For the third time in 2019, I planned to hike Volcán San Pedro and for the third time, I hiked the Mayan Nose instead. Probably for the best because the internet says San Pedro full of robbers (but the internet likes to do that).
Ben came over in lancha, as he lives in Sololá now (close by!) and we met up in San Pedro. I felt bad because I slept in and he was wondering around San Pedro waiting for me. I hopped on a tuk-tuk and made my way over. We ended up at the same Italian bakery (Idea Connection) where Abby, Cindy and I ate. The stupid chocolate bread is Q18 but it’s the cheapest thing on the dang menu except for the coffee and day-old bread. (It’s good chocolate bread, though). I did a quick shopping run and found some of the stationery made out of traje típico I love while joking/insulting the vendor in K’iche’ (this helps lower the price). I’ve bought from him before. Ben and I haven’t really hung out so he hasn’t seen my K’iche’ ramblings. He lived in a site that spoke Mam, totally different… Then we caught a tuk-tuk to San Juan and began the hike home.
NOW I THOUGHT (erroneously) that hiking UP to San Juan would be easier than coming down. But I was incorrect. My heart was pounding and my face was dripping for about 2.5 hours, and it made me think I shouldn’t hike ever again. I am not that out-of-shape, but I felt very out-of-shape with Patient Ben who would have taken it much faster had I not been at death’s doorknob.
We tried with all of our might (mostly me) to avoid hiking The Nose, and instead finding the path that takes us straight to Santa Clara (so we wouldn’t have to pay). We followed the instructions but still, we ended up in the same damn spot paying the same damn money to hike it. And I was annoyed because we also had to pay at the base of San Juan. And I’ve never been charged in San Juan before! *Money flying away emoji.* So dumb. Then we took a completely different hike down the mountain than I’d ever taken, and I was confused about where we were literally the whole afternoon (my specialty) (ask my whole family and Tanya Smith-Sreen).
Here is photo evidence of the treachery:
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When we got to Santa Clara, Ben came to see my house and meet Abuelita and we quickly found his bus (just to ensure he wouldn’t get stranded, Sunday transport is less reliable than other transport, which isn’t that reliable to begin with). I messed with the ayudantes (or, they messed with me) while we waited for the bus to fill up and after 20 minutes they were on their way.
I decided Sunday was definitely a chatarra day. That’s fried chicken (chatarra means junk). I purchased my fatty chicken and fatty fries and enjoyed the delicious sin of it all with my ketchup and hot sauce sitting downstairs by the plancha while Abuelita walked by and chuckled at me. 4:30 lunch, what of it?
It was sunny and I wasn’t ready to be alone in my room, so I grabbed my coloring book and walked to Evelin’s house. Evelin is my student but her family has taken me in. Her youngest sister, Dulce, likes to color with me. She’s easily the coolest, cutest, six year old (or seven?) on the planet. I opened the door and she was sipping gaseosa from a straw. She said: “Ya llevó los dibujos?” and I said: “sí!” and she said: “eeeeeso me llegas!” which reminds me of Elmer who was the first person I ever heard say “me llegas!” It means: ‘you get me.’ But really, I think it can’t be directly translated. Maybe it’s more like ‘right on!’ which is more like ‘órales.’ I don’t know.
But first I asked Dulce to direct me to where Hilda lives. I showed her Hilda’s picture. “Oh yes, she lives right here” and we walked together. I wanted to give a picture recuerdo to Hilda, a former student, who I noticed has not been in class. Just as fate would have it, Hilda was walking towards us with her sister. I recognized her shy, smart smile right away. I said: “are you studying?” and she said: “ya no.” Which I’ve heard so many times in service from so many of my girl students. “Ya no” they say. But she said: “I am going to study next year in another school, outside of Santa Clara..” And I hope she does it. I gave her our picture and wished her my best. It might be the last time I ever see her.
And Dulce and I returned to her house to color. Evelin showed me her ‘proyecto de vida,’ her life vision and plan. It truly looked like she spent 100 hours on this thing, I was so impressed. And after about an hour of coloring, I finished my coffee and bread and walked home.
As I walked up to Santa Clara, two guys stopped me in the street. I knew what their proposition was. I knew because I’d never seen them before, which could only mean one thing: English. I hate this because I always have to stand and smile and listen when I know that what they want is help with English in exchange for K’iche’. If they think it’s the first time someone’s had this idea in Santa Clara…… And that’s exactly what they proposed. I explained that, first of all, I wish I could help but I am leaving in three weeks, and secondly, I have a K’iche’ teacher in Santa Clara. They smiled, knowingly, disappointed, and said: “Who is your K’iche’ teacher?” and I told them Miguel David. They shook my hands, said “De todos modos, fue un gusto conocerla y que le vaya bien…” and I made my way home. I’ll never not be a walking English billboard in this pueblo.
I walked inside, filled up my water downstairs and wished my host family good night. I knew that Monday was going to be difficult because I was going to have to think again. Hiking a treacherous mountain with an unnaturally buoyant soul like Ben and coloring with an adorable 6 year-old are two marvelous distractions, but Monday is no distraction at all.