One with nature...

August 15, 2008
Tonight Ron and I head out to Devil's Lake for our first camping trip! It's quite embarrassing that we have waited so long to bask in the beauty of Central Oregon via camping, but I guess life has its way of distracting us. This spring I agreed to pay Cole and Amy $100 if we did not pitch a tent before fall. This will be Ron's first trip... Pray for him??? We will hike up South Sister on Saturday (it's supposed to be 100 degrees- yikes). I've heard the climb is long and strenuous, but the vistas spectacular and worth the labor... We'll see.
In other great news- my sister is coming up Sunday for a long visit! I miss that girl!


August 18, 2008: WE MADE IT! The hike was probably the hardest thing we've ever done!

Setting up Camp!
We woke up bright and early to begin our trek.

The false summit near Teardrop Lake.

There are tiny dots in the background. Those are people! The final hour is by far the most difficult. You sink back two steps every time you put a foot forward. And - oh- the sun!










We finally made it to the top after about 6 grueling hours. A beautiful expanse of snow and glacial pools awaited us.
We were saved when a stranger filtered some water into our empty bottles!










Karl taking a rest. That's Mt. Bachelor on the right and Broken Top on the left.

Finally- Las Fotos!

Este ha sido una experiencia profunda...

I am going to miss these two! Ruth will be moving to Quetzaltenango in a month or so... Christina and I might have to plan a trip back to visit her.

We learned about the coffee growing & harvesting process at a finca near La Escuela de las Montanas. We also heard from local workers about the struggles they faced as a result of the Coffee Crisis in 2000. Many communities went without pay for years as European owners declared bankruptcy and fled the country. The communities organized and fought for justice. Eventually they received meager compensation.

My classroom at La Escuela de las Montanas. Gracias, Ani.

Amazing picture, verdad?
Cooking class and cooking together...

The traditional Mayan "chu" that Christina and I fired up one night. Que smoky!


Fuentes Georginas- Incredible hot springs near Xela.

"Sow the seeds of truth and justice and harvest reconciliation" - Monsenor Jose Gerardi.
This man was a Bishop and leader of the National Reconciliation Committee in Guatemala. He worked to uncover the horrible truths about the massacres, and was assassinated in 1998.

Paque Central in beuatiful Xela.

At the market in San Francisco El Alto.

Out on the town... La Rumba.

Thursday night futbol game!

Vamos Equipo! At the Xelaju Super Chivos game. Why doen't America get behind soccer like the rest of the world?

Final farewell...

I said goodbye to Guatemala yesterday.

I left Xela on Saturday, and with it, two amazing friends. Ruth and Christina were phenomenal travel mates. I couldn't have asked for better compatibility (although their faithful blogging did put me to shame).

I journeyed to Guatemala City by chicken bus, desiring to remain immersed in the culture for as long as possible. As I squeezed in with about 100 Guatemalans, I caught myself smiling. I felt the cool breeze of the countryside, admired the vistas of volcanoes and lakes, and gladly passed crying babies back to their abuelas when asked. As we maneuvered our way through road construction, I let the dust of the Pan-American Highway powder my face, and I considered both its history and the symbolism of its current expansion. I relished the feeling of being able to communicate with the man sharing my seat, realizing how language learning has opened new possibilities of friendship. I will miss those chicken buses, the excitement of taking turns at high speeds and the instant sense of commraderie shared between passengers.

After this (possibly overly-romanticized) ride to Guatemala City, I realized I wasn't very prepared for the urban jungle that awaited me. To make a long story short, I was screwed over by a taxi driver and left in the wrong neighborhood.... during a torrential downpour. I wandered around through the ankle-deep puddles, and eventually happened upon a young couple who instantly invited me into their home. Thank you and thank you, Alejandro and Estefani. I am so grateful for your hospitality and generosity.

And now I am back in the States... With a husband who has been nothing short of amazing this entire time. He encouraged me to go on this trip even when I had my doubts. Sometimes I think he knows me better than I know myself... Cliche, but so true. I come home to find that he has opened our house to our two best friends and their dog, and that we will be living in community for the next few weeks. I come home to a job that is challenging, exciting, and new. I come home to a community of friends and family here in Bend... and I couldn't be more grateful.