Chiapas and Everyday Life

Our journey to Mexico was an eventful one. Long day of traveling, total of about 8 hours on the vans, but the time it actually took us to get there was much longer… Crossing the border was pretty painless, but a few hours into Mexico, we were stopped at a checkpoint and told that our vans could not continue any further without the necessary vehicle permits. Apparently they were supposed to register the vehicles. All of us could continue the hour and a-half to San Cristobal, but our two vans could not. Hmmm… So out we climbed, with only our necessary personal belongings, and chilled at this little station for about an hour. Nice break from the bus, we played hacky sack, and some other games to pass the time – until another van that our guide contacted came to pick us up. We squished into this, with people sharing seats and sitting on the floor, but we finally made it!

We stayed at Mancion del Valle in San Cristobal in Chiapas, Mexico. They even served us cocktails when we got there! We went to a nice restaurant for dinner, where we had cocktails with eggnog, cream of corn soup, tortillas with lots of fixings and a huge plate of meat assortment that we shared at our table and some type of strange looking dessert. After that I felt like I shouldn’t eat for the next week!

Our first full day in Mexico we visited Las Abejas in Acteal Mexico. Acteal is a little pueblo in the highlands of Mexico. Las Abejas was formed as a non-violence group and their goal was to keep peace, especially between the Zapatistas and the Pristas (para-military group). On December 22, 1997 a massacre occurred at this site that we visited. A total of 45 people, including many women and children were killed. One of the men giving us the tour and history was a survivor of this massacre. The people in this area speak the Mayan language of Titzil. In small villages such as these it is common to find a few people that are able to speak Spanish, but a majority of them only know their indigenous language. They had a small store where they were selling home-made gifts and I bought a few of these to help support their growth, this isn’t exactly a tourist attraction but there is so much to learn there – and they are so willing to share. They hold so much strength in their approach to peace, even after the devastating massacre they still fight for peacekeeping and non-violence.

They took us down to the tombs of those killed in the massacre, and one of the men sang a prayer in Titzil, it was a very powerful experience. After this a few women served us a very typical lunch of tortillas, beans, pasta noodles, picante sauce, and coffee. We then took a two-hour drive to Zapatista territory. This was a very unique experience – kind of felt like I was in the movies. All of the Zapatista leaders wear black face masks, only showing their eyes. The Zapatistas are an army revolutionary group based in Chiapas, and have been in a declared war “against the Mexican State,” which has mostly been nonviolent and in acts of defense against the paramilitary and invasions in their territory. Their social base is mostly rural indigenous, with some urban and international supporters. We were then brought to another building and were able to listen to a few of them speak about the organization, goals, and functions. Their ideals align with anti-globalization, anti-neoliberal social movement, and work for indigenous control over land and local resources.

When we were entering we had to give them our passports, and they questioned our director and one of our teachers, seeming suspicious of us, it was intense. After they warmed up to us, we were able to ask a lot of questions and learn a great deal from them. They even let us take a picture with them! It seemed that they were very appreciative of our interest and desire to learn and tell others that they are there and what they are about. Their desire is that they wish not to be forgotten – they are still there and they are fighting.

After we returned to San Cristobal, we had a nice relaxing night. At a place called Vino de Boca I tried hot wine or “vino caliente” for the first time! It was very interesting – a little too sweet for me though.

The next day was long and full of meetings with different organizations. First, I started it out right by eating breakfast on the terrace of our hotel. A few friends and I bought some cereal, milk and fruit and lived life the easy way. It was a great view of the city! First we visited Si Paz, a permanent observation program in Mexico founded in 1995, and since then has helped in preventing sociopolitical violence in Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Guerrero with a non-violent philosophy that stresses not only non-violence, but positive peace. It is a really great organization and a friend that I met at Celas is going to have an internship with them in about a month. Check out their website at www.sipaz.org.

