A New House!

We moved this past weekend! For those who are counting, this is our fifth residence in the two years and three months we've been here. Why? Just tryin' to find our groove! 😊

I loved the little apartment I was living in but it was very small and my abundance of animals was bothering the neighbours. So when I saw a poster in Despensa (the grocery store) for a wee casita to rent for only Q1800 a month, I went for it! (Q1800 is about $320 Canadian or $245 U.S. at today's exchange rates.)
I don't have that much stuff, so we decided to just move everything ourselves with the help of some tuk-tuk rides and a dolly we borrowed from friends. The mini-fridge was the biggest thing, plus the awkwardness of carrying boxes of potted plants and other knick-knacks. It was a loooong day but we had good luck as it didn't rain all day. That's a rare thing in rainy season!

Yep, it's PINK! I call this architectural style Guatemal-Greco. 😋
(Seriously, I'm considering decorating with Greek accents... mosaics and dolphins and fountains!)

We are the end of a dead-end street, only a block from the grocery store.

Bert was my hero on moving day. He worked so hard! 

I took the photos above and below as we were trudging back to the apartment on our upteenth trip. At this point we were moaning, "Why didn't we rent a truck and some guys??"

Do you like Bert's shirt??

I always say that on moving day someone gets hurt and something gets broken. This is the broken thing: our garbage pail lid! Bert also skinned his knuckles pretty badly but he wouldn't let me take a picture.

A weird tradition I have when moving homes: I blow up a balloon to celebrate!
Plus I hung some art to try to dampen the echoes. The house is kinda empty.

The house is pretty much unfurnished. It came with a double bed, a table (now my desk), a small folding table (being refinished by Bert), a pila, and big potted plant. That's it! I have a mini-fridge, a toaster oven, and a coffee brewer. We don't even have a stove yet! We've been enjoying (quote/unquote) ham sandwiches for every meal.
A three-burner propane countertop stove costs Q289. Not bad. But we have to get a propane tank for it, which costs about Q100 or a bit more, and we'll have to put a deposit down on the tank, which costs who-knows-what. That'll probably happen next week. Until then, more sandwiches!

There are two bedrooms. Bert's door has this on it. I figured it was appropriate. I think Bert kinda looks like Sid! HA HA!

Lovely big windows in the first room right next to the side door. Unfortunately, they look out onto the street. Like DIRECTLY onto the street. They get nice morning sun though. (This is a nighttime photo)

See the bricks in the photo above? Not bricks! It's a cement wall with brick tiles. Clever!

Weird feature. The bathroom sink is not in the bathroom! It's in the foyer.
Willow doesn't care. She loves to drink from the tap.

Our pila in the front enclosed porch area.

Calvin on his blankie in the front porch. The decorative bricks to the left are open to the street so he can smell stuff. Neat floor tiles too, eh? The same ones are in the shower.

My bedroom also has big windows... that look out to the enclosed porch? Huh?
Guatemalan house plans are a mystery.
(Plus, Rui settling in. Look how big he's gotten!)

No Guatemalan casita would be complete without a suicide shower.
Bonus: the electrical breaker is IN the shower. For safety??
Double bonus: Star of David window bricks! Yes, they go right outside. No screen. No glass.

Our side door, the one we use most. Notice the large gap at the top? Ha!
That kinda stuff wouldn't cut it in Canada! Here, it's always nice weather outside so it's not a big deal.

There isn't a garden at the new house but there is a full flat roof with nice views of the hills.

The view the other way. The volcanoes are to the right of this picture, but they're blocked by taller buildings.

This is another pic of the roof. The stairs come up there under that little shelter thing.
(This is gonna be the "before" picture. Wait a few months and hopefully I can put up an awesome "after" picture of our improvements.)

Although there is no garden, Bert and I have grand plans for the rooftop. We want to turn it into an oasis of plants! We're going to build more roof onto the little tin shelter that's already up there, plus make an arbor with ivy and stuff climbing on it, and have a fire pit, and space for the dogs to chill out.

