We slept in today and went for a great tipico breakfast outside on the patio. Tipico breakfasts usually include coffee, plantains, eggs, beans, tortillas, avocado and sometimes rice or fruit. It’s very filling and very good. Afterwards we wanted to do some shopping around town for souvenirs. Gracias has some things you can buy, but it’s not really a tourist town. There were more artsy can crafty things here, so we spent time on the streets looking at jewelry, pottery, clothes, and other artisan crafts. Those of us who like coffee got some good iced coffee before we walked to the ruins.
The Copan ruins are Mayan ruins on the border of Guatemala and Honduras and are beautiful. We can walk all around the main plaza part of it and they have these large pyramids right as you walk in. They also have tall statues and altars where they made sacrifices, often human I believe. Its kinda weird and sad to realize that actually happened in that place. The ruins have such a stillness to them; it was very quiet when we went in the later afternoon. There was the main plaza and stairways and then behind it was a place where they played some form of football so they had a stadium of sorts and then behind that was the residential quarters. We took lots of pics, which I will put up slowly and surely, internet permitting. We just enjoyed our time there and then walked back, chilled, and got ready for dinner.
We went for dinner at pizza place, which turned out to be the best pizza I’ve had in Honduras yet. It was owned by a gringo and had TV with baseball and football (Yankees and Giants vs Cardinals)so we got to watch that too. We were craving dessert again (any chance we get to indulge we do) and looked around town, but it was getting late, so we just headed to ViaVias. ViaVias is a great place to find other info about Copan and has great food as well. We got brownies and had some great girl talk and then headed back to hostel.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Saturday, Oct 24
Saturday, October 24
We started our trip this morning early as usual; we got on the bus toward Santa Rosa, then caught a bus towards San Pedro Sula which stops in the La Entrada, which is where we needed to get off and catch our last bus to Copan. We waited in La Entrada for a while before the bus actually left so we bought some of the food the people always try to sell to bus passengers. We bought these snacks from this boy, which were amazing and then asked who made them and he was like, ‘Mi mama.’ It was so cute! The bus rides went pretty well, they just tended to get longer and more crowded the closer we got to Copan. Our last bus from La Entrada to Copan was so small and they expected seats made for 1 to fit 2 people. So Sarah and I shared a seat for 2-3 hours, my butt hanging halfway off. And also a note to self, just because the bus is smaller does not mean they will have less people or stop picking up people once all the seats were full. They crowd the aisles, too. So it was another bus experience as always, haha.
We finally got to Copan around noon and then had to find our hostel. It was on the other side of town so we walked over to the Iguana Azul. It was a really nice hostel; there were bunk beds for 6 in each room and the showers and toilets were outside (think state park style). It was only $5 a night too, so for a place to sleep and stuff, it was perfect. They gave a lot of good info about Copan as well: what activities were available, the best places to go and eat and shop; it was very helpful. We relaxed for a little bit after traveling and then got ready to go to Macaw Mountain, a place where they have all these parrots and birds from Honduras. We took a guided tour there and the place is beautiful. The birds are in large cages like at the zoo, but its surrounded by nature, a river and it’s just beautiful. We saw many colorful birds and even got to hold some macaws at the end on our arms! It was amazing and crazy to know they have hundreds of pounds of force in their beaks, too! They also grow coffee there so our last stop was the coffee shop, where we all enjoyed a great cup of some sort of coffee. Funny thing to report, as we were waiting to leave I realized I was standing in an ant hill, so I got bit up pretty bad on my toes. Love ants...ugh.
We went back to the hostel via mototaxi and went out to get dinner. We went to a comedor and got great cheap food; I got pupusas, which I haven’t had since my first week in Gracias…so good. Afterwards we wandered around town a little til we found this more Americanized place that served the best desserts. We got carrot cake and some mocha chocolate something; they were almost too rich for us! Afterwards we went to another restaurant and had fun playing pool and doing karaoke to end our night.
