tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366381672024-03-13T16:07:23.130+01:00Birnies' JourneysDavid and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-2380855018158745592013-05-14T08:20:00.001+02:002013-05-14T08:20:05.934+02:00Celebrating Joy's Birthday <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday to Joy!! What a blessing to celebrate her 30th birthday in the absolute beauty of God's creation.</td></tr>
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Some other highlights from our camping trip to Big Basin State Park...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waking up to bright shining rays of sun</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sempervirens Falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cE8JYa6qDAsKrU5ikVDIgUv1dD7EYhyGKvYowf5JNINzqKTK1aeJoI8b6cB-TtxPG2As5DoA4YhHv8gMoVpXh_50nXvSpmvhzJRASjumpQrdoMMH9SeFyI7EurEtJNbgcNYv/s1600/IMG_3249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cE8JYa6qDAsKrU5ikVDIgUv1dD7EYhyGKvYowf5JNINzqKTK1aeJoI8b6cB-TtxPG2As5DoA4YhHv8gMoVpXh_50nXvSpmvhzJRASjumpQrdoMMH9SeFyI7EurEtJNbgcNYv/s400/IMG_3249.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower Blooms Creek Campground Site #129: Look at those expert tent campers!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZ81CKCBubhLalqmobThtHm8p5FAxAWV52CxRL36sLeWnAcx-OmrxEtplq-LDkBbPap0_rarqrAQ0tqOyC3PXwIc3_2XPD9rUFvOb7ewsCOUkAykgQpb9YVoVhklzTA7mrn8y/s1600/IMG_3174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZ81CKCBubhLalqmobThtHm8p5FAxAWV52CxRL36sLeWnAcx-OmrxEtplq-LDkBbPap0_rarqrAQ0tqOyC3PXwIc3_2XPD9rUFvOb7ewsCOUkAykgQpb9YVoVhklzTA7mrn8y/s400/IMG_3174.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-13540795350927719502012-05-22T20:34:00.000+02:002012-05-22T20:35:02.611+02:00Finca Tatin and Livingston<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
5/15-18<br />
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</style>After a couple nights at Hotel Kangaroo, we took a “lancha”
or small boat about an hour downstream, only about 20 minutes before the river
dumps out in the Caribbean. Here, we stayed at “Finca Tatin” where the
receptionist was a shirtless German guy named Chris. As Chris showed us the
different options for a room, crabs scattered out of our way, parrots appeared
in trees, and the general cacophony of the jungle filled our ears. This hotel
is made up of a dozen or so thatched-roof bungalows connected by wooden dock-like
walkways set deep in the jungle, only accessible by the river. Our room was on
the second story of “La Casa Grande” which was simply a large thatched-roof
building, entirely open with no walls. The bottom floor held 8 hammocks, and a
few sofas. Our bed had a mosquito net draped over it, giving a sense of security,
but also inducing sense of fear knowing that the nets were necessary. It was
like camping out in the loft of a big treehouse deep in the jungle. Each night,
it would rain hard, an incredibly satisfying and soothing sound as we fell
asleep.
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Here is La Casa Grande. We slept upstairs in the beds covered with mosquito nets. </div>
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Again, we went kayaking, this time for 4 hours up to a
“biotopo” or wildlife reserve area on the river. We brought lunch with us, and
as we were about to head home, it started raining harder than I’ve ever experienced.
For our next two hours home, it rained furiously, requiring us to spend half of
our time bailing water out of the kayak. We were drenched from head to toe
after just 5 minutes. It rained so hard it almost hurt, but it was one of the
more unique experiences we’ve ever had on the water. Plus, it was nice to cool
down a bit in the heat. </div>
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At the mouth of the river, a town called Livingston fuses
Guatemalan life with Jamaican-like culture, into what is known as “Garifuna.”
One highlight here was eating Talpado, a well-known, local soup served with a
whole fish, crab, potatoes, bananas, squid, shrimp, and who knows what else in
a delicious orange broth consisting mostly of coconut milk and spices. Not
knowing that the dish could easily feed four people, David ordered a sandwich
to complement what was assumed to be a moderate serving of soup, but when the
bowl came out, we had to get an additional bowl and two additional plates just
to unpack the soup. I’ve never unpacked soup before, but it was definitely
necessary with this Livingston delicacy. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where's David?</td></tr>
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Tomorrow, we take two boat trips and a 6 hour bus ride to
get back to Guatemala City before flying out the next morning. We can’t believe
six weeks in Guatemala is nearly over. It’s been like a long honeymoon all over
again!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caribbean Coast, as viewed from Livingston</td></tr>
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<br /></div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-33756773196855741502012-05-22T20:21:00.000+02:002012-05-22T20:21:16.772+02:00Rio Dulce<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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5/13-15<br />
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Receiving a clearly Australian “Hello, mate” in the middle
of Guatemala is rather strange, but that’s exactly what we got a few minutes
after getting off the bus in Rio Dulce. Rio Dulce boasts the longest bridge in
Central America, connecting Guatemala City and the western highlands with the
Northern “El Peten” and the route to Belize. Buses cross the bridge, but
everything is done by boat up and down the river.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of Hotel Kangaroo (from our kayak)</td></tr>
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The U.S. Coast Guard deems Rio Dulce the safest place in the
Caribbean during hurricane season, attracting many “yachties” into the safe
waters for weeks, months, and even years. Gary, the Australian owner of Hotel
Kangaroo, came 6 years ago, and never left. He spent two years building the
hotel, which is no small feat considering the entire place is on stilts over
the river. When he bought it, there was no electricity and no plumbing. The
only way to come and go is by a 10-minute boat ride from Rio Dulce. Once you’re
there, you sit on the dock, jump in the river, and read a good book. He’s got a
few kayaks you can borrow, which we used to visit an old castle on the river. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castillo San Felipe</td></tr>
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We also spent a few hours visiting “Finca Paraiso” where a
hot waterfall falls 25 or 30 feet into a cool river, the only of its kind in
the world. When I heard about it, I thought the water would be warm, but upon
touching the waterfall, it was scalding hot. A local guide walked us upstream
where the water was even hotter and showed us where to get clay to put all over
our body. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you spot David? hint: he's flying</td></tr>
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</div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-31829898816006401572012-05-18T19:18:00.001+02:002012-05-18T19:18:22.316+02:00Tikal: The Mayan Ruins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAQ5iiJ-VoBxvnNXTlVOfOKcONQyEncm9Iu72ETqv8FIpmfNov3206UAsLwPPH5GI7lNj-Kr0OhWZYaFrc2x__Qje2QmWmauqqXymSeNQ_TtnX9P_kH9Mh5WDaINJQg_3d6Xc/s1600/IMG_0696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
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We waited outside Tikal National Park until 3pm, at which
point we walked up to the ticket booth to purchase our tickets. The guard who
operates the stand waited until about 3:10, just to make sure we knew he was in
charge, and then let us buy the tickets. From there, we faced a 17km walk, or
wait until another car or bus came by. At 3:30, a family from France pulled up
in a rental car. I went to go ask if we could jump in (there were three of us,
as another tourist from Spain had the same predicament). As I got closer to the
car, I saw there was a carseat with a baby and another boy in the backseat,
with the parents in the front. I ruled out the possibility of joining them, but
they insisted we jump in the car as there was no other traffic on the road.
Louca, the 4-year old boy, sat in my lap, while the baby went up front with his
mom, leaving room for Krista and our Spanish friend in the backseat. 20 or 30
minutes later, after an air conditioned ride, we finally got to Tikal. </div>
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Our hotel in Tikal was the nicest place we’ve stayed yet.
Our room had a ceiling fan, we were given fresh towels, and we had our own
private bathroom. Just outside our door, there was a pool to cool down from the
blazing, Northern Guatemalan heat. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkwgGGFLz0nCwglbCx8T_Hc8uIGuJlhr-d7Ic5B_IHrSi-Yz2J6pc2VWEZQ_C6YAGrGKWBQkJ7A_MIAPLb24jkrlzmOAwRB_QW6woGEWqeci6qk6s9EBW-cthOSUnI5ljqrU7/s1600/IMG_0790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkwgGGFLz0nCwglbCx8T_Hc8uIGuJlhr-d7Ic5B_IHrSi-Yz2J6pc2VWEZQ_C6YAGrGKWBQkJ7A_MIAPLb24jkrlzmOAwRB_QW6woGEWqeci6qk6s9EBW-cthOSUnI5ljqrU7/s400/IMG_0790.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pool at the Tikal Inn was a welcome escape from the heat</td></tr>
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We jumped in the pool, and had about an hour
to enter Tikal before the park closed at 6. We walked fast, but we made it all
the way to “Gran Central,” the heart of the ancient Mayan city. It was
incredible. A flat, open field lies between these two Mayan Temples measuring
over 40m in height.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Templo I</td></tr>
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These temples were constructed about 1300 years ago, when
Tikal was at its peak in the Mayan world. Two large complexes lie to either
side of these ruins. I can’t even imagine what this place would have been like
back when 150,000 Mayans were living here. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from Templo IV of Templo I, Templo II, and Templo III reaching above the jungle</td></tr>
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The next morning, we met a few others at our hotel at 4am
for a sunrise tour of the park. Walking for 30 minutes in the dark, our guide
led us to the top of Templo IV, the furthest west Temple in the park. At 65-70m
in height, this temple is by far the largest in Tikal, and as it is the
furthest west, it has a view of the sun rising with the tops of the other Tikal
temples poking out of the jungle top. It happened to be a foggy morning, so we
did not get a great sunrise, but we got to hear and see the jungle below us
come to life. Howler monkeys, the second loudest animals on earth, starting
making some of the scariest noises I’ve ever heard. These are the sounds that
the creators of “Jurassic Park” used for T-Rex. Birds everywhere started a
symphony of different sounds. We saw a toucan perched in a tree just below us.
The whole experience was unlike anything I’ve ever done. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is a comparatively simple ruin inside the "Mundo Perdido" complex</td></tr>
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Our tour included
seeing more ruins, including the oldest section, named “El Mundo Perdido” or
“The Lost World.” We made sure to visit each of the major 6 Temples before
exiting the park to get a late breakfast. Now, we are just relaxing by the pool
at the hotel until our shuttle leaves at 2:30 when we go back to Flores.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Krista peering out over Gran Central, with Templo I behind her on the right</td></tr>
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<br /></div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-60139826678799965392012-05-14T03:15:00.001+02:002012-05-14T03:15:10.453+02:00Flores<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Flores is the closest thing Guatemala has to Balboa Island
in Newport Beach, CA. It’s considerably smaller than Balboa Island, only taking
approximately 20 minutes to walk around the island at a slow pace. With many
fond memories from my childhood at Balboa, Flores was a great place to visit.
The main difference is that Flores is set in a large lake with fresh water
rather than a harbor with salt water. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxik69voS64Fj8oRdzH3JQKZ1vlvIwFHa8ybeXBxzQP7FGrEwTxiUD-u5rV-BUN1vT_vBk8DKcv0vqiYOLHovnH52kgrctoT6eZqrKgGWCXPAcRsrex2DwneihD6UqAv0HsG0s/s1600/IMG_0792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxik69voS64Fj8oRdzH3JQKZ1vlvIwFHa8ybeXBxzQP7FGrEwTxiUD-u5rV-BUN1vT_vBk8DKcv0vqiYOLHovnH52kgrctoT6eZqrKgGWCXPAcRsrex2DwneihD6UqAv0HsG0s/s400/IMG_0792.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view from across the lake... you can see the bridge connecting Flores to the nearby town Santa Elena</td></tr>
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There is a walkway with a bit of a protective curb around
the entirety of the island, with a couple dozen restaurants and hotels around
the perimeter. Every restaurant boasted a happy hour (some of which spanned 24
hours long). Eventually, we landed on a place with Margaritas for 10 Quetzales
(a little more than a dollar), where we watched the sun sink in the lake.
Strangely, the temperatures after sunset don’t seem to drop a bit, which would
have been a nice relief, especially in the 107 degree heat (and humid, too!).
