Guyana - "Those crazy Americans!"

I guarantee our neighbors were thinking, "Those crazy Americans," yesterday evening, but I'll get to that in a bit. 

Overall, yesterday was quite relaxing. We went to bed around 8:30pm the night we arrived - yes, 8:30pm. We were running on 3 hours of sleep from the plane ride, so an early night was needed. Plus, it gets dark here at like 5:30/6pm, but we're used to it getting dark at 9:00/9:30pm, so it always feels later. I slept in yesterday until about 6:30, then read for a few hours all cozy under the mosquito netting canopy. :) Breakfast was Honey Nut Cheerios and peanut butter toast with guava jam (the jam is a Guyana speciality). Amanda and I proceeded to be lazy and read, color, and watch Netflix all day. It was glorious. We also got to figure out the showers here. We discovered that, while our hosts were amazing and got us a washing machine and wireless internet, we do not have hot water. Good thing it's so hot everyday! The cold showers are actually heavenly! 



We did, however make some "friends" over the past few days. The first night, I woke up to the sound of a pan lid banging around on the counter. When I went to investigate, I discovered a lizard crawling around on the counter. At least it eats bugs? Then last night, the little guy (pictured right) decided to visit us and hang out in the sink. He's actually kind of cute. :)

Now to the reason our neighbors think we're nuts (preface - I have never handled bugs very well. I can get over them being around, but they still freak me out): A lovely 2+ inch cockroach was crawling around on the wall, and proceeded to crawl up to the ceiling. I was standing on a chair with a flyswatter, hoping it wouldn't come near me, when out of the blue it FLEW towards Amanda and I in the living room. Needless to say, we both screamed bloody murder and were freaking out. Neither of us knew cockroaches could fly!


Today, we finally got to start work. We met with the representatives from IICA and the various Guyana governmental organizations we are working with. From that meeting, we figured out the schedule and team assignments for the various field work. This week, I'm on the supermarket team getting the samples from supermarkets all across the country. We prepped the sampling kits today, and worked around the lab trying to get everything settled. Ready to start bright and early at 6:00am tomorrow!

Amanda and I in front of the IICA building

After work, some amazing people who work in the lab graciously offered to run errands with us. We needed to stop at the bank, find a place to buy delicious fresh fruit, and grab a few groceries. Two of the lab people we're working with live near us and offered to basically be our guides for the duration of our stay. :)

Cart with all kinds of fresh fruit - the pineapple is amazing!!

The supermarket closest to our flat - it consists of about 5-6 aisles half the size of ones in US grocery stores (but we could still find Kraft Mac-n-cheese and Honey Nut Cheerios!)

All-in-all, a very fun 2 days. I'm excited to see what the rest of the week brings, and I hope everything keeps going well in terms of the research and work we're doing here. :) Prayers are still very much appreciated. 

Much Love,
Joslyn

P.S. Traditional blog post bible verse:
1 Timothy 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.

Guyana - One billion percent humidity

This adventure started on Thursday bright and early - Amanda and I had to run a few errands before getting on the road to head to Doylestown, PA (where her parents live). The long 8-hour drive actually flew by, and we never even turned the radio on! I guess once we get talking, we don't stop. :)

Once we got to Doylestown, we proceeded to eat, and eat, and eat. :) Thursday: Burgers for dinner, amazing waffles and ice cream for dessert; Friday: amazing gourmet thin crust pizza, then a hot dog/curly fries with a twist ice cream cone for dessert. Getting our fix of American food before we leave I guess. At least that was the excuse we used!

Getting to the airport was pretty uneventful, although bittersweet when saying goodbye to Amanda's parents. They were such wonderful hosts! I felt like a member of the family. :) Once Amanda and I walked into the JFK terminal, I think it hit both of us - we're actually doing this! Leaving for 10 weeks. What were we thinking!? (only slightly kidding lol). There was definitely some excitement, but also slight terror at this adventure we were about to embark on.

Once the plane took off, I looked at Amanda and said, "Get me off this plane!!!" - note: this was mostly in jest lol :). But we were off!! The 1:25am take-off meant Joslyn wanted to sleep ASAP. Caribbean airlines had other ideas...all lights on and serving food at 2:30am!! WORST IDEA EVER. JUST LET ME SLEEP. However, I was able to sleep, and a short 5.5 hours later, we arrived! 

