The End and the Beginning

Feeling a little sentimental after our last group excursion of our Guatemala 2010 Study Abroad. This trip was definitely a fantastic way to bring the trip to a close. We traveled first to Rio Dulce, Guatemala. After a few hours of classes in the morning and a ten hour bus ride, we had the pleasure of taking a boat to our hotel La Tortugal, right on the river. We had a nice dinner there (I ate the mandarin chicken salad and a licuado, so good). Sleeping was really nice since I was staying in a cabin that was like a porch, with only screens and a thatched roof. The fun part was that it rained most of the night, pretty hard to. So some of us got a little wet, but it was great listening to the wildlife when we went to sleep, and then to wake up to hear the rain.

For once we were able to sleep in the next day and have a nice relaxing breakfast. Then we went down the river to the ruins of the Castillo de San Felipe, where we had a tour of the castle ruins then went swimming with the locals in the river. After we left we went to a restaurant to eat lunch, which took two hours for them to serve our food, and it wasn’t even anything too exciting. Then we had a nice boat ride scenic tour of Rio Dulce, along the jungle and through a canyon to a hot springs where we went swimming for a little while. Then to arrive a little later at our hotel in Livingston, which is right on the water where Rio Dulce connects with the Caribbean. Our hotel rooms were like simple little cabins with two beds and lots of cockroaches. We went out for dinner at a nice restaurant on the water, and I tried a special dish that is only made in the Livingston area, with fish, shrimp, crab, coconut milk, and plantains – so good. The rest of the night we relaxed in the hammocks on the dock, talked, and stared at the stars.

Early departure the next morning for the island of Flores. Once there we took a hike through the jungle where we saw and heard howling monkeys! They are so loud and sound really scary, but they are so little! After our walk we went swimming in the lake then returned to our hotel to get ready for dinner. We had dinner on our own and scoped out a cute little restaurant where the food was good, not too expensive, and it was 2 for 1 happy hour! Later we went to a café called Las Puertas to see a singer/songwriter from Mexico, Jose Bernardo, perform. The best part yet is that John told him that I like to sing and play, so before he finished playing he asked me to come up and play a song, so I played three songs for the few people that were there. It was great! My first experience performing in which I introduced myself in Spanish (hopefully I’ll have more of those someday).

At one of my regular cafes right now where a few of my Guatemalan friends work, El Infinito, and something that really strikes me is that people here really take the time to stop and see how I am doing. It’s not that typical “oh hey, how are you?” as the person passes and doesn’t even turn around. Here it’s different, we greet each other with a kiss on the cheek and look each other in the eyes and ask each other how we really are, and then we both respond, honestly. This is something that I will really miss.

Sincerity, in all of their love, care, actions, and in every word they speak. Saying goodbye today to my family and those of others, I truly felt a pure and heartfelt care. At least 4 times I was told that I will always have a home here in Guatemala if I come back – which I am really hoping to do. Right now I am sitting in our hostel Guate City, the “Airport Hotel,” and this entire day I feel as though I am in a transition phase. The hard part of leaving teachers, friends, families, and my new “family” of everyone in our group is over, and now we are still in Guate, but I am not with my family or friends at home. I just said goodbye to a lot of people, but will soon be greeting many.

This past week has been kind of a blur, but I successfully went out every night. Starting on Sunday of last week we went out for dinner at a little meat comedor with Ronaldo. He was leaving early so he couldn’t come to our graduation – so sad. So that was great, then we went for one last stop at Micky D’s in central park. Monday night a bunch of us hung out at Smoothies Rum then I went out with Rach, Steph, John, and his friend Sam who was visiting to King and Queen then finished up in the empty Aguile, drinking Sam Libres – so good. Tuesday night we chilled at Ojala for a while. Wednesday night we went to celebrate John’s acceptance into an Indian fellowship program by going to Sabor de India, Pool and Beer and La Parranda. Thursday was our graduation at Celas Maya. It was a really great night. The theme was Guatemalan holidays, and the teachers had it all decorated with traditional decorations, candles, and they served us all sorts of yummy typical food. It was raining and chilly of course, but that was alright. We all gave a little speech when we received our diplomas, I spoke a few words, read a poem I wrote in Spanish, and sang one of my songs. Everyone really liked it – a few of the teachers made me play the next day during break in the garden by the fountain when John brought out his guitar. Anyway, after the dinner/ceremony was done, they cranked up the music and we danced for a while, then a few of the teachers and us went to La Parranda, Ojala, and Aguile.

Friday I went to class for a little while just because. I did go to my last day of yoga also. I forgot to mention that last week Kevin had told me that I should really think about becoming an instructor; he also said that if I was sticking around longer I could take over a few classes – wow, that means a lot. He is super good at what he does, and really knows what he is talking about, so hearing that from him was really surprising to me.

