Two More Weeks to Go!

The countdown is on! (Not that it was ever off…) Two weeks from today, I should be touching down in Guatemala City…I am a little surprised at the level of my excitement. I must admit that it is catching me off-guard. Ever since I was little, I have had a strict don’t-get-too-excited-about-your-vacation policy. Actually, I pretty much carry that policy through into every aspect of my life. The reason? Because I am invariably disappointed if my expectations are too high. And they are ALWAYS too high. I’m foolhardy by nature, and have learned to temper my enthusiasm in my adulthood if only to protect myself from my over-active imagination.

Also, in the past, it has all been about the pre-travel jitters. I was so nervous and terrified before my trip to Korea that I wasn’t sure I was even going to have a good time. Turned out I was worried for nothing. Even last year when I was going to Mexico to spend 3 weeks under the sun drinking Tequila and making life-long friends, I wasn’t sure how much fun I was going to have. It was all the unknown, x-factor, out-of-the-comfort-zone stuff that was preoccupying me. Guess I was just preparing myself for the worst. And look how that turned out? In fact, my last several travel experiences have been so positive that I am starting to get a false sense of reassurance. This is sure to come back and bite me in the ass sometime during my trip when I realize that I am grossly under prepared for whatever calamity comes my way… However, one thing about traveling every summer is that I am starting to realize that I will be able to handle it. I make the most out of my adventures, do my best to take the unexpected in stride and chalk it all up to experience.

I should be brushing up on my Spanish, but pffft, what good will that do me, I mean really?!

Buen viaje!

Guatemala, How Much Do You Really Know?

So, I realized I know nothing at all about this country. This became embarassingly obvious when I took a quiz which I barely passed: 7 questions out of 14. And that's with me taking a wild guess for most of them. And actually, I'm not sure I even knew the answers to most of these questions about Canada, so you know, just for kicks, let's see how you all do:

1. The population of Guatemala is:
a) 5 million
b) 9 million
c) 13 million
(Canada is 32 millon)

2. The percentage of Guatemalans that live in urban areas is:
a) 10%
b) 25%
c) 50%
(Canada is 80%)

3. The per capita Gross National Income in Guatemala is:
a) $1,100
b) $2,100
c) $4,200
(Canada's is $29,000)

4. The Life Expectancy is Guatemala is:
a) 54
b) 68
c) 73
(Canada's is >80)

5. The literacy rate in Guatemala is the lowest in Central America at:
a) 45%
b) 58%
c) 69%
(Canada's is 99%)

6. The total populations using "improved" drinking water sources is:
a) 30%
b) 50%
c) 95%

7. In Guatemala, ______ distinct Mayan languages are spoken:
a) 10
b) 21
c) 30

8. Guatemala's main exports are:
a) Coffee & Sugar
b) Bananas & Texties
c) All of the above

9. In 1954, after the Guatemalan government instituted a law which expropriated large tracts of land owned by _________, the second freely elected President of Guatemala was overthrown in a coup lead by the CIA and Guatemalan Elite.
a) The United Fruit Company
b) The Mayan Coffee Company
c) The US military

10. The same year the coup occurred, an insurgency movement led by young Army officers began (FAR, Revolutionary Armed Forces.) A civil war broke out between the FAR and a series of US supported military governments. This war ended with a Peace Accord in:
a) 1965
b)1982
c) 1986

11. During the Civil War, genocide was committed:
a) True
b) False

12. The following Guatemalan city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it is the former colonial capital of Central America:
a) Guatemala City
b) Antigua
c) Quetzaltenango

13. Guatemala has a long claimed dispute over territory with which central American Country?
a) Mexico
b) Honduras
c) Belize

14. The Guatemalan currency is the:
a) Peso
b) Quetzal
c) US Dollar

See how you do. Anwers are below!
1.c 2.c 3.c 4.b 5.c 6.c 7.b 8.c 9.a 10.c 11.a 12.b 13.c 14. b

Come Away with Me

I love travelling. I love writing. What better way than to take my friends and family along with me on my great adventures 'neath the sun? Those of you who couldn't get enough of the stories of my green tea and black bean ice cream debacle will be so pleased. Want to hear more about those tomato freezies? The scarab beetles I ate in the street? Misadventures of the tequila plant? Well then this is for you!

And this summer will see me volunteering on a Co-operative Coffee and Macadamia Nut Farm. We are unsure whether there is any electricity; there is no hot water and laundry facilities are available in their stone sinks! (washing brush extra.) So I will no doubt have plenty to write about this summer. And I'll try and keep it clean so my parents can read too! :)