Since it is a weekend, nobody was at Chi Elias so we took some time to explore Momostenango. On Saturday, we set out to find good local hardware stores and their prices so we could more accurately analyze the cost of this project.
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| Inside a hardware store in Momostenango, Guatemala. They really packed everything in there! |
To ensure we weren't being overpriced for being tourists, we brought a team of some members of the Chi Elias community to show us around. We were only expecting a tour around some hardware stores, they ended up showing us all around Momostenango! We explored a natural canyon, struggling to keep up with some of the older locals. it wasn't until after we climbed all up and down each crevice that we found out it was a Mayan ruin!
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| Riscos de Momostenango |
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| This is great! But how do we get down? |
We all then went out to lunch at a local eatery that had cow tongue on the menu. I opted for chicken soup and rice but Stefan and Carlos were brave and decided to try it! We also were taken to a natural water park with pools, waterfalls, and hot springs. The water was beautiful and clear with some local kids enjoying their weekend splashing around. There was also a station for people to wash their clothes with clean water flowing over wash boards. It was a beautiful example of good engineering in a place that greatly benefits from it.
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| Water is life. |
We then had dinner around town, first having pupusas, or fried tortillas stuffed with cheese and topped with cabbage and salsa. They were delicious, with so much love put into every pupusa as it was made before our eyes. We then decided to stop by a store with a taco truck in it. They had tacos and tortas so big and delicious that we returned for lunch and dinner today too! Although Stefan got us lost on the way there so now he has been reduced to our Solar-Powered Navigator in that he only knows his way during the day.
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| Tacos from the place across the street from the barber shop. |
Today was Sunday, or Market Day across Guatemala. This meant the sidewalks turned into stores and the streets flooded with people. We made the mistake of trying to run a quick errand and nearly drowned in the crowd. It was a thrill to see all that Momostenango had to offer from grains and meats to bags and shoes to chickens and cows all displayed in the center of town.
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| I tried to stop for a moment to capture Market Day before getting swept away in the crowd. |
We returned to the hotel to discuss what we've learned about Chi Elias so far and how to proceed with the next couple of days, weeks, and months with the project. We finished the day with more tacos and the Golden Globes, getting a much needed taste of American entertainment.
We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow!
So until then, ¡buenas noches!
Christina
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