Friday evening a bunch of us girls went with our maestros Julia and Carolina out to Café de Luna (a really cute café very well-known for their chocolate drinks, I got a chocolate moka). After that we headed to Smoothies, to drink some mojitos and we met up with John, and Nora’s mom came out with us too. From there we went to Ojala, and I was absolutely drained so we chilled there for a while, then I hit the hay.

Saturday morning we made a last trip to La Democracia. I bought some underwear, sandals, and vegetables. I made a really yummy bean, tomato and avocado salsa/salad for lunch for my family. It was sad though because their dog, Corredor disappeared that morning, they were guessing that someone stole it. So they were all distraught, and I felt a little uncomfortable because I didn’t know what to do. In the afternoon I finished and sent in my paper for my last class, which marked the official end of my junior year – kinda scary. So I think that technically makes me a senior now!!??

My host mom, Karla, made a yummy shrimp lemon pasta for our special dinner on Saturday night. I gave them my card, the picture I printed off of us to put in their picture frame I gave them at the beginning of my stay, and a bottle of honey I bought in San Lucas. A little later those of us left in Xela went to Casa Babylon to drink, chat and chill for a while. Everyone was a little tense from packing and knowing what will come the next day. After that we went to a place right by Infinito for a live concert (this was a pretty cool place, it was a bummer we hadn’t discovered it before). Had a few cobra libres there, and then headed to Aguile one last time.

Up bright and early Sunday morning for our bus which left at 7:30 from our gate. Everyone was a mess of tears and emotions when we were saying our goodbyes. Then we all started balling when we were driving away – it was pretty funny looking back on it, a van full of 8 emotion-filled girls.

We made it to our hostel, the Airport Inn, literally right across from the airport, and were there to relax for the rest of the day. We watched a few movies, slept a little, relaxed, ordered pizza for dinner, and crashed for the night. Then only to the airport to attempt our flight out. Well we ended up waiting about two six hours for a flight that never happened. It was cancelled and they gave us vouchers to “the nicest hotel in Guatemala City” and two meal tickets. We were so frustrated at that point. First of all, they didn’t tell us right away that it was cancelled; they only told us it would be delayed. Then when they announced it was cancelled, we waited in line for over two hours trying to figure out what to do to get our flight changed, receiving absolutely no help, they finally sent us to pick up our luggage and go back to the check-in counter. We then waited there for over an hour while they changed our flights. It seemed like they really didn’t know what to do, what to do with us, or how to deal with the situation which was very frustrating. Then we seemed to have run-ins with unfriendly workers which is never a pleasant experience.

Sigh, then finally we took our shuttle to a hotel which was elegantly nice. In fact, a little too nice for Guatemala it seems. Don’t get me wrong, it was a very nice luxury to have a full, all inclusive stay at a hotel for a night, but we did feel that it was a bit over the top, especially after all that we have witnessed and experienced while we have been here. But we fully took advantage of our free services.

We went down to the dining room for our “lunch” even though it was 6 pm. I ate ceviche and drank orange juice and coffee. We made a friend, Adam, who was travelling by himself so he joined us to eat and chat for a while. Another lady came and talked with us for a while, sharing about her volunteer experience here with a mission group from her church (we made lots of friends who were stranded with us). Then we returned to our rooms to shower and relax, then back down for dinner, which was a buffet of course. I had some fish and a nice mixture of salad, then lots of fruit and some interesting desserts/tarts. Back to our room once again, for a nice relaxing movie of Alice in Wonderland, and some Chamomile tea.

And that brings me to now where we are once again waiting for our flight, which should be taking off soon…

No Leaving it Behind

I have come to the expected moments that everyone seems to experience while abroad. I have begun to panic just a little, for the fact that I only have just over a month left here and I feel like there is so much left still to experience and accomplish. I want to keep learning and using Spanish, I want to know more of Guatemala and see all there is to see, I want to continue learning as much about myself as I do every day here, I want to strengthen and build my friendships that I have made here. Then I step back and realize that everything I have had the opportunity to learn and in all of the ways I have grown, I will take this with me, there is no way to leave it behind.

As I sit in Café Baviera, my new favorite (with fantastic music), I simply want to take in all of the joys in life. It has so much to give and yet I too often find myself soaked up in everything I want to take that I cannot find. Changing my lifestyle and surroundings here in Guatemala has definitely opened up my eyes to a greater world need – structural, economical, social, environmental, and the list continues. I may have thought I was not immune to the suffering and hardships of other people, which I don’t believe I ever was, but being surrounded by it for longer than just a short time, constantly being approached with empty hats asking for money, or having adorable little girls and boys come up to me on the streets trying to sell bracelets and candy, really touches my heart. The feeling of helplessness overwhelms me, and the best I can do for them at that moment is look into their eyes and give them a genuinely loving look from inside.

