Hace Frio!

Hace frio!!! It's cold!!! Tonight the low temperature in Guatemala City is predicted to be 49F - it will be colder out here on the mountain. To those of you in northern climes, 49F might seem quite balmy. But I'm in a house with no heat - that is not, "no central heat", it is no heat period! And the house is designed for warm weather. The windows are not caulked and do not seal tightly, and the floors are bare concrete.

Last night it was also cold and windy. Around 5:30am the electricity went off due to a downed power line. My CPAP machine (for sleep apnea) went off and I couldn't sleep any longer. I got up at 6:30 to shave and shower. When I turned on the shower I did not hear the familiar growling noise of the small water heater on the shower pipe. Duh, Floyd, no electricity! I had a haircut yesterday and really wanted to wash my hair. So I stuck my head under that wonderfully cold water fresh from the mountain spring. Wow! It was so cold it was actually painful.

Everyone complains about the cold - this has been the coldest winter in quite a while. Today Albertina, my Spanish instructor, decided I brought the cold weather with me.

In the picture I'm sitting at my bedroom desk wearing a t-shirt, two other shirts and a jacket. With all that on I'm still a bit on the short side of comfortable. Fortunately my bedroom is upstairs and is slightly warmer than the downstairs rooms. During dinner we warmed our hands over candles. Tonight I will sleep in my jeans, t-shirt and at least one other shirt. I will wrap myself up in three blankets and hope I stay warm.