The hotel had a box fan but did not find it necessary to supply anything warmer
than a top sheet. Flores is a nice stop over point on the way to Tikal, which
is another 90 minute bus ride to the north, deeper into the jungle.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset and Margaritas</td></tr>
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The next morning, after Krista jogged around the island
several times, we decided to jump in the lake for a swim. Every other day in
Guatemala has been a day for exercise, so in between times in the lake, we did
a set of push-ups on the dock and jump back in again. Afterwards, we shower off
(truly no need for hot water here because the cold water, which is actually
tepid, feels so refreshing) and get ready for breakfast.</div>
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On our way to find a breakfast spot at 9:30, we discover
that there are no buses to Tikal after 10am, so we decided there is no time for
breakfast. We check a couple of sources, and confirm that there is no bus after
10. At 9:50, I find out that the 10am bus does not run today, so I am told the
only way to get there is by a private taxi. Instead, Krista and I set off for a
30 minute walk to the neighboring town of Santa Elena where they have an actual
bus terminal. At 10:30, we buy two tickets for a bus that supposedly leaves at
12, despite what were told in Flores. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise from Flores</td></tr>
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We find a restaurant for a late breakfast and wait for an
hour and a half until our guy in the bus terminal directs us to a bus. We wait
another 20 minutes before taking off in the opposite direction of Tikal.
However, after 5 minutes of driving, our bus parks and waits in the main market
in Santa Elena for another 15 minutes. It’s sweltering hot in the back of the
bus, and I’m sure I’ve lost at least a liter of water by sweating so much. It’s
after 12:30, and we haven’t even left town, but once we get going again, we are
going in the general direction of Tikal. I thought the bus was full, but the
“ayudante” (or bus helper) finds twice as many people to fit into the bus, making
it all the hotter in the bus. </div>
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By the time we get to the Tikal Park Entrance (17km from the
actual ruins), we are told that we need to get out of the bus to purchase our
tickets. But what we didn’t know, was that we needed to purchase tickets for two
days, since we were entering before 3pm. The entrance fee at Tikal is more than
3 times that of any other park we’ve been to in Guatemala, and we literally do
not have enough cash to pay for two days. We intended just to go to the hotel
outside the actual ruins for the afternoon, and then explore the ruins the next
day, so we only have to pay one entrance price. Instead, the guard tells us
that if we are going in on this bus, we have to pay twice. We are left with
only one option: waiting. So we get out of the bus and wait for an hour and
half. Hopefully there will be a bus along shortly after 3, or else it’s a 17km
walk up the road to our hotel. If we set out a bit after three, we shouldn’t
have to walk to too far through the jungle in the dark. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCH5uX5hmJETCawdn8C0vruycPMeEu9wIvfrPlcdnU4TK78wXrgDVrgrfcjrAz0jq2WfjG9_8y8oVpL_1ja3hvi_uhlArKO8A8SCJA-jU2YDHx0swQjqs4VVG76oxhyphenhyphenFkDEbyQ/s1600/IMG_0681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCH5uX5hmJETCawdn8C0vruycPMeEu9wIvfrPlcdnU4TK78wXrgDVrgrfcjrAz0jq2WfjG9_8y8oVpL_1ja3hvi_uhlArKO8A8SCJA-jU2YDHx0swQjqs4VVG76oxhyphenhyphenFkDEbyQ/s400/IMG_0681.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awaiting entrance into Tikal National Park</td></tr>
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</div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-12605438560637790032012-05-14T02:59:00.002+02:002012-05-14T02:59:54.826+02:00Semuc Champey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yesterday we journeyed from Lanquin to Flores, a 7-hour bus
ride in sweltering heat and humidity. Before we start telling you about Flores,
let’s take a step back and explain the awesome couple of days that we
experienced between Antigua and Flores.</div>
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After spending a relaxing long weekend in Antigua, David and
I “chickenbus-ed” to Guatemala City to drop our two bigger pieces of luggage
off at a hotel for two weeks of storage. We then took a bus from the capital
city to Coban, in hopes of journeying onward to Lanquin with the goal of
reaching Semuc Champey the following day. Our bus ride to Coban took longer
than expected and once we arrived in Coban (4-5 hours by bus), there were no
more buses to take us the additional 2-3 hours to Lanquin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though at first we were a little bummed
by the slight change in plans, we quickly decided to make the most of our time
in Coban. We found a simple guesthouse on the same street as a gym! Gyms are
few and far between in Guatemala. We paid less than $5 USD to get a great
workout for both of us (and boy, were we sweaty in the intense heat with no air
conditioning!) and then enjoyed a wonderful dinner by candlelight!</div>
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The next morning we woke up at 6am to head over to Lanquin.
Good thing we did – because as soon as we arrived at our hotel at about 9am –
there was a guided tour to Semuc Champey getting ready to depart! We dropped
our bags in our room, threw on our bathing suits, and joined the departing
group. We didn’t even know all the fun that we had in store for us… we jumped
in the back of a pickup and rode 11km down a dirt, pothole-ridden road weaving
through the gorgeous green hills. After arriving at our riverside destination,
the day started with a giant rope swing into the river. Imagine a giant swing
under a grand old oak tree… now transplant the swing to riverside, climb up to
a platform to reach the swing high on one side of the pendulum motion, and fly
down and out and up over the river below…. Splash – you’re in! Everybody in the
group was pretty chicken to go, including Krista, but David jumped up and was
the first to go.</div>
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After the swing, the guide handed out candles and we headed
to the caves formed by an underground river. Though we don’t have any pictures
to show for this unique experience, it was unlike anything we’ve ever done
before. The caves go for 11km one way; pitch black if it weren’t for headlamps
or candles. We only ventured in about ½ a kilometer one way, but we were in the
caves for about 90 minutes… sloshing through ankle deep water, then swimming
while holding our candles or headlamps above the water. David jumped off a
14-foot rock formation within the caves and we both jumped down a small
waterfall carving out a narrow crevice just large enough for one person to fit
through at a time. </div>
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We were happy to emerge from the dark, and enjoyed the rest
of the day tubing own the river, climbing up to a lookout point hundreds of
feet above the river ("El Mirador"), and swimming in the naturally formed cascading turquoise
pools of water known as Semuc Champey. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiOEd0PyR8ds2dXJ3nBkjdbj30OYPjx5i9TpeH0RHPPoqcKvcQ2_tIWlkWpmFERGuNi_lR4zLopSDYNLijg4-kAF6RXjqjZ7Ndz0yuvarphR3fMWyP1u8dTOs4PU2wmqkwfkn/s1600/IMG_0544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiOEd0PyR8ds2dXJ3nBkjdbj30OYPjx5i9TpeH0RHPPoqcKvcQ2_tIWlkWpmFERGuNi_lR4zLopSDYNLijg4-kAF6RXjqjZ7Ndz0yuvarphR3fMWyP1u8dTOs4PU2wmqkwfkn/s400/IMG_0544.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Semuc Champey from "El Mirador"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic88iINrnv2htNmRJGuIGP7SceWeb-FZkRJ_GBKa0t6UjeJZEUGAJUu6jGtE3Fp62mWaO8YxutuCb9CKyHCt3GGJ3JeWbeGTO96cgoPBTh24bySGMxSJAJS4C4C9FTif423RLy/s1600/IMG_0553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic88iINrnv2htNmRJGuIGP7SceWeb-FZkRJ_GBKa0t6UjeJZEUGAJUu6jGtE3Fp62mWaO8YxutuCb9CKyHCt3GGJ3JeWbeGTO96cgoPBTh24bySGMxSJAJS4C4C9FTif423RLy/s400/IMG_0553.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our guide hopped into a tree to take this picture</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizo-AYVaeHVIqyTzJAsaTxU1jSwhVZdBQjwk2KExcPtzFiPaTN6WD5KRdXIIiGQztcrS8neei8SMALubc7Qt9MPGW5PWKAhzkD5CV1TwhHIkoGf8ZHhrASLZd2Mcbss2XrceY/s1600/IMG_0590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizo-AYVaeHVIqyTzJAsaTxU1jSwhVZdBQjwk2KExcPtzFiPaTN6WD5KRdXIIiGQztcrS8neei8SMALubc7Qt9MPGW5PWKAhzkD5CV1TwhHIkoGf8ZHhrASLZd2Mcbss2XrceY/s400/IMG_0590.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swimming in the pools</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehRMmDsivULkBdxMACiAmInmTHXHaW_3CHw1caOCMcTtvsfE3TIVqYwdwhNrpGMoX3J3-A-eDjwPCTdvAzsr6Ilmd0aWDI7g8pKvQd6Ku7Lo2k-67RkDCqX1CoEzN_fnFHbFz/s1600/IMG_0628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehRMmDsivULkBdxMACiAmInmTHXHaW_3CHw1caOCMcTtvsfE3TIVqYwdwhNrpGMoX3J3-A-eDjwPCTdvAzsr6Ilmd0aWDI7g8pKvQd6Ku7Lo2k-67RkDCqX1CoEzN_fnFHbFz/s400/IMG_0628.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Cabana at El Retiro Hotel</td></tr>
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</div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-81584801180120939312012-05-11T17:05:00.000+02:002012-05-11T17:05:25.044+02:00Antigua 5/9/12<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Antigua, Guatemala is city that does not fit in Guatemala.
It’s the outlier. It’s the city that belongs more in Europe with its
cobblestone streets and impressive Parque Central. The capital of Guatemala
from 1543-1774, Antigua has lots of history. And to go along with its history,
it has old buildings, many of which have been lying in ruins for decades, but
are being preserved. Krista and I went to one such ruins, an old school in
fact, and after exploring the site, we sat on a bench in the shade for hours
reading in the quiet tranquility. </div>
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Our “posada” (guest house) was called “La Casa Amarilla”
(Yellow House) which was appropriately named. We stayed in a unusually large
room. Large by Guatemalan standards means that my whole body fits in the bed
and there is extra space to put my bag. Our room was great, with a couple of
trees right outside our window. With the entire room being made of wood, it
felt like a real treehouse. Included at the posada was breakfast, an incredible
feast to start the day, including fresh fruit, oatmeal, pancakes, black beans,
eggs, cooked tomatoes, and tea.</div>
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The rest of Antigua was great. Very relaxing, with lots of
time to explore artisan markets and coffee shops. </div>
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The increased temperature
from Xela meant it was time to find the best ice cream in town, which usually
followed a couple hours after chocobanana time, which became a staple afternoon
snack for about $1.5 Queztales (a little more than twenty five cents $US).</div>
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Other highlights from our time in Antigua included waking up
before sunrise one morning and hiking up to a lookout spot overlooking the city
with the massive Volc<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">á</span>n Agua (3766m) rising on the other side of the city. </div>
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Watching
the sun hit the Volcano first, then the city afterwards, was indescribable. Two
other volcanoes, Fuego (3763m) and Acatenango (2976m), are a little more
distant to the Southwest and are tougher to see. </div>
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After three nights in Antigua, we are heading to Semuc
Champay (a 7 or 8 hour bus ride awaits).</div>
</div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-39709110060772622352012-04-30T21:20:00.000+02:002012-04-30T21:20:26.827+02:00Volcán Santa Maria<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Krista and I hiked to the top of our third Guatemalan
volcano yesterday. Though not as high in elevation as Volcán
Tajulmulco, Volcán Santa Maria was a much more strenuous hike. The perfectly
conical volcano dominates the southern horizon from Quetzaltenango, the city
where we have been living for the last three weeks. The incline is much more