We started our trip this morning early as usual; we got on the bus toward Santa Rosa, then caught a bus towards San Pedro Sula which stops in the La Entrada, which is where we needed to get off and catch our last bus to Copan. We waited in La Entrada for a while before the bus actually left so we bought some of the food the people always try to sell to bus passengers. We bought these snacks from this boy, which were amazing and then asked who made them and he was like, ‘Mi mama.’ It was so cute! The bus rides went pretty well, they just tended to get longer and more crowded the closer we got to Copan. Our last bus from La Entrada to Copan was so small and they expected seats made for 1 to fit 2 people. So Sarah and I shared a seat for 2-3 hours, my butt hanging halfway off. And also a note to self, just because the bus is smaller does not mean they will have less people or stop picking up people once all the seats were full. They crowd the aisles, too. So it was another bus experience as always, haha.
We finally got to Copan around noon and then had to find our hostel. It was on the other side of town so we walked over to the Iguana Azul. It was a really nice hostel; there were bunk beds for 6 in each room and the showers and toilets were outside (think state park style). It was only $5 a night too, so for a place to sleep and stuff, it was perfect. They gave a lot of good info about Copan as well: what activities were available, the best places to go and eat and shop; it was very helpful. We relaxed for a little bit after traveling and then got ready to go to Macaw Mountain, a place where they have all these parrots and birds from Honduras. We took a guided tour there and the place is beautiful. The birds are in large cages like at the zoo, but its surrounded by nature, a river and it’s just beautiful. We saw many colorful birds and even got to hold some macaws at the end on our arms! It was amazing and crazy to know they have hundreds of pounds of force in their beaks, too! They also grow coffee there so our last stop was the coffee shop, where we all enjoyed a great cup of some sort of coffee. Funny thing to report, as we were waiting to leave I realized I was standing in an ant hill, so I got bit up pretty bad on my toes. Love ants...ugh.
We went back to the hostel via mototaxi and went out to get dinner. We went to a comedor and got great cheap food; I got pupusas, which I haven’t had since my first week in Gracias…so good. Afterwards we wandered around town a little til we found this more Americanized place that served the best desserts. We got carrot cake and some mocha chocolate something; they were almost too rich for us! Afterwards we went to another restaurant and had fun playing pool and doing karaoke to end our night.
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Oct 21-23
Wednesday was chapel and it went pretty well. Sarah taught today about learning and knowledge and used a balloon as an example of how our brains will get bigger the more we learn. We went into town later that night for internet and groceries. I’m always amazed at how small of a world it is. We were at Guancascos and this other group of gringos comes in to eat and have a meeting and one of the men had a Grand Rapids 25K shirt on and I was like huh, I wonder if they’re from Michigan. Well we got to talking and it turns out this group was from GR and Kalamazoo; they do 2 week medical trips here. I’m not sure if its like a medical missions trip or if it’s more humanitarian, but they have a clinic in Gracias that they work out of. One of the men who comes down most often is a foot doctor who (get this) graduated from Unity Christian. I told my dad his name later and he was like ‘Oh yeah that guy, does he do this and look like this?’ It’s crazy that even in Honduras you can meet people from your state, your area, and someone from the same town.
Thursdays are my easiest days because my kids have PE and I have a few other free periods. During one of the classes my kids were not paying attention so I kept stopping and waiting for them to be quiet. One of the girls could tell I wasn’t happy and was like, ‘Miss Sneden, are you angry?’ I almost laughed, but I was like, ‘No I’m not angry, I’m just frustrated because I’m trying to teach and you are being disrespectful of me while I’m doing it.’ It was just amusing to know that the kids can tell when I’m not happy…it must be my face or body language or something. They really are a good class, but we both have our days :-)
Fridays are my busiest days, but this one went pretty well; I was glad to get another full week of work under my belt, especially since we have Monday off for a holiday! We’re going to the Copan Ruins this weekend; Jacki’s already been there and told us it’s amazing so I’m excited to see the town and the ruins.
