Guatemalan Adventures is Off Adventuring

We will be out of town and away from our blog for a week as we venture to the East Coast of Guatemala and visit the town of Lívingston, also known as "Little Jamaica". We are planning to enjoy the beach, the sun, and plenty of fresh seafood including conch, whitefish, and lobster. After a few days there we will travel by boat up the Río Dulce, a gorgeous green river teeming with wildlife, including monkeys, birds, and manatees. We will then disembark in the town of Río Dulce from where we might visit some hot spring waterfalls and do a little cave exploration. Only thing I ask is: Why hasn't anyone visited us yet? This country is AWESOME!

Nothing Like a Stabbing in the Morning...

A word of advice...PAY YOUR DEBTS in Guatemala! As you should know, my experience at the Bomberos has been pretty fun, as well as exciting. Everyday I am getting more and more accustomed to working in the emergency services field. This morning as I was waiting around for Sunday roll call with a few other firemen, a young man came running toward the station out of breath. Speaking so quickly I could barely understand, I at least made out that something bad had happened two blocks up the street. About 5 of us piled in an ambulance and sped off, donning gloves as quickly as possible. When we got to the scene, a man was laying on the side of the rode bleeding from his chest. We threw him on the stretcher (almost literally) and sped to the hospital. It seems he had owed someone money and couldn't pay, so the person stabbed him in the chest (if they did that to people who have ARMs that are adjusting, I bet we wouldn't have our little mortgage crisis in the States). Once at the hospital it was pretty neat seeing them check for internal bleeding, clean the wound, etc. All I can say is that is a crazy way to start your morning. I guess the victim would agree with me. Luckily, about the only better place to get stabbed is outside of the hospital and with our response and delivery time being about 5 minutes, he should be okay. Welcome to Guatemala...

Yellow Bird Dancers

Recently the organization was visited here in Guatemala by a small group of Native American dancers known as the Yellow Bird Dancers. Invited and paid for by the United States Embassy to promote intercultural exchange, the dancers participated in three unique meetings and performances here in Santa Cruz Del Quiché. The first meeting we attended was very surreal as it was set in the local Mayan ruins on the outskirts of town, a place where Mayan ceremonies are commonly practiced today. The Native Americans were joined by spiritual guides from the Mayan community and together the to groups participated in a traditional Mayan ceremony. Afterward the ceremony, which included the burning of special candles and herbs, various groups of local Guatemalans performed dances and music typical of the area as a display for the Americans. Afterwards, the Native Americans preformed a variety of dances and song (both vocal and with a flute). The favorite of the crowd by far was the hoop dance which consisted of a dance performed with about 12 small hoops and one extraordinary dancer. This meeting of two indigenous communities was a privilege to attend and we believe everyone agreed that it was a very spiritual and inter-connected meeting of minds and culture.

Help Support Our Volunteering!

Some people have recently asked us how they could help us out financially while we are serving and volunteering abroad in Guatemala. Since we both took a pay cut of about 15 dollars and hour to come here and help this organization and teach English to the local Mayans, we are unfortunately at times living off our meager savings.

Luckily, thanks to the Internet you can easily help us while we serve God and our fellow man (and woman). Simply go to www.paypal.com and select "Send Money" and send to the email address: kc7qaz@msn.com Select the amount and pay with credit card or your paypal account.

Consult your tax adviser as this is likely tax deductible.

Thanks for your support!

Western Highland Trekking

Two weekends ago, Toby and I had the pleasure of getting out and doing a little hiking in a different region of the Quiché department. As one of the largest departments in Guatemala Quiché provides a vast array of colorful typical clothing and multiple indigenous languages. We traveled to Acul and Nebaj of the Ixil community to see some new ways of life.

This region of Guatemala is the Ixil Triangle, formed between the towns of Nebaj, Chajul, and Cotzal that speak the indigenous language Ixil (pronounced ee-sheel). Extreme violence and warfare took place in Nebaj and these other towns during the 30 year Guatemalan civil war that ended with the 1996 Peace Accords. The communities are slowing rebuilding their homes and lives after much displacement, disturbance and loss. Despite their past, the people in this region are positive, friendly, and hopeful.


Toby and I arrived in Nebaj on a bustling market day and immediately knew we weren't in Quiché anymore. The typical clothing is very different than what we are accustomed to seeing daily. The women's cortes (more or less skirts) are dark red, but sometimes dark blue, with sparse vertical thin yellow stripes. Their huipiles have intricate woven geometric designs made with a variety of colors. Some women also wear fancy head cloths woven into their braids and piled on their head with pom-pom tassels dangling down.