drastic than the other volcanoes, and it reaches over 12,500 feet. On a typical
day, the top has a clear view until about 10am or 10:30am and then the clouds
obscure views, but yesterday happened to be the clearest day in over a month,
so we had excellent views in every direction. 50 km northwest, we could see
Volcán
Tajulmuco, which we had climbed last weekend. About 80 km to the southeast, we
could see a cluster of volcanoes surrounding Lake Atitlan and Antigua. One of
these volcanoes was San Pedro, the first volcano we hiked in Guatemala. To the
south and to the east, low clouds crept in from the Pacific Ocean, and 7 km to
the north, we looked down to the city of Quetzaltenango. </div>
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However, the most dramatic view was peering straight down to
the southwest. A few thousand feet below the peak of Volcán
Santa Maria sits Volcán Santiagito, one of the ten most active volcanoes in the
world. Approximately every 30 or
40 minutes, Santiagito erupts, releasing a big cloud of gases that forms into
something that looks like a giant gray broccoli. The sound of a volcanic
eruption is scary enough, but the cloud of smoke is unlike anything I’ve seen
before. You can see the cloud of smoke here. </div>
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We ate lunch at the summit of Santa Maria and saw two
eruptions out of Santiagito. For five or ten minutes after each eruption,
Santiagito continues to grumble as it releases more vapors and gases. I am so
thankful that we had such a clear day to witness one of the more unique things
I will ever see. I am even more thankful that I got to enjoy this with the love
of my life. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirb3fIErRl1gf8Uj136aXw7YOV0zv3i4GDlgn4z8_anKg30LvozGbHahhVSRI3j0CFfiFJyYCRjkNUnwXNp4WaJ31Sp4KrTGLwJoPhWYhDP1UhN_58jjOCDU4E-Frm_Y6HscXG/s1600/IMG_0238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirb3fIErRl1gf8Uj136aXw7YOV0zv3i4GDlgn4z8_anKg30LvozGbHahhVSRI3j0CFfiFJyYCRjkNUnwXNp4WaJ31Sp4KrTGLwJoPhWYhDP1UhN_58jjOCDU4E-Frm_Y6HscXG/s400/IMG_0238.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-74139534724530938712012-04-29T00:10:00.003+02:002012-04-29T00:10:51.400+02:00Making Chocolate from Scratch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Our afternoon activity yesterday was learning how to make
chocolate. No other students joined us, so we had a private lesson. Cindy, our Guatemalan
activity-coordinator at the school, makes and sells 300 pounds of chocolate a
week!! We made one pound of chocolate – and that was tough work! </div>
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Here’s how we did it:</div>
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1. Buy 1 lb of cacao beans (Cindy bought them at the market,
~$3 USD/lb).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Xh2d-6Xg3AwG27t4CzUYW9S0A1De09IF7FCFR6IXqEPt0pqKYBlGoiYDis1uptZMXHgo4H-t7SnCsf3ZcgrOGO1W017DR3_wrdHXH6XRM4Sra4BunH6Vf-Hoex3sdVvf7SAX/s1600/IMG_0128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Xh2d-6Xg3AwG27t4CzUYW9S0A1De09IF7FCFR6IXqEPt0pqKYBlGoiYDis1uptZMXHgo4H-t7SnCsf3ZcgrOGO1W017DR3_wrdHXH6XRM4Sra4BunH6Vf-Hoex3sdVvf7SAX/s400/IMG_0128.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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2. Separate the big beans from the small ones. </div>
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3. Toast the beans until dark brown, keeping the big ones
separate because they take longer to toast.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPeKd5XxHL6jJdGfMnphDxSMpu61yga4PsdOxdbaNOg00JcEdZ9Pp4HG458-DnJKhVS-g9VIeypOgSo8fyQDvl4TIVQGUqpRTFmSK35Haeh_-VdLFBsuSPGkpZ7XFHGDMbs09/s1600/IMG_0133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPeKd5XxHL6jJdGfMnphDxSMpu61yga4PsdOxdbaNOg00JcEdZ9Pp4HG458-DnJKhVS-g9VIeypOgSo8fyQDvl4TIVQGUqpRTFmSK35Haeh_-VdLFBsuSPGkpZ7XFHGDMbs09/s400/IMG_0133.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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4. Separate the shell of the bean from the cacao nibs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcI3l1rwhuMGacA6PB05owidH-diOJbWllKMnLZFHeU5ilZglW6TTO-LzmnJfIGFRPdbkm3Nhtz9QbC-MJ84HKihgfA1i64C4SAMEFBL7opedeKcDReeJcUmD0iWa79KPUkV1d/s1600/IMG_0136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcI3l1rwhuMGacA6PB05owidH-diOJbWllKMnLZFHeU5ilZglW6TTO-LzmnJfIGFRPdbkm3Nhtz9QbC-MJ84HKihgfA1i64C4SAMEFBL7opedeKcDReeJcUmD0iWa79KPUkV1d/s400/IMG_0136.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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5. “Moler” the beans: pass through a grinder x 3 times.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5wKCq-6tfpwlRlW6CyIL1US85OOZ88G1kMS6nWTpi4Tm7OhwcRIQjUIWAQf3yJNCcbNf8LK1gTW9G1UNhkmTZJaVoYr4VHzsNqyOQle-kpN0UuXp_Q2avH95TCGcat0vX_ps/s1600/IMG_0140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5wKCq-6tfpwlRlW6CyIL1US85OOZ88G1kMS6nWTpi4Tm7OhwcRIQjUIWAQf3yJNCcbNf8LK1gTW9G1UNhkmTZJaVoYr4VHzsNqyOQle-kpN0UuXp_Q2avH95TCGcat0vX_ps/s400/IMG_0140.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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6. Thoroughly mix 1 lb of sugar for every 1 lb of beans.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTdkgSI-mqf3f9QB-K-c6WfdK2Eo_KhINhBghZsvqYpuuhSB4SRpAa4mJh4vmr2vejt-1NA0NYAHfEeL0rv_JSJ0kjE81IgoWj-Et0Kzcjd80dWnFJwXClfSz15_qmIxnTjvr/s1600/IMG_0151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTdkgSI-mqf3f9QB-K-c6WfdK2Eo_KhINhBghZsvqYpuuhSB4SRpAa4mJh4vmr2vejt-1NA0NYAHfEeL0rv_JSJ0kjE81IgoWj-Et0Kzcjd80dWnFJwXClfSz15_qmIxnTjvr/s400/IMG_0151.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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7. Pass mixture through grinder again.</div>
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8. Enjoy with milk (hot or cold) or just eat it “straight-up.”</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsKlpiqiIptmQJvr7kOTVJSE_tNfHm5VBeX-Uq8qNIp6OmI1-c6Lr5gPu2S1OckIiY20775RsqZZ83dtaiwQ-uYCWgFZZILdhrr0UzWdc5dxXFFMznKv59Oly4sV0yZ55IRD4/s1600/IMG_0158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsKlpiqiIptmQJvr7kOTVJSE_tNfHm5VBeX-Uq8qNIp6OmI1-c6Lr5gPu2S1OckIiY20775RsqZZ83dtaiwQ-uYCWgFZZILdhrr0UzWdc5dxXFFMznKv59Oly4sV0yZ55IRD4/s400/IMG_0158.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chocolate con leche: frio y caliente</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2SnyJwChtv96CyMxKUlxuwm3rvVhIXjXS1Rw598pli4dNHsoAqAEFxXEGOHOE3wple3gA6gFR_ogbXDKI2fLBUf9fwkJyhXYN2EfV5JF1XGdwWPJJz813voTMaPlKjL-GE7S/s1600/IMG_0166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2SnyJwChtv96CyMxKUlxuwm3rvVhIXjXS1Rw598pli4dNHsoAqAEFxXEGOHOE3wple3gA6gFR_ogbXDKI2fLBUf9fwkJyhXYN2EfV5JF1XGdwWPJJz813voTMaPlKjL-GE7S/s400/IMG_0166.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The chocolate we made was very pure – only cocoa nibs and
sugar. We sampled it before adding the sugar: 100% cacao. It was very bitter
and acidic. With the sugar it was dark and delicious. </div>
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</div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-70152830700404320822012-04-24T16:07:00.001+02:002012-04-24T16:07:32.671+02:00Fuentes Georginas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Krista and I took an afternoon trip to Fuentes Georginas
yesterday. These hot springs were set in the most idyllic scenery: strangely
tropical for such a high elevation, but with cool mountain breezes, along with
a dramatic wall of vines and ferns cascading around a steep but gentle
waterfall. The three man-made pools differed in temperature, where the first
was fed by piping hot natural sulfur water. The second pool was a combination
of an overflow of the first pool along with a less steady stream of colder
water. The third was an overflow of the second. Neither Krista nor I were able
to put anything more than our toes into the first pool, but the second pool was
perfect for soaking, and we spent nearly an hour taking in the scenery and
speaking Spanish with our two travel companions: Eduardo, the brother of the
woman who runs our school, and Janet, a student at our school from Germany. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmA89Gut_mXqzcnhdY5EbYamL0gZzvMG3QOvDBv4l9bTSDf3Yq7RrNLkgKXR0yNK0GcWpKVGZZNH1wMXdGNoKFNDfwv3wQ0t7YXPIoTPXVHTSTKhAR1PV7J-2cEBEFbu4eC4E5/s1600/IMG_0113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmA89Gut_mXqzcnhdY5EbYamL0gZzvMG3QOvDBv4l9bTSDf3Yq7RrNLkgKXR0yNK0GcWpKVGZZNH1wMXdGNoKFNDfwv3wQ0t7YXPIoTPXVHTSTKhAR1PV7J-2cEBEFbu4eC4E5/s400/IMG_0113.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The trip to Fuentes Georginas included taking an hour-long chicken
bus to the neighboring town of Zunil, where we needed to find a driver for the
30-minute drive up the volcano to the hot springs. Most people find a pick-up
truck to jump in, and ask the driver to wait for an hour or an hour and a half
until you are ready to head back down the hill. Eduardo found a friend with a
car to drive us, which ended up being much appreciated as the drive down the
hill in the back of a pick-up truck would have been quite chilly while being so
wet. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHgEKRzKAJMltMCYNUf4vz9KYPr-8-PrsswiVbH4eS91Mmpqj86-rGzVmHaSqSTXjs0cLotibj_LF3K7xMeYCuoUODxkQmdeNrLMY3mtzBZevP0xWUGdpnYYl1p-HzbK9brDk/s1600/IMG_0119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHgEKRzKAJMltMCYNUf4vz9KYPr-8-PrsswiVbH4eS91Mmpqj86-rGzVmHaSqSTXjs0cLotibj_LF3K7xMeYCuoUODxkQmdeNrLMY3mtzBZevP0xWUGdpnYYl1p-HzbK9brDk/s400/IMG_0119.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The entire experience was extremely refreshing, especially
as it came one day after our hike to the highest peak in Central America. Our
bodies needed to relax, and there was no better place than in the hot springs
at Fuentes Georginas. </div>
</div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-30427476112586108922012-04-23T16:14:00.000+02:002012-04-23T16:14:39.749+02:00The highest point in Central America!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Volc<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">á</span>n Tajumulco, reaching to the height of 4220 meters (~13,900 feet), is the highest point in Central America. We climbed it this past weekend! David has climbed several mountains this high or higher in the U.S., but this was the highest mountain for Krista and the highest that we’ve climbed together! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlqJ4GJ0GGd3q96mQ0xYkL3iT-d0XWK-_KPRlpy4CgwRwNQ1pbtDxUSb5GiDHUjKlbM-OGtXP3xmGI77W4WcIqalnIkkzCb6mLh_36QflmJmWJI6ELFYWfMQMfysPSN0Cmj69/s1600/IMG_9963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlqJ4GJ0GGd3q96mQ0xYkL3iT-d0XWK-_KPRlpy4CgwRwNQ1pbtDxUSb5GiDHUjKlbM-OGtXP3xmGI77W4WcIqalnIkkzCb6mLh_36QflmJmWJI6ELFYWfMQMfysPSN0Cmj69/s400/IMG_9963.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We left Xela early Saturday morning with the adventure company Quetzaltrekkers. After traveling for a few hours on a couple of different chicken buses, we arrived in Tuhichan to begin our hike. Our group consisted of 14 people: 11 participants and 3 guides. The majority of the group was American, though Spain, Australia, Canada, and Germany were also represented. An unusually high number of the group were (or are) guides of some sort. We had a spelunking guide from Canada, a NOLS sailing and backpacking instructor working in the Caribbean and Wyoming, an Australian hiking guide, and of course David was a rafting guide. We journeyed through farmland, open meadows, and sparsely wooded forests. Some dark clouds threatened from the sky, but we were blessed with the occasional glimpse of sun and it never actually rained (or snowed!). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUM-ETfrMZphDAu6KZHfsAQLGm0X8wruH_qK05k_W0YxpeL075yC7Ih5pib8Ud_9WuJV-l5eWJeGfEOPR3O3davfjxky2Jt_iGCTL1uc1klXgOSUFiK38AftI0skrZAIz4BS55/s1600/IMG_0100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUM-ETfrMZphDAu6KZHfsAQLGm0X8wruH_qK05k_W0YxpeL075yC7Ih5pib8Ud_9WuJV-l5eWJeGfEOPR3O3davfjxky2Jt_iGCTL1uc1klXgOSUFiK38AftI0skrZAIz4BS55/s400/IMG_0100.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the afternoon after hiking for a few hours, we set up camp at the saddle between two peaks of the volcano. The area was sheltered from the wind with a number of pine trees and the campsite even had three toilets. