Week 34: Semana Santa and James' Arrival

Day 232 March 27
I had the laziest morning and afternoon. I woke up around 7:30 and lounged around. I took a shower, finished my book, The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho (I really enjoyed this story. Especially compared to the last two I tried to read. Coelho shows how to do different perspectives well and cohesively. Some things were repeated through different eyes but each voice and each character were different. It was pieced together like history even though it was wholly fictional. Pushing the Bear, which was history, was constructed so poorly I wanted to disagree with her viewpoint even though I agreed with her.), and went back to sleep around 10.
I woke up at 12:30 and had missed 3 calls from Luis. I called him back and he informed me that it was too late. Sleepy and confused I asked for what. Apparently the Correo was closing at 12 and would remain closed for the rest of the week for Semana Santa and I had a package. I was too late. Ah well.
I spent the next few hours listening to music, cooking, cleaning, sitting, typing, drinking coffee, and all in all not doing much. Allan, Abby, and her parents are in Antigua for I don’t know how long and I had the house to myself. I decided to take advantage of this fact.
Megan called me and we set up a dinner and a movie date for 7 in ViaVia. I continued in my lazy day.
I’m becoming increasingly aware of how long it takes a peeling sunburn to go away. It never even hurt that much, but it’s been a week and a half and I can’t stop my skin from peeling. Ah well, it is the nature of the beast. Luckily it’s only happened once before and I find it relatively easy to avoid.
I did not leave my house until just before 7 and I met Megan for dinner. Fransico and two of his friends happened to be getting a couple of drinks there, so they joined us and the 5 of us had a lovely chat.
Around 8:30 Megan and I left and outside of Jesse’s store I found Jesse, Marion, Cid, and a few others gathered on the side walk. I sat with them until we all migrated to Jesse’s old house. We picked up a couple of tourists who hung out with us and we all spoke a menagerie of English, Spanish, and French. Spanish being the main common language. I actually managed to stay up well past my bedtime, but when the time came I was dead.

Day 233 March 28
I was up earlier than desired, but that’s the way sometimes. I got ready to go to church with Megan and Francisco. Since the church is always full on special Sundays, we agreed to meet outside at 9:30. However, when I got there, it was empty. When they got there, it was still empty. We took a seat beside a fan near the front. As we waited, until10:40, we read Bible verses, discussed the protestant/catholic divide in Central America, and discovered the reason for the lack of crowd.
Only the Catholics celebrate Easter to any real degree. Only the Catholics celebrate Palm Sunday. The running theory is that it is a way for the protestants to be as non-Catholic as possible. I don’t know if this is the case, but it’s the best theory we have right now.
Also, the majority of the congregation came in together at 10:40 after doing a Palm Sunday procession from the Catholic church up the hill. We missed it, but it was fun to watch everyone come in with their palms together.
After mass, we met at Picame for lunch and we talked for a long time about religion and other things. I was actually able to get a partial translation of the homily. We sat from 12:30-3 talking, eating, and drinking coffee. We then dispersed and I met Alex at Villamil for some interneting. I got to Skype with mom and dad, and during the conversation, David came over.
Around 7:30, I met up with Cid and we went to “Blake30!” for Blake’s 30th birthday party. It was fun and there was a large group of people, from many different circles in town, at the party. I think Blake had fun and the party went through a variety of stages including everyone wearing fake mustaches.
Franqui invited me to come watch Ice Age 3 with him and Nilvio sometime, but we never settled on a time. I mingled a lot and enjoyed the lime-watermelon juice.
Around 11 I headed home for bed.

