Guatemalan food and climate

It´s about time I talk some more about something most people care about: yes, the weather! Because we´re up on 2000something metres it gets abosolutely freezing at night. It was my first sentence in Spanish "hay frio" (there is cold) and it really is. The wife in the hostfamily complains about the cold constantly, I don´t think she´s realized that if she actually goes outside it is boiling hot. During the first morning class it goes from jacket and scarf weather to singlet and sunnies. It jumps a good 15 degrees, I´d guess it´s high 20s when the sun is at its highest, it´s very nice.

Another very important thing in everyone´s life is of course food. We´d heard we would eat tortillas (no, not the yummy taco ones, but slightly dry and very tasteless corn or bean pancakes.) They are allright to eat sometimes when you can choose to and they have a bit of salsa on them or are spicy, however today I had my first "forced-down-tortilla" and I can honestly say, now an hour later it´s like a brick in my stomach. I better have to get used to it though, apparently it´s all they eat at the plantations we are going to work at... Other than that Guatemalan food is nice, not too spicy, but still has flavour and they eat lots of rice which is quite nice. They have tons of fruit of course being close to equator, but interestingly enough a rather tragic fruit history. American Fruit Company supported a military coup in the 50s because the newly elected president wanted to share the vast amounts of soil among the masses instead of limiting it to a few sickly wealthy companies. Bad American Fruit Company... (which now convieniently is called Chiquita, think about that next time you eat bananas!)



Oh, and yeah, this is how the washing is done: cold water and a brick sink and scrub, scrub, scrub. Sorry, mum, it is not my fault if my t-shirts aren´t white when I get home!

I´ve decided my host family is ok, although I got lost twice yesterday. The second time I saw the family´s grandson down the street and just screamed "¿Donde es mi casa?", so he showed me the way, but couldn´t stop laughing at the lack of my orientation skills.

Anyway, off to a market now with lots of food...ahh...tortilla still like brick in stomach...a Gallo a bit later maybe...?

Ahh...and yeah, it´s Valentins Day today in Guatemala (too late for all you Aussies), nevertheless, Happy Valentins Day to all of you!