Guacal List

Guacal is pronounced like "wa-call." It's a little bowl/bucket/dishpan sort of thing.But we'll come back to that later.

So while the group has been here, they've been going on medical campaigns up in the little mountain towns around La Palma. Las Cruces, El Gramal, El Guayavito, Mira Mundo, and Aguacatalito, for those of you who know the area. I didn't get to to go to El Gramal, but I went the rest of the places and helped with translating. We gave everyone vitamins and parasite treatments. They could also get medications if they needed it, and Melvin was making reading glasses for those who needed them; even if they couldn't read and needed them for something like sewing or cooking. A few pictures:

My first official translating job!

Waiting in line for glasses

Today was a completely different ball game, though. Instead of an actual clinic, we went up to Mira Mundo and Aguacatalito. First was the little school at Mira Mundo. We started out with a few "dynamicas," like activities or songs with motions or little games. I had a ball with those kids singing "El caro de mi jefe tiene oyo en la yanta! Y reparemoslo con chicle!" which means "My boss's car has a hole in the tire, so we'll fix it with bubble gum!" and a couple others. Then we passed out vitamins and parasite treatments along with toothbrushes and paste. After they'd received that, we were even able to pass out clothing for them and stuffed animals. I love doing that; it's so much fun for me, even though they're the ones supposedly receiving the treat. Watching the little kids eyes just light up when we give them a bed roll to take home is priceless. No picture could ever really capture it.

Our next stop was Aguacatalito. The school was going to be really difficult to reach in our giant truck, called a camion, so the whole town basically met us in this little soccer field. We set up chairs, did vitamins and a mini clinic, and gave out bags and bags and bags of clothes. So many of those little boys and girls are going to be so proud of their new clothes, and it's just so exciting to give them to them!

As it was nearing time to leave, a few of the little boys brought out pieces of cardboard.

No. Not cardboard. Well, technically. But. They were sleds! On a hill covered in dried grass. They'd plop a sheet down on it, sit on it, and slide. Needless to say, the Peace Corps volunteers with us, Emily and Liz, along with Mom and I were mesmorized by this awesomeness and felt the need to try. And you better believe we sledded with the best of them!

That was just a part of our adventures. And here is where "guacals" come in. While we were riding together in the back of our huge truck, we began talking about all the things we wanted to do during our time in El Salvador before we all moved back. Someone said the phrase "bucket list," and was promptly corrected that it was a "guacal list," because guacals are what are used for everything by everyone in El Salvador. And so, born were our guacal lists. During the course of the day, we were able to cross off many things. We visited the highest point in El Salvador; over 8,000 ft above sea level. (The air was too thin up there...) We mastered the art of making PB&J in the back of an EXTREMELY bouncy truck. With a knife! A couple of us shared a bathroom with a beehive. We sledded on dry ground with cardboard, on a mountain in El Salvador. We pulled a tree out of the ground with a truck. By accident. We tossed candy and toys and clothes out of the truck bed to kids like a parade float. And trust me, I could go on. But sometimes... What happens in the camion, stays in the camion. ;)