Guyana was beautiful from the air. Totally untouched green EVERYWHERE! I've never seen such an expanse of jungle/rainforest! Once we landed, we were met at customs by a Ministry of Health official who took our passports and customs papers to get stamped for us, then led us past the long line of passengers and out to our bags. It was awesome! We apparently have connections here. :)

We were met by the amazing Dr. Maxine, who has been arranging all of our transportation/lodging, and Mr. Makenzie, a driver for IICA. Dr. Maxine was pointing out the sights as we drove by, and bought us breakfast and some snacks to tide us over until she could take us to the supermarket later. Mr. Makenzie was giving us tips and info about Georgetown. Both so helpful! We made it to the flat that is going to be home for the next 5 weeks. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a washing machine (they surprised us with this!), wireless internet, etc. See below for some pictures of the flat:

The only downfall to this flat: no air-conditioning. When we stepped off the plane at 7am, it felt like we were swimming through the air lol. That gets worse as the day goes on. :) Here's hoping we acclimate in just a few days! 

All-in-all, it was nice getting settled into the flat and finally see Guyana. Now to relax, go grocery shopping, and do some prep work for the start of work on Monday! Kraft spiral Mac-n-Cheese is on the dinner menu tonight. :) Amanda and I were both feelin' the comfort food, plus it's so easy to make after an exhausting day. Prayers are still, and will always be, very much appreciated. :)

Much Love,
Joslyn

P.S. Gotta keep the bible verse tradition going: 

Proverbs 3:23-24 - Then you will go safely on your way, and you will not hurt your foot. When you lie down, you will not be afraid. As you lie there, your sleep will be sweet.

Day 5 - Spanish vs English

As per usual, today was pretty awesome. I'll admit, the visits today were kind of boring. It was really cool to see the cheese making process and Nestle plant, but we didn't have to spend so long at each place lol. After, we went to this Jumbo (pronounced the Spanish way) Supermercado. It was pretty much exactly like a big grocery store in the states, but with way better seafood than what we see in Ohio. :) We then went shopping at the supermarket. They had a lot of good wine. :) :) Check out the Farm To Table 2015 Chile Facebook page for more pictures. 

Nestle Plant

The bus ride back to the hotel was the most fun to date. After we finished the 1-minute rounds (basically everyone saying something about what they learned today in 1 minute or less), we had some fun competitions between the Spanish and English speaking natives. Those of us who are fluent in English made a list of words that are typically difficult to pronounce if English isn't your first language. The list included, "Anemone, Walrus, Colonel, and Worcestershire." The Chileans had some fun with that list. :) In "retaliation", they came up with a list of words we English speakers had to try. I honestly can't remember a majority of the words, but I was one of the English speakers who was called out to try saying the Spanish words. Antoinette and I impressed the Chileans with our ability to roll our R's lol. All in all, it was a lot of laughter on the bus ride home. I can honestly say the group has finally broken the ice and seems comfortable around each other. I'm excited to see what the rest of this trip brings! Tomorrow we get to visit the sea pens to see the grown salmon. We were told to bring a second set of clothes because we are going to get wet lol. We'll see how that goes tomorrow.

Abrazos y besos,
Joslyn :)

Daily Bible Verse:
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
-Matthew 5:8

   

Day 4 - Leche y RTE

This post is going to consist of mostly pictures since we are leaving at 7am tomorrow morning. All-in-all, another amazing day! I know I keep saying that, but this trip has seriously been amazing. Yes, there have been bad smells and long days, combined with a lot of information being thrown at us, but it's so great!!! :) :) Today we went to a small (400 head) dairy farm, a Ready-to-Eat (RTE) processing plant (aka salami, ham, smoked meats, hotdogs, etc.), and a traditional fish market (they had fish/seafood/cheese and also touristy gift shops). We then had dinner at this Italian place by a beautiful theater that I forgot to take a picture of. See pictures below for more info:

View from the dairy farm family's living room. I want to stay here with them :)...
But seriously lol 

Beautiful horse! 

I keep getting to work with cows, and I keep loving it. Hmmmm wonder what that means lol.

O-H-I-O at the dairy farm!

Montbéliarde & Holstein cows

We got to try all the Ready-to-eat (RTE) products at the processing plant we visited

Traditional fish market

Yummmmmm seafood...but notice the lack of ice ( Food Safety alarms going off in my head lol)

SEALS!!! 

End the day with a beautiful rainbow over the lake :)

Abrazos y besos,
Joslyn :)

Daily Bible Verse:
I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
-Genesis 9:13

Day 3 - Fish, fish, and more fish

I'm going to try and keep this short and sweet because I'm exhausted. Today was awesome!! We got to tour a company that raises Salmon from fry to smolt, finally sending them to the sea pens. The system this company had set up was absolutely amazing! Their water quality tech was so efficient, and seeing thousands of fish was so cool. After the tour, they surprised us with a ton of salmon hors d'oeuvres. The ceviche was my favorite. :)

We then went to a fish oil and fish meal processing plant. I'm not gonna lie, it smelled pretty bad. But apparently not as bad as a rendering plant? Idk, I've never been to a rendering plant so I still thought this was pretty bad. But we got to get all geared up in PPE and see all the machines in action. It was pretty cool to see HACCP plans and CCPs in person (and not just learn about it in class).