Continuing with our group excursions, we travelled to El Salvador for the long weekend of March 10-14th. The first night on our way there we visited Rafael Landivar University in Guatemala City. They put on a program for us where we learned about the Mayan calendar cycle and social practices in everyday life; saw a short drama performed by a few students, and Rafael Rosales (director of Las Cruces film about the internal conflict in Guatemala) presented a clip of his film. We then ate dinner at Frida’s, a nice Mexican restaurant.

The next morning we met with the Human Rights office of the Archbishop of Guatemala. We then went into the garage where Monseñor Gerardi was assassinated. Then we were off for our 6 hour trip to San Salvador, El Salvador. Once there we met with a professor of Pastoral Theology from the Jesuit University of Central America (UCA) about the pastoral reality of the preferential option for the poor today in El Salvador. For dinner we went up where there was a gorgeous lookout of the city, and feasted on some traditional El Salvadorian food of papoosas. Basically the best way to describe these would be like a pancake quesadilla with your choice of meat, beans, and cheese inside. Then back to our “hotel” for the night. I stayed in a room with 6 other girls, and had I known what it felt like to live in an orphanage, I’m pretty sure this would have felt the same. It was pretty funny, and the 7 of us couldn’t stop singing Annie songs the whole time we were there.

Friday, March 12th was the 33rd anniversary celebration of the martyrdom of Fr. Rutilio Grande and his companions. We participated in the pilgrimage to the place of “Las Tres Cruces,” where there was an Ecumenical Prayer said and we were part of the big procession. We then finished off the pilgrimage to Plaza Rutilio Grande in El Paisnal, where they had Mass and an offering of flowers. The weather is very warm and dry in El Salvador, as well as the sun being very intense. Needless to say, after a 1 ½ hour walk in the direct sunlight, we were hot and tired. The rest of the afternoon after we returned to San Salvador, we went to the mall to cool off and relax for a while (and of course get some ice cream). For dinner I tried calamari – very tasty, and a choco-banana shake, which I am going to be making a lot of when I return home.

Saturday we visited Divina Providencia, the site of Archbishop Romero’s murder. We toured the chapel where Romero was killed and toured the house he lived in. It was a moving experience, after having learned about all of Romero’s work for the poor of El Salvador, then imagining his murder in the church during mass. Lunch was at a place called Cooperative El Jicaro, a place of local development and eco-development and tourism. We dined on fish and shrimp. The next day we had a long, 10 hour bus-ride back to Xela.

Last week wasn’t anything too out of the ordinary for us, though St. Patrick’s Day was a good time. We went to a nearby bar/lounge where they served green beer and green jello-shots. There were a lot of “gringos” there, especially since Guatemalans really don’t celebrate St. Patty’s Day – when I ask them about it, most of them didn’t know it existed or had only heard about it.

This past Friday some of our group travelled to the highlands about an hour outside of Xela just outside of the village of Totonicapán to a nature preserve/community owned forest called Aprisca. It is an eco-tourism draw, and one of the few places in Guatemala where kids can come learn about the forest and nature. Molly, an alum of St. Ben’s is working there as part of the Peace Corp. I felt right at home there, like I stepped into the north woods of Minnesota – the fresh smell of pine trees brought me right back home. We also learned about herbs that are grown there and Mayan remedies. There were 8 of us that spent the night (there are a few cabins there). It was a really great, relaxing weekend. We had the chance to play some fun “camp games” like human knot, ninjas, and relay races. Of course we had a campfire and sing-along that night, and roasted some pink, strawberry-flavored bunny marshmallows (otherwise known as Angelitos here).

The morning brought another walk through the woods with some binoculars and a bird-book. Then a trip to the market in Totonicapán. Despite the number of times I have visited them, I remain overwhelmed at the markets here. Imagine a truck-full of plantains, piles upon piles of fresh fruits and vegetables (all sold for a very minimal price), fresh fish, seafood, and meats hanging for display – which leaves a disturbing smell in the air and me without an appetite for a while, barrels of dried beans and rice, and more. Then once we made our way inside, this is where they sell the brightly – colored indigenous clothing, shoes, pottery, and much more.

On Saturday we are off to the island of Roaton in Honduras for Holy Week! Bliss. Hopefully all goes well!!