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOV6rxXQpNC7VgjbTUEz5tVy965_P-IN8ZQwgJaS-4oIumv56WLFWMJ_FtXDohUBa8FCRie-OgJSsbNQdkY5vXRKxI5119MXr1abz4YUwJD_Mi-WNO-mEzAob_EqsgfoIbNbk/s1600/IMG_9976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOV6rxXQpNC7VgjbTUEz5tVy965_P-IN8ZQwgJaS-4oIumv56WLFWMJ_FtXDohUBa8FCRie-OgJSsbNQdkY5vXRKxI5119MXr1abz4YUwJD_Mi-WNO-mEzAob_EqsgfoIbNbk/s400/IMG_9976.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9KbnhHG4RGAVjmJZLBWQ4Ani8E1RZ6MKeHQsGcZqRe8LQa-ndTKuxFxIt4z99-LsOrtZUgkZMXlbyGwtlaiQ-x5suQoAMID2eDivXY3DPpn_4M7lF_sVje89amybOtGJ4yBm/s1600/IMG_0091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9KbnhHG4RGAVjmJZLBWQ4Ani8E1RZ6MKeHQsGcZqRe8LQa-ndTKuxFxIt4z99-LsOrtZUgkZMXlbyGwtlaiQ-x5suQoAMID2eDivXY3DPpn_4M7lF_sVje89amybOtGJ4yBm/s400/IMG_0091.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Later that evening, we hiked up to the smaller peak – Serra Concepcion – for sunset. The setting sun brilliantly illuminated the clouds in the sky. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ceQhaQSk0Sljq9dZJYYLaRdshL3pwxmY9EbY0rVt8WbnqZfAmf3q_9-ClFSy6UwxlRIPkjy_FVxBBtg5hxMTTe5dgHBARAM5xBbGxJsu0Shx02Bxk6qM5vD8qLXKyqUwrekh/s1600/IMG_9986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ceQhaQSk0Sljq9dZJYYLaRdshL3pwxmY9EbY0rVt8WbnqZfAmf3q_9-ClFSy6UwxlRIPkjy_FVxBBtg5hxMTTe5dgHBARAM5xBbGxJsu0Shx02Bxk6qM5vD8qLXKyqUwrekh/s400/IMG_9986.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The night was cold and we woke up to a covering of frost on the ground. It was around 5am when we began the ascent to the highest peak of Tajumulco. We viewed the sunrise from partway up the final climb. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At the top, we enjoyed views that (on a clear day) would extend as far as Mexico (north), the Pacific Ocean (west), and more volcanoes in Guatemala (to the east and south). An enchanting thick blanket of clouds filled the valleys below the volcano, making it barely possible to see to Mexico and impossible to see the ocean. The alternating pattern of clouds and smaller mountain peaks was beautiful. The crater of the volcano was also impressive. We hiked around the entire rim.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicArLe299Lvs8o5umThanwRDLjiAyOFrjVPe1sf90bYn4NmOrno9mL0mK81UuqmIRUXgfPPg0H60ibKVrwdLN7UppfqJba4KZjbXKYMqwpJ7x96jmp6ypOZiPgI-CF1vZQuJtz/s1600/IMG_0045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicArLe299Lvs8o5umThanwRDLjiAyOFrjVPe1sf90bYn4NmOrno9mL0mK81UuqmIRUXgfPPg0H60ibKVrwdLN7UppfqJba4KZjbXKYMqwpJ7x96jmp6ypOZiPgI-CF1vZQuJtz/s400/IMG_0045.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">After returning to our campsite from the sunrise ascent to the peak, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast of oatmeal, packed up camp, and headed back down the mountain. It was a gorgeous trek with wonderfully interesting people. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZk-a7okuI2dpFsRWEBf6SMi7BmJq68-jRYhwPsG9D-rvX0jsmMMDmjVtNJu36C2ikHFkCdJc4eiLsH0N79mGFFLdhBZsJF8UvygcK0onFu89EZNtkYPwRAPfyzAO0p4hs2lj/s1600/IMG_0078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZk-a7okuI2dpFsRWEBf6SMi7BmJq68-jRYhwPsG9D-rvX0jsmMMDmjVtNJu36C2ikHFkCdJc4eiLsH0N79mGFFLdhBZsJF8UvygcK0onFu89EZNtkYPwRAPfyzAO0p4hs2lj/s400/IMG_0078.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Of note, the organization we chose to hike with - Quetzaltrekkers - is a neat group formed several years ago with all volunteer guides and from which all profit from the treks (they lead several in the area) are used to support a couple of nonprofits that rescue and support former “street kids” of Xela (<a href="http://www.quetzaltrekkers.com/">www.quetzaltrekkers.com</a>).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-90325053531361873062012-04-18T16:23:00.000+02:002012-04-18T16:23:54.245+02:00Afternoon Adventures<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">Each week our school schedules optional afternoon activities for its students. After a morning of class, we return to our house for lunch and then later meet up at school for that day’s activity. Last week we learned to make tortillas…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMEQuwIibwR8t006twV3afkA7fsHVX6YN5GlYk9oXUCnrX_fCVgVuPZEpfeiPvq_7caTz1Oj2nixVgUqUSV2Jlg3A6QxgYLDAuOdKDBnWkGgwq7FJVQgo2h9tcLLCee4pdpIY3/s1600/IMG_9598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMEQuwIibwR8t006twV3afkA7fsHVX6YN5GlYk9oXUCnrX_fCVgVuPZEpfeiPvq_7caTz1Oj2nixVgUqUSV2Jlg3A6QxgYLDAuOdKDBnWkGgwq7FJVQgo2h9tcLLCee4pdpIY3/s400/IMG_9598.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cindy, teaching us how to make tortillas</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Gbg-o7b8ZDjzvJZDedZHBDCgjB2CmXI56HuZdsLQmkcEEaIVY_0ZEG5X-Zyru6pFPCKfaYmke6D-276Ob_ukQl0wZ_qYvCoghOMlQE0iO025_ArHh3garyCFBV7I1DqPM4z5/s1600/IMG_9606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Gbg-o7b8ZDjzvJZDedZHBDCgjB2CmXI56HuZdsLQmkcEEaIVY_0ZEG5X-Zyru6pFPCKfaYmke6D-276Ob_ukQl0wZ_qYvCoghOMlQE0iO025_ArHh3garyCFBV7I1DqPM4z5/s400/IMG_9606.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David, enjoying a homemade tortilla with beans and fresh cheese</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"> And we went to Salcaja… where we visited one of the oldest churches in Central America (built in 1524) and tried two local liquors: Caldo de frutas (made from many fermented fruits) and Rompopo (made with rum, egg yolks, sugar, and spices)…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbDM8KM1yoU2OTJkup18a8Wnj_ur7ReCw3at-iDu_2fRYJCygb3UcMgi8woDnk-yPYuoPeHRvz8YfGmwqmWn8gsoji_9BSs1oQJzQ5UEN_rNDQ7s5YjGVCw3GBw0WyR2CWZYl/s1600/IMG_9581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbDM8KM1yoU2OTJkup18a8Wnj_ur7ReCw3at-iDu_2fRYJCygb3UcMgi8woDnk-yPYuoPeHRvz8YfGmwqmWn8gsoji_9BSs1oQJzQ5UEN_rNDQ7s5YjGVCw3GBw0WyR2CWZYl/s400/IMG_9581.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And we went salsa dancing (unfortunately we have no pictures, though it was lots of fun!).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This week we went to a multicultural event that was hosted by a local university and held in a nearby exhibition hall. We learned about the 23 Mayan cultures, languages, traditions, and foods.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyluLhTZwNrJZtDWRX2T7NasA5YTP_xpSOc0DYju2kX0h3e5oJLcmltQX_cgZq7S6J08Yx1i2SYZlOapdjykOPEr1_iuykgnuKOg7iwOLwpFQBFRb8uN45Qr9ZynBnu2MPR312/s1600/IMG_9826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyluLhTZwNrJZtDWRX2T7NasA5YTP_xpSOc0DYju2kX0h3e5oJLcmltQX_cgZq7S6J08Yx1i2SYZlOapdjykOPEr1_iuykgnuKOg7iwOLwpFQBFRb8uN45Qr9ZynBnu2MPR312/s400/IMG_9826.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Yesterday we visited San Andres Xecul. The main attraction of the town is their brightly colored Catholic church. It’s painted red, yellow, and blue and has neon lights on the inside. The town is built into a hill, which we climbed up to see a smaller church (also brightly colored). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgie6p-ltGKVZGq1kJNeyWUBrNWjlyDbfX7Nrcphua2KoGw5xgyUegpJWql6flUmlvZy4eJ9VEc25v5vjyiwP_QTPFf2Drsb-5nbMC9oR_DocG-3sv-DRxp1KhC02jTVdaYwAUu/s1600/IMG_9828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgie6p-ltGKVZGq1kJNeyWUBrNWjlyDbfX7Nrcphua2KoGw5xgyUegpJWql6flUmlvZy4eJ9VEc25v5vjyiwP_QTPFf2Drsb-5nbMC9oR_DocG-3sv-DRxp1KhC02jTVdaYwAUu/s400/IMG_9828.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0sthldstaXBvjnavqLAVQMcAkGWq1VX-sppFPgXVst1AWD5B6jwQZglZm5BeF8YCgwALlvNijqV6s09zkADnjWVws19OIo3kkZgpN6COvpUzM4DVaoyoNodxlvzbHhb1Ycr9/s1600/IMG_9842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0sthldstaXBvjnavqLAVQMcAkGWq1VX-sppFPgXVst1AWD5B6jwQZglZm5BeF8YCgwALlvNijqV6s09zkADnjWVws19OIo3kkZgpN6COvpUzM4DVaoyoNodxlvzbHhb1Ycr9/s400/IMG_9842.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-33236492472008399992012-04-16T16:23:00.000+02:002012-04-16T16:23:07.428+02:00El fin de semana<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">During the first week of classes at an evening activity hosted by our school, we met a bunch of students who are participating in a 6-month stint in Guatemala. Their time here includes studying Spanish, volunteering in clinics and at health education centers, and traveling around Guatemala and other parts of Central America. They are a “pre-health group” of 14 students consisting of 13 females and 1 male, all of whom are planning on applying to medical school or starting medical school this coming fall. There is even one girl here who is going to be a first-year student at Stanford’s med school in the fall!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, while we were eating dinner with this group of students at our school last week, a couple of them mentioned that they would be going to Lago de Atitlan for the weekend. They offered for us to come along. We were excited for the chance to visit somewhere we were hoping to go, as well as learn from some English-speaking friends about some of the intricacies of traveling within Guatemala.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Lake Atitlan, or Lago de Atitlan, is the largest body of water in Guatemala. The lake is 8km across from north to south and 18km from east to west; on average, it is 300m deep. According to our Lonely Planet guidebook, this huge lake is actually the crater of a very ancient volcano. The crater was formed 85,000 years ago through a massive eruption called Los Chocoyos. Ash from the eruption blew as far as what is now Florida and Panama! Thousands of years later, smaller volcanoes were formed. Volcan San Pedro, reaching 3020m above sea level, was the first to form, then came Volcan Atitlan and Volcan Toliman.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On midday Friday, Alex (a student living with us in our house and currently volunteering at one of the local medical clinics) met us at school to bring us along with him to catch a bus for the lake. “Minerva” – the bus station – is a long walk away or a short ride in a “mini-bus” from school. After opting for the mini-bus option, we shared a makeshift seat in something like a 15-passenger van that had been converted to transport closer to 20-passengers. After the short ride in the van, we dodged through hundreds of people and markets stalls, to reach the row of “chicken buses.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What’s a “chicken bus”? Chicken buses (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">camionetas</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">parrillas</i> to Guatemalans) are the most common form of transportation from city to city here. These buses are former American school buses that have been given another life, often with new colors and altered interiors. Once a school bus in the U.S. is ten years old or has reached 150,000 miles, it is auctioned off. They make unpredictable and frequent stops based on wherever the passengers are going along their stated routes. Our bus was “direct” to San Pedro, requiring no transfers to other buses, but certainly stopping many times along the way. It was painted green and white, had luggage racks hanging from both sides of the ceiling in the bus and along the entire top outside of the bus. The radio blared a mix of soft rock and fiesta-like Spanish songs. We were on our way!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinI-NxsMpQ0oJEbB-HdpFUmwgBwpFMnqlrWQ2BJ1Fo5n6ySmpnij5hmT9ID_4N3sBHm_m2J3FRZ1xtzp3t7gJg3ExUoxkaJN7FiQn5W-mvU0s8F59VSFOpDCL9scnAyFy9UB2o/s1600/IMG_9797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinI-NxsMpQ0oJEbB-HdpFUmwgBwpFMnqlrWQ2BJ1Fo5n6ySmpnij5hmT9ID_4N3sBHm_m2J3FRZ1xtzp3t7gJg3ExUoxkaJN7FiQn5W-mvU0s8F59VSFOpDCL9scnAyFy9UB2o/s400/IMG_9797.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">After a 4-hour ride climbing hills, traversing gigantic speed bumps, winding around mountains, and dodging potholes, we eventually made the bumpy descent to San Pedro. On the other side of the lake, Panajachel is the major tourist town, perhaps because it is easier to access from Guatemala City and Antigua. San Pedro is a smaller lakeside town with both visiting tourists and a vibrant traditional culture. In addition to speaking Spanish, people here commonly speak two Mayan languages: Tz’utujil and Kaqchiquel. There are over 20 Mayan languages spoken in Guatemala, but most of the people who speak these languages also speak Spanish.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-gNKAuW5XunHbYSdqCFzPnz5yTBhAuokeIq-f2fwOuOtV32HnbjubETCW6g54VoRarBNbI0eR-5DrxplHQ5IzHyMYusczYp_xLdv56Gf85hJIX8tyb4Zrcd5u_SHC_yvaiRt/s1600/IMG_9781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-gNKAuW5XunHbYSdqCFzPnz5yTBhAuokeIq-f2fwOuOtV32HnbjubETCW6g54VoRarBNbI0eR-5DrxplHQ5IzHyMYusczYp_xLdv56Gf85hJIX8tyb4Zrcd5u_SHC_yvaiRt/s400/IMG_9781.