Not pictured: hard hats and ear plugs

Finally, we went to see the first step in salmon processing. I am so I awe at how these companies are letting our group see literally every single part of their plant. It was so cool!! Never-mind the fact that I couldn't stomach eating salmon for dinner lol, it was still really cool. I'll be ready for more seafood by tomorrow. :)

We all look amazing in this PPE

All in all, I'm exhausted but learning a ton. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. :)

Abrazos y besos,
Joslyn :)

Daily Bible Verse:
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
-Psalm 145:8

   

Day 2 - Exploring Chile

Today we had breakfast at the first hotel, then we explored a bit before we packed up and moved to the new hotel. The new hotel is AMAZING. The view can't be beat and the whole hotel is made of some type of gorgeous wood. I'm so excited we get to stay here for the rest of the trip.

After we transferred all of our luggage to the new hotel (using a tiny taxi - it took 3 round trips), we walked to this German restaurant that is well known in the area. I had no idea how much German influence I'd see in the architecture, food, and even street/business names!After eating lunch, we went to this German Museum that reminded me of Sauder Village. It had the big main house, a blacksmith house, cemetery, and beautiful grounds to walk in. Dr.Hoet became our unofficial tour guide. :) 

The view from the new hotel is not too shabby. I'm rooming with Hannah and Eva. This is going to be so much fun!!

Now I'd better get some sleep. Breakfast is at 6:45am tomorrow. I'll be needing coffee. :) Now, the real fun begins.

Abrazos y besos,
Joslyn :)

Super sweet cat that lives at the hotel. She just jumped right up in my lap!
We call her Gatita. Ella's gonna be jealous lol  

Daily Bible Verse:
See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
-1 Thessalonians 5:15

Day 1: Goodbye Columbus...Hello Chile!!

From the get-go, I just knew this trip was going to be fun. Hannah and I carpooled to the airport and parked in the cool polka dot car lot. On the shuttle to the airport, we met this nice older couple with their 2 grandchildren. They told us they were going to Disney World, and the kids proceeded to describe their favorite rides in great detail. It was so cute to see them so excited about Disney! The grandparents seemed more excited about the Epcot Food & Wine festival.

The first of 3 flights was pretty uneventful. Well besides the extra turbulence on take-off since it was so windy in Columbus. :) But we got up to cruising altitude, and all was well. I watched Frozen and put the Spanish subtitles on. Now I'll know how to say, "Do you want to build a snowman?" and "Let it go!" Very useful. :)

This movie was even better with Spanish subtitles lol

Once we got to Houston, we made a beeline for food. Then we camped out next to an outlet to charge all our devices in preparation for the long flight. The flight to Santiago was long (but not as long as Ethiopia). Since there isn't much of a time change, I slept most of the flight. One thing that was entertaining was me shooting a fountain of water out of my water bottle 3 rows ahead of me. That is the second time this water bottle has shot water all over the place when I opened the straw. Hannah laughed so hard she started crying. Luckily, the people ahead of me didn't see where the water came from. ;)

The connection in Santiago to Puerto Montt was....interesting. We thought we'd have plenty of time, but our flight from Santiago was over 20 mins late due to strong headwinds. We went through customs (which didn't take very long, all things considered) and literally ran to get our bags and go to the domestic terminal to re-check in for the domestic flight. We got there just as they were almost done boarding, so we successfully made it to Puerto Montt. :)

We flew along the Andes Mountains from Santiago to Puerto Montt

We're staying one night at the Saltzberg Hotel & Spa in Frutillar, Chile (really close to Puerto Montt). Apparently most of the settlers from way back in the day were German, so there is a very German vibe in the names and decor of this hotel. It is seriously picturesque, nestled next to this gigantic gorgeous lake across from a volcano (fun fact: the volcano across the lake was the one that erupted earlier this year lol). The rest of today is going to be spent relaxing, eating, and preparing for the busy week ahead. The plan is to get in some sightseeing tomorrow before the program kick-off dinner. :)

We concluded the first day with a walk around Frutillar, Chile after dinner with the program facilitators. It was a perfect night for walking, and they showed us the pier and beautiful theater right next to the lake. If Day 1 was this awesome, I can't wait to see what the rest of the program holds.

Trying the local beer

Abrazos y besos,
Joslyn :)

Daily Bible Verse:
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!
-Psalm 31:24