Speaking of dogs... both Gus and Calvin jumped off the roof! It's quite high! Gus jumped down cuz he saw Bert walking down the street and didn't want to be left behind. Calvin jumped down when we were out shopping. He was chained up but slipped free of his collar and decided to go for a runabout. Bert went looking for him for HOURS with no success. He turned up in the afternoon all by himself with a big goofy grin and a belly full of garbage. (Calvin, not Bert! HA!) 

Gus on the roof!

I'm glad neither of the dogs were hurt by their courage/stupidity. Gus limped for a bit, and Calvin has a scrape on his chin. Whatta bunch of dorks! 

Rui and the new kitten, Noodles, on my bed.

The new house is taking some getting used to. It's pretty loud as it's right on the street and there have been a surprising number of people going by, especially just around suppertime. It sounds like they're right in my bedroom! I'm gonna see what I can do about soundproofing a bit more. I miss the crickets and peeperfrogs of the apartment but I don't miss the loud barking dogs and crazy kids next door.

Awesome things about the new casita: The floors are all nice tile, very easy to sweep. We're super close to town and the stores and restaurants and friends. I love that Bert and I can have separate rooms to do our own thing in. It's great having the house to ourselves with no neighbours or landlords. We're excited to start furnishing it and decorating it cuz it's kinda like a blank slate. I love the rooftop and the potential for an awesome outdoor space. And Bert is eager to get up on the roof and do some mosaics and other projects.

So that's our news for this week. I have a bunch of blog posts half-finished that I'm hoping to get done and posted soon. Fascinating topics like tuk-tuks, Internet service, safety and security, and the joy of tiendas. Never a boring day here in Guatemala. 😏

Rainy Season Travel Tips for Guatemala

It's rainy season and the tourists seem to have disappeared. Why? Too many travel websites and guidebooks warning travelers to stay away. Pfft! I'm gonna tell ya why rainy season can be an awesome time to visit Guatemala.

INFO ➠ The rainy season in Guatemala generally runs from May to the end of October.

Keep in mind that even though Guatemala is a small country by most standards, it does touch two coasts and has massive variations in elevation. Therefore, the weather can be wildly different from place to place. It can be hailing in a high mountain town while at the same be steaming hot on the Caribbean coast. Here at Lake Atitlan in the Western Highlands, the weather can even vary from town to town. It can be rainy, windy, and cold in San Pedro but partly cloudy and warm in Panajachel.

1. Don't let the rainy season deter you from coming here.
Airfares and hotels are cheaper. Tourists sites are not overflowing with people. Also, the countryside is absolutely stunning! Waterfalls become glorious rushing cascades, rather than the sad trickles they are in the dry season. Flowers bloom everywhere. Dusty fields morph into vast swathes of green. The dramatic hills of the Highlands are suddenly covered in lush jungle. It's beautiful!

The waterfall on the road between Sololá and Panajachel.
Photo courtesy of: Rob And Carley

2. Pack your rain gear -- but expect to get wet anyway.
I have an awesome raincoat (thanks, Mumsy!) but I've found that the rain runs down the coat and soaks my pants. I also have an amazing giant rainbow umbrella (thanks, big sister!) but that doesn't help when a passing pickup splashes your legs! 😆
I have rubber boots for really rainy days but I prefer to wear waterproof hiking sandals or crocs for most trips out and about. If you forgot your gear, don't worry! There are tons of smart vendors who bring out umbrellas and ponchos for sale when the rain starts.

Some smart folks handling the rain with aplomb. This was on my walk to the grocery store today.

3. Plan your day and be flexible. 
A typical day during the rainy season in Guatemala is a lovely partly cloudy morning, followed by rains moving in around 2 or 3 pm and continuing all night. Therefore, you can plan to do all your outdoor activities in the morning and then find a cozy cafe, museum, restaurant, or bar to spend your afternoons and evenings. There are some days where it rains from morning to night, but there are other days where it's full sun all day. To be clear, I'm only speaking from my experience here in Panajachel on Lake Atitlan. You can almost set your watch to the rains! It could be different in other areas of the country. Post in the comments if you have some more info about weather trends in a specific area of Guatemala.

