no specific order):

1) Crowded chicken buses
I know it sounds crazy, but trust me, a full chicken bus is way more comfy than an empty one. When it's full it's 3 people per seat and then
a bunch of people standing in the aisle....there's no way you're going anywhere when it's like that. You can sleep no problem! When it's empty, between the twisty roads and the crazy driving you have to hold on for dear life just to keep yourself from falling off your seat.












2) Microbuses

These buses are great because during the daytime you can catch one about every 15 seconds, they only cost Q.1.25 (about 16 cents US), and my dream job is to be an ayudante on one of them one day. Hahaha! Ok, I know that it may never come true outside of my classes (my students love it when I call out the places like the ayudantes do). But really, they're a great way to travel around the city really cheaply and usually they don't take super long to get to where you're trying to go....sometimes they just sit at big stops waiting for more passengers and that sucks when you're in a hurry, but for the most part they're great. And if you take the same one enough times they start to recognize you and then you can become friends with the driver and ayudante (and occasionally get a free ride). But, unlike a chicken bus, a full microbus isn't the best...it actually kinda sucks, especially if you get stuck in the back corner...it makes getting out at your stop a pain in the butt!

3) Cheap everything (almost)
It's true that the income level is much lower than that in the US, but also the prices of things are so much lower (generally). Electronics are a big exception here. But the things that I buy, like food, clothes, toiletries, etc. are way cheaper than in the states. Then there's bus fare which is almost nothing; you can get from one side of the country to the other with maybe Q.75 (about $10). And in the markets if you don't like the price, you can talk to seller down. I think I'll miss bargaining when I get back home.



4) Delicious and fresh food (also quite cheap)

Garnachas!

I LOVE fresh fruit!! Maybe it's the Asian in me....maybe it's just because fruit is awesome. My favorite fruits (mangoes and strawberries) are crazy cheap here too. I've bought (multiple times) 15 mangoes for Q.10 (like $1.25 US) and strawberries are Q.4/lb (about 50 cents US). And the veggies too. And the market food like tacos, tortas, garnachas (my favorite!!!!!), tamales....I could go on. But my point is that the food here is awesome and usually without any preservatives (maybe it's just in my head, but I think it tastes better), and with real sugar! (That means that the soda is way more delicious!) Even going to get lunch at the Walmart deli (yes, there's Walmart here) is cheap and delicious! For Q.18 ($2.25) you get a drink, meat (usually chicken or pork), tortillas, a dessert or piece of fruit (depending on what they have that day), soup, and your choice of 2 sides (rice, beans, or 2 choices of salads)....I eat lunch there a lot since it's really close to my work.  

5) Women carrying big baskets on their heads
One day on the bus, the driver was trying to get people to keep moving back so that they could fit more people on board (I think generally the driver has to pay the bus-owner a certain amount of money everyday to use the bus and then everything he makes on top of that is his profit....so they get the buses as full as physically possible every chance they get). He said (in Spanish, of course), "Woman with the onions on her head, please keep moving back!" I thought it was a really funny thing to hear, and then I looked up and saw that there were two women with onions on their heads!! What are the odds?! Hahahaha! My point is that the majority of the women here carry lots of stuff on their heads, either in baskets, bags, or just bundles of things (like green onions). I've seen women carrying baskets with live chickens on their heads. And usually with a baby strapped to their back as well. Sometimes they are carrying really heavy things on their heads and they're so good at balancing it too. I have troubles just staying on my feet when there are no longer seats available on the bus, but these women not only stay on their feet, but they also maintain they're bundles on their heads....a lot of times without even holding onto them!! I've tried to do it with my book that I teach from, just walking around the academy, and it hasn't worked out so well. These women get my respect and envy for their head-carrying superpowers. 

6) My classes!!
I have the best students in the world! I've only taught one or two classes that I wasn't super stoked on. There are some days when I have to teach for 9 hours straight, going from one class to the next without time to catch my breath. Yes, I'm totally wiped out at the end of the day, but I love it because my students are so much fun!! We rotate teachers to different classes every two weeks and I always think of the classes that I hope I get. I really don't like working from 7AM-8PM (not working the whole time, but starting my work day at 7 and finishing at 8) because it's a long day and even if I have a few hours without classes I don't usually go home because it's not usually worth it due to commuting time. But I always find myself hoping to get a certain 7-8AM class, an 8-9AM class, a 9-11AM class, a 2-4PM class, and a 6:30-8PM class.....that schedule SUCKS!! But I love all of those classes and I'd love to teach them anytime. It's not even that I want the hours (but the paycheck is pretty nice when I have a crazy schedule like that), it's that the students are the coolest people ever. They're so funny and so nice and they work really hard and they make fun of my Spanish during break. I have some classes that are really hard to cover all the material in the allotted time because we're joking around and having so much fun. Sometimes the bell rings to signal the end of class and I can't believe how fast it ended. I don't have a ton of friends here in Xela because I'm always working, but I don't feel like I'm in want of friends because my students are so stinking awesome. I could go on for days about how great my classes are, but I'll spare you. Just know that more than anything, I will miss my classes (and my students!!!) here in Xela.

 7) Trivia night at King & Queen

I was first introduced to trivia night by my friend Matt and I loved it! Not because I was especially good at it, but just because it was fun to get my brain working, practice my Spanish, win free tequila for having the best team name, and just spend a great evening with some friends. Since I don't dance and I don't like clubs, my nightlife options are quite limited here. Trivia night is a great way to spend a laid-back night and learn some useless facts at the same time! :)



8) El Kiosko in Parque Central

"The circle thing in the middle of the park!" For the longest time that's what I called the kiosko, because I had no idea what to call it. There are just some words in Spanish that are so much easier than English (like pasarela, which is the walking bridge that goes over the road so you don't get run over when you're trying to cross....I still have no idea if there's a word for it in English, so I just say pasarela). I love the kiosko because it's so chill! I love going there when it's a sunny afternoon and just reading a book or journaling...or even just sitting. And of course, there's always someone I know who happens to walk by (another thing I'll miss about Xela: always running into people I know), so I just get to chat and enjoy the sun and take in the amazing atmosphere.

