A Volunteer Experience

There is an animal shelter that I've been wanting to volunteer at for a while.  I finally got there this weekend.

It is called AWARE and is two short bus rides from Antigua.  They have around 400 animals right now- about 80 cats and the rest dogs.  I've been missing having a cat around, so I very much enjoyed cuddling with them :) 

I was very nervous to take a chicken bus to get there.  A friend from my house came with me, but she had never ridden the buses in Guatemala before. 
Thankfully we made it no problems!  And now I'm a little less scared of taking the bus, though I would still prefer my car any day.

After the bus rides we had about a mile and a half walk.
It was kind of a rainy day, but had mostly stopped by this point.

Fallen tree or slayed giant's heart?

 

 

Simple, but clean and the cats had lots of room

Awww...

The sun came out and all the cats found a spot to soak up the warmth.

 

 

 

My New Classroom

Coming back from Semana Santa break, we were moved into a new classroom.  I like it very much!!  We finally have enough space that we're not (literally) tripping over each other.  Now just have to get it organized, everything put away, and some decorations on the walls.

Learning to play musical sticks



Working hard on cards for Ms. Gaby

My aide Ms. Gaby has also left :(   So if anyone one out there speaks halfway decent English and needs something to do for the next 3 months, without the guarantee of pay, let me know :)

Our house has a visitor.  An "ugly butterfly", as I like to call them as there is no separate word in Spanish for "moth".  The thing is bigger than my hand.

According to my host mom, it is an "angel of death" of sorts.  Its presence means that someone close to the family is going to die.  It creeped me out before I knew that...  They also have the tradition to not "sacar" it from the house, but let it stay in whichever room it decides to reside in.  Because it is right outside my room, I am keeping my door and windows tightly closed, despite the heat.

Have I posted this one already?
The pila.

My favorite past time here.

Ever-changing family

A Snapshot of Semana Santa (part 2)

San Francisco

 

Thursday and Friday night, things were happening
all over the city all night long.  Stores and restuarants were open
and people stayed in the streets all hours of the night.  It was
perfectly safe to walk home that late!

Escuela de Cristo float

Escuela de Cristo Mary float

San Felipe float




Saturday was dedicated to the Virgencita Mary. 
Alfombras were decorated with flowers.

 

This alfombra took the whole block!

Another gorgeous Guatemalan sky!

Easter Sunday

Easter brunch at a
restaurant / greenhouse

Happy Easter!

A Snapshot of Semana Santa (part 1)

A Highlight of Holy Week in Antigua

Fountain in Parque Central,
decorated for Semana Santa



Burning Incense

 

Alfombra in the Cathedral

 

Alfombra in San Francisco,
the Jesus (in red in the scene) appeared in their procession

close-up.  The only time I've seen live animals
in an alfombra.

 

 

church Escuela de Cristo

 

 

 

 

 

Ready to start an alfombra

It's a rooster and two turtles

 

a cantaloupe duck

 

 

 

The numbers tell you when it's your turn to carry.
Each turn is about a block long, and the people
may carry 2 or 3 times in a day.  After paying and getting
measured (shoulder height) you are assigned a turn.

There were SO many people in town for
Holy Thursday and Good Friday.  I heard
about 2 million people come in to see the events.

I will be happy when all the tourists go home :)

 

I got to see this procession leaving the Esucela de Cristo church.