Day 234 March 29
I was up and out by around 9. I met Megan for coffee and sent off an e-mail to reserve a room for James and me when he gets to San Pedro. Megan and I chatted, gossiped, and I did my homework.
I left to go to class and Luis and I talked about the party some. I read about the Mayans and was given the homework of “write a story.” We’ll see what I can do.
After class, I went straight to the market and brought everything with me to Megan’s so I wouldn’t be too late for lunch, which she invited me to.
Jorge was already there and we watched some Mr. Bean while enjoying our tuna melt sandwiches. I left at 2 to drop off my groceries and meet Kelvin, who just got back into town, for coffee.
Kelvin and I started at Yat Balam and moved to ViaVia. We then hung out at my house, talking and catching up on the last month and a half since he moved until 5 when we went to Alex’s house to meet Alex, Megan, and Jorge for a showing of the Newsies, which I had never seen. It was a lot of fun and now there is talk of a weekly musical night. We need to get our hands on some musicals first.
Alex, Kelvin, and I moved down into town for some food and drinks at ViaVia. We stopped by Jesse’s store to chat and Cid called and met up with us. Our table was very transient as different folks we new from town came and went. At one point we had me, Cid, Kelvin, Alex, Alex the archeologist, Mark the archeologist, and Diana. After a while we moved to Barcito.
We didn’t stay in Barcito for very long, but while we were there, we met a couple of tourists including a young man who’s working in the peace corps elsewhere in Honduras and was the president of my brother’s freshman hall at RMC (Chad Ryerson?). It was toward the end of my night so we didn’t talk a whole lot, but it was interesting and sometimes I am just amazed at both how large and how small the world is.

Day 235 March 30
I tried to go to the bank around 8:30 but quickly realized that I was standing in a 2 hour line. I left and, for the first time, used my ATM card. It works! Megan was running late, so I picked us up cappuccinos to go. We went shopping for about an hour and it was very successful. During the last 8 months my clothes have begun to stretch out to where they were not as wearable, get holes, they were bleached (both by me and when I took them to be washed), lost, and otherwise becoming difficult to wear. I didn’t have much to begin with, but now I was really feeling a lack of options, except long sleeves, which are becoming less and less useful. It is hot these days!
Megan was perfect to shop with and during our perusing I picked up a pair of shoes, three shirts, and a pair of jeans for about $35 total. It was very productive. When we split ways I went to the bank and got out my pay before they close for the rest of Semana Santa and James arrives.
I went to the Cruz Bueso and picked up some more grocery items after budgeting my monthly spending (this much a week, this much for my caseta bill, this many classes at Guacamaya, etc.) I finally picked up nail polish remover and repainted my toes.
I then went to Villamil where I came across Alex. We talked for a while and I finalized reservations for San Pedro, chatted with Mom, got flight confirmations from my brother (who will only be here 7 days, not 10.)
Around 2 I left and came home to nap. I read about a chapter in my book and went to sleep for a little less than 2 hours. I woke up when Abby, Allan, and parents came home. I came downstairs and started up my laundry while I made coffee and chatted.
A bit after 5 they left to go to the hotel and I finished my laundry and cleaned up the kitchen some. I took a shower, read, and listened to music for a while, enjoying the downtime.
Around 6:30 I went into town to meet up with Jesse, but got distracted in the park by, first, Heidi, and, later, Judy. They liked my new clothes. We chatted for a while and I got to pet Heidi’s dog Baby (Side note: I forgot to mention after my dinner at Dona Nora’s that I fell in love with her dog, Mocha, who is a white cocker-poodle mix and looks just like Wallie. Normally Mocha doesn’t take to people very well, so Nora was impressed with how well we got along.)
Sometime after 7 Cid called and met me in the park. We left the ladies and he informed me that while he’d been calling around checking for hotels for James to stay in, he’d learned that not only was the bus schedule different on the Thursday and Friday of Semana Santa, but that this week they were not existent. There’s not one bus service working between here and San Pedro.
To take the buses, I’d have to go tomorrow and stay 3 nights. James would have to stay 2 nights and we’d come back on Saturday. No thanks. Cid said he could get us a ride with a friend, who I also know as the father of one of Abby’s students. He was actually hanging out in the park with his wife and daughter so we set up a ride and negotiated a pricing, getting a $30 discount for being us.
After setting up the ride, we marched to a hotel across from ViaVia and Tun Club, which I think is a good location for James and closer to town. I asked to see a room, but they’re full, so I couldn’t. Cid says they’re good rooms, and the price is right (and they have vacancies!), so I put down a reservation. They wouldn’t give us a discount for the weekend, just because it’s Semana Santa, but for the other days James will stay there we got a discounted rate, which evens out to about 20$ a night.
Having all of that sorted out, and being saved by Cid The Incredible, we went to hang out with Jesse for a while. Cid’s cousin met up with us for a while and we went to Barcito before going to ViaVia. I made an earlier night of it than usual and went home at 10.

