hmmmm

It's creeping up on me...

I just had a birthday and I don't want to get older!!! Somebody press the STOP button!!! . . . ok, maybe the SLOWDOWN button.

Alright, so I have a few gray hairs. So my face no longer has the post-teen peachy glow. So my joints sometimes protest to me.

Today I got fitted for my first pair of O-O glasses :( (And to think I used to be PROUD of how well I could see!) Not a big problem, it's just that little letters and numbers can be kinda fuzzy now. I got a math problem wrong a couple weeks ago because instead of reading the problem as having a 350 in it, I thought it said 550. Time for glasses.

I really don't feel that old, it's just these signs of growing older are >>>pushing themselves in my face. Makes me feel funny inside.

I'll get the glasses, be thankful that I don't have to color my hair yet, and be thankful that I'm still quite active, and not too w~r~i~n~k~l~y. I already have my solution for wrinkles . . . I'll pull my skin back to my hairline, tape it there with scotch tape, then get a good laugh at people's reaction when the tape lets loose and my face goes instantly from grape to raisin :D. I guess you're all forwarned but I'm pretty sure you'll forget by the time I try it. :))

posted by Colleen @ 6:23 PM 6 comments

Guatemalan Travels

PURPOSE:

This little girl and my sister in the picture. Cindy was adopting Gabrielle (her Guatemalan name was Flor which means flower) and we were there to finalize the adoption and bring Gabby home. She's a sweety and when she's happy makes sounds like a little bird. Welcome home Gabrielle.

THE ORPHANAGE:

Yes, this is the orphanage. It's in a spanish style villa and this garden is surrounded by three wings having two levels (the door behind us to the right leads into the apartment where we stayed). On the fourth side is the parking area and beyond that some outdoor play areas for the kids - some area dirt, some area paved, and some area grassy with a large tree, all enclosed by a solid 6' high wall. There's many kids from infant to pre-teen there with several nannies at any given time to care for the kids. The food isn't like mexican food - they eat a variety such as: spaghetti, hot dogs, omelets, fried chicken, rice, veggies, lots of fruit and smoothies, along with sometimes tortillas, black beans, and salsa.

ANTIGUA AND IT'S PEOPLE:

The background is a mountainside and the town is Antigua near where we stayed. The narrow streets are cobblestone with narrow sidewalks. This town has a definite spanish flavor to the architecture, similar to the orphanage where we stayed, central plazas and all. It's very colorful. It's also an odd combination of old and new. I felt like I stepped back in time yet there's at least four businesses offering internet access with their computers and both McDonalds and Burger King are there (in the old buildings, of course!) The people are friendly and dressed from traditional guatemalan to the latest styles. (It seemed odd to see a lady in traditional guatemalan dress walking down the street talking on a cell phone!) On the weekend, Antigua is flooded with college kids and tourists from many different countries.

posted by Colleen @ 9:31 PM 2 comments

THE MARKET:

Guatemala has some characteristic marketable items. Around Antigua are several coffee plantations which sell their produce. There's also artisians in the area of hand woven and embroidered textiles, wood carving, and jewelery making. Jade is one of the principle precious stones found here.







RELAXING TIME:

I think it was Sunday afternoon. In front of this old Catholic Church, some of the church children along with a few adults played this large xylophone (9 people played it at the same time). It's right across from Central Park, which unlike locally, is normally filled with people talking and relaxing.





TIKAL RUINS:

The Tikal ruins are located in northern Guatemala (we took a day trip there including an hour round trip flight and two shuttles each way). I didn't get to see them myself (my Mom got sick so we went back to the main plaza/museum area before I saw anything), but my sister Sue did and got this picture for me. This is one of many old mayan temples here. You can't see from this picture because it's too small, but at the top of the stairway seated before the door are a couple people, just so you know how big this thing is. On the way there and back along the roads, people and animals move about freely. We almost ran into a mare nursing a foal, a dog, and a pig, all roaming on or across the road. Such a slower pace there than here.



PACAYA VOLCANO:

Our last tour before going home - a volcano. As you can see by the picture, this flow is quite recent and still cooling. We're still quite a ways from the cone, we'd get cooked if we got too close. Even where we were, it could be quite hot and we had to be careful of our footing - volcanic rock is light and can be fragile when thin and walked on. It's also sharp to the touch. Our guide used this stick to pull some molten lava out (it was like a thick, hot, melty marshmallow but glowing red and larger in amount) then began pulling at it with a stick to form it (my sister said it looked like a teddy bear). He then poured some of his bottled water on it to cool it. When it was cool enough, he carried it with him. He was going to give it to one of us as a souvenier but after sitting down for a rest, when we got going again he forgot it behind. Oh, well, he tried.

All in all, it was an unusual and interesting trip. I sure was glad to be back in the states where the main language is english. I don't speak much spanish and got by with a few words with much gesturing. It's tough work communicating when you don't know the language. Now we're home safe and sound with Gabrielle, my new niece. Welcome to the USA Gabrielle!

posted by Colleen @ 8:43 PM 3 comments