5-day fast

It's half past nine on Sunday morning. The sun is shining, but it's not too hot yet, and the streets are quiet. I love Xela like this. It's also the beginning of semana santa, saints week, which leads up to Easter. This is a really big celebration in Guatemala, and all the businesses and schools are closed this week for the party. There will be lots of beautiful processions and stuff going on in all of the towns and villages too. This is the week that most people choose to visit Guatemala, although most of the tourists are in Antigua, a city just outside the capital, that is really beautiful.

Tomorrow is also the first day of the house 5-day fast, and I´m feeling a little nervous. Today we are eating less than normal, and then tomorrow we start properly. We are going to have 7 "meals" per day, alternating between a colon-cleansing bentonite clay stuff, and molasses, cayenne pepper and orange juice (or something). There are 5 of us doing the fast altogether, and already we feel like a group of close friends that are going to support one another through the fast.

Here's what I have learnt about fasting:

1) all major religions and cultures recommend some kind of fasting

2) fasting, together with the use of abrasives such as the bentonite are really good for cleaning out years worth of debris that allegedly accumulate in the colon, apparently we can expect to produce some amazing poops!

3) Our bodies work really hard all the time processing and digesting food. During a fast, the body takes a rest from this activity and can work on other things like repairing damaged bits.

4) After the third day of fasting, the sensation of hunger ceases

5) Fasting is a really good time for meditation and spiritual stuff

6) It's really difficult because even when you stop feeling hungry, all the other social and habitual aspects of eating and preparing food have to be dealt with.

7) I can expect to go through feelings of anger, depression, worthlessness, and tearfulness.

8) On around the 4th day of fasting, I may feel healthier, clearer, more focussed and better than I have ever felt in my life

Luckily for me I don't have to get up at 4.30 to go to La Selva and teach this week, as it's semana santa! Most of the fasters will be staying home, meditating, doing yoga and taking part in all the activities that we have prepared to while away the hours of misery. These include a Freecell tournament, a Dali jigsaw puzzle, millions of South Park videos, and a pooh competition. I'll also be going to work at the Language School, although I've warned them that my brain might not be up to much.

I wonder how I'll do? To be honest, I can't imagine going without food for 5 days, but I am quite interested. Obviously people manage to do it all the time, and as far as I know, I'm not much different from the average person. I wonder if my relationship with food will change as a result? I wonder if I'll achieve spiritual enlightenment (ok, probably not!).

What else? I'm going to try and come here each day and write how the fast is going. Maybe I can publish some photos of me in various states of misery and distress (grin).