First Week in Chiquimula

Wow, we are beginning to experience the country! Yesterday we had our first ride on the modern day version of a Chicken Bus. At least it wasnt a remade over school bus. We have seen those, too. Instead it was a 12 or 15 passenger van, with booster seats for the aisle. My best count was that there about 28 or 30 people on it. It had a cargo rack on the top where there were bundles of some kind of grain and other produce. It only cost Q9 for each of us to go to Zacapa. That is just over $1.25 or so. Zacapa is about 30 miles a way. We went for a Zone Conference. We stopped for every one who wanted a ride and just kept cramming them in. I was on a booster seat, which I shared with a tiny Guatemalteca. There was a very crippled man with many birth defects next to me on the other side. Spencer sat by the driver only facing backwards and didnt have a back rest the whole way. When we arrived in Zacapa we had no idea where to get off and the driver didnt know where the church was. Spencer asked around the front, but couldnt be heard in the back, so I had to be very brave and ask ¨Saben, donde esta la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias? And they understood me. The senora right behind me said to not get off yet and she would tell us when we were close. At the next stop she was very excited and pointed out the window of the bus and there were two elders. We jumped off and told them we didnt know where the church was and of course they were also going to Zone Conference so we walked with them. It was sort of fun. Limburgs came several hours later after some classes and a party for them, so we were able to ride home with them.

Please excuse all of the typos. This is an English keyboard, but the program is set for Spanish. Therefore the characters on the keys dont match what happens when you push it. I cant find an apostrophe or question mark in English and I dont know how to put the accent marks in Spanish. So now the person who is obsessive compulsive about correct spelling, cant spell in either language! Oh well. I guess I need a little more humbling.

Today we didnt have any classes, so we were brave and rode the mini buses around the town. They drive like maniacs and have removed the sliding side door and put on bars that are sort of like a gate for you to grab as you get on and off. We did alright!

There have been several English classes this week that we have attended with Limburgs. We have met more people than I will ever remember. We have lucked out and been invited to many farewell celebrations for them. There are more parties scheduled for next week.

The Benson House is very typical of the area. There are no yards. You share common walls with the neighbors on either side. There is gate that is locked on the street. All of the rooms open to a courtyard. So you go outside to go to the kitchen, the bathroom, the bedroom, etc. It is actually pretty fun. I like the ambiance. However, we will be moving into the Limburgs place in December and it doesnt have a central courtyard and is two stories.

I will tell you more about it later and will take some pictures.

On the streets(which are narrow and mostly one way) you see lots of native clothing, women carrying baskets on their heads, babies carried in shawls on backs, children carrying children, men and women carrying large bundles on their backs, etc. You also see people pushing or pulling two wheeled carts loaded with goods. It is amazing. But at the same time, there is an indoor mall with many stores and a food court. Lots of stores have American names. I will start taking pictures.

I better close. It is time for the Benson Institute to close. More later.