We headed out on our hike precariously because we didn't know any details, just to follow this road out of town and continue on a path. This path was to take us up a mountainside and over into another valley where the sleepy rural community of Acul lies. We successfully trekked across, getting caught in an afternoon rainstorm halfway through, but making it there joyfully. We had the pleasure of walking with a local man for a bit that was hiking up to tend to some cows in a field on the mountainside, in addition to seeing beautiful vistas of each community.


Acul offered us a chance to see a more simple way of life, how majority of Guatemalans live. Only about 400 people live in the community, each with their simple mud-brick home and patio gardens with farm animals roaming. I swear there was probably 10 animals to each human in the community because we saw so many baby cows, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, turkeys, kittens, dogs and more! The best however was the beautiful Swiss-style chalet and farm that's been run by an Italian-Guatemalan family for over 50 years. The cows roam free on beautiful green pastures and make some of the best cheese in Guatemala. The scene was picturesque as we sipped on coffee and listened to the sounds of animals, instead of traffic and firecrackers.


If a bit boring, at least our trip to Acul and Nebaj was delightfully relaxing. The lack of house and street lights, noise pollution, and commerce was a nice treat. We watched fireflies twinkle in the fields, interacted with some sweet locals, and got back in touch with nature. Ahhh....peace.

It's a boy!!!

Toby and I are proud to announce the newest member of our family....is a boy! Yes, that's right we are now the proud adoptive parents of little Nieve.

Our new kitty adoption was a big of a surprise. The short of the story is that last week I was feeling sad about my grandmother passing away. Then, a co-worker of ours stopped by to ask if we wanted a kitty because she remembered us liking them. We had previously discussed getting a kitten, but had decided against it. This time, however, seemed like a sign to us, plus it really perked up my spirits. We discussed everything and decided...YES! And, in honor of my Grandma Snow, we named him Nieve which means snow in Spanish.

We received our cute new baby boy (kitten) on Wednesday this week. He is mostly a charcoal gray color with white paws, a white nose, and a white chest/belly. Like any kitten he is very playful, often attacking the shower curtain, my hair ties, shoe laces, and Toby. We've found that he tends to strike up little bouts more with Toby than myself. He is very sweet and loving though, and especially enjoys snuggling up close with us. We are now co-sleeping with a little kitten because he adores sleeping close to us in the night. And unlike other cats, Nieve seems to always move closer so that he is touching us. We just hope he stays this nice and friendly!

Toby to the Rescue...as always.

Last night while on duty I had my first fire call (about time). Despite the rainy night, around midnight I was woken up from a sound sleep by one of my compañeros who told me we had a fire. Looking up, I saw the red light lit on the signal tree in our quarters signaling that there was indeed a fire. Keeping my boots and turnouts at the foot of my bed I hopped in them and grabbed a helmet. I slid down the pole (which I love to do every time) and headed for the truck. The driver was already inside and myself and two other aspiring firefighters hopped on the back of the truck, holding on to the railing while we sped off. I have always wanted to do this though it was against the rules when I worked at the US Forest Service and I believe the same goes for other fire agencies in the States as well. But, as I have come to see, their aren't many rules in Guatemala. After a bit of a drive outside of town we got to the fire which turned out to be a small cantina or bar. It didn't take long to get the main body of the fire knocked down and then we started to dig up things to find additional hot spots. Soon after we realized a small portable vender's stand next to the fire had some how caught on fire as well. My team grabbed the bolt cutters, but when the other guys couldn't get through the lock on the door, the task was turned over to me. (I have a reputation at the firehouse for having big feet and for being strong...go figure). I got through the lock fast and we wrapped up the rest of the fire quickly and headed back to go to sleep...again. Saving the country one cantina at a time... Bomberos Voluntarios.

PS: This picture was NOT the fire. Hopefully you figured that out alright beacuase I said the fire was at midnight. Good mind test eh Charlie?!?!

6.8 Earthquake

Today we felt the earthquake trembles of a 6.8 magnitude quake while at the office. Its epicenter was apparently hundreds of miles away from us off the Pacific coast, but we still felt the effects in Quiché! You can read a report at kgw. Nothing was damaged, but we did get a little motion sick and queasy from the erratic movements.

The excitement really never ends living here in Guatemala. We're loving every minute of it!

*Recent sunset view from our patio.