A Kitten and Some Chicks on a Chicken Bus

So, once again procrastinating on my homework to write my blog – works for me! I have noticed that I have not been nearly as good at keeping up with my daily journaling and more frequent blogs, but ‘tis life. A girl gets busy sometimes, especially in another country this will happen. Everything has been going well here in Xela. Everyone in our group went through the seasonal cold, since this is the time of a slight climate change here. My Spanish class was interesting for the few days that I didn’t have a voice, but I made it through and am now feeling happy and healthy again.
I will start with a week and a half ago on Wednesday, was a celebration in Central Park for the Superchivos soccer team of Xela. There was a concert, and lots of people (many venders of course as well). My host dad was very excited to take us all (he is an avid Superchivos fan). So we all took the short walk to the square around 8:30 and hung out for about an hour. It was a great “family outing,” I don’t get to see my host dad very much so when I do get to spend time with him it’s really great. He is really fun to talk to, and we have some great conversations. There was also a live salsa band playing at La Parranda from the Buena Vista social club (a group started a while back in Cuba) – so of course, despite how tired I was, I could not pass up a Wednesday night of dancing. The rest of the week and into the weekend was pretty routine. Out dancing on Friday after the party at the school, and out to the café to do some homework on Saturday. Saturday night we had a fun fiesta at John and Dennis’s apartment to watch the Olympics and cook some Guatemalan food! We made enchiladas, guacamole, beans, salsa, tostadas, carrot-lime salad, platanos, and horchata. Everyone dressed up as Olympian participants or fans, it was a great time, especially since I had not been able to watch any Olympics up to this point (my family doesn’t have the channel they showed on), which was driving me crazy! The best part of the night, though, was getting to pick up Monica from the bus station in Xela! She came to visit Rachel and I for the week.
Obviously last week was craziness, since we had all of our classes and a guest here to entertain. It was such a blast though! We took her out every night to get a taste of the city. A different café or bar each night, with people from our group and some of our friends from Celas. We even made an 11 O’ Clock McDonald’s run – the ice cream there tastes different than in the states, and so good.
A trip to the beach is always a good time, so a few of us decided to go this past weekend. We only went for one night because Monica’s flight left on Sunday. Short but intense trip. So we set out on Friday morning at 6:30 and headed to the terminal where we would board our first chicken bus of the day. Chicken busses are their main form of local transportation here in Guate, they can be described as old school busses, festively decorated with many colors on the outside, and the inside leaves some to be desired, and I’m pretty sure the name comes from their method of seeing just how full they can cram these things. 3, sometimes 4 to a seat on some of them. So we had to take a total of 3 buses to get to our destination of Monterrico. Expecting it to take us about 5 or 6 hours, we didn’t arrive to our destination until after a good 8 hours. We were so exhausted, hot and sticky by the time we got there. Drastic weather change to humid and very warm – which I didn’t mind at all, once we were finally on the beach.
We found a nice hotel to stay at for an equivalent of about $10/person/night – mosquito net included! As soon as we were able we hit the beach to relax and enjoy the water, which had a very strong current so all of us took our turns wiping out while wading. It was such a sense of freedom though, to finally be there on the beach, taking in the vastness of it all. Monterrico is a black sand beach on the Pacific Ocean. The black sand was fun! We watched the gorgeous sunset. Our dinner consisted of PBJ sandwiches, fruit, and some vegetables that we had brought with us from the market the day before. Living classy and cheap is what we do. But it was great! I hadn’t had a PBJ sandwich since I left the states! That night we lay on the beach for a few hours, watching the shining bright stars and listening to the waves crash on the shore - I fell asleep to this for a while – it was perfect.
Facing the early morning the next day, we met a tour guide for a boat ride down the canal at 5:30. We saw lots of wildlife, mostly different kinds of birds, many interesting plants and trees, and best of all the sunrise. It was very junglesque. So we got back and after our breakfast of PBJ we were on the beach before 8:30, talk about good time management! We were able to enjoy the beach for a while that morning until we had to leave at 11am. We wanted to make sure to get back in time before the buses stopped running, since they don’t leave after dark and with our luck, it would have been dark had we not left that early. We ended up with a record time of 5 ½ hours for the trip back – wohoo!
We met some interesting people along our way, as one usually does when travelling; it’s always fun to make new friends. We also had the privilege of riding one chicken bus with baby chicks – Mom, I thought you would like this – they were tweeting the entire way. Another bus we rode with a kitten that was wrapped in a sack, it started to meow, then must have went back to sleep (I hope…). On one bus ride a man (must have been a preacher) stood up and gave us a sermon, making us all feel guilty about spending our money on going to the beach instead of giving it away to the poor people. Strong words he had to say…
Seeing the families, sometimes all in one seat, asleep, was so sweet. Every time we stopped our bus would be bombarded by venders that came onto the bus to sell us anything from fruit, candy, ice-cream, fried platanos, sandwiches, etc. They literally line up outside the bus when it stops, and some hop on, sell their stuff, and then get off at the next stop. I had a hard time watching people through their litter out the window at least 4 times – I guess it’s a culture thing, but it’s still made me cringe to witness it so many times in one day. I was really touched though, one of the buses all of us were standing for a portion of the ride, then one by one, men sitting in the aisle seats offered their seats to us. A simple act of kindness that means so much.
So that was the outline of our crazy adventures last weekend. Times like those that are worth the experience. For time’s sake I didn’t include all of the funny stories, but all eight of us who went definitely have some good times to look back on, and plenty of things to laugh about.

