Wednesday, June 28, 2017

It's been a long time...

It's been a while!  Many things have happened since November...Christmas in Suddie, New Years in Suriname, Parent's visit and Mid-Service Training.  We've hit our one year in country and now we are looking towards the end of the our service.  We started with 30 volunteers and we are now down to...not really even sure about that as I write this...
So, here's the update!

Christmas

Even though I was not with family for the first time ever on Christmas, I was with my Peace Corps family.  Most of the volunteers who stayed all met up in Essequibo (our training site) for a Christmas party at a fellow volunteers house and to spend the holidays with our training host families.  The party was a fantastic time with lots of food, loud music, and people!  We were up all night gaffing and enjoying ourselves.  It was the first time many of us had been back to our training site since we were sworn in as Volunteers and it was good to be back.



Germ, Allycia, and Taylour


Me and Zach


Me, Antonia and Gabrielle


Taylour and Gabrielle


All the food!


Catherine and Robin


Zach and Chad doing something...


Allycia, me and Catherine

On Christmas morning, I got up and attended a church service with my family.  From there, it was nap time, the most important activity of the day in my opinion.  This is definitely a plus; my family likes naps.  Christmas day in Guyana tradition consists of eating cross buns and pepper pot.  Pepper Pot is an Amerindian dish consisting of bush meat, pork, or some other sort of meat, spices, vegetables, and most importantly, hot peppers.  Needless to say, I did not have any, but it was all gone by the end of the day.  Being back on the coast for Christmas felt comfortable; like I never left!  I had my old room back and we all fell right back into our old routine.  I sat out on the veranda and looked into the distance just like I used to as well as dealt with Angel who was still trying to play jokes on me.  I was even able to talk with my family at home on the phone, though it was kind of spotty and delayed.


Opening presents 


Old Year's Night

New Years was an absolute blast!  From the moment we arrived in Guyana, we were told Suriname was the place to be for New Years (which they call Old New Years Night).  DONE!  There is a ferry close to where I live that will take you over to Suriname, but I have heard horror stories about it so I decided I would fly.  I got together with a few other volunteers to book our flights and hostel and we were ready to go!  First of all, Suriname is a beautiful place (the little we saw).  It was clean and welcoming.  The street/graffiti art is mesmerizing and the food delectable.  Being formerly a Dutch colony most people who live there speak Dutch as well as English.  It is also a destination spot for the Dutch so there were many tourists in addition to the PCV's that decided to hop on over.


Me in front of a random sign...just cause


Christmas tree decoration 


Can't remember what this is...President's place?


Street graffitti


New Year's Eve day started with a street party.  Booths lined the street handing out ear plugs and towels and selling beers as the music stages pumped out music which made you want to dance.  The streets were lined with fire crackers (hence the ear plugs) which were lit in sections so everyone can follow along the many miles they lined.  Of course, I wanted to get close enough to see so I was definitely pelted with the offshoots, but it was well worth it.  We had a fantastic lunch (the food was spectacular) and were informed of an after party which started at 10:00pm.  Really?  10:00pm after party?

Robin, me and Catherine


My roomies for the weekend Liz, me and Allycia


Catherine and me.  Getting in some trouble


Firecrackers lining streets


Gotta cover your mouth to protect against the smoke


Obligatory tourist photo


Tree huggers

Night came, we were dressed and headed out to the casino to eat dinner at their rooftop restaurant.  This was also a great place to see the fireworks (so we were told).  Music was supplied by a salsa band from Cuba who really took a liking to me...uff da.

As we made our way to the casino, the street was so packed we could barely squeeze through!  However, when the fireworks ended and we were venturing on to the next place, they were empty.  It was like a ghost town.  Everything shut down.  This is what was meant by 10:00pm after party.  Turns out, the Surinamese party all day, but like to spend New Year's night at home with family.  So...after party, here we come!


Blurry, but still the best picture of all of us.
Liz, Allycia, me, Catherine, Robin, Margaret



After party 

Our last day in Suriname was spent traveling to a resort where we zip lined through the rainforest and over rivers.  We hired a car and were on our way stopping once to look at a sloth in the middle of the road (casual).  Of course I had to get out and take a picture!  While zip lining, we saw baby monkeys hopping from tree to tree and various birds flying throughout the jungle.  It was one of the scariest and most exhilarating things I have done but made easier by our entertaining guides.


Sloth stuck in the road.  Soooooo cute!!!!!


My sexy outfit


Here I go


Liz going over the river


Group photo
Me, Allycia, Briona, Chelsea, and Liz

Parent's Visit

This is was a much anticipated visit and my only one so far.  Looking forward to more in the future...hint hint wink wink.  The adventure started with Mom and Dad missing their connecting flight from Florida to Guyana.  So...they arrived a day later.  My friends Lindsey and Mikey took me to pick them up in a tear filled reunion being that it was a full year since I had seen my parents.  We stayed at Rainforest Bed and Breakfast for the night before getting an early start for the Essequibo Coast so I could facilitate a training to the new trainees (GUY 30) who had arrived about a month before.  Our time on the coast was busy and eventful with lunch and drinks at Gus's before finding our way to to Lake Mainstay Resort where we were staying.  The following day was more training, then a tour of where I lived for 3 months and the people who became my family away from my family.  Both sets of family (host family and bio family) got along great and we talked and limed until we lost track of time.

Traveling on the ferry

One family meeting the other
Dads

After two days, we made our way back to Georgetown for Mashramani and fun before heading to New Amsterdam.  While NA, they were able to see where I live, experience what I experience on a daily basis (including cold showers and hand washing clothes), see my work place and meet my friends!  Robbie and Linda hosted us upstairs for a drink(s) where Robbie and dad swapped stories and talked about who knows what all night.  I am glad my parents were able to meet and talk with him before he passed away two months later.


I got to be part of the parade briefly


Mash in Georgetown



Mash group
Zach, Lindsey, Allycia, me, Gabrielle, Emily and Steven with dad photobombing





Before leaving Rainforest Bed and Breakfast



New Amsterdam Mash



Aly and me

For the last leg of the trip, it was back to Georgetown for a tour of the Guyana National Museum and the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology.  Kaieteur was a destination my parents were adamant about seeing.  Even though I had been there already, I was not going to turn down another opportunity!  This time, we flew in instead of hiked which is not only faster, but gives a completely different view of the falls.  We even had one of the same guides who remembered me.



Leaving my house



GIANT sloth



Family pic at Kaieteur


Just relaxing
I hiked up the mountain to the left of me

The days were jam packed with activities and events, it made the time fly by and before we knew, it was time for them to go home.  The last day/night was spent at Pandama Retreat and Winery where we ate good food, drank good wine, swam in a black lake, and watched the stars.  It was a nice and relaxing last night before for all of us before we went back to our normal lives.



Coffee at Pandama