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel Tepepul Kaan, San Pedro</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">When we arrived in San Pedro, it was just starting to rain. Our friends, Alex and Cami, had been here before and wanted to swing by a fair-trade store to purchase some gifts. We followed them down a cobblestone street to the water, then up a little hill, and finally to the hotel they had stayed at last time. Hotel Tepepul Kaan is a cute three-story building with views of the lake, colored glass windows on the door of every room, and hammocks on the porch of each room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While settling into our rooms, the rain really started coming down. We ventured out to Zoola, an Israeli-inspired restaurant. We sat outside on mats on the floor and a low-set table, while the rain poured down on the tent-like roof. The spot was wonderfully relaxing and the food was delicious (David had lasagna and Krista had ktzitzot – meatballs in a special tomato sauce). </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6xfzMvhJpYJCeyl-JRMZvn-0bFKdnJ44wdDkdCX5JfqOIToAVve2AfgR5h3D3YbuZp-6LjHN1H8g9C6C4GYmPOvzr2VH8FWKwyEL_U4wTH_GeMggO9EfFPujPFLxNt0Jayr0/s1600/IMG_9640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6xfzMvhJpYJCeyl-JRMZvn-0bFKdnJ44wdDkdCX5JfqOIToAVve2AfgR5h3D3YbuZp-6LjHN1H8g9C6C4GYmPOvzr2VH8FWKwyEL_U4wTH_GeMggO9EfFPujPFLxNt0Jayr0/s400/IMG_9640.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoola</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">The rain let up a bit by the time we had finished dinner, so we wandered around town and found a travel agency that specializes in local adventures. We decided to hire a guide to take us up Volcan San Pedro the next morning.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadPNtRCBELpkMagyhBWcf_t6nXzgp1upJJp7ZvmMDzPAg0bMsxLqu20ILRZ5JcyjZjut6U4F1mAchu8HWeGRAMQX-T5HCKMjeGGzzRZJNOfVqaKxavWdVImaS33e3dGIVjxk-/s1600/IMG_9744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadPNtRCBELpkMagyhBWcf_t6nXzgp1upJJp7ZvmMDzPAg0bMsxLqu20ILRZ5JcyjZjut6U4F1mAchu8HWeGRAMQX-T5HCKMjeGGzzRZJNOfVqaKxavWdVImaS33e3dGIVjxk-/s400/IMG_9744.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuktuk</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtjTGcWQCiIdDDRixjVluUEaDhA0DQcSJZvCM_r3EGuXO-6F49pNtJmUkY3SjLiq953baBXp5o5Y7C9mOrAMGiedkU1Alub99nm1gdz8gHTaarldGdkbh7j4b0v9R-SDLg-6g/s1600/IMG_9735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtjTGcWQCiIdDDRixjVluUEaDhA0DQcSJZvCM_r3EGuXO-6F49pNtJmUkY3SjLiq953baBXp5o5Y7C9mOrAMGiedkU1Alub99nm1gdz8gHTaarldGdkbh7j4b0v9R-SDLg-6g/s400/IMG_9735.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Dominic, our guide, met us at our hotel at 6am. Together we took a tuktuk (3-wheeled mini-taxi) to the base of the volcano. The sun was rising and the early morning light was beautiful. We ascended the volcano via a well-maintained trail, weaving through coffee plants, small fields of corn, and jungle-like areas as well. On average, the trip to the top (3020m) takes 3.5 hours; we arrived in 2:20, just hiking along. The top was covered in clouds! Occasionally the sun broke through and we could glimpse another volcano or part of the lake in the distance, but most of the time we spent resting in the clouds. We did get to see the giant crater of the volcano. There were three distinct peaks in a triangle that formed a crater in the middle. Fortunately for us, this volcano is inactive, although there are still a handful of active volcanoes in Guatemala. It was crazy to think that thousands of years ago there were regular eruptions and hot lava flowing from Volcan San Pedro. The hike was our first time really exercising since we have been here and it felt so good to be drenched in sweat and feel our hearts pounding! Our guide also made our trip so satisfactory. We were able to practice lots of Spanish with him and shared with us about his family, his work, and his town (San Pedro). We could probably write an entire blog entry about our conversations with him.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmeZzmnq2t7LOEQ0vgbes9glhf4rBrB0oVCIDosW5niB_qJ8dRbMLB3nCjZblQpMzYy9SvDhR79yWShsSZNxIP-40CSYPAFtglIbpYb1f-LbM4aZoMk844xrh3wvAqGj1rda3/s1600/IMG_9723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmeZzmnq2t7LOEQ0vgbes9glhf4rBrB0oVCIDosW5niB_qJ8dRbMLB3nCjZblQpMzYy9SvDhR79yWShsSZNxIP-40CSYPAFtglIbpYb1f-LbM4aZoMk844xrh3wvAqGj1rda3/s400/IMG_9723.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After hiking, we spent the afternoon relaxing in the hammocks or on the rooftop of the hotel, eating yummy food, wandering around town, and trying to speak Spanish with whomever we met. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yJiEmgDcSOB9uYCRzYchpswlr60zrGeI7XrmlMYExWA2O8fJJtPkRcDhrfF4YdXsccKm0BZJuvWHVEpHmKXo4q-kIkAzmsEdrOuSbhpuOU9yw8dZV6LZuf74KibxlIl3vcC3/s1600/IMG_9739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yJiEmgDcSOB9uYCRzYchpswlr60zrGeI7XrmlMYExWA2O8fJJtPkRcDhrfF4YdXsccKm0BZJuvWHVEpHmKXo4q-kIkAzmsEdrOuSbhpuOU9yw8dZV6LZuf74KibxlIl3vcC3/s400/IMG_9739.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We happened upon a cute café that was filled with books and games to borrow. We played a couple games of backgammon while sitting lakeside on a beautifully sunny afternoon. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcUkJK0LPs7maU7c7rLRvi7g9LDyA40WhshDyE7KMjBtCWWOWrs5gHJqoPM62b7f0I_UcfE7s-wf1eKhimGN0WMXbsUm0lGKAhRHvbvt9EVG600m2ArSwXx0fzxOZsqwxxSJc/s1600/IMG_9767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcUkJK0LPs7maU7c7rLRvi7g9LDyA40WhshDyE7KMjBtCWWOWrs5gHJqoPM62b7f0I_UcfE7s-wf1eKhimGN0WMXbsUm0lGKAhRHvbvt9EVG600m2ArSwXx0fzxOZsqwxxSJc/s400/IMG_9767.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At night we went out with Alex and Cami for mojitos and nachos at Café Atitilan (with live music) and then dinner at a little French restaurant (with more live music across the street). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kKIWAaOik21pdrM4XRh9rcQLmwNmDVNp499h3VQB_emrq2Bk1RCVXNc4glOKPD7j_vxyP3iqHX4Htp3VodMR-aPeqllCKr4Nv-lzhmiMnmslh_LYldJyRYxQKyhclKtqOvXG/s1600/IMG_9747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kKIWAaOik21pdrM4XRh9rcQLmwNmDVNp499h3VQB_emrq2Bk1RCVXNc4glOKPD7j_vxyP3iqHX4Htp3VodMR-aPeqllCKr4Nv-lzhmiMnmslh_LYldJyRYxQKyhclKtqOvXG/s400/IMG_9747.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The next morning we jogged around town, went to breakfast, and meandered through their very large Sunday market and bought some bananas and freshly bakes bread for the bus ride. We enjoyed a couple of chocobananas and a chocomango before hopping on our bus back home. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhlMA4H4JQbVHuI2DJE5b7iapcM84dczu34v5-2dbDueBq7ASpSKrj7HL92muOqEEZdsWF_e6jEeO6osqL9MXNehY62wvm2D9-G11jOKzy_bECMLjfUocBFh6OEUJzzH3ezzI/s1600/IMG_9788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhlMA4H4JQbVHuI2DJE5b7iapcM84dczu34v5-2dbDueBq7ASpSKrj7HL92muOqEEZdsWF_e6jEeO6osqL9MXNehY62wvm2D9-G11jOKzy_bECMLjfUocBFh6OEUJzzH3ezzI/s400/IMG_9788.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-562399087690770482012-04-12T19:27:00.000+02:002012-04-12T19:27:37.237+02:00Bienvenidos a Guatemala<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2LkTQSb4l5ZwuZUYDawlA3yTvqKvjfIFP4lcm0dE0OwHJfKU4G3rjUVx7vcwSZUa9H6-K2PG3PjxPZqXgJuc3E46E45jkkZljAktV7oQd25EoUPPHa-msfJDeTGitSwyOGPI/s1600/IMG_9561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2LkTQSb4l5ZwuZUYDawlA3yTvqKvjfIFP4lcm0dE0OwHJfKU4G3rjUVx7vcwSZUa9H6-K2PG3PjxPZqXgJuc3E46E45jkkZljAktV7oQd25EoUPPHa-msfJDeTGitSwyOGPI/s400/IMG_9561.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the airport</td></tr>
</tbody></table> We arrived to Guatemala City via Miami on Monday morning. We were picked up by a taxi at the airport. Then we took a a 4-hour bus ride to Xela. We were greeted at the bus station by someone from our school who then brought us "home."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQCVRTqae2Jg-rUt9_42t8sFfgQMHp6txcMX_HKVjAEVzN6mjQNOOg34IcZYwldlM01umDwBhttaA2lgRjWbLCOx51KopVydzSRTS58LQES3S6cSOk9I52dCZStG0lgV-6YTO/s1600/IMG_9569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQCVRTqae2Jg-rUt9_42t8sFfgQMHp6txcMX_HKVjAEVzN6mjQNOOg34IcZYwldlM01umDwBhttaA2lgRjWbLCOx51KopVydzSRTS58LQES3S6cSOk9I52dCZStG0lgV-6YTO/s400/IMG_9569.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of our school</td></tr>
</tbody></table> We are living with a family that lives 5 minutes away from the school. There is a mom, dad, and three children. The parents make and sell bread. The children are 9, 20, and 23. Everyone is very nice. The food is delicious. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaEQGXSdV2wfea-ziNGZWuwGLavW-D_17RaRTdvTFr-rWr5d2R1l418eo8qjIQlNi6yv7OQU2cWM0rlP-CbwSwGEhhgOOqV6JmuAB88E1SxmXVnkRNmZWQcjfsNjQ513KdSlS/s1600/IMG_9596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaEQGXSdV2wfea-ziNGZWuwGLavW-D_17RaRTdvTFr-rWr5d2R1l418eo8qjIQlNi6yv7OQU2cWM0rlP-CbwSwGEhhgOOqV6JmuAB88E1SxmXVnkRNmZWQcjfsNjQ513KdSlS/s400/IMG_9596.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David studying Spanish in the garden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We are studying Spanish for five hours every morning from 8am until 1pm. We each have our own instructor. David learns from Carmen. Krista learns from Claudia. We have snack at 11am. Each day there is different food. We are learning lots of Spanish. Soon we may begin blogging in Spanish!<br />
<br />
These are simple sentences. This is how we think in Spanish.</div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-17466518782817419852012-03-02T18:26:00.000+01:002012-03-02T18:26:56.422+01:00Beyond Words<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGde1Bka6v7effYilBfc_ljfOiy3zDOt2vlSRfEL9k8Swi2_F8j2STn40IaM1Vml6iklqgFWtZ0UNhFYfvsdHsDwertWlq4hL3ll4a6djGQc504R2Q2GZL7ecYJHksfqYjCnK/s1600/IMG_8477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGde1Bka6v7effYilBfc_ljfOiy3zDOt2vlSRfEL9k8Swi2_F8j2STn40IaM1Vml6iklqgFWtZ0UNhFYfvsdHsDwertWlq4hL3ll4a6djGQc504R2Q2GZL7ecYJHksfqYjCnK/s400/IMG_8477.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Emily and I just returned from our trek. AMAZING! I thankfully started feeling better during our bus ride out to Pokhara last Saturday. Then our 5 days of trekking - with a day in Pokhara on each side of the trip - was like nothing I had done before. I only wish David could have been there with me. He was with me - though wish he could have seen it with his own eyes. I will blog in more detail soon... here's one pic for a starter :)</div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-60096003105129463842012-02-24T07:53:00.000+01:002012-02-24T07:53:53.367+01:00Home sick<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">“<strong>The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy</strong>.” (<a class="lbsBibleRef" data-reference="Psalm 103.8" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Psalm%20103.8">Psalm 103:8</a>)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Last night I went to bed feeling great. I was excited for my last day at the hospital and happily anticipating our </span>trip to Pokhara on Saturday for our week-long trek. Well, a few hours into sleep, things went from great to okay and from okay to bad. I seem to have come down with some bug - hopefully of the 24-hour variety - that kept me up all night and kept me from going into work this morning. Feeling sort of down and pretty crappy, I curled up in my bed (so thankful to have a bathroom just steps away) in hopes of feeling better. <br />
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I write this post not to seek sympathy, but to share the power of community and prayer. Libby offered to do anything at all, as soon as I broke the news that I'd not be joining her at the hospital today. In fact, she is doing a number of favors for me today. Miley - our house "didi" - busy washing laundry, cleaning dishes, keeping everything tidy - came into my room to check-on me... she had a sense without even have seen me that I was sick today. Not too long after her visit, Ross - another housemate - a man who has diligently been coming here for over 30 years to work on Bible translation, came to offer any help that he could be. Just now I wondered downstairs to find a DVD in our common room. There I met a Canadian couple, about to head out from the house here to do some Christian ministry work in a village outside the valley. They prayed for me.<br />