Life in the Ixil Triangle

Yay for Ginger tea at the Blue Angel! Oh the love of spending the afternoon at a coffee-shop, talking with the girl friends, and studying. A few afternoons of my week last week consisted of this. These last few weeks have been a little more laid back. I decided that I need to take some time to be with my host family, and explore this beautiful city that I live in. Exploring the city street markets is an adventure in itself! I am immediately bombarded with eight different smells that I am hardly able to identify, and so many stores that sell some funky, random things – like an entire store selling anything and everything you could ever want that is made out of plastic. Lots of second-hand clothing stores, and tons of shoes! I do love the fact that I bought 20 tangerines for 5 Quetzals (which is about 65 cents!). I don’t feel too guilty about my never-ending fruit cravings when I can buy it on the streets for that cost!

I have been continuing with regularity my hobbies of yoga and going out to dance. I go to yoga once or twice a day (yes, I am addicted) and we go out dancing usually about twice a week. I am going to start taking salsa lessons next week – very excited for that. Also continuing to play my guitar frequently, as well as bringing it with on all of our excursions.

Friday we left for our excursion to the Guatemalan highlands and ended our destination in Nebaj, which is the Southwest corner of the Ixil Triangle. The van-ride through the mountains lasted about 6 hours, and I’m just going to say that I am surprised our 20-passenger van survived this ride (although there was one point when we had to stop to pick up our fender which fell off). There were a few times we scraped the bottom, I’m surprised they don’t make the wheels bigger on those things. It was so curvy, hilly, and steep! We had to stop a few times to let the breaks cool down. The view was never-failingly gorgeous though!

After checking into our hotel we had a really nice lunch on the balcony of a nearby restaurant. Overlooking the little city of Nebaj, it was hard to believe that only 30 years ago this city was massacred, houses and fields were burned, people were killed, and so much heartache swept through the entire area of the Ixil Triangle, which consists of the three cities of Nebaj, Chajul, and Cotzal. This is one of the most poor and isolated parts of Guatemala. The indigenous villages in this area suffered horrible massacres during Guatemala’s 36-year long civil war, and lived in extreme poverty with no electricity, access to water, and lacked basic services like schools and healthcare. In the late 1970’s and 1980’s this area was enveloped in much violence. The government believed this to be the main operating point of the Guerilla Army of the Poor (EGP). Because of this the government armies wiped out entire villages and populations in an attempt to end the EGP. Families were forced to move into the mountains in an attempt to hide. Since this time many villagers have returned to the villages to rebuild their homes and villages.

A majority of the people of this area wear traditional indigenous clothing. Their textiles are so intricate and beautiful. Greens, reds, yellows, and oranges are worn with red cortes (skirts). Most women wear a traje, a headcloth made of hand-woven fabric decorated with tassels that they pile above their heads. Hardly any men wear traditional clothing, they usually buy secondhand American clothing. Many of the people here speak the Mayan language of Ixil, which is a very neat language to listen to! So many different sounds they put together, and they speak with a specific rhythm that seems to sound like they are reciting a poem.

We met with a group called REMHI (Recuperación de Memoria Histórica). This is a collective movement that works to rebuild and gather and present the effects of violence in different afflicted areas of the world. They gather the thoughts of the victims and survivors of violence and offer proposals and guidance and work toward social reconstruction. This particular group focuses on the area of the Ixil Triangle, and has been developing many very beneficial programs, such as healthcare, pharmacies, education programs, ect. After this we walked up to an altar on a hill to see a Mayan New Year ceremony. This was a very unique experience. After the ceremony they served us bread and hot chocolate (these two things are very common in Guatemala I have realized).

Sunday we met with the Movimiento Desarraigados (Movement of People Uprooted by the War). A few men shared their personal stories of their experiences, one as a guerilla, and the other as a Church board member. As I explained earlier, the lives of these families were so difficult. During this war so many families were forced into hiding in the mountains without food, heat, or other necessities. The thing that frustrates them the most they told us is that there is no justice. No one is being punished for the extreme violence that was committed against them. Also the fact that the United States Government still is not recognizing the wrong-doing of the Guatemalan government, ant the help that the US had provided.

We then left for a 2 hour hike to Acul (Finca San Antonio), which was a farm owned and run by Italians with a Swiss cheese factory. We ate lunch there of tortillas with melted Swiss cheese, salsa, and spaghetti. We then took a tour of the farm.

Monday was another early morning and long day. We took the van to a little dark room in the neighboring town of Chajul to meet with some community members who were victims of the Guerra. Here in this room with no light, women told personal testimonies of their hardships and tragedies during the war. Many of them lost their husbands and children to the murders of the army. It was heart-wrenching to hear these experiences and see the faces of these women and families. By the end of our visit there were so many community people in that room, children and all. They were so grateful to us for coming, and didn’t want us to leave. They offered to show us their houses and spend more time with us. The just wanted to share with us their hardship and the difficulties they are still having trying to thrive, so that we can take this back with us and let people know what has happened and the circumstances they are still forced to live with. They sent us off with a blessing, which was so touching. A few of us left with tears in our eyes, and all of us, a sense of helplessness and desire to fix all of their problems right here and now.

