the Dave and Shawn show: Guest Post by Darrin

In the middle of October we had my brother visiting from Canada. Because we have been here for two years already, sometimes I don't notice what is "different" about living in Guatemala. I asked my little bro to write up something to share with people what his experience was like... so here you have it, a guest post about a visitor to our home:

Hello my name is darrin,

A month ago I embarked on an incredible adventure. I went off into a foreign land with no idea what to expect. A place very different from what I know. Guatemala.

As someone who does an abundance of backpacking and camping I am accustomed to being slightly uncomfortable as I sleep, but nothing was to prepare me for a night in Guatemala. I recall learning very quickly that regardless of the low income status areas, Guatemalans always seem to have just enough money to buy a variety of fireworks on a daily basis. So basically come bedtime all hell breaks loose with the most obnoxious percussion of "bedtime noises" and street dogs fighting often come rippling through the air. In addition to my discomfort a mysterious banging against my barred-over window naturally filled my imaginonation with pictures of black masked barglars yeilding machetes attempting to break in and attack me in my sleep. Long story short, not some crazed lunatic trying to break into my room, it was an avocado falling off of a nearby tree which was very common as I found out avocados seem to fall on the roof almost every night.

Now you have to understand, that literally everywhere in Guatemala there are wild avocado trees and coffee bushes growing. This makes for an amazing jungle like atmosphere. The houses on the other hand are not as majestic. Each building gives you the impression as though it was slapped together in an extremely rushed fashion, with cinderblocks and scrapwood thrown down with some elementary kid's school glue to hold it all together. The worst part of the buildings being that each room is seperated by outside facing doors. Which renders a terribly unfortunate scenario if you find yourself having to go to the bathroom at night. Where the Guatemala night breezes are crisp to the bare-bum. But hey, alleast thats a 5 minute time out from the constant 24-hour sweat bath you're in during your first week.

Now let me describe for you Guatemala traffic. The variety of vehicle selection is scarely small. You got the basic 1997 Toyota Tacoma with 40 people riding in the box, the Tuk-Tuk ( A trike with a roof which 8 people ride in somehow), the classic dirtbike, and my personal favourite The Chicken Bus! The Chicken Bus is an old school bus that has been jacked up, semi truck motor dropped in, then loaded with 70 person passenger plus the chickens and a few goats for long and very fast drives from town to town. Add in the fact that there are no rules of the road and you end up with not only The Chicken Bus but "The Chicken Road" too.

Yet, when I look back at the falling avocados and the people driving wildly down the road I recall in between these events some of the greatest memories that I will carry with me for a long time. Fantastic food ( a.k.a tacos and casedieas ) and the pleasant King family home setting and the dazzling Guatemalan firework lighting up sky.

To say the very least I came back changed, and what I mean by that is I now know what mass poverty is, I know what it's like to feel as a minority and completely out of place ( all 6 ft 200 lbs blonde hair blue eyes of me ). I know how extremely blessed I am to have grown up and reside in a country that is free of questions like how do I get my next meal and how do I not get shot by gangs? Yes this trip was an adventure that changed me and I would recommend that if you would like and adventure full of bizarre and crazy stories that you might go to Guatemala; and maybe even stay with Dave and Shawn.

Thank you Shawn, Dave and Z