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I'm not feeling 100%, not by any means. But, my spirit feels much refreshed. As you go about your day and decide whether to reach out to another (or not), know that Jesus will work through you to heal in so many ways, in tiny ways and big ones, if only you call on Him. <br />
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I'm supposed to head over to Kathmandu later tonight to meet Emily and bring her back to my guesthouse so that we can prep for our journey that's scheduled for an early morning departure tomorrow. I know it is all in God's hands. Pray that His mighty will be done!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXsUTObFE7HoKIA5IilzuwhBSd65lGjnkn_K2P6JWVh2R0fQxjeYyZNK_bxIUbmGzN7uB_EPs_yi_gN4scQh7cGAj_m2-DpVd5cARysMHQL_Fdnd7xXPRmlS3_Jc4kST1E1np/s1600/IMG_6971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXsUTObFE7HoKIA5IilzuwhBSd65lGjnkn_K2P6JWVh2R0fQxjeYyZNK_bxIUbmGzN7uB_EPs_yi_gN4scQh7cGAj_m2-DpVd5cARysMHQL_Fdnd7xXPRmlS3_Jc4kST1E1np/s400/IMG_6971.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From our rooftop on laundry day: black socks, solar water heaters, and mountains in the distance.</td></tr>
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</div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-27850706457961872132012-02-23T12:54:00.002+01:002012-02-23T12:58:54.043+01:00Rhinos, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyULKe0F8jQAYsmwB0q2MP4OJE5gneTNEDW8KR67L9BJQ00XuhrtsmOBEPlrZP7O8OgYxNy6W1Tb_-DwAFA0e4JIFMry1d6ZzaxuUnqnQM_L1rGxKog6k8crxfNEwmIN3Rikk/s1600/IMG_7237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyULKe0F8jQAYsmwB0q2MP4OJE5gneTNEDW8KR67L9BJQ00XuhrtsmOBEPlrZP7O8OgYxNy6W1Tb_-DwAFA0e4JIFMry1d6ZzaxuUnqnQM_L1rGxKog6k8crxfNEwmIN3Rikk/s400/IMG_7237.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
On Friday I took a 6-hour bus ride to Chitwan to meet up with Emily. On Saturday we took a 1- hour bus ride with her Habitat for Humanity group into Chitwan National Park. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3i7JzZ5E2VijDPN3mUxzRMUSizOBeFrg3XE5VqlEciHprszAnboC9qPlDYEZSSDGamrf92O4-_j04LvIjHwrfrTfRyEcm87POP6SEbz-rXd2GYkfgw9teuitoMFCH9Hx7bxr/s1600/IMG_7248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3i7JzZ5E2VijDPN3mUxzRMUSizOBeFrg3XE5VqlEciHprszAnboC9qPlDYEZSSDGamrf92O4-_j04LvIjHwrfrTfRyEcm87POP6SEbz-rXd2GYkfgw9teuitoMFCH9Hx7bxr/s400/IMG_7248.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Our destination was the Island Jungle Resort. We arrived via dirt road and knew we were in the right place when we saw the sign above. However, there were no buildings around - all we could see was the jungle, river, and a couple of wooden canoes. Oh right, we're staying on an island! So we took the wooden canoes across the river, packed in with our backpacks and about 10 people per canoe. Ours gained a bit of water as we crossed, but we made it safely!<br />
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We were greeted with a cup of mango juice and our "schedule for the weekend." Our first activity was an elephant ride!! We had four people on our elephant - Emily, her Habitat roommate Sonia, our driver, and myself. It's hard to get a picture of yourself on an elephant, but here's a glimpse at us while riding the elephant; you can see another group of riders in the distance. <br />
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We journeyed through tall grasses, rivers, and jungle trees. Splashing, crunching, crushing whatever was in our way! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUiaKEhlpDNFzQbJDnGT7iF4QqjEKPhyphenhyphenDHQPC1hXmgrw7zYRKNsn20b-L7eY7ECAonJXF2zdEJ3984S49rnZCMftl-ZJDb5KokEmZNDHmKzZWi2VpBiiTCaF8jNrhMZuerKce/s1600/IMG_7327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUiaKEhlpDNFzQbJDnGT7iF4QqjEKPhyphenhyphenDHQPC1hXmgrw7zYRKNsn20b-L7eY7ECAonJXF2zdEJ3984S49rnZCMftl-ZJDb5KokEmZNDHmKzZWi2VpBiiTCaF8jNrhMZuerKce/s400/IMG_7327.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Here is a closeup of our little lady: <br />
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After returning from our exciting ride to our gorgeous riverside resort, it was time to eat lunch. After lunch we changed into our "bathing costumes" (shorts and t-shirts, since we didn't bring bathing suits) and headed down to the water...<br />
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So that we could wash (and ride!) the elephants. Here is Emily surfing on an elephant who is lazily lying on her side.<br />
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Later in the afternoon we went on a walk through the jungle looking for rhinos, tigers, and sloth bears, among many other animals. Here are scratch marks that a tiger has left on the trunk of a tree, in order to mark his territory. We saw fresh tiger poop, fresh claw marks in the sand, and the half-eaten carcass of a water buffalo - but we never actually saw a tiger up close. Fine by me.<br />
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Hard to see in the photo below, if you look close - on the sand across the way - is a crocodile bathing in the evening sun. <br />
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We returned at dusk via wooden canoe.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains</div><div style="text-align: center;">and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and</div><div style="text-align: center;">all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."</div><div style="text-align: center;">Isaiah 55:12 (NIV)</div><br />
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We enjoyed watching the "stick dance" performed by a group of teenagers. The dance was originally danced with the intent to ward off malaria. Later in the evening, Emily and I joined the dancing fun.<br />
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I woke at 6am the next morning for an early morning "bird watching walk." Though the weather was a bit too misty to see the birds, we definitely heard them. Best of all was when we saw a giant rhino rise from the water into the mist. He's hard to see below, but he is there! The scene was quite majestic.<br />
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We enjoyed breakfast, another hike, reading by the river, and lunch before heading back to Emily's hotel in a nearby town. Who ever though Em and I would end up in Nepal together?! God works in crazy ways.<br />
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</div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-62374445083899497332012-02-22T03:36:00.000+01:002012-02-22T03:36:58.712+01:00Momos in the Dark<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">A reflection from David regarding our first day in Nepal... <br />
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On our very first night in Nepal, Krista and I headed from the airport to the touristy district of Kathmandu called Thamel. The guesthouse we stayed in, Kathmandu Guest House, has been around for a long time, and many things in the area are measured by how far away they are from the Kathmandu Guesthouse. We got in at about noon so we had all afternoon to explore. Strangely, it was 10:15pm back in California and when you are in airports and airplanes for nearly 40 consecutive hours, you're body becomes confused. Am I tired, or am I just being irritable for no reason? Am I hungry or is that pain in my stomach from eating four airplane meals in a row?<br />
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We walked around town a little bit where every store front sells knock off North Face and Marmot clothing gear. The streets are teemed with honking motorcycles and tourist vans wiz by forcing pedestrians onto the sides of these roads that were clearly not designed for vehicles at all.<br />
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After settling in and finding some snacks, we fell asleep mid afternoon, waking up with a big appetite at about the right time for dinner. Now, we had never looked at a menu in Nepal before, nor did we know the standard rate for different types of food, so we explored. We went to six or seven restaurants and asked to look at their menus. What's a doso? How about a momo?<br />
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Krista probably could have went on looking at menus for 30 minutes, but after walking into several restaurants just to walk back out again, I was turning into a kid at a candy store. I didn't care what I ate, so long as I could eat something, and eat it soon. So we landed on a restaurant called the "Momo Star." it had a long, skinny dining space elevated three or four steps up from the entrance. The split level was then filled with the kitchen underneath the dining area. There were maybe 10 tables that could seat four people each. After staring at the menu trying to determine what type of food would come if I ordered this or that, we decided it was only fitting to order a plate of Momos, the namesake of the restaurant. After a few minutes, we were served milk tea (delicious!) and the Momos canes out shortly afterwards. Momos turned out to be a thin layer of steamed dough with some sort of filling. They are really quite tasty and usually come with some spicy sauces on the side.<br />
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By this time, the sun was long gone, but we felt confident finding our way back to the guesthouse. As we were munching on our Momos, a strange a unexpected (by me) thing happened: all the lights in the entire neighborhood shut off. My mind started racing: there's about to be a massive earthquake, people are going to get robbed, we didn't bring a flashlight with us, hold Krista tightly!<br />
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A few seconds later, a few lights turned back on, but not at the same brightness as before.<br />
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The majority of Nepal's power is generated with hydroelectricity. With H2O flowing from the highest point on earth to nearly sea level in about 100 miles, there is a lot of potential energy. But this time of year is dry season in Nepal, which means not much water flow and not much energy.<br />
<br />
<br />
Without their primary source of energy, the Kathmadu Valley is subject to "load-shedding" which means that everywhere household, store, restaurant, hospital, etc. only has 10 hours of electricity each day. We had a schedule posted at our guesthouse for each day of the week and when the power would be on or off. Each day was different, and we would generally have two five-hour chunks of time where we would have power. Sometimes it would be in the middle of the night, sometimes in the middle of the day. If we ever wanted to turn on a light, use the microwave, or try to have a semi-warm shower, we would have to wait for the electricity to come on.<br />
<br />
Our adventures had only just begun.</div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-78201340997308228562012-02-11T12:20:00.000+01:002012-02-11T12:20:33.370+01:00Through the years<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5swRCxK50WPjoacGM3KTxE7tdEeQJSWJL4WHgu-YC1LrXz5Zks7vYw3R-r246TPpkAYiFKytXuDnZoX5D7LQ9i_eg-y4oXXnfx3WSLk1o6Uz5rkfFmtjcFMu1rrTIOB28J0h5/s1600/IMG_7111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5swRCxK50WPjoacGM3KTxE7tdEeQJSWJL4WHgu-YC1LrXz5Zks7vYw3R-r246TPpkAYiFKytXuDnZoX5D7LQ9i_eg-y4oXXnfx3WSLk1o6Uz5rkfFmtjcFMu1rrTIOB28J0h5/s400/IMG_7111.jpg" width="300" /></a></div></div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-78855123664823613222012-02-11T04:32:00.011+01:002012-02-11T11:58:46.574+01:00Friday afternoon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOyrUQXyBrldsqf1fIniiADiYTF8DNJThYZD56Rt-XroYJS6AUoBQ1FFxpcvBoKZsqTuk6yi_qFN4OtaF7Ah6qpkzoeUrqdx0VWNhuBYguPRPJ2IisaDD-32fceuxrMEuHdRT/s1600/IMG_7031.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOyrUQXyBrldsqf1fIniiADiYTF8DNJThYZD56Rt-XroYJS6AUoBQ1FFxpcvBoKZsqTuk6yi_qFN4OtaF7Ah6qpkzoeUrqdx0VWNhuBYguPRPJ2IisaDD-32fceuxrMEuHdRT/s320/IMG_7031.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in; text-align: left;"><style>
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</style></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Traditionally,
Saturday morning has been my favorite time of the week. A chance to sleep in,
to wake up to chirping birds and the morning air, and to experience the delight of a new day.