All of these little pueblos we passed through had nice communities of chickens, turkeys, pigs, dogs, cats, sheep, cows, horses, and goats roaming free around the towns and fields. The houses were all mostly little shacks and it is clear that they all work very hard every day too complete simple, necessary tasks in up keeping their families. Everywhere we went people would stop and watch us walk by. It’s not very often that they get to see “gringos” passing through. These aren’t exactly “tourist highlights” but there is so much beauty to this part of the country that I wish more people could see.

We then took a 4 hour hike through the mountains to a little pueblo where three women brought us into a home and fed us a typical indigenous meal of Boxboles (pronounced Boshbol). It was very interesting, but quite tasty! After returning from our hike we were all exhausted, but still had to last through the 6 hour drive home.

And once again I have written an essay, but there is so much to say so much to do, and so many emotions. Now our group is back in Xela for one day, then off to Mexico for a few days!

Semuc Champey

Last week’s Wednesday dancing adventure consisted not only of a great time dancing Salsa, Meringue, Hip-Hop and Reggae, but also of Jana and I winning the limbo contest! That was a good time – we were the stars of the night (but wait, when are we not…haha).

Last weekend’s trip to Semuc Champey was incredible. This was a great get-away from the city life of Xela, and into a beautiful natural atmosphere – someplace I would go for a dream vacation. We left on Thursday morning at 11, the bus ride was very long, total of 10 hours, but so beautiful. I haven’t experienced a drive yet that wasn’t full of awesome views to take in. The first night we stayed at a hotel called Casa de mi Abuela in Coban. We had dinner there and took it easy since everyone was tired after a morning in class and 7 hours in the bus.

Friday morning we left for Semuc. When we got to a town about 45 minutes outside of Semuc, we transferred our bags and ourselves (all 19 of us) into a pickup truck to drive through the mountain the rest of the way there. I believe that more than half of the people riding in the back couldn’t feel at least some part of their body by the time we got there, but it was a good time.

The hotel we stayed at was very close to the Semuc Champey national park. My teacher told me that Semuc is one of the Seven Wonders of Guatemala. It was a gorgeous setting. We were right by the lake, with cabins, a hammock, a little outside restaurant/bar where we ate our meals, a sweet water swing, and a place for campfires – we were all set for a great weekend! After settling in we all set out to explore Semuc. We took a hike up to the mirador (lookout) at the top of a cliff, where we could see the little waterfalls and pools of water amidst the valley of the tree-covered cliffs. Amazing view! By the time we reached the top everyone was hot, sweaty, and very ready to jump in the water (though we did have to hike down first of course).

Jumping in the water felt so great! It was pretty entertaining trying to make our way from pool to pool, sliding around on the slippery rocks (we felt and looked like we were learning to walk again) and sliding down or climbing up the mini water falls to get to each body of water. It reminded me of the movie Fern Gully, with the forest and the valley. We spent the afternoon relaxing here, then went back to relax at our hotel. By the time dinner came around everyone was very ready to eat, it had been a long day. After dinner some of us did some dancing – Salsa, Meringue, Cha-cha and Swing. John, our assistant director rocks at dancing, and he likes to teach us new moves whenever we get the chance. A little later I and a few other people jumped off the water swing. Then to warm up, we sat around a campfire, played some guitar and sang.

Saturday we left around 9 for a tour of the caves. This time I felt like I was in the Goonies. We all got candles to carry, and spent about 2 hours in the caves. We were in the water the entire time and it got really cold, but we hardly noticed the temperature because it was such a cool experience. We got to climb up a waterfall, slide down this shoot thing, and make our way to the end of the cave where we all put out our candles for a few minutes and sat in complete darkness. Once we made it back out into the sun again, we all got to float on tubes down the river and soak in the sun we had missed for the last two hours. The rest of the afternoon we spent relaxing in the sun, and going off the rope swing.

KAWOQ

First excursion from Xela was successful and very enjoyable. Leaving on Friday at 11, we had a 3 hour drive to Antigua, Guatemala (which was the original capital of the country). Antigua is a beautiful city full of history and many beautiful sites and ruins. The ambiance is very different than Xela, since it is a very large tourist attraction. The city is bustling with people from all over the world, who are on a vacation and there to have a good time. The comparison to Xela was something that was neat to see, after living in Xela for 2 weeks.