Thursdays are my easiest days because my kids have PE and I have a few other free periods. During one of the classes my kids were not paying attention so I kept stopping and waiting for them to be quiet. One of the girls could tell I wasn’t happy and was like, ‘Miss Sneden, are you angry?’ I almost laughed, but I was like, ‘No I’m not angry, I’m just frustrated because I’m trying to teach and you are being disrespectful of me while I’m doing it.’ It was just amusing to know that the kids can tell when I’m not happy…it must be my face or body language or something. They really are a good class, but we both have our days :-)
Fridays are my busiest days, but this one went pretty well; I was glad to get another full week of work under my belt, especially since we have Monday off for a holiday! We’re going to the Copan Ruins this weekend; Jacki’s already been there and told us it’s amazing so I’m excited to see the town and the ruins.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Monday and Tuesday, Oct 19 and 20
This Monday was a Monday, especially after only working 3 days last week! But the day went well overall. We had a staff meeting after school where we talked about how our doors should look, some other general reminders and mainly about the Fiesta Tipica that is coming up at the end of October. I’ll tell more about it later, but the Fiesta Tipicia helps to raise money for the school by putting on a program with typical dances and there are booths that sell food. We’re doing it in Gracias in the central park so it will public, helping us to make more money hopefully. After the meeting we had cake for my birthday and I got to take home the leftovers! J Today was the coldest day we’ve had in Gracias. It was cloudy, drizzly all day, and chilly, probably somewhere between mid 50s-low 60s. All the kids came with layers of clothes on, gloves, hats, etc. I was even chilly and wore a long sleeve shirt with a cardigan over it and was still a little chilly. I can’t wait (not) until I get home for 2 weeks in December and freeze in 30 degree or colder weather. After we got back from school, Jacki and I decided to go running up the mountain. It was a great hill workout for sure and I went up farther than I had gone up the last time. I was tired after so I didn’t do much tonight.
Tuesday
It was chilly again today, but not as much as yesterday. School went pretty good today; before lunch my kids were being kinda talkative so I had to stop multiple times. I knew they were planning something for my birthday, but didn’t know what day and found out it was for today. They had been asking me things like my favorite color and how old I was and what kind of cake I liked and such, it was so cute. After lunch I had to wait outside the cafeteria while they decorated the classroom and everything. They kept running back and forth, checking to make sure I wasn’t looking. The kids told Mr. Bran to talk to me so I wouldn’t come to class and then he could bring me and close my eyes until I went in the door. So I had hands over my eyes til I was in the door and then they all yelled “Surprise!” And confetti went everywhere! All over me and my hair and face and clothes and balloons popping…it was crazy! But I loved it and they were all so cute the way they had decorated stuff and were all giving me hugs and wanting to help with everything and give me the biggest piece of cake. All the girls were helping me serve and the boys were running around being crazy and wanting food…not to different from adults sometimes I think haha. All the girls were yelling “Sientense!(to sit down) or they wouldn’t get a piece of cake and some kids were trying to beat the system and come up themselves. We had cake, dessert, juice, popcorn, chips, and cookies. Quite a bit of sugar, but it was great and so sweet of them to make my birthday special. My actual birthday day may not have been amazing, but it’s like I got to keep celebrating it for a few days afterwards.
Tuesday
It was chilly again today, but not as much as yesterday. School went pretty good today; before lunch my kids were being kinda talkative so I had to stop multiple times. I knew they were planning something for my birthday, but didn’t know what day and found out it was for today. They had been asking me things like my favorite color and how old I was and what kind of cake I liked and such, it was so cute. After lunch I had to wait outside the cafeteria while they decorated the classroom and everything. They kept running back and forth, checking to make sure I wasn’t looking. The kids told Mr. Bran to talk to me so I wouldn’t come to class and then he could bring me and close my eyes until I went in the door. So I had hands over my eyes til I was in the door and then they all yelled “Surprise!” And confetti went everywhere! All over me and my hair and face and clothes and balloons popping…it was crazy! But I loved it and they were all so cute the way they had decorated stuff and were all giving me hugs and wanting to help with everything and give me the biggest piece of cake. All the girls were helping me serve and the boys were running around being crazy and wanting food…not to different from adults sometimes I think haha. All the girls were yelling “Sientense!(to sit down) or they wouldn’t get a piece of cake and some kids were trying to beat the system and come up themselves. We had cake, dessert, juice, popcorn, chips, and cookies. Quite a bit of sugar, but it was great and so sweet of them to make my birthday special. My actual birthday day may not have been amazing, but it’s like I got to keep celebrating it for a few days afterwards.
