We are now in Quetzaltenango aka Xela (Shay-la). The ride here from Antigua was about 4 hours, but the scenery was beautiful. The Guatemalan countryside is covered with farms, mountains, small villages, and many indigineous people in colorful clothing. Many people here still live a very simple agrarian lifestyle....gathering wood, herding animals, etc. On our way in , we drove past the beautiful Lago Atitlan which we hope to return to towards the end of our trip. By the looks of it, it really is the most beautiful lake in the world!Xela is wonderful so far.
Our host family is great, especially Doña Angela, the mother. She is very short, very sweet, and has a wonderful smile. Her husband Miguel and their daughter Aña Maria are also very nice. They also have a perro named Guardiam who is very similar to my dog Funny Boy. Ay ay ay! We´ve had some typical Guatemalan food but today we had spagetthi for lunch. There is definately a convergence of cultures here....young girls dressed in traditional Mayan garb texting on their cell phones...teenagers with Guns and Roses t-shirts...Domino´s Pizza and Mc Donalds.
Our classes began today...4 hours of one-on-one class in the morning followed by an hour of cultural activity. Today the boss of the school, Jaime, spoke about the Guatemalan civil war of the 1950´s-1980´s. Becca and I both are excited to hear the history of this country. All in all, this promises to be an intense experience! Hope everyone is well back in Chicago! GO CUBS GO...TOO BAD I LEFT MY BROOM IN CHICAGO!!! ¡Adios!
The Guatemalan countryside as seen from the van.
The view from our rooftop patio...Volcan Santa Maria in the distance.
A typical "calle" en Xela.
El Volcan at sunset.
Our room from the outside.
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