Besides everything being more expensive, some of the hotels, restaurants, shops, and other attractions were incredible! Antigua is known for their Jade, and there are a few Jade stores with museums and tours. This was an interesting taste of the history and background of the Mayans and the official stone of Guatemala. I bought a jade necklace with my Mayan symbol, which is the KAWOQ, meaning thunder being, or storm. According to the Mayan Calendar I carry the energy of the group, operating from the spiritual world with universal consciousness; I am youthful; restless; friendly; multi-faceted; a good learner and teacher; drawn to philosophy or religion; and show concern for healing and purification. Sounds pretty accurate overall(minus the stormy part...) – way to go Mayans!

We did enjoy some of the tourist attractions while in Antigua. After a long day of exploring museums on Saturday, a group of us ate at a restaurant on the balcony, overlooking the ruins of the old Cathedral. That night for dinner we went to a place called Sky Café, where we sat on balcony once again, to enjoy the view of the city at night while we ate our dinner and sipped our drinks.

The central park is beautiful night and day, but especially when it is all lit up at night. The Cathedral is all lit up as well, perfect for a nighttime stroll. The park was always bustling with people so on our last day there, I sat with a friend eating breakfast and people – watching. It was enjoyable but hard to handle at the same time. Amidst the happy, hearty tourists were Guatemalans with disabilities, going around asking to take pictures for money, or trying to sell souvenirs. Seeing this and the homeless in the streets in contrast to the “high life” of the tourists (myself included) gives me a very unsettled feeling. It is hard for me to continue living my life and in comparison to some, it seems almost throwing money to the wind, while others have that kind of life.

While in Antigua we visited an organization called Common Hope. This is a sponsored program that aids families in sending their children to school, gives free medical care, provides resources for better living, and also provides housing for those who need it. This program has a great method of approaching poverty. They start with the families themselves, and once they are able to get their children prepared and sent to school, working closely with the families, the program helps alleviate all of the factors that may deter from the children’s learning and development. The policy of the organization is that the family must work by putting in time at the center, a certain number of hours, before they can receive their house or stove (which are made to help improve health conditions in the home). This is such a great way to help families get off their feet and live their life without the worries of those simple needs. This organization has helped so many children and families and is an inspiration that there are people and programs making a big difference in the lives of others – not only short-term but a long term effect.

So to flash back to last week, on Monday I went to a class in the afternoon on typical phrases and expressions of Spanish and the locals – very interesting, and useful “street phrases.” On Wednesday we went to Aguas Amargas, which is a center lf thermal waters located in Zunil. The water was warm and the view was spectacular! We were amidst a mountain cliff and had a great view of the Santa Maria Volcano. Then of course I went salsa dancing on Wednesday night! Thursday I learned how to make empanadas – a traditional Guatemalan dish with rice tortillas, meat, vegetables and salsa.

I can’t believe how early I have been going to bed the last few nights, such a drastic change from my normal schedule back home. But it makes sense when I look at my typical daily routine: 6am wakeup, 6:50am-7:50 Yoga, 8am-1pm Spanish class, 1:15-2pm lunch with my family, 2:30-5pm excursions/activities planned through Celas/ or doing homework, TCB, 5:15-7pm Yoga again (sometimes), 7:30pm dinner with my family, 8:15-11pm finish homework/ go to a coffeshop to study/ hang out with the group, 11pm my eyes are heavy and I am ready for bed! Wednesday nights are an exception because those are the nights we go dancing ‘til about 12:30am.

I have a new Spanish teacher now (we switch every two weeks), so it is nice to have a little change, though I do miss my old one. My new teacher is a little tougher, but that will be god for me because I really want to learn as fast as possible! Language is a frustrating subject to master and the sooner the better. I also have two new people staying in my house here. They are indigenous Guatemalans from Cichitenango who are studying in the University here in Xela. I ate dinner with one tonight – he is only 17 and is going to school here in Xela. His sister is 19 and is going to a University here. It will be nice to have some other “siblings” to talk with in Spanish.

Okay so I feel like I am writing an essay, you would think I get enough of that in school but I guess since it is all in Spanish now I need to get my English fix. We have started our class with our director, Brother Dennis, which we are having once a week. I really like it so far, the theme is globalization, spirituality and social justice. Right now we are discussing the issue of globalization and the preferential option for the poor – which seems to fit in perfectly with our experiences and the concepts that I am currently struggling to deal with. There is no perfect solution, but there is much to be understood and explored and that is the very best place to start.

At Home in my New Home

So besides my new hobby of salsa dancing, I am now going regularly to yoga classes at a place nearby where I live. Christy, my host sister from Australia, introduced me to this place called the House of Yoga, and I really like it! At the moment I am motivated enough to go in the mornings before my eight o’clock Spanish class – we’ll see how long that lasts!

Day by day I am feeling more at home. As I get more comfortable with my conversation skills, I am noticing that I really enjoy speaking with my family, my teacher and others. Still stumbling for words quite a bit but that will be the case for a while I’m sure. Some days are better than others. As a result of my improving Spanish, unfortunately my English is suffering, that is somewhat entertaining. I definitely feel as though this trip is completely a hands-on experience. My learning continues throughout the entire day, and my mind is constantly spinning with Spanish phrases and words. I am constantly trying new foods, which I find very fun. I can't even remember all of the names of the food that I have tried. I am enjoying the Guatemalan sense of time as well!

