4 weeks left of training!

Where has the time gone?? 4 weeks left, and this thursday we get to find out where our sites will be. And then around Nov 1st, we move to our sites for the next 2 years! My guess is that Ill end up in Huehue, but really I have no idea.

Its been exciting here, lots of field trips, gardening and learning how to cook yummy stuff. Us trainees went to some Mayan ruins in Tecpan and took part in a Mayan ceremony which was interesting. My bday corresponds with the spirit K'an, who is the feathered serpent that created the world. The next day I went on a field trip with my fam to some hot springs, but they thought they smelled bad, so we went to the ruins in Tecpan instead. After that, we ran for 5-6 hours back home with a torch and a Guatemalan flag to celebrate their independence day. I dont quite understand it, but around independence day, Guatemalans like to drive far away and then run back home with a torch. People not running stand on the sides of the roads and throw water at the runners. Water, or blocks of ice. The place my host-sister went to took them 16 hours to run back.

2 weeks ago we went on a week long training trip to the mountains of Jalapa. It was actually reaally cold there! We got to learn how to take care of chickens, build terrazes on the sides of hills and other fun stuff. We also got to go ziplining thru the trees and walk across these huge suspension bridges which was awesome of course.

This is the ruins of Tecpan with Stephen. I posted this pic so he wouldnt feel so bad about one of the later ones.



Ruins of Tecpan with my fam



Running home



Guatemalans love parades. And they last forever.



Stephen is enthralled by chicken feed



Laurie and Daveed like vaccinating chickens. Hi Barrett's Mom!



This is the view from our cabin in Jalapa



Ziplining!




And I taught Laurie and Barrett how to shakey-face




If anybody knows how to make the images fit correctly in my post, please help me!
And also, if anybody wishes to send me letters or other fun stuff in the mail:

PCV Jared Lounsbery
Cuerpo de Paz
Apartado Postal 66
Antigua Guatemala
Sacatepequez 03001
Guatemala
Central America

Gracias! And I hope everybody is doing well!!