However, Friday afternoons give Saturday mornings quite the competition for
being the best part of the week. And for David, Friday afternoons are his
favorite. So instead of seeing these two times as competing for the best part of the week, we embrace both and get to celebrate two “favorite times.” Guess that’s
all a longwinded way of saying… I was excited for it to be Friday afternoon because I know how much David loves Friday afternoons!</span>
<span style="font-family: Times;"> </span>
<span style="font-family: Times;"> </span>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times;">_______</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times;"> </span>
<span style="font-family: Times;">Today was Libby’s
parents last day in Nepal. They have a flight out late tonight. Her mom had
been wanting to get a custom-made kurta. So we brought them back to the place
where I had a couple kurtas made for me. </span><span style="font-family: Times;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times;"> </span>
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times;">[About ten days ago
we had accompanied Olga and friends to Neeva Fashion: Kurta Salwar, Sarees, and
Fancy Ladies Wear. We had gone in hopes of picking out fabric for a kurta
(tunic-topic), trousers, and matching scarf. It’s quite the process and can be
overwhelming at times, as the women who work there have all the material
organized in neat piles on shelves and as a customer remains unsure about this
color or that pattern, they will unfold and present more and more choices. By
the end of the process, we had probably seen over 100 unique color, pattern,
and material combinations! They come in every color imaginable, have varying
degrees of “bedazzlement” with sequins and sparkle, and may be made of cotton,
pashmina, silk, or probably some others. I couldn’t decide on only one, so I
splurged for two! They took many measurements of me with their cloth tape
measure. As recommended by Olga’s friends who have had many kurtas made over
the years, I asked for the tailors to measure “loosely” – as I was much taller
than the average Nepali and wanted to be sure to fit into my new clothes. We
paid on the spot and were instructed to return in about a week’s time for the
finished products.]</span>
<span style="font-family: Times;"> </span>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in; text-align: left;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUPNCZuRYdIvFrhTSHAj9hsUmZxjwLgnS_rY_hDrrQPbFtPM1QuG2u6lpTMvTNxSnRDx8ui5qhc5k9Vlnlt3ntrhyphenhyphenxJ5qjhriiOOsdIHvf_icOYJRNi83yJhSoAz0kw2J9AuM/s1600/IMG_6813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUPNCZuRYdIvFrhTSHAj9hsUmZxjwLgnS_rY_hDrrQPbFtPM1QuG2u6lpTMvTNxSnRDx8ui5qhc5k9Vlnlt3ntrhyphenhyphenxJ5qjhriiOOsdIHvf_icOYJRNi83yJhSoAz0kw2J9AuM/s400/IMG_6813.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times;">As you can imagine, I
was incredibly excited that Libby’s mom wanted to have her own kurta made, as I
had the chance to experience this rainbow of fabrics all over again. I also
thought my own kurtas might be ready for pick-up. They were! So as Libby’s mom
was choosing between materials, I was trying on my new kurtas. They are
wonderfully comfortable and elegant looking. We even found an already-tailored
beautiful tunic top that Libby liked and looked gorgeous wearing. </span> <span style="font-family: Times;"> </span>
<span style="font-family: Times;"> </span>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihV1bj1vXIPFHbwlQYL3uPD-WCEmV3OHMWFUcim9GZ-s3_lRcBSD0YTBFTus_Qk_3IjJw6_4efgi1dqrNwAk-rpb9J6SOdFN_C82Oin3lqt8vmoblzOXRTQqVfrJ6uuKKiiaER/s1600/IMG_7023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihV1bj1vXIPFHbwlQYL3uPD-WCEmV3OHMWFUcim9GZ-s3_lRcBSD0YTBFTus_Qk_3IjJw6_4efgi1dqrNwAk-rpb9J6SOdFN_C82Oin3lqt8vmoblzOXRTQqVfrJ6uuKKiiaER/s400/IMG_7023.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times;">After our kurta
extravaganza in Kupondole, Laltipur (Patan), we took a 15-minute taxi ride into
Thamel (Kathmandu) for dinner at an Israeli vegetarian restaurant suggested by
our guidebooks: OR2K (</span><a href="http://www.or2k.org/">http://www.or2k.org/</a>).
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in; text-align: left;">The menu was filled with delicious salads, soups, Mediterranean combos, and
more. We had a special treat because the vegetables were all pre-treated in
filtered water, so visitors such as ourselves could actually eat the salad! (a
very rare occasion here). In addition to the delicious food, the seating
arrangements were padded mats on the floor with low tables, the room was lit by
black lights making everything that was white or bright glow fluorescently, and
the walls were covered in colorful paintings. I would gladly return here for
another meal!
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9iSS-PJKCKRx3XzXyvkjpwijwDqGllMKdnzVmyeKiPzQAarcF7lKbRtUQOR6R25FxsFZsRSuBDglSfcWtrtd5yOufSdyYE6ywh0IvpT2BDZY5gYw75XEOPBfIxGpMsPSR3DL8/s1600/IMG_7015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9iSS-PJKCKRx3XzXyvkjpwijwDqGllMKdnzVmyeKiPzQAarcF7lKbRtUQOR6R25FxsFZsRSuBDglSfcWtrtd5yOufSdyYE6ywh0IvpT2BDZY5gYw75XEOPBfIxGpMsPSR3DL8/s400/IMG_7015.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07Q40Il_ZVsGWAeTGRVS73N22UZ3S-f_GFIYswmDnSdYsrdHEdMiYHoxaxElSL5Y1_qJ1_C-El4-6tfhv_HsPH0M_IZJF3tKhT0rhRfZpNctyE-9WJfmy1li9O7DTYgOBIxlH/s1600/IMG_7029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07Q40Il_ZVsGWAeTGRVS73N22UZ3S-f_GFIYswmDnSdYsrdHEdMiYHoxaxElSL5Y1_qJ1_C-El4-6tfhv_HsPH0M_IZJF3tKhT0rhRfZpNctyE-9WJfmy1li9O7DTYgOBIxlH/s400/IMG_7029.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in; text-align: left;">After dinner, Libby’s parents prepared to head
to the airport and Libby and I headed back home via a series of two taxi rides,
as the first driver seemed a bit confused about his whereabouts. All in all,
it was one superb Friday afternoon here and though I am missing David to share it
with, I’m happy to know he spent the exact same hours enjoying a morning golf outing!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></div></div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-39931882557641356322012-02-09T15:54:00.002+01:002012-02-11T02:31:36.970+01:00A mighty sky<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihONT4vkruuca3kQFEis5G3j-G3IytTjHi7tENBJ-tR4yYZh4qFteiTVwjOTA_Mf0U7m5ToYsdbLBNqUq5cNxKqCbMt1Mgdnt7FIPYl2xBc-P0BoQjc3Y-GkFI6HFqvxS21XOF/s1600/IMG_7000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihONT4vkruuca3kQFEis5G3j-G3IytTjHi7tENBJ-tR4yYZh4qFteiTVwjOTA_Mf0U7m5ToYsdbLBNqUq5cNxKqCbMt1Mgdnt7FIPYl2xBc-P0BoQjc3Y-GkFI6HFqvxS21XOF/s400/IMG_7000.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption">A striking scene of sun and clouds, as viewed from my rooftop this afternoon. How awesome is it that we have a God that creates such beauty and enables us to see it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-80911402528829853752012-02-08T10:06:00.000+01:002012-02-08T10:06:49.390+01:00The rain continues...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Let us acknowledge the LORD; </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">let us press on to acknowledge him.<br />
As surely as the sun rises, he will appear;<br />
he will come to us like the winter rains,<br />
like the spring rains that water the earth.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">-Hosea 6:3</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18hiIBnabZjhN6_2e9D_0c83qG8iipMsi0i5mRfpCJVCZxdKObDw8M-6Ff-VyaaB7us0fUOy-rjXMLweU6YayUST9PDOElEl482-RtFj9PDVAn5XdjvB0oR23on3Ui4-T4Yhu/s1600/IMG_6996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18hiIBnabZjhN6_2e9D_0c83qG8iipMsi0i5mRfpCJVCZxdKObDw8M-6Ff-VyaaB7us0fUOy-rjXMLweU6YayUST9PDOElEl482-RtFj9PDVAn5XdjvB0oR23on3Ui4-T4Yhu/s320/IMG_6996.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">It has been sunny everyday that I have been here. I don’t think it rains too often during winter here. So it is a special day when it does. The thunder and lightning continued all night long. Multiple times I woke to the boom and flash of light that I’ve grown to miss so much while living in California. Having the day off from the hospital, I planned to sleep in. When I woke around 7:30am, the rain had slowed to an occasional sprinkle and puddles could be seen everywhere. I’ve always loved running in the rain and though I’ve been working to get over a head cold, I thought what better way to commune with God in the moment than go for a jog. I’m sure I elicited some strange looks directed my way, but I was excited to be hopping over puddles and finding sure places to put my feet. The air was a welcome relief from most days because even though there was still much exhaust from the vehicles, the normally constant layer of dust had been beaten down by thousands of raindrops. I ran on narrow dirt roads and wide paved roads, dodging taxis, buses, bicycles, and children waiting for school buses. Not too long after returning home, did the steady rain start again – resounding with an occasional boom of thunder. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Today I have no plans. I love days like that. They do not happen frequently enough. Correction – I had one plan - to talk with David! We skyped after returning from my jog and the strangest thing happened: our video call that was initially working just fine decided to make me mute. I could see and hear David and he could see me, but he could not hear me. Definitely was interesting to have a conversation where head movements and facial expressions became the only way I could communicate.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With the rain coming down hard, I’m happy to stay curled up inside. Better yet, Miley our “house mom” offered to cook a meal for Alice (a housemate) and myself. We pieced together what food we had on hand. I had bought lentils and rice in hopes that someday I would get to experience Miley’s cooking – today was the day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had only to walk ten steps to the kitchen to enjoy a hot delicious meal; all three of us eating together. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_FTV5j0qoabkoLj_vyFSL_8EJLy_FBcuRsIlp7qldXvkv1RvLv_jJs0147McuYoUTDY6QWXfn0qNyGxEAtzqqJ6uRyIvTOQmhD6FAR_nsmY97hX_00sa9j29ZxBdVXSIaJeJ/s1600/IMG_6990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_FTV5j0qoabkoLj_vyFSL_8EJLy_FBcuRsIlp7qldXvkv1RvLv_jJs0147McuYoUTDY6QWXfn0qNyGxEAtzqqJ6uRyIvTOQmhD6FAR_nsmY97hX_00sa9j29ZxBdVXSIaJeJ/s320/IMG_6990.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbV_S_HizB_jlMeDj9bQf0cwysj0GrNaBtIzKCvzgWInQQyRi3-dosa-0QRFBwuiFc3_ND8IO2YdpQH_scOZPmk8ja5TooLhDYNibEnTiKMmRQw28FJlnAxZM2_ivAH3c3ynO/s1600/IMG_6991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbV_S_HizB_jlMeDj9bQf0cwysj0GrNaBtIzKCvzgWInQQyRi3-dosa-0QRFBwuiFc3_ND8IO2YdpQH_scOZPmk8ja5TooLhDYNibEnTiKMmRQw28FJlnAxZM2_ivAH3c3ynO/s320/IMG_6991.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m not sure what I will do this afternoon. Libby is gone with her parents to Nagarkot and possibly Bhaktapur, though I’m not sure how their plans have changed with the abnormal weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m thankful for this day of rest and reflection. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYVNW0mxL3zTjkPp-2-6UyqyU3ED7ebLONm3Nd-Z3doF1LvrHNukFR_CAWLZuQlveASAaK2OyxpLPrOy64tKc0G0ReGioxbpwdDYQDudvUXAQcVxtL7YT8FUu5T8X3rfUtwvwS/s1600/IMG_6994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYVNW0mxL3zTjkPp-2-6UyqyU3ED7ebLONm3Nd-Z3doF1LvrHNukFR_CAWLZuQlveASAaK2OyxpLPrOy64tKc0G0ReGioxbpwdDYQDudvUXAQcVxtL7YT8FUu5T8X3rfUtwvwS/s320/IMG_6994.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-65934767120399894732012-02-07T19:01:00.000+01:002012-02-07T19:01:19.900+01:00Rain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">It's been sunny everyday here... until now: A thunder and lightning storm! Ah, what will it look like in the morning after a night of rain? Excited to see. Could be pretty muddy...</div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-65924129916430274422012-02-06T17:22:00.000+01:002012-02-06T17:22:39.736+01:00The Nursery<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <style>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5E1_yI7RzNE5H9Cu9-sk9kQcCKxjRLnTOP3VQDDKIcBgDquo6nM5sIuH5B1Hn6E-6u_m1j6N2qa5nKf-s2idXTukAGmfw6VuvIsp8pVYiJy0l1EnazmbNKTCT_uC3hjMPZyX/s1600/IMG_6924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5E1_yI7RzNE5H9Cu9-sk9kQcCKxjRLnTOP3VQDDKIcBgDquo6nM5sIuH5B1Hn6E-6u_m1j6N2qa5nKf-s2idXTukAGmfw6VuvIsp8pVYiJy0l1EnazmbNKTCT_uC3hjMPZyX/s400/IMG_6924.