We then went to CORECO, a civil society organization that also works to resolve conflict and help with negotiations in the indigenous communities of Chiapas. After this a friend and I enjoyed the afternoon by going to a café and taking in the city. Later in the evening we met with Derechos Humanos, helping provide public security and safety for the citizens of Mexico. Getting into our vans once again, we went up into the hills to a little pueblo, Chamula, and had the opportunity to participate in a ritual in the church of San Juan. Here the form of Catholicism is a blend of Mayan customs and Spanish Catholic traditions. There are no pews in the church; the floors are covered in pine boughs. Curanderos (medicine men) diagnose medical or psychological afflictions and prescribe remedies of candles, flower petals, feathers, or sometimes a chicken. Chamula families, with their sacrifices, kneel on the floor, with melted wax stick candles onto the floor, drink cups of Posh (sugar-cane based liquor), Pepsi/Coke, or some other sweet drink, and chant prayers in their archaic dialect of Tzotzil.

When we entered I was surprised to see so many candles on the floor, and it was covered with hay-like looking pine boughs! Such a neat experience! None of us really know what was going on the entire time, but we just did whatever the priest we were with told us to do. We were able to see a chicken that was about to be sacrificed. Apparently this church is a big tourist attraction because of this strong tradition, but tourists are only allowed to view from the back of the church – we went right up to altar and partook in the ceremony, each person lighting a candle and sharing the sweet juice drink while saying prayers for our intentions.

The last day we took a boat ride through a canyon down the Grijalva River. I could imagine that I was in the Lord of the Rings – so incredible and overwhelmingly beautiful! I felt like I was dreaming the entire time. We even got to see a crocodile! This lasted about 2 ½ hours. When we returned to San Cristobal we all hit up the market, which is always an adventure.

Most of the nights we checked out the nightlife in San Cristobal, which was livelier than Xela. The city reminded me a little of Europe, with its architecture and streets. A very tourist – friendly city. That explains why there were many nice restaurants, bars and discothèques.

Getting home was not nearly as eventful. Two of our Spanish teachers from Celas came along with us, which was very fun. We talked with them in Spanish during the rides so that helped pass time more quickly.

So I got to swing dance the other night! I have been dancing so much salsa and meringue that I didn’t realize how much I miss swing, until we were at La Rumba (a discotheque in Xela) a song came on, and then along comes John “Andrea!” Bailamos! Very fulfilling night I would say. That is, after we had a fiesta at Celas with some good old karaoke!

Last week to celebrate Abby’s acceptance into the India study abroad program for next year, we all went out to an Indian restaurant called Sabor de India. Wow, talk about a LOT of food! It was all delicious. I tried a drink called a Lassi. To describe it I would say it’s a combination between a smoothie and the flavor of a particular kind of tea. Very tasty!

This entire week was a big “Carnival” celebration for the preparation for lent. It’s a pretty big deal here. When people go out at night to the Carnival, they get eggs with confetti smashed on their heads, and then some flour to top that off! I was tempted to check this out, but I have been a little sick this past week, so my logical thinking told me not to. A few girls and I did check out the Carnival during the day, which was just down a few blocks from Celas. Here is basically what it is: a fair in the middle of the streets, with really old rides and TONS of food. It was an experience. There was a church – type setup also, where they had incense and statues and such. One of those experiences that I can explain, but it’s so much better to simply experience it.

This past week has been pretty crazy for all of us here in Guate. We started our classes at Rafael Landivar University. We have classes there in the mornings, then Spanish classes in the afternoons at Celas. I am taking two classes at the University: Mayan Societies and Liberation Ethics, then taking 20 hours of Spanish per week. I began volunteering at a daycare called Centro Infantil a few blocks away from my house. I help out there for about 5 hours every Wednesday in the morning. The kids are absolutely adorable! They simply love our presence there (I volunteer with two other girls from our group). We don’t really have any “specific tasks,” but we have fun playing with the kids, helping with breakfast and snack, assisting the kids with whatever else they may need help with, and simply being there to show them love and care.

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!