The famous arch in AntiguaSaturday was my first day of truly getting sick (if I thought I was sick before, I was wrong). I had to make trips to the bathroom literally every half hour (and as soon as I got back to my room, I felt like I had to go again). My family was kind of freaked out. They just kept giving me lots of chamomile tea. I knew it was coming evenutally because it's a universal reality for all Peace Corps trainees/ volunteers... still, not pleasant. Leaving the house was definitely not an option.
This was very bad timing because I had spent the entire week organizing a trip to climb one of the volcanoes on Sunday and looking forward to it. So I had to resign myself to the fact that 14 of my fellowtrainees would be going and having an amazing time. on something I had planned, without me. Fortunatley, after a long weekend feeling pretty bored and let-down, I had a great day on Monday. We went with our Spanish teacher toAntigua, where we visited the "Museo de Cafe" and about the process of making coffee from plant to bean. Included in the tour were some pretty ridiculous statistics about the cost breakdown of wherethe purchase money goes. Sixteen percent of it goes to the country that actually grows and harvests and packages the coffee. Eighty four percent of it goes to the country that transports and sells it. How's that for f--ed up.
On the plus size, we got to have a very strong (though tiny) cup of coffee at the end of the tour, which was nice after weeks of drinking instant coffee. Yes, in the country marked seventh in the world for coffee production and third in the world for coffee quality, it is very very hard to find anything that is not over-sugared, watery instant coffee. Just another irony of the reality of a developing country.
Anyhow, after the coffee tour and a long relaxing lunch at the BagelBarn (yes, it's called the "Bagel Barn"-- I'm not kidding when I sayAntigua is more European than Guatemalan), we took a bus out of thecity to a macademia nut plantation that we'd heard about. It is owned by this slightly crazy older hippy and his beautiufl Guatemalan wife. And it's wonderful. Apparently macademia trees give off an extraordinary high level of oxygen, and as soon as we got there, the air tasted different-- sweet and moist and clean-- a hudge change fromthe generally smoggy diesel-flavored air that's prevalent here. And we were treated to macademia nuts, macademia nut-chocolate, macadmia skin oil and lotion, and a macadmia oil face massage-- for free. We were also given an open invitation to come and hang out whenever we want(they love Peace Corps). I bought macademia butter. I never thoughtanything could compete with my love for peanut butter, but this stuff has it beat. More than anything, it was so nice to be enjoying a peaceful outdoor space for a little while, which was safe, something I hadn't found yet in Guatemala. I'll be sure to be back. It was also just so nice to finally be out of the house (as much as I love my family) and spend some good time with my very ¨tight¨ team.The day almost made up for missing the volcano... almost.
This was very bad timing because I had spent the entire week organizing a trip to climb one of the volcanoes on Sunday and looking forward to it. So I had to resign myself to the fact that 14 of my fellowtrainees would be going and having an amazing time. on something I had planned, without me. Fortunatley, after a long weekend feeling pretty bored and let-down, I had a great day on Monday. We went with our Spanish teacher toAntigua, where we visited the "Museo de Cafe" and about the process of making coffee from plant to bean. Included in the tour were some pretty ridiculous statistics about the cost breakdown of wherethe purchase money goes. Sixteen percent of it goes to the country that actually grows and harvests and packages the coffee. Eighty four percent of it goes to the country that transports and sells it. How's that for f--ed up.
On the plus size, we got to have a very strong (though tiny) cup of coffee at the end of the tour, which was nice after weeks of drinking instant coffee. Yes, in the country marked seventh in the world for coffee production and third in the world for coffee quality, it is very very hard to find anything that is not over-sugared, watery instant coffee. Just another irony of the reality of a developing country.
Anyhow, after the coffee tour and a long relaxing lunch at the BagelBarn (yes, it's called the "Bagel Barn"-- I'm not kidding when I sayAntigua is more European than Guatemalan), we took a bus out of thecity to a macademia nut plantation that we'd heard about. It is owned by this slightly crazy older hippy and his beautiufl Guatemalan wife. And it's wonderful. Apparently macademia trees give off an extraordinary high level of oxygen, and as soon as we got there, the air tasted different-- sweet and moist and clean-- a hudge change fromthe generally smoggy diesel-flavored air that's prevalent here. And we were treated to macademia nuts, macademia nut-chocolate, macadmia skin oil and lotion, and a macadmia oil face massage-- for free. We were also given an open invitation to come and hang out whenever we want(they love Peace Corps). I bought macademia butter. I never thoughtanything could compete with my love for peanut butter, but this stuff has it beat. More than anything, it was so nice to be enjoying a peaceful outdoor space for a little while, which was safe, something I hadn't found yet in Guatemala. I'll be sure to be back. It was also just so nice to finally be out of the house (as much as I love my family) and spend some good time with my very ¨tight¨ team.The day almost made up for missing the volcano... almost.
At the macadamia nut farm with my team.
No comments:
Post a Comment