Coffee and Tea

I am getting accustomed to this new lifestyle, I think. The homesickness caught me off guard a little; well it was more of me simply realizing that I won’t be back for four months to see certain people that I will miss seeing almost every day. Keeping busy is a good thing - which I have definitely been managing to do! Yesterday I had my first day of class – 5 hours long! Beginning at eight and ending at one, when we then all go home for lunch with our families. The school provides us with unlimited coffee and tea, which is so nice! We drink coffee or tea with almost every meal here, I can get used to that! We all met our teachers, mine is Ana and she is really nice, and patient with me, because at the moment my Spanish suffers bit. Class has been going well and passes really fast.

Since our classes are outside, it is a little chilly in the morning. I have to bundle up with lots of layers, but it definitely keeps me awake and alert. Celas Maya offers afternoon activities every day and all of our group took advantage of the first day’s activity which was a hike up a mountain called La Muela (which means molar in Spanish, and it literally looked like a tooth!). It was a gorgeous hike, a little nerve-racking with the slippery rocks and all, while in other parts it seemed like we were rock climbing. The view from the top was incredible! It overlooked Xela and a few other cities.

When we all got back to Xela we went to a nearby restaurant to relax and have some drinks. We are making friends with other students at Celas from all over the world, some of them came along too. Since the typical dinnertime for most of us is 7 or 7:30, we all headed back to our houses around then.

After dinner I went with three other girls that go to a university in Montana to El Balcon del Enriquez (the café/restaurant with the balcony, one of my new favorite places). We sat on the balcony and sipped hot chocolate while talking about life. I am pretty sure that was the best cup of hot chocolate I have ever had. It tasted like a chocolate and almond candy bar melted in a mug, not to mention we were overlooking the beautiful city square and landscape of Xela.

I finally got to meet my host dad Juan Antonio and he is so nice and fun to talk with! I also met Esperanza, our housewife who is really sweet. We had lunch then I met back up with the group to go to Las Fuentes Georginas (the name of the hot springs near Xela that comes from the Zunil volcano), otherwise known as the “natural paradise.” I rode in the back of a truck the whole 45 minute drive there, through the mountains, gorgeous view! The place was beautiful, and the water so warm! I felt like it was the first time I had been warm since I left Minnesota, which seems a bit ironic to me, but makes sense they don’t heat the buildings here.

Today we walked to Trama Textiles, which is a company that ensures fare wages for craftswomen in Guatemala, helping provide them with an income. We learned how to weave, very cool. And now I’m off – off to salsa dancing!