There has been a considerable lapse since my last post. I mentioned this possibility in my first post but i certainly didn't expect to be completely out of commission and horribly ill for 4 days and counting so quickly. Let's catch you up on the recent events of Hogar de la Roca.
First: Infestation
It started at the puppy cage. I guess some food had collected underneath and Chris and myself hadn't noted it. We also had the window open because the puppy's were starting to stink up the office a bit. Monday night is when we noticed this ant infestation. There were probably hundreds of thousands, some with wings some without. They don't look like much in this picture and i was only slightly intimidated by their numbers. That is until they started biting! These little black ants packed such a massive bite that was completely out of proportion to their size and color. I thought only red ants bit but these ants bite too, and they leave welts i still have as souvenirs. I was in flip-flops which rendered me useless until i could run and change into some real shoes, and the puppies were absolutely soaked with ants. Chris however was well prepared.
With a lot of spraying, sweeping, and washing this particular invading army was put down. But there are a lot of other boys in the band on a consistent basis.
Tortillas anyone? This is what you find when you walk in the kitchen at night. My camera has a tough time capturing the whole scope and magnitude and of the way these guys party every night in the kitchen just after lights out, but just imagine dozens of these completely all over the food and utensils you use every day, as well as the occasional late-nite visit to your bed. This next image appers "lifesize" on my 15" computer screen.
Combine that with the potentially virus ridden mosquito's that buzz (way louder than American mosquitoes) in your ear all night, the multi-coloured spiders hanging around wherever, the fleas hopping around, and the rat we just found in the office, we have got a lot of friends here at Hogar de la Roca.
Second: Bacteria: Meet "
La Pila"
Meet the CENTER OF SANITATION here at the men's home in Guatemala. This sink, is where we wash our food, dishes and utensils, our dogs, vehicles, and where the students wash their laundry. It has one tap that provides cold water which potentially carries hepatitis a or b, as well as various other viruses, amoeba's, bacterias, or parasites. (Did i mention that i'm a self-proclaimed germaphobe?) This has all been very difficult for me, and although i mostly keep it to myself, the guys are still quick to remind me that our house is fortunate because the water runs here every day. There are sections of our neighborhood nearby where they only receive water every other day.
Speaking of water...
The shower water carries the same potential for spreading virus and disease.
Everything posted above is in spite of the best efforts of the director and staff of Hogar de la Roca. In reference to the infestations it is important to note that we live right on the edge of a Barranco, which is basically a deep valley that is full of all sorts of wild-life and insects, making us their first stop as they migrate into the city. On the flip side it give us a beautiful view off the back of our roof, overlooking a sort of jungle terrain surrounded by volcanoes and villages. That part is really wonderful. Also our neighbors, within their small yard contain around 6 dogs, fifteen cats, and a lot of garbage that piles and collects continually. There have been countless efforts made to control the roaches and insects, and just today we implemented a system to put the dishes through a bleach water rinse before being dried and put away. Chris and myself are currently trying to raise money to bring in real exterminators as well as dedicating extra time for the house to spend on deep cleaning during chores. The truth is, as far as Guatemala goes the people in this house live pretty well. And most of the local people don't often get sick on the daily water and food they consume as their bodies are accustomed to it. Sickness generally occurs when something really bad and different passes a long. But as for me, I got sick, real sick, real fast. My next post will be a continuation of this one, dealing with being sick in Guatemala, visiting the doctor etc. For now i must return to bed. Although I'm beginning to feel a little bit better, I still have a long way to climb out of this bacteria/ parasite infection.
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