Guatemala

One of my favorite parts of traveling is experiencing new culture. This trip afforded me that opportunity on multiple levels. Living with a Guatemalan family I got to experience culture on an entirely different level. Mari and Leo made us feel like we were a part of the family from the moment we walked through their door. They spoke to us only in Spanish, which forced me to practice and learn, something I am extremely grateful for. We were lucky enough to celebrate Los Dias de Los Muertes with our host family. We were beyond excited for the meal that Mari prepared....something that takes 3 days to prepare should be amazing, right?!? Ummm, not when your talking about Fiambre. 13 meats in a cold soupy broth with pickled vegtables....sounds delicious right?!? After our delicious meal we walk to the kite festival which is held once a year on this day. Every day AFTER El Dia de Los Muertes we enjoy amazingly, delicious food prepared by Mari. She provides us with a cooking lesson one night (a priceless moment). I will attach her recipe for Chile Quila's at the end of this post. Leo is an amazing man. He feels like our granddad and prides himself on teaching us about life and the ways of the world. He does this every night and yes he does it entirely in spanish. I think our favorite moments in the household are those spent with Mari laughing. She has a laugh that is contagious and it is fun to watch her. For you ladies that were there, "locos in la calle", "el burro", and "el bebe de comida"....a few of the phrases that brought tears of laughter to our eyes.


*To see more of my Guatemala photos visit my website www.evanescentphotography.com I have also posted photos on facebook.*

Some pictures taken in Antigua

at the kite festival

dinner with our host family

part of a shrine inside their home

at the market in Antigua

on the streets of San Felipe

a definite art form

San Felipe

In addition to living in a Guatemalan household I also got to work in the culture. Our week started out in a Mayan Clinic in Sumpango. We ended the week working in an orphanage for mentally challenged children. The ride to the clinic was an interesting one. If you have never rode the chicken bus it is very much like a roller coaster. A school bus, stuffed with at least 3 to a seat, the driver accelerating at every turn. I am happy to say that I can check this off my bucket list :) Working in the clinic allowed us to see the simplicity of medicine. This also became apparent in the orphanage. With all of our fancy bells and whistles in the states, the fundamental principal of nursing remains the same. The nurse's there do the best they can with what they have. I was inspired by their dedication and the work they do at the orphanage is "saint" worthy.

chicken bus

Mayan villager in Sumpango

We end our trip in Guatemala by taking a road trip to El Paredon. We meet amazing new friends there, share delicious paella, adopt a dog and name him Diego, we sleep in mosquito nets and wake up to the sound of the ocean. AND.....of course, we surf!!!! The view from the lineup is something I will never forget. We are in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of a village, we are surfing and we are watching El Fuego, an active volcano smoke in the sky. I feel extremely lucky. These are moments that I will never forget.

yummy!!

sunset El Paredon, Guatemala

Chile Quila

(i will do my best with this recipe, i watched mostly and i wrote half the instructions in english and half in spanish, also all ingredients are approximate)

Ingredients

Guisquil (1-2 large)

Roma tomatoes (10 or so)

olive oil

salt

queso fresco (sliced)

eggs (3)

flour (tbs or so)

vegetable oil

water

Directions

Peel and slice guisquil, boil in about a cup of water for 10 minutes, add a dash of salt

Boil Roma tomatoes for about 10 minutes and drain. (save water, it will be used in the next step)

Blend tomatoes in blender with 1/2 cup of water, a dash or two of salt, a tsp of olive oil and a little of the leftover tomato water. Put aside. This will be used as the topping at the end.

Place a slice of queso fresco in between 2 slices of guisquil

Using only the white part of the eggs, blend with a hand mixer until frothy. Add yolks and blend slowing adding in about a tbs of flour

Oil pan, dip guisquil in batter, fully covering both sides, pan fry

Add sauce to the top of each guisquil after frying

YUMMY!!!!!!!!