Xela day 2

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Quezaltenango, it's a nice city. I spent some time wandering around, visited yet more markets, looked for somewhere to eat. Walking down one rode we spotted Carina, the Dutch anthropologist that we had met pony trekking a few days before. She was with a American Brad and a French Canadian Murialania. Brad was staying at the same hotel as us.

Finally I went to a Spanish school and booked my course to start on Monday. Olga the director of Sakribal booked me in, she spoke to us solely in Spanish, but slowly and clearly, using vocabulary that I understood. Where I didn't know the word or phrase in Spanish I offered it in English, and received the Spanish translation, Reena was really impressed and spoke with Olga even more than I, her years Spanish course started to come back to her with the help of Olga's patience. I didn't use any sign language, it would have just been embarrassing. Reena doesn't have as much time for her trip as I do but after seeing the school and an example of the quality of tuition (I hope) she was really tempted to change her plans and book in for a week.

At 5pm we went for a Salsa lesson, Salsa is the other thing that I've promised to learn whilst in Central America, Cuba beckons. Reena has also done Salsa before, she said that the quality of instruction was better than home as there was a better student to teacher ratio. I might actually learn something this trip. I learnt enough this lesson to realise how bad I actually am. When I start my Spanish class on Monday I'll book into a dance school also.

Had very bad Chinese food, trying to avoid beans again. 8.30pm met with Brad and Murilanai for drinks. Brad shared out a bottle of Nicuraguan rum, and we went to a club. Met loads of people, most of whom including Brad and Murilanai were to leave the following day. In the club twenty local lads all dressed in their best suits all filed in. Sat down drank tequila and then danced, waving their ties above their heads... strange country.

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