9) Scandinavia Gym

My gym!!!! Of course I miss Climb Tacoma like crazy, but I'm going to miss going to Scandinavia every day, walking past it every day to get to work, eating delicious things in the break room with Ivan, Mario, and Josue (only the coolest trainers you'll ever meet). Aaaaaaggghhhh!!! I only had my membership for 3 months, but it quickly became my third home (second home being my work)....for those 3 months if I wasn't at work I was probably at the gym. The water pressure in the showers was amazing too! The music was terrible, but it grew on me.....except for when they played Christmas music, but I don't think anyone else noticed. Hahah! Now, because of being at the gym all the time, I see people all over town that I recognize (so between all my classes and the gym I can't really go anywhere without recognizing someone). The only thing that was super weird was that you needed to put in your code and your hand print to get in....so if you hear something about me committing a crime and they have my hand print to prove it, just know that I'm probably being framed by someone at the gym (but Carol, can you still come break me out of prison? Thanks!). 

10) Xelapan & Bake Shop

Bread!!! And baked, yummy things!!!
Xelapan is great because it's cheap, fresh, makes a great snack, and it's everywhere in Xela! But the Bake Shop is the best!!!!!!!! It's run by Mennonites and boy, oh boy, do they know how to make doughnuts, banana bread, cookies, peanut butter, yogurt, and doughnut holes!! Unfortunately they're only open Tuesday and Friday, but maybe that makes it that much more amazing. Doughnut Fridays will never be the same. 

Why is it so difficult?!

I've got a confession to make: I haven't been spending the time with God that I should be. I know, I know, who does? But as I look back on the last few years of my life, specifically from when I started going to real school (hahaha! Homeschooling totally counts as real school, but TCC and UW count as really real school since I actually had to leave the house and follow a set schedule), I've always tried to make time every day for a quiet time. A lot of times that meant getting up 30 minutes earlier every morning so that I could get into the word before I really started my day. Or during my summers at camp I made a conscious effort to spend some time with God everyday (I know, you're thinking, "Lisa, you were at a Christian camp....it's about God." but it's surprisingly kind of hard to make time for God sometimes, even at a Christian camp), even if that meant rocking out to some worship tunes while making a million and ten cookies for the campers.
When I first arrived in Xela I made it a priority to find a church. Before I even arrived, I asked some local missionaries about a church with English services and then I sought that church out 2 days after I got here. I continued getting up a half hour earlier than I really needed to so that I could start my day off with some God time. But then something happened....I don't really know what exactly though. I started working and, at first, I was still getting up and doing my daily devos. But my mornings started getting earlier and that extra 30 minutes of sleep was sounding better and better. I started working on Sundays...like all day on Sundays. So attending church got really difficult. And now I find myself 41 days into a 90-day devotional that I brought back with me from the states at the end of March.
Funny. Today's devo was about self-image (I'm reading the devotional Pure by Rebecca St James). She says, "Delighting in who God made us to be is hard.......We must try to build our self-image around what God thinks of us. This requires spending time with Him regularly to allow Him to fill us with His love." Then I read 2 Timothy. In 1 & 2 Timothy Paul reminds Timothy how important it is to be always in the scriptures, to know the teachings so that he wouldn't get led astray and so that he could help others not be led astray, so that false teachings wouldn't get hold of him or the rest of the church body. How is it that there are reminders everywhere for me to spend time with God daily and yet I'm only 41 days into a 90-day devotional that I've had for over 5 months? Today I find myself in a place where I've only been thanking God for great things and asking for help with hard things. I want to be in a place where God is a major part of everything I do. I've been there before.
Today I looked at the last few months of my life. I've spent an average of 2 hours every weekday at the gym, even with an occasionally crazy work schedule. I've watched a lot of Netflix. I've almost read the whole Chronicles of Narnia series in Spanish. I've read 3 other books in their entirety in Spanish. And I've read 41 days of my 90-day devotional. Something is wrong here.
I wrote this prayer in my journal today and I want to share it with you because if I tell you about it then I have more push to remember it.

I know I suck at consistently spending time with You.

I know You warn me about stuff and I ignore You.

I know You are always right next to me, just waiting for me to face You and invite You into my day.

Today I invite You into everything I do.

Today I'm facing You and asking you to continue speaking to me,

to continue pulling on my heart,

and to continue loving & protecting me.

Today I'm asking You to forgive the things I've done and the things I've left undone,

to forgive who I've been and what I am and guide who I will be.

Today I place myself in Your hands.

Tomorrow is another day.

Today I pray that You would place on my heart to do the same tomorrow.

May everyday of my life be a fresh commitment to You.

Thank You for being You.

Today I realized (probably for the millionth time) that I'm just waiting for the day when God gives up on me. The day when He says, "Lisa, I've been pursuing you for a long time. I'm tired and I'm done." But that's not how God rolls. I have journals with pages filled with the words of songs and verses that remind me of this, and yet for some reason it never quite sticks. I keep finding myself in this place of waiting for Him to say, "Peace out. Nice knowing you." 

So here's the request that I have for you: pretty please pray for me. Pray that I will always feel that my day is lacking something essential when I don't spend time with God. Pray that I will be able to rest in His faithfulness, not spend my time questioning it. 

This morning I woke up with this song stuck in my head. I would love for this to be my prayer every day.