Part 22 "Wake-Up Call"

Michelle writes:  
Just had to share the morning with you. Here, the roosters have no sense of time. This morning, I looked at my watch when they started crowing: 2:15 a.m.!  Then again around 4 a.m., and then the whole choir busts loose around 4:30 or 5:50. There is a pen of chickens right next door, so they are particularily loud and annoying. We were joking about buen provecho (good appetite); the chickens could be our next meal.

      Actually, I don't hear them much anymore. It's like the trains in Pocatello--part of the white noise of the city. In Guatemala, chickens are a part of life everywhere. "Bring your ear plugs when you visit" is recommended in all the guidebooks.

      When I open the door of my room onto the open patio, I'm hit with acrid air, as people are up and cooking their breakfasts on the wood fire stove. The elders, when they arrive, fill the Center with the smell of wood smoke. The smell is strong to my unaccustomed nose, even on the second-floor patio and diluted with the air of the city. 

It is overwhelming to be in their homes with a fire within the walls. This is a huge problem. Children develop respiratory problems. Rocket stoves are designed for efficiency and can be vented outside, which is another project underway. 

      Drinking water is the other basic we can't take for granted. Last week, the village was working on the water system, so we ran out of water for a couple of days. Water was brought to the house in drums in the bed of a pickup. There are holding tanks on the roofs of the nicer homes, and many people haul water daily. This was lake water that settled out to let the algae sink, had cholorine added, and was then ready to use. Needless to say, we didn't take showers, and we used hand sanitizers, to boot. Now, the water is up and running again, and my shower felt divine.

Now I'm off to make tortillas with Bernabela and Carmen. Have a good day and take a deep breath of your fresh air. Appreciate those small things!