Sunday, Oct 18-My Birthday
Well today is my 23rd birthday! I woke up this morning and had to kinda convince myself it was my birthday because it seemed like any other morning haha. I’m glad to be in Honduras, but on days like these I miss my family and friends from home the most because they can’t be here to celebrate with me. I laid there in bed thinking back on my 22nd year of life and all I had done and gone through in the past year: last semester at SAU, going to Chicago for a semester, all the experiences, including finding this job, in Chicago, graduating from SAU, moving back home, working and preparing for Honduras, and then finally arriving here and starting my job. It’s a lot! Crazy how much can happen and change in a year, especially in this time of my life I think. I wonder sometimes if life will change as much when I get older in a year or not...
Anyways we had full bodied pancakes for breakfast; they had banana, granola and coconut in them; I don’t know if I’ll be able to have plain pancakes anymore haha. After breakfast we watched a few hours of the Office since we just received Season 5 because Jacki’s friends brought it when they came. It’s our new favorite thing to do. I forgot how funny that show is with all its awkwardness. I’ve also noticed that sarcasm is not as common in the Latin American culture. We joke with Mr. Bran and other people sometimes or use dry humor and they just don’t get it most times. I think it’s more of a North American/European thing. Unfortunately I had to do some work on my birthday; I had to plan for next week and fill out progress reports, but I hadn’t done any yesterday so it was my fault. Later that afternoon, Laura Beth, Mr. Bran and I went to the hot springs to relax there and as a fun thing to do to celebrate my birthday. It was pretty busy and since it was a cooler day it felt nice to be in hot water. Afterwards we picked up some food for dinner and headed back home. We got home too late to go to church, so we waited for the others to get back and then had grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner.
Anyways we had full bodied pancakes for breakfast; they had banana, granola and coconut in them; I don’t know if I’ll be able to have plain pancakes anymore haha. After breakfast we watched a few hours of the Office since we just received Season 5 because Jacki’s friends brought it when they came. It’s our new favorite thing to do. I forgot how funny that show is with all its awkwardness. I’ve also noticed that sarcasm is not as common in the Latin American culture. We joke with Mr. Bran and other people sometimes or use dry humor and they just don’t get it most times. I think it’s more of a North American/European thing. Unfortunately I had to do some work on my birthday; I had to plan for next week and fill out progress reports, but I hadn’t done any yesterday so it was my fault. Later that afternoon, Laura Beth, Mr. Bran and I went to the hot springs to relax there and as a fun thing to do to celebrate my birthday. It was pretty busy and since it was a cooler day it felt nice to be in hot water. Afterwards we picked up some food for dinner and headed back home. We got home too late to go to church, so we waited for the others to get back and then had grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner.
Saturday, Oct 17
Kirsty and I decided we needed to leave early this morning to make sure we got to the post office to check if our packages were there. We’ve been trying for a week or more, so we were determined to try one more time. We left our house at like 9 am and walked to town, arriving a little after 10. The post office was open! We were so excited! I got my package from my family, but Kirsty’s hadn’t arrived yet, which was frustrating because her mom had sent it about 3 weeks ago. Afterwards we went to the bank and then to Guancascos. We spent some time on the internet, got licuados to cool down and then decided to go somewhere for lunch and some shopping. Kirsty and I went to Don Juan’s Restaurant, which is the restaurant for the Hotel Don Juan. It’s really nice inside and there are some nicer meals there. I treated myself to grilled chicken, rice, and veggies as a pre-birthday present. Kirsty and I talked about a lot of great stuff too like our travels, how we’ll never be able to go back to college life again like before, how fast college went, and how awesome God is.
