Saunas, Soccer and Volcanos

I had a great weekend exploring the great natural wonders of the Guatemalan Highlands, in the area right around Xela. On Saturday afternoon, I took a hike with a few friends to Los Vahos, natural saunas in the hills. About an hour walk through the countryside, you get to a small house that has been built around natural cracks in the earth that produce steam. Inside, there are two separate sauna rooms that each have one area that is directly where the steam comes in and another that is a little less intense. Incredibly hot and wonderful, for about $2.50, you (and whomever you go with) get the room to yourself for an hour. And an hour is pretty much all you can handle. Given that Xela can be cold, and the showers aren't the warmest, it's a place that will heat your core and last you for at least a good 24 hours.

On our way back from the Sauna, my friend Dave and I decided to go see the Xelaju soccer game season opener, which was a great time. We entered in the wrong section of the Stadium and therefore weren't able to sit in the rowdy fan section, but were still surrounded by lots of fanatic families. I was surprised by the security, I wasn't expecting to get patted down. They don't let you take in bottles either, which makes sense. But instead of making you throw your drinks out like they do in the US, they have plastic bags with straws at the entrance that you pour your drink into. I love how creative Guatemalans can get with their plastic bags. Once you are in, there are loads of women selling plates of tacos with meat and cheese, Dominos guys selling slices of pizza, women carrying around giant pots of hot Piña drink (which was great given that it was so cold that night), and what looked like 10 year olds selling bags of roasted and candied peanuts. Oh yes, and of course, the 5 year old boy who sang Mariachi songs and was dressed up in the traditional attire during half-time. I think we might see him again in 10 years when he gets famous, he was quite the performer.

I also always knew that Guatemalans love their fireworks. They use fireworks, the small crackly kind, to celebrate just about everything. Most mornings, between 5 and 7am, you can hear them go off to wake people up on their birthdays or anniversaries. But the soccer game was a whole other level. People in the stands not only had smaller crackers, but were launching flares and full-on fireworks, the kind you would see at the fourth of july. Periodically throughout the game, fireworks would go off in the stands, which were fun, except when you thought some of them were going to land on you a burn a whole in your shirt.

Sunday morning, I headed off with 2 of my new roommates and 2 friends to climb Santa Maria (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santamar%C3%ADa_(volcano)). 12,380 feet tall, it's kinda the Pikes Peak of Xela. As in, your point of reference no matter where you are in town and the surrounding communities. It was a great, challenging hike with a really rewarding view (per usual, pictures will follow next week). The beginning of the hike was magical. We left Xela in a dense fog, and about 20min into the hike we had gotten to a point where all you could see was a blanket of cloud over Xela and the valley with just the mountains surrounding it in clear view. It was beautiful. At each point throughout the rest of the 3 hour hike, you kept thinking that it couldn't get any higher and any more beautiful, but it would. At the top there were loads of Guatemalans who had camped out overnight. They had built large fires, were cooking food and enjoying the top. It is also a sacred spot, so there were over 30 people praying, crying wailing, etc... one side of the peak. I was surprised as to how big the peak was and how much you could see. It felt like a 360 degree view of the Guatemalan highlands. We spent an hour up there, taking the in the view and looking at Santiagito, the smaller, but very active volcano right next to Santa Maria. Santiagito erupts about every 40min and you can see the crater and the smoke coming out. I thought it was very cool.

On a side note, I also moved again this weekend - saturday morning to be exact. I like my new living situation a lot better and I will share all the dramatic details of the move in a later blog (because it does merit its own entry). I'm headed to the lake tomorrow to spend two days at a clinic that a friend of mine (that I met here) is working at. I am looking forward to it and will be sure to share. Much love to you all!