How to take a shower in Guatemala without getting fried...



The shower head of DEATH!
Mwah-ha-haaa!


Hello!

And now a little advice on how to take a shower without being electrocuted. They aren't called "suicide showers" for nothing! 

First, there are no fancy "Hot" and "Cold" faucets in the showers here. Maybe if you're staying in one of the swanky hotels, but in 99% of the hotels and houses here, the water in the shower is either ON or OFF. Our shower has an especially fancy handle -- similar to those you'd see attached to an outside faucet.





See those wires coming out of the wall and going into the shower head? Those aren't for decoration. They are electric wires. Safe, huh?

Water + Electricity = DEATH


Our fancy on/off handle



..what could be a more natural combination? As tempted as you may be to adjust the aim of the shower head, DO NOT TOUCH IT WHILE THE WATER IS FLOWING! You will get zapped. It's not enough to kill you, but enough to get your attention. Besides, these shower heads point one way -- DOWN. They aren't on hinges, they aren't flexible, they only point down. They don't move. So don't bother touching them, ever.



One thing to keep in mind is the more water pressure going through the shower head, the colder the water coming out will be. It will zip through the shower head quickly, not giving it a lot of time to heat up. If you are like me and prefer a warm or hot shower (how silly of me) you turn the water on very slightly so it sloooowly oozes it way out of the shower head and comes out nice and toasty.


If you are staying at a low-end hotel or a hostel, I highly recommend wearing flip-flops in the shower. I'm not saying the cleaning crews at these places are lacking sanitary skills... Ok, yes. Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. Don't ever go barefoot in a shower here unless you are in a NICE hotel or staying at a house where you trust the host's cleanliness. Otherwise you run the risk of getting a fungus among us.

Oh, and there's no heat in the homes and hotels here. None. Nunca. Nada. Zilch. Zippo. It will be cold when you exit the shower. And all of the floors here are cold, hard tile. (Stress on the COLD part.) There's not a carpeted floor to be found. SO! Prepare to dry off quickly so ice doesn't form on your nether regions.

 

Another rainy day in Antigua Guatemala.

Agua Volcano in background

 

Ok, and other than that, it's been raining raining raining here. IT. RAINED. ALL. DAMN. DAY. YESTERDAY. It is miiiiiiiserable.



If this weather keeps up, I will certainly be blogging more since there's nothing else for me to do!

Stay thirsty my friends! And if you're thirsty for rainwater, come on down -- we have plenty to share!