Day 236 March 31
I woke up and as I came down the stairs Abby, Allan, and parents came in the door. They were having breakfast before going to see the missionaries work. I chatted with them before they headed out. I showered and did my homework before going to class.
I went to class early so that I could get some school work done and e-mail the hotel in San Pedro to tell them I was not coming and they should not pick us up at the airport. I do not like Spanish keyboards.
Class was two hours and I drank a lot of coffee. I feel it was productive but I think our 1 hour sessions are better.
When I left class I came home and cleaned up. I did the dishes, swept out the house, and started doing general prep for James’ arrival. At 2, Cid called and he and his cousins picked me up in a taxi to go to the bird park. I met two more cousins and a “niece.” It was a little chilly for swimming, but it was nice all the same. I taught the niece, Suna to make boats with leaves and twigs. I also showed her insect eggs in the leaves. This was all fascinating for her and I was less timid with my Spanish. I feel as though my timidness with my Spanish has gotten worse, not better as time went on. I need to fix this.
We hung out at the bird park for a few hours and Megan called to invite me to the river, but we agreed to meet up later instead. We did meet at Picame for dinner, which was fun.
Shortly after they left, Judy came by. She was having a rough night and was locked out of her house. I offered her one of the many available sleeping spots in my house and she almost stayed the night but while we were talking (and I was cleaning) her landlord called and said they’d been able to get it open. She decided to wait a while so that her husband, who’d been drinking, would have time to get to sleep.
Shortly after she left I went to sleep.

Day 237 April Fool’s
I met Megan and Heidi in the park to get some coffee. I met Saul for the first time while we were at ViaVia.
When I left then I finished my house cleaning and got Saldo. I rigged up a list of things James and I could do while he was here before going to meet my driver.
He spoke English, and so we spoke Spanglish the whole way to San Pedro. It was a fine ride. I was hit on while I was waiting for James and the new starter lines tend to be “So, are you married?” or “How many kids do you have?” In this case, we had just been talking about my job and so I told him I had 20. No,no, he said, how many kids do YOU have. Oops.
I spotted James coming through immigration and gave mom a quick call. We hopped in the car and chatted the whole way back to Copan.
We got James set up in his hotel and I showed him my house and roof. We went to dinner at the restaurant on the corner for a nice Honduran experience. Cid met us there and joined us for a drink.
We went out to the park to see the Catholic church making mats in the street. They had it blocked off from cars and many different vibrant colors of sawdust which they lay down with stencils to make a variety of patters. They were beautiful. We ran into several people that I knew and I got to introduce them to James.
Francisco, James, and I went to ViaVia to do a rough plan of his week here. We walked to my house to get James my alarm clock, walked him back to the hotel, and then Fancisco walked me back to my house before we parted ways.

Day 238 April 2
James woke up early and came while I was in the shower. I finished getting ready and we headed out to the ruins. There was another groups going with Juan Carlos and they allowed us to join them. We chipped in for the guide, but it was much less than if we had gotten one for ourselves, which was good since the ruins will no longer recognize the Mayatan discount. They still claim to, but “we don’t have a list.” It frustrates me.
We bought tickets to go in the tunnels also, which was really cool, but I probably won’t have someone buy me a ticket to do it again. It was a “now I’ve done it” sort of deal. After the tour, James and I stuck around a little more to explore other nooks and crannies that aren’t as impressive and the guides never go to. I was glad to get to see some new things and places. We also got to snag a few more pictures without fear of holding up the family. We came across a storage place for replicas and ruins being pieced together, which was interesting.
We got back and were hungry for some lunch. We went to Villamil where I introduced him to some new foods and we interneted a little. After lunch, James wanted a little nap time and so I took the opportunity to edit my photos.
On James’ way back to my house he saw Cid and told him we’d pop by the hotel for a bit of coffee, so we did. When we got there, Cid wasn’t there. Angela set us up out on the patio. Cid joined us for a bit and then we headed to Twisted Tanyas for drinks.
We ate dinner at Picame, where James had his first baleada. Delicious.
We went up on the roof and chatted for a while before hitting ViaVia, Tun Club(which was not doing karaoke), and Barcito. We met up with a number of people, some I knew and some I didn’t and I finally headed home to bed at 1.