Best Friends

My best friend Maretta and Phelan's best friend Gabe went to the fountains downtown today. Phelan rode his bike 9 miles. We had so much fun. It was fffrrreeeeezing in the water.

Today Photos

Ryder's Weekly Photos

The Cob Oven Evolution

The whole family got to help out...




The cob and final layer



The Bee Hive

Impetigo

This is why you should use bandaids, and antibiotic ointment, and antibiotic cleanser, and and and... It's called Impetigo (OK, you can get it here in the US as well, but here it is called by a much friendlier name of school sores). Phelan got a mosquito bite that would not go away, ever. This is what they all turned into and spread to the other boys. They turn into blisters that get crusty with very contagious pus and are very itchy. Anyway, here are some awesome photos of what a small tiny scratch can turn into...

Semana Santa in Guatemala

These are called Alfombras. They are a very big deal in Guatemala. To mark the very holy and beautiful Semana Santa leading up to what we call Easter, the Guatemalan people clean and decorate the streets with things called Alfombras. These are pathways made of all organic materials such as pine needles, wood shavings, fruit, vegetables and flowers. The churches make these giant wood structures to carry their Jesus statues out of the church and carry them around the pueblos. Within seconds the alfombras are ruined. It's fantastic.










We were lucky enough to get to help build two such alfombras with friends we had made in Guatemala. I must say that in all my travels, this was a huge highlight for me in particular. I travel for culture, for people, for traditions. This one is a biggy in Latin America. The people of Itzapa, no matter how poor they were, got up in the dark, cleaned the streets in front of their houses and together with neighbors, decorated quite intricately these absolutely breathtaking alfombras. The oldest man on our street directed all of us how to do this one exactly the way his father had done it for years and years before.



These are what the processions look like...

It´s all about the Hair

I put this photo in here just to show the biggest attraction in our town, THE HAIR. Plus, I had to throw this in here as it was the only day in two months we convinced Phelan not to wear his hat.