Sunday morning I walked to the Cathedral, which is nearby in the Central Park. It is gorgeous, and very large! It was a neat experience. I am hoping that I will understand a little more of the service/homily each weak as my vocabulary expands.

We are getting to know the local cafés and restaurants that are close to us. Sunday night us girls had a fun chill night and went out for smoothies at a place nearby called Blue Angel. Then on Sunday night a group of us went to one of our favorite places, El Cuartito, to study and chat - a great way to end the weekend. I am really appreciating this opportunity for developing relationships and simply enjoying time with the people around me, both in our group, and the local people. I seem to feel a sense of freedom that I didn’t feel back in the US.

Vino, Queso, y Volcanes

Well I haven’t gotten sick yet! Although I really shouldn’t talk too soon because I will probably be the next one… I can’t believe I am already done with my first week of 25 hours of Spanish class! I already feel like I can talk easier with my family. Today we had a really nice lunch of tacos that my host dad, Juan Antonio made for us. Our lunch lasted about an hour and a half because we sat around and talked for a while after. Communicating is still a struggle and a bit frustrating for me, but I feel like I am constantly improving. My host dad even told me that I speak well (though I know he is just being nice), he is really good about speaking slowly and clearly for me, and explaining anything that I don’t understand.

Wednesday nights are salsa nights for students here at the school. We get free lessons at a discoteca called La Parrumba. It was a great night, we hung around and danced until 12:30, and my feet hurt so much from dancing all night – definitely worth it though! And the great thing is that it’s Guatemala, so of course everyone there knows how to salsa and meringue really well. Sometimes that’s a bit overwhelming though, and hard to follow!

Thursday night some of us went to a café nearby, El Cuartito, to hear a rap-like performance of some poetry. It was a neat experience! I tried my first liquado con leche (basically like a smoothie), and was so delicious!

Friday was a pretty laid back day. After classes a few of us went exploring around the town to find some wine and cheese for the graduation party at Celas that night - wine is so inexpensive here! Every Friday the school has a graduation celebration for those who “graduate” from the school (basically anyone who is done with their time there and not coming back the next week). Each week is a different theme and this one was vino con queso. It was a nice get-together, and we said goodbye to our new friends we made from Montana.

This morning we all met at 5 am for a hike. We hiked partway up a mountain to a lookout with a fantastic view of the Santiaguito volcano. It erupts about every 45 minutes, and we stayed to watch two eruptions. It was so cold until the sun came over the mountain, then it felt great! Our tour guides even brought a pan and stove to make us hot chocolate! The hot chocolate here is so good, and really rich, they use real chocolate bars to make it.

Still missing family and friends, but overall everything is going well. Our group is getting closer every day, and I look forward to the incredible times that are to come…

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!

Jumping In

So the journey begins. We arrived in Xela yesterday evening around 9pm after a 5 hour bus ride from Guatemala City. At Celas Mayas (our Spanish school which is literally right across the street from where I live) we all met with our host mothers. My host mom Karla, we walked to her house and she showed me my room and around the house. Quant and simple, but really nice. I live with Karla, her husband Juan Antonio, and their five-year-old son Juan. My host family has another student, Christi, also attending Celas Maya. She is from Australia! We talked mostly in Spanish because she said she will not let herself talk in English-not a bad idea. We enjoyed some great conversation over cookies, tea and port.

I then went to my room and got settled in, unpacked everything and tried to process everything that has happened in the last few days. So many emotions and abrubt changes. Being thrown into not only an entirely different culture, but another language is definitely a challenge, but a good one. I am really excited to start classes so I can improve my communication (which is really lacking at the moment).

Today we met the group and the directors of the program for a nice welcome breakfast at a nearby hotel. All of us students then went out to explore the city. We had a good time finding our way around. There was a market that only happens one Sunday a month, so we did a little looking around-I bought a purse. When I came home my host mom took me to her mother´s home, which is also the home of Ashley. We all enjoyed lunch together.

I appreciate all of the small things that are different from our culture, for example, on our way to lunch we picked up some fresh tortillas at a store. Karla´s mother and Ashley had just gone to the market to get some cucumbers and tomatoes for a salad. This is a nice change from buying food to have on hand for a week in advance. Simplicity is a way of life that I believe I will get used to very quickly.

After enjoying lunch we had a nice long conversation with Karla and her mother. Then Ashley and I took a little nap in her room before we met up with the group again. This evening after exploring a little more with the group, we went to a restaurant with a balcony in Central Park and sat up there, enjoying some coffee and drinks. Finally having the chance to soak it all in, we then went to the Park and enjoyed the sights, sounds, smells and life surrounding us.