4. Watch the weather, especially tropical storms.
If you're planning something special that requires good weather, keep a close eye on the weather reports. If a tropical storm or hurricane is hitting either coast, it causes heavier rainfall or full days of dreary drizzle. I like Weather Underground, which also has a section for hurricanes.

Volcán San Pedro being all dramatic and stuff. :)

5. Enjoy the rain.
It's part of what makes Guatemala so great! Plus, Guate has some of the best coffees in the world to warm you up, as well as a vast array of traditional soups and stews. Yum!

Hot, thick, flavourful Pepian stew. Yum!
Click the pic to go to Chowhound's article about Guatemalan soups.

BONUS TIP: Do not walk barefoot. No matter how much you hate having wet shoes or how much your hippie soul yearns to connect with Mother Earth, keep your shoes on! The water in the streets is literally loaded with feces and urine, both animal and human. Plus there are the dangers of broken glass and other garbage. And to top it off, there are parasites that can enter your body through your feet and make you sick. Be smart!

Flooding today in San Pedro Ayampuc, north of Guate City.

Okay, so with all this cheery "glass half full" optimism, I feel obligated to warn you that rainy season can SUCK. Roads flood. Flights get canceled. Hiking trails become muddy trenches. Boat rides across the Lake are wet, cold, and rough. It can get kinda depressing. So I would advise that if you're looking for that perfect sun-all-day-every-day vacation to Guatemala, visit during the dry season from late November to April. And bring sunscreen! 😊

Decently Strong Earthquake Last Night!

I was up late playing video games and getting ready to feed the orphaned kitten when the world started moving. Such a strange feeling! I woke Bert up and we sat for a few seconds feeling it get stronger and stronger. We both decided to head for the doorway to outside just in case. I still had the wee kitten in my hands!
The whole building rolled and bucked like a boat in rough water. It just blows my mind that things move that shouldn't move, like the whole building. 😲 The power went out for just a few seconds, and then some lights came back on. Some of the neighbourhood stayed dark. A few dogs were barking in the distance. Calvin barked once. Rui and Willow didn't even flinch! Cats, eh? 😆
The shaking stopped and it was quiet except for alarms going off around town. One sounded like an air raid siren. After a few minutes, there was one jolting aftershock, and then it all settled.
It was the biggest quake I've felt since I got here. Pretty impressive and exciting and a little scary. No damage here or anything. We're all good. 👍
However, there were damages and injuries reported closer to the epicenter near the border. Yes, the same border that I just came from by chicken bus during my visa run! Reports and pictures of damages came in from Xela, Reu, San Marco, and Malacatán -- all towns I had just visited a few days ago.
(Photos courtesy of Facebook.)

Xela. Makes me wanna rethink the whole "go outside" strategy.

Interesting to see that this building is traditional adobe brick underneath.

It's always extra scary when quakes happen at night.

A grocery store in San Marcos. Yep, that's booze!

A church in Xela. :(

Preliminary reports said the quake was a 7.0 but it was later downgraded to 6.9 or 6.8, depending on who you ask. Still, pretty strong!
I got on Facebook as soon as I put the kitten back in his box and powered my computer back up. Everyone was talking about it. Facebook even had a "Safe Check" thingy for people to report in.

I use these websites to check info for earthquakes:
EarthquakeTrack.com uses info from USGS but I find their page easier to use.
USGS (United States Geological Survey) has a neat feature called "Did You Feel It" (DYFI) where you can answer some questions for them about what the quake was like for you personally. They ask you your location first and then ask if things fell off shelves, if you had trouble walking, what you did during the quake, etc.

Check out this security camera footage! Notice in the bottom left feed, with the car, there are some white doggies running about. Eeks!

What should you do during an earthquake? Well, according to the U.S. gov, do not go to the doorway. Ha ha! Whoops. I didn't know! Don't they always do that in the movies?
Anyway, the basic safety mantra for earthquakes is: "Drop, Cover, and Hold On."
Read more info about earthquake safety HERE. 

Stay safe out there, everyone! 💜