Vanushka; the Gypsy Circus Performer & Other Tales of Intrigue


Yesterday I went to the cemetery. But I didn't just go because I wanted to see the cemetery; I went to see Vanushka.


Vanushka Cardenas Carajas, born in 1910, was a gypsy circus performer of Hungarian descent.  During one of her performances, when she asked for a volunteer from the audience, the volunteer was the governor's son. They fell madly and passionately in love, but neither's parents approved of their relationship. To put an end to things, the governor shipped his son off to Spain. When the circus was ready to move on from Xela, Vanushka decided to stay and wait for him. She fell into a deep depression, and died at age 17.


Local legend has it that if you ask Vanushka, she will reunite you with your lost love, or bring you the love you've been looking for.  Although I went with the mission of finding Vanushka, I found the entire cemetery to be thoroughly enchanting. It was the most beautiful place I've seen in Xela so far. Yesterday I posted quite a few pics, both on Instagram and Facebook, if you'd like to see more.


Look at this amazing house I stumbled upon the other day!! I have seen about five other buildings from this same era, but none as ornate and well preserved as this one. I have no idea what its history might be, but I'm guessing maybe a hospital.


This is where I get my laundry done. There aren't self serve laundromats here (unless you want to wash your clothes by hand), so I pay this place $4/load. It doubles as a church. 😂🤣


That big red building is my school, Casa Xelaju.


I walk by this broken-down Canadian van on the way to school every morning.


This is one of the "Internets" where I spend a lot of time. I didn't bring a laptop with me; just my iPad mini, and I often need a real keyboard. I want to call them Internet cafes but they aren't cafes at all. Just small rooms with tiny desks, and the cheapest, shittiest computers you've ever seen. There is one on every block. They typically charge 1 quetzal every 15 minutes, which comes out to 60 cents an hour. This particular one is also the office of the lawyer who owns it. She is not quiet, and I can tell you every detail of every case she's working on right now. The most interesting of which is trying to transfer title of a pickup truck while the owner is in jail. She also has a very sassy tween daughter that constantly talks back to her. 


This is my bakery. The make four different kinds of gluten free bread, as well as four gluten free desserts every day. I usually buy the peanut butter chocolate chip cookie because besides what's in the peanut butter and chocolate chips they don't add any sugar. Damn. Now I want one and THEY ARE CLOSED! CURSES!


Mari, Fernando, and I goofing off yesterday.

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