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 18:10 </td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">After spending my first two weeks on the children’s ward at Patan Hospital, I transitioned to the nursery this week and have now spent two days with the babies. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each morning I attend a teaching session, yesterday it was about the previous day’s admissions and today it was on chronic kidney disease, after which the residents disperse to their respective teams to pre-round and round. There are two intermediate nurseries and also a NICU. I have spent the first part of the week in nursery A and will spend the last couple of days this week in nursery B.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus far the babies have ranged in gestational age from 27 weeks to full-term and have varied in birth weight from less than 1 kg to over 3 kg. There are a couple of incubators in the intermediate nurseries, but any baby that requires intubation is transferred to the NICU. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnbt6w6H9cl7wZEGPY3tYJZkYiH59NOByzcgbtogCd8qfMp5lDm2pktw97MM495PVDI6zaT3YJM5zj1iEti252j48IpnVni5_a3BIJWJq8x3Pkz1NhsskikyI_4D8dE-_laM6/s1600/IMG_6927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnbt6w6H9cl7wZEGPY3tYJZkYiH59NOByzcgbtogCd8qfMp5lDm2pktw97MM495PVDI6zaT3YJM5zj1iEti252j48IpnVni5_a3BIJWJq8x3Pkz1NhsskikyI_4D8dE-_laM6/s400/IMG_6927.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Nursery A"</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">After morning rounds at the bedside of these babies, the team scatter to various duties. One resident will go the post-partum ward to exam the healthy babies “rooming-in” with their mothers. Another will cover the OT (Operating Theater) for c-sections and the Delivery room for vaginal deliveries. I’ve been waiting for my opportunity to attend the deliveries. Today I was granted that chance! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After trading my tennis shoes for “slippers” (plastic shower sandals) upon entering the OT area and donning scrubs atop by street clothes, a blue hair cap, and green facemask, I was dressed to observe my first c-section delivery. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The resident showed me how he prepped the bed with a warming lamp, set up the facemask, bag, and O2 if necessary, and prepared the suction. After watching him receive and care for one new baby, it was my chance to “catch” the next one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQLwdanLONk9CBhN7PPu-aDZzTcCwxiTvCNFBH8l2A1tiIlM7x1CoKJOChsDOvg1WRKRXxeaNPa99BJ17Unu0Ed3FN85MmtFmbd2Y8KWJBNamaEG7c9iN6mB-IDe-1ueVrPnJ/s1600/IMG_6965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQLwdanLONk9CBhN7PPu-aDZzTcCwxiTvCNFBH8l2A1tiIlM7x1CoKJOChsDOvg1WRKRXxeaNPa99BJ17Unu0Ed3FN85MmtFmbd2Y8KWJBNamaEG7c9iN6mB-IDe-1ueVrPnJ/s400/IMG_6965.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the hand-off!</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Catching babies” is a role medical students can fill for healthy babies and one that I have filled multiple times back at home. However, little did I know until today that there is a big difference here related to how the baby is later presented to its mother. In the U.S. we make sure the child is stable with an exam and necessary support, swaddle them tightly in a blanket, and bring them to the parents’ sides. Here in Nepal, the naked baby is carried to the mother’s side. When it was my turn to show the baby off for the first time, I supported the baby with one hand under its rump and the other hand under its head. Well, when I brought it to the mother’s side, I quickly learned why the baby had to be naked. It seemed the most important part of this encounter was to be able to visualize the baby’s private parts, as words alone were not enough. With that first baby, I quickly learned how to present the baby properly to its mother. Despite the emphasis on visualized the sex of the child, all the mothers today appeared equally thankful to have a boy or a girl. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's a squirmy fellow:)</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">As I reflect on today, I just keep thinking how words really cannot describe the miracle that each life is. I love being there for the transition from a baby swimming in a sea of amniotic fluid to one breathing air and crying for the very first time. When their little eyes open up to the world around them, I am moved to my soul. I sense such ultimate innocence and dependence, yet such wonder and awe. Of course a healthy baby is such a blessing, as there unfortunately are many complications with the grueling birthing process. Today the babies were wonderfully pink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_U6hCvrTQCAVmpZw15dmt0-tYl9-EVIcml3fKRt5Cyt-HslIUvUR4VC4jdPHfUTKcuPzVuAtDHBFZv327VOx-q-Mh-zGNPZYZa-2L9cHWyOfBnl0rezarkSizYaqMdouyoEeZ/s1600/IMG_6962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_U6hCvrTQCAVmpZw15dmt0-tYl9-EVIcml3fKRt5Cyt-HslIUvUR4VC4jdPHfUTKcuPzVuAtDHBFZv327VOx-q-Mh-zGNPZYZa-2L9cHWyOfBnl0rezarkSizYaqMdouyoEeZ/s400/IMG_6962.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation– if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good" 1 Peter 2:2-3 </td></tr>
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</div></div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36638167.post-70518004968436384422012-02-05T17:24:00.000+01:002012-02-05T17:24:53.808+01:00My Birthday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">I was born twenty-eight years ago today. This is my third birthday that I have celebrated outside of the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This coming year will be the longest year of my life thus far. Why? Well there are 29 days in February this year, but as we know that happens every 4 years. However, I started celebrating about 12 hours before the rest of you in North America. So as I get ready for bed here, I still have all day to celebrate in the United States with you!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">How does one spend their birthday in Nepal? Well, from what I’ve learned from conversations here, most Nepali people do not know the day they were born. Historically most Nepali babies were born at home, perhaps delivered by a family member or, if you were lucky, a midwife lived close enough to come assist in the delivery. Nonetheless, most people live in rural villages and the sense of an exact birthdate had little, if no, value. Today there are incentives for women to deliver in hospitals and, increasing over just the last several years, children are now growing up to know their birthdays. That being said, birthdays in Nepal are just not that big of a deal. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sticking to the Nepali attitude regarding celebrating (or even knowing or recognizing) one’s birthday, I made no special plans. Of course, I ended up having a splendid and special day. I woke up to a birthday call via skype with David. Enjoyed breakfast with Libby. Had an awesome morning at the hospital – my first day in the nursery (I loved it!). Ate at our favorite lunch spot right across the road from the hospital. Took a chiya break in the afternoon sunshine before finishing our time at the hospital in outpatient clinic with some precious kids. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The streets seemed extra busy today as we walked home from work. As we turned off the main road and headed towards our house, we were greeted by a magnificent surprise. It has been quite hazy lately. When it’s hazy here, you can’t make out the mountains at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “haziness” can be so thick sometimes that you can barely even make out the nearby foothills. I had prayed that I would get to see the mountains today, my birthday. I know God answers prayers in so many different ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are answered in ways that we would hope for and other times they are answered in not so obvious ways. They are heard and they are answered. Well today this prayer of mine was answered exactly as I had hoped for. The snow-capped Himalayan mountain range rose about the dust, noise, buildings, pollution, and the foothills. Even though the day was far from being perfectly clear, those mountain peaks jumped out of the sky, soaring where you would think only clouds could be. Thank you God for allowing us to come right to you in prayer. Thank you for caring about the big things and the small things. Thanks for showing off your gorgeous creation for us to see here in Nepal today.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYia233oPpnFipOkaX-ICc0QrHwUdDmqPeXjcwgmi28aO4zmVyAxzMFpzHPgd1xKlNIHLg2YbIOJwBM_7Ao9r64yywXa75a-sBEa-Yn_6Z_gBij7ZsY_v7xFVsGhlZEv6EVl7G/s1600/IMG_6930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYia233oPpnFipOkaX-ICc0QrHwUdDmqPeXjcwgmi28aO4zmVyAxzMFpzHPgd1xKlNIHLg2YbIOJwBM_7Ao9r64yywXa75a-sBEa-Yn_6Z_gBij7ZsY_v7xFVsGhlZEv6EVl7G/s320/IMG_6930.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rooftop view of the mountains, from our guesthouse. Look in the distance, there are mountains - not just clouds (Better in person!)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">After an extended viewing of the mountains from our rooftop, Libby and I headed into Kathmandu via taxi. We met up with her parents who had quite the day of walking and touring, and headed into Thamel for dinner. Since her parents were to be having traditional Nepal food in coming night, we decided on Korean food for dinner tonight. By map and guidebook, Libby meticulously led us through the disorganized streets to the alley of a well-reviewed Korean restaurant. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMjerTab7svUNVO8CZjVQGkFRvyVvc6UqXZcuFTgjOYFOX99ojK_PHELLVqfQHNaDkHL-OXYbj4mTQ0lTRYCc7hBjoY6qLJSvrfYxXoX_RzSZVtQPnAQ6yHvdZoQgKLzh-VkB/s1600/IMG_6932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMjerTab7svUNVO8CZjVQGkFRvyVvc6UqXZcuFTgjOYFOX99ojK_PHELLVqfQHNaDkHL-OXYbj4mTQ0lTRYCc7hBjoY6qLJSvrfYxXoX_RzSZVtQPnAQ6yHvdZoQgKLzh-VkB/s320/IMG_6932.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Libby with her parents, excited we found our dining destination. </td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I don't think I’ve ever had Korean food and was excited to try something new. Based on Libbys’ recommendation, I ordered bibimbap and was served a piping hot bowl of rice, vegetables, stir-fried beef, and a freshly cracked egg – all of which you mix up together as soon as it is served, as the dish is so hot that there is still some more cooking to be done! There were lots of little side dishes and steaming hot soup as well. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQi0gtONlsjJ8uFq3jW5kr0kvmEktcE8iG4wCgZlt1LoavC4pzojZckzDYjbsjarKPZoYrwEn3Ex2fmZXRNxdqCeKERxyPlFG5eNp4gCc_F353USOwwLq0LovW2Bv7-UdTIKt/s1600/IMG_6936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQi0gtONlsjJ8uFq3jW5kr0kvmEktcE8iG4wCgZlt1LoavC4pzojZckzDYjbsjarKPZoYrwEn3Ex2fmZXRNxdqCeKERxyPlFG5eNp4gCc_F353USOwwLq0LovW2Bv7-UdTIKt/s320/IMG_6936.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Missing Libby from the photo. Now if only David and Mike could have been here too...</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">After dinner we made a surprise stop at a bakery to look for a birthday cake or some other celebratory dessert. I picked out a “chocolate ball." We enjoyed our desserts on a second-level outdoor café with reggae music in the background overlooking the streets of Thamel.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyijsELLtwdu5DYbmfr-Yx1iym3AzN03W2CIP5JopOrD_KP1qU2KW-sxKMBkjfaC4lRrNEzUIogpB3X5C2v_7i2X0alVNDN0vUV7o-Vbm68YgCfYUp12ZudkzRsC8OESDhLgs/s1600/IMG_6937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyijsELLtwdu5DYbmfr-Yx1iym3AzN03W2CIP5JopOrD_KP1qU2KW-sxKMBkjfaC4lRrNEzUIogpB3X5C2v_7i2X0alVNDN0vUV7o-Vbm68YgCfYUp12ZudkzRsC8OESDhLgs/s320/IMG_6937.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My birthday dessert: a "chocolate ball" - it really was all chocolate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">After a short taxi ride home and a hot shower, I’m now warm and cozy, curled up in bed, missing my husband, but excited to extend my birthday celebration a bit longer when I wake up in a few hours to watch the Super Bowl via Skype with David. Let the celebration continue….</div></div>David and Krista Birniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256737762808087910noreply@blogger.com0