Indigenous Style

Last Friday was the last day for 6 volunteers in Itzapa. Along with meaning that next week we is going to be incredibly short-handed and I will basically be teaching in 2 and a half classrooms and monitoring the others, it also means saying goodbye to some great people. Work won't be the same Monday without the normal crew. Since so many were leaving Friday, Elena, the community leader who feeds us and supports/aids the school in many ways, provided traditional indigenous clothing for all of the female volunteers to try on. She also gave us all some of the all-natural shampoo her womens' group makes... I'll have to see if I like my hair in aloe-vera scent! The dressing-up was a lot of fun, and the kids loved seeing us walk in. Most of the girls and women in Itzapa wear indigenous dress. Indigenous dress is also seen around Antigua and even Guatemala City. Most of the kids at our school also speak Mayan Kaqchikel as their first language and Spanish as their second. The thriving indigenous culture differs here greatly from the situation in Honduras, only hours away. The Mayan heritage is just as strong there, with the famous Copan Ruins being about a mile from where I lived in Copan. However, I never saw anyone in Mayan dress. Very few speak the language, and the traditions are basically extinct. There are some controversial political issues going on with trying to bring back the culture.

After the crazy week of work next week, ending with my birthday Friday, I will be headed to San Cristobal, Mexico to renew my visa. I return in time for Semana Santa, i.e. a week off of work (this is just too late for my visa renewal). I head back to work for one or two days, then on April 15 begin my journey home. The director has been promising me a visit to the Nicaragua project ever since my interning there fell through. On the way I am going to visit the Honduras project and see my kids one more time. From Nicaragua, the closest, cheapest way home is via San Jose, Costa Rica. I am excited for the upcoming travel, though have mixed feelings about leaving. I want to come home, but really can't believe how quick it has all gone! Really, just one more crazy week of work. Ending with a celebration and followed by being in 6 countries in three weeks. So, who's up for road trips in May?... it might be hard to stay still!