Emily in Guatemala: Another day trip

Yesterday I went on another day trip with Odilia and Santos. But first, here are some pictures that go along with my previous blog posts: (jeez I love having fast internet now!)

Beautiful roses in Guatemala City - for you, Mom!

2 of Petronila's sister-in-laws that LOVED taking pictures. I got out my camera when Petronila and Odilia were in the temascal and they freaked out. They kept doing different poses and with different combinations of people, then would run to my camera to look at the pictures, giggle uncontrollably, and run back in front of the camera for another picture. I took like 50 pictures but here are just a couple.

Monkey face

Guatemalan kids are so cute!

2 more girls at Petronila's house

A cat at a pregnant woman's house that posed perfectly for me.

A woman weaving a wipil - the type of shirt that most Guatemalan women wear in the villages. This woman told me it takes three months to make just one!

My pueblo - Paxorotot. You can see all of the hills, houses, farms, and the crazy thunderstorm about to come in (it rains a lot here every afternoon and night - and it's soo loud because of all the tin roofs!)

Church we drive by every time we leave the pueblo going one way - there is only one road that goes through the town. This isn't the church we go to on Sundays, though.

Day Trip to Chimaltenango and Comalapa

Instead of going to mass yesterday, Odilia and Santos serviced a church group who wanted to go to a place called Chimaltenango. Santos drove their big school bus and Odilia drove their microbus/van thing (I rode up front with Odilia). "Apocentos Chimaltenango" is the amusement park-type place they wanted to go, complete with a big lagoon with paddle boats and rowboats, amusement games, food, a zip-line type thing across the lagoon, pools, and pony rides. The group went there to baptize some of the younger church members and spend the day there. It looked like fun for a young family, but I'm glad we didn't stay there because it didn't seem like there was too much to do for an adult and it was cold and rainy. Odilia, Santos, and I left in the microbus to go to the pueblo where Odilia was born, called Comalapa. Comalapa is famous for having lots of painters and other artists there - so there is a wall when you first drive into town with the entire Mayan history painted. Pretty cool! We walked around their market, saw the house where Odilia was born and the house Odilia and Santos lived for a short time when they first got married, and visited Odilia's Aunt Macaria. The aunt was so nice and gave me a centro de mesa (table runner) typical of Guatemala as a gift. We also went to a place where they make wedding veils and other materials because Odilia and Santo's godchild is getting married this Saturday (I get to go to the wedding!) and it is the godparent's job to buy the veil, crown, double-necked rosary for the husband and wife, and the bouquet. I found it very strange here that all wedding bouquets are fake flowers with glitter and paint on them - I asked Odilia if they ever have real bouquets and she said no, because the fake bouquet lasts forever as a memory of the wedding. I didn't particularly like the bouquets or the veils! I find it funny that the bride trusts the godparents to pick out a veil that will go with the rest of her dress and outfit when Odilia hasn't even seen her dress! They used me as a model and we had a good chuckle. Afterwards we went back to the amusement park to pick up the family and take them home. Odilia and Santos had to take a family member to the airport last night and didn't get back until midnight - Odilia just woke up and I've already been awake for 2 hours ready to go on prenatal visits! We are leaving soon though :)