Rainy Season in Quiché

While all of you higher up in the Northern Hemisphere are preparing for delightful warm weather and long sunny days....we on the other hand are preparing for storms and downpours. The dry season has passed and we are now experiencing the wet season here. Typically we have a storm in the afternoon or during the night, but it's dry and sunny during the morning. This schedule allows us time to dry a load of laundry quick before the next downpour. Phew!


This rain is not like the London or Portland cold continual drizzle. We get crazy loud thunder and huge bolts of lightning flashing across the sky. Very fun and exciting!!! It also doesn't get particularly cold either, which is very nice. These storms can be quite the pain though, since we walk everywhere and occasionally get caught in storms. We also live at the bottom of a hill, so our road can turn into a flowing river quite quickly. And, until recently we had heavy flow into our house as well. Yikes! Luckily our roof was fixed a few weeks ago, and therefore is not raining NEARLY as much as before...but still seeps in under the door and through other spots. But, what are ya gonna do? Welcome to Guatemala!

Garbage, Garbage, Everywhere!

Can you spot the dog in this picture? Chances are it might take you awhile to do so. This is because this particular dog is camouflaged while digging through a large pile of trash we recently saw during a walk around a local town, called Panajachel. This however is not uncommon. Frankly the entire situation of garbage in Guatemala is disgusting. Initially, the situation stems from the consumer... OF COURSE! Everyone litters and it is not uncommon to see people throwing plastic bags and bottles from the windows of houses, as well as moving cars and buses. In addition to this predicament, it seems that the Guatemaltecos have some sort of fascination with bags and will give you one no matter how little you buy, or even if you bring your own bag. We have gotten in the habit of saving these bags and reusing them when we purchase various things throughout town, however at times you have to tell the clerk or vendor about 4 times that you don't want to have a bag. Then comes the problem of what to do with your trash. Our city recently had a private outfit start collecting trash every week. They come around about 7am laying on the horn until the entire neighborhood has heard them, collecting whatever you want for about $5 a month. It took awhile to throw out (instead of recycle) everything from glass to metal and plastic, however we have been told that the garbage collectors always go through everyone's trash in search of materials such as these that can be sold in bulk. Recycling...I guess. If you elect not to have curbside pickup, your other option is forming a pile, like in the above picture, or burning your trash in the street at night. Nothing like watching the sunset, while the sweet stench of burning plastic and trash makes its way to your nostrils.

Grandmother Nancy Jane Snow

Nancy Jane Snow
February 13, 1922 - June 5, 2007

Today I got word that my Grandmother Nancy Jane Snow passed away in Vermont. Although I've been disconnected with her the last few years, due to Alzheimer's taking over her mind, I am still saddened by the news.

I have many great memories of Grandma Snow. When I was seven years old I lived with my family in her house for 6 months in good ol' Cedar Hills. And, later on we'd visit her often since she was in the neighborhood. When I was young we'd walk to the duck pond after getting day old bread from the store so we could feed the ducks. I always thought her house was boring because she didn't have toys except for some plastic animals, playing cards, and some painted/carved gourds that I pretended were different things. She was very musically talented and would play for me and my siblings songs out of our favorite big green book full of folk songs like What Shall We do with the Drunken Sailor and I've Been Working on the Railroad. She taught me some songs as well, but I had to make sure to take good care of the baby grand piano, and never put anything on it. She taught Zach and I how to play Blackjack with chips on the card table in her living room. And we'd also get into some good triple solitaire battles!

She always loved nature and the environment, often donating trees in my name for my Christmas present...even as a child. She was always very generous to us, even if she wasn't super loving about it. I know that she'd be very proud of me today...being so well-traveled as she was. I've wished over the last few years that I could share my adventures with her and talk about the places I've seen. I hope she can look down on me today and cheer me on from wherever she is.

Thanks Grandma for all the great battles of scrabble at your house. For letting us use the Chinese playing cards. For sharing your house on so many Christmases, Birthdays, Thanksgivings, and more. Thank you so much for making it to my high school graduation. For turning me on to Ak-mak crackers and putting rice vinegar on my salads. For sharing your futon beds and backyard fort.

I've appreciated your wisdom, feminism, dedication and strength throughout my life. I will not forget you.