We had some shopping to do afterwards; Kirsty needed some things for her house and kitchen and I needed to get some food and say hi to one of my students, Nohemi, who lives by the supermarket we go to. Julia met us after and we all got some ice cream, again a pre-birthday treat since I don’t know how much we’ll be doing for my birthday since it’s on a Sunday and we usually don’t go to town on Sundays. It was really a great day in town, not hurried, good conversations, seeing more of Gracias, enjoying ice cream in the park…I was satisfied. We headed back up the mountain and I was so excited to finally open my package; it was like my birthday present. I did it right away and received some school supplies and then snacks like chocolate, Goldfish, and other thoughtful things from my family. After that excitement of that, we relaxed the rest of the evening at home, watching the Office and making dinner.
We had some shopping to do afterwards; Kirsty needed some things for her house and kitchen and I needed to get some food and say hi to one of my students, Nohemi, who lives by the supermarket we go to. Julia met us after and we all got some ice cream, again a pre-birthday treat since I don’t know how much we’ll be doing for my birthday since it’s on a Sunday and we usually don’t go to town on Sundays. It was really a great day in town, not hurried, good conversations, seeing more of Gracias, enjoying ice cream in the park…I was satisfied. We headed back up the mountain and I was so excited to finally open my package; it was like my birthday present. I did it right away and received some school supplies and then snacks like chocolate, Goldfish, and other thoughtful things from my family. After that excitement of that, we relaxed the rest of the evening at home, watching the Office and making dinner.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Friday, Oct 16
Well the weekend came quickly since I only taught for 3 days this week. Five day work weeks are gonna be tough to get used to after all of these long weekends are done and there’s no more unplanned vacation days! Today went well though, my kids listened better than they had earlier in the week and I feel like we accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish today. I’m still behind in general for the year in most of my subjects, but I still think I’ll be able to finish most of the curriculum by the end of the year. All of my kids came up to me today before school asking if I had seen the game versus El Salvador and saying they loved the USA because they helped Honduras to go to the Mundial because they tied with Costa Rica. It’s ironic that the USA beat Honduras on Saturday, but then they also inadvertently helped Honduras to make it to the World Cup on Wednesday. The US is also going, but it’s just funny to me. Anyways, it was cute how excited they were about it; it is a big deal for the country.
I shortened devotions today because my kids wanted to help me decorate my door for the Thanksgiving theme. I decided they could help me by making handprint turkeys, so that’s what they did during some of our devotion and math time today haha. They loved it though and I’m so glad they are willing and wanting to help me. I was a little more lax today in my disciplining and yelling above my kids today and they were listening better, so I think that’s why the rest of the day went well.
After school we hiked home, watched episodes of The Office to unwind and then we went to eat at the comedor for a tipica cena. Jacki really wanted to have her friends have an authentic Honduran meal. The funny thing is that the power went out right before we were about to eat, so we ate by candlelight at the comedor; what a great welcoming experience for Alex and Alyssa to get the full affect of a Honduran evening: food and no power lol. The power came back on a few hours later though and we spent the rest of the night hanging out at the comedor playing with the kids and talking to the neighbors as well as coffee and chatting at our house.
I shortened devotions today because my kids wanted to help me decorate my door for the Thanksgiving theme. I decided they could help me by making handprint turkeys, so that’s what they did during some of our devotion and math time today haha. They loved it though and I’m so glad they are willing and wanting to help me. I was a little more lax today in my disciplining and yelling above my kids today and they were listening better, so I think that’s why the rest of the day went well.
After school we hiked home, watched episodes of The Office to unwind and then we went to eat at the comedor for a tipica cena. Jacki really wanted to have her friends have an authentic Honduran meal. The funny thing is that the power went out right before we were about to eat, so we ate by candlelight at the comedor; what a great welcoming experience for Alex and Alyssa to get the full affect of a Honduran evening: food and no power lol. The power came back on a few hours later though and we spent the rest of the night hanging out at the comedor playing with the kids and talking to the neighbors as well as coffee and chatting at our house.
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