Andres jugando
ajedrez
Andres playing chess |
Andrés is now back
from the hospital and recuperating at the Hogar. The doctors in Xela performed
a rather severe surgery to bind the broken bone in his right leg with a
metallic implant. The leg should be quite strong when it heals. For the moment,
however, Andres is encased in plaster from toe to sternum, confined to bed.
Surprisingly, his only complaint is that it itches something terrible. We'll
travel to Xela on the 19th for inspection and possible removal of the
cast.
The kids are finishing up with their exams. Vacations begin in the
next few days, continuing through early January. Preparations for the move to
Lemoa are underway. A work team is arriving in early November to help with the
move as well. |
Two new roosters have been acquired since my last
visit, and they are a troublesome pair. Beginning at about 11:00 each night,
they sound off hourly for about 15 minutes. They continue until 5:30 the next
morning, whereupon they retire to their roosts and recharge their batteries for
the next night. Elisa has promised us chicken stew this Wednesday. I am looking
forward to that date with anticipation.
In the meantime I'm back on the
beans and rice diet, which I can recommend as excellent way to shed a few
pounds. On the other hand, the fruit here is extraordinary. Yesterday we had
some unbelievable pineapple, and the mangoes are quite good as well. Due to the
climate, fresh fruit is available year-round, and it is much more flavorful
than the stuff they ship to America. |
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Foto del grupo
Group portrait
Mercado de verduras en Chichi
Vegetable market
in Chichicastenango |
| This morning a few of us from the hogar went to
Chichicastenango to walk the famous outdoor market. Every Sunday and Thursday
people come from deep within the surrounding countryside to sell their wares:
textiles, blankets, masks, produce, livestock, shoes, toothpaste, you name it.
It's always very much a festival atmosphere, with much marimba playing and
ceremonial goings-on at the Catholic church. |
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| On Friday we went out to into the surrounding
countryside for some exercise. It was a pastoral setting, with cornfields,
cows, and plenty of room to play. It was a cool sunny afternoon, and other
groups and families were relaxing there as well. There was such a sense of
peace that it was hard to imagine the horrific acts of violence that occurred
in this very region not 15 years ago. Such a beautiful setting. We played an
exhausting game of soccer and then walked back to town in time for dinner.
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Santos, Benjamin, y
Byron |
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