Building Relationships

Yesterday we had the privilege of sharing a few hours of our day with an amazing couple who drove from Canada down through Central America, with a personal mission focusing on research and relationship building within the non-profit sector. Lara and Taco were both formally involved in the computer programming sector and had donated to Enlace Quiche through Global Giving. We were the fourth non-profit they had visited along their journey and it was so great having a day to talk with such like-minded people. We felt slightly bad because throughout the day it consisted of them asking a lot of questions and us provided a lot of answers and stories, however I think this was what they wanted to hear, the story of real people, working in country and how things were going. We were excited to share our stories of the website Toby is making to draw in new volunteers or the global internship program Brittany is creating through the Oregon University System and other NW universities. After some talking at work, Lara and Taco invited us to go to dinner with them, however we had to pick the spot because they obviously hadn't been here before. Heading in the rain over to the town steakhouse we had an excellent meal with Toby ordering the fish platter while everyone else had the vegetarian platter. The food was excellent, that being said however, the conversation was even better. The four of us swapped stories of our travels, crazy adventures in chicken buses, and about working and visiting here in Guatemala. We also absorbed information about some spots we have to visit here in the country and how to sneak into Tikal early in the morning when all the animals are out. It has been awhile since we have had the chance to socialize, let alone with some amazingly down-to-earth and driven-to-help people. Lara and Taco are even going to try to bring us a few boxes of books next time they drive down to help with the library we are creating. Take a look at their blog if you get a chance: http://shatterthefog.blogspot.com/

As we travel the country and soon other countries as well, I think the one thing that is clear to us is that traveling and life in general is not what you do or see, but rather who you meet along the way. It is the relationships and memories that we can take with us wherever we go and no matter what happens they can never be taken away.

Rescue 122

Here in Quiche it isn't Rescue 911, but rather the emergency number of 122 when you need help from the Bomberos Voluntarios (aka Volunteer Firefighters and EMTs). As many of you might or might not know, I, Toby signed up for the volunteer fire crew here in Guatemala. Figuring my experience of forest fire-fighting and Search and Rescue qualified me for duty, a connection through the organization I work for here got me in touch with one of the guys from the station and in only a week or two I was a Bombero with a letter from my former boss at the Forest Service. The guys and gals have been more than friendly, welcoming with open arms and excitement. On Sunday we have role and a meeting of everyone during which attendance is taken and the Bomberos Hymnal is sung. I also have an overnight turn at the station every Wednesday night from 8pm to 6am or so in the morning. The Bomberos stay pretty busy everyday responding to a lot of medical calls along with accidents and the occasional fire. Fires here are usually forest fires during the dry season with very few home fires due to just about everything being made of cinder blocks. Last week however the Bomberos responded to a pretty significant structure fire in a building that sold used clothing. One of the fire fighters went to the hospital after opening up a hose while on a ladder which in turn blew him back of the ladder. Don't worry, I won't be that stupid.

This Wednesday I finally got a little action with our first call coming in soon after I arrived for my turn. We responded to a medical emergency where a male was having some severe stomach pains. It was quite crazy when he and about 3 family members piled into the van so we could transport him to the nearby hospital. I suppose if he was in really dire condition when we got to his house the medic would have done something, but we just took him to the hospital to be examined there. I on the other hand am simply there on these types of calls for the muscle, in case we need to lug someone out in a stretcher. After returning we hung out for awhile, sitting on the fire truck, an old one from Santa Rosa, CA, shooting the breeze, the other guys smoking, and me alertly listening to the Spanish, trying to continuously understand what everyone is saying. Getting ready for bed I started reading my book and was relaxing when the alarm went off around 11:30pm. I hopped up, eager to go wherever I was need while a medic and aspirante (aspiring bombero) joined me in putting on our boots. We grabbed our jackets and slid down the fire pole (doing this on a regular basis is awesome and has always been a dream). Hopping into a Bombero Pickup we headed out to the call not knowing much other than it was a medical call. In the countryside we found a bike rider who was going to the house we were headed who guided us the rest of the way there (addresses aren't as exact like in the States). We left the pickup and had to climb up a semi-muddy hill with the stretcher, passing a few milk cows along the way. Once we got there a woman was squatting on the floor with about 6 other women around her speaking K'iche', and it didn't take long to figure out she was having a baby. Right as we arrived the head was coming out and the baby was being born in front of my eyes. We stood watch as the women did most of the work. Awhile later after the placenta passed, our medic got down there to make sure everything was okay and tied off the cord with some string. Eventually we left after it was clear that the woman and baby (it was her first) were going to be fine and didn't need transport to the hospital. It's a good thing too because that would have been a heck of a carry down the hill with the stretcher. It was pretty awesome seeing a baby be born in a mud brick house in the countryside of Guatemala. It is a story I won't soon forget and I am sure the first of many more to come. Kindly refusing the offer of coffee on the way out we headed out to the pickup and back to the station. As we drove back with the windows down and our fire jackets on, I couldn't help but think, how crazy and cool my life is...