I returned to Sija after a wild and crazy last adventure with BFF Emily to Honduras to soak up some sun, swim, and snorkel the amazing reef there. 15 hours on a bus followed by a rocky ferry ride to get to the Bay Islands *whew* one thing about Central America-it has made me unblinking in the eye of long travel. Public buses, no a/c (not such a big deal here in the FRIGID western highlands, but on the coast....), and lots of cheeseburgers in paradise!
Returning to Sija (brrr) received the unexpected news that my landlady wanted to reoccupy the house i'm living in and therefore...would it be a huge problem for you to move out...in 2 weeks? great, no problem there. Actually this was a blessing in disguise; the big house was cool for a while but the charm has worn off and all that empty space is only good for dust and dog hair to collect. Plus living in a two story house-completely overrated.
It must be fate that i leave this house though because i went over to my host family's house to discuss the possibility of renting one room from them-and my host mom beat me to the punch by breaking the news that their renters-in their downstairs, separate apartment-were leaving in two weeks and would i still be interested in renting it out..... The universe works in mysterious ways is all I can say to that.
So I am unbelievably lucky and excited to be moving into a smaller place with much more privacy where Bella isn't subjected to the cruel taunting of the neighbor kids and I can spend less time cleaning, more time with my host family, and MOVE AWAY from the mechanic shop downstairs. t-minus 2 weeks!!!!
Peace Corps is a time of continuous learning; bucket baths, handwashing clothes, composting, wrapping tamales, making tortillas, managing the public buses, bargaining, making peanut butter from scratch, raising a puppy, building letrines, designing interpretive trails, crocheting......and now-mushroom hunting!
As i mentioned, mushroom season is upon us! Counterpart Verney Ochoa had promised to show me which ones were edible last year and finally we went hiking on Friday, dogs in tow, to find some delectable local fungi to eat. We gathered a good amount of mushrooms hiking in a new forest up above his aunt's house, three different varieties- (and as a disclaimer, you should only eat mushrooms ok'd by an experienced local who knows the difference between the good and bad (and magic) mushrooms...which my counterpart luckily is). We brought back the goods to Aunt Flori's kitchen where she made us a tipico mushroom soup with these bright yellow mushrooms called cansuys (sp?). With fresh tortillas hot off the plancha, this soup of tomato, cilantro, onion, garlic, and mushrooms which gave the soup a bright yellow color and amazing flavor was amazing. The other two kinds we fried up with butter and garlic- yummmm. So excited to finally learn to harvest the wild mushrooms here because they can't be had otherwise and i LOVE mushrooms!
I found some more of the white ones called "sheep's ear" mushrooms today on a hike and can't wait to saute them up with some baby zucchini... I am incredibly grateful for Guatemala's constant supply of the freshest fruits and vegetables. You have to eat with the seasons here (well, except for the obligatory tomatoes, onions, chilis, potatoes) and I take full advantage. The women's group has started a cooking series, with a new dish each Thursday afternoon and I look forward to sharing new healthy and tasty ways of preparing the awesome bounty of produce available-starting with peach jam this week (it's peach season, can you believe it?)
It continues to be cold and wet here, as i longingly read the weather forecasts of 90s and 100s back at home. The Honduras trip was necessary; during this time of year the sun doesnt come out for days at a time and as you all know, i am a lizard. I washed clothes yesterday morning and hung them out to dry and they are still damp. A girl could go Crazy in weather like this. luckily i have a snuggly puppy and a good book. Until my next tropical vacation.......
Sincerely,
Freezing in sija
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