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For our traditional weekend excursion last weekend, we went to Quetzaltenango, otherwise known as Xela (pronounced shay-la). It's Guatemala's second largest city and it's located in the highlands. This is the place to go to learn Spanish and volunteer. I think if I were to do something like this again, I would go there. There isn't too much to do as a tourist in the actual city of Xela, but the surrounding highland villages are really interesting to visit. On Saturday, Amanda got sick so I was flying sola. I went to a travel agency to see if I could join any tours, but they said there were none confirmed that day. So I had to do it on my own. I ended up hiking up a mountain in Xela with just me and a guide. I thought it might be awkward, but he was a nice guy. And I managed to speak in Spanish for about 2.5 hours! That was pretty cool. When we got to the top of the mountain, it was really foggy and we couldn't even see anything. Kind of a bummer... But it was so beautiful with the misty fog in the forest, that I didn't
mind. We wandered around the park on the top for awhile. I got to slide down this giant metal slide on a cardboard box. It was fun. It was nice just hanging out up there. I was the only non-Guatemalan person there so it was cool. After awhile, the fog cleared a little bit so I could actually see some of the view. Xela is quite large! Overall it was an awesome experience and I'm glad I had the guts to do it by myself!
The next day we went on a tour of some of the indigenous villages around Xela. It was an amazing experience. This area is what I thought of when I pictured Guatemala. High mountains, rural countryside, misty jungle all around. And seeing all of the people going about their daily activities was interesting. We went to visit another version of San Simon/Maximon. In this village, he travels to a new house every year, so our guide had to ask a few people where he was in order to find the house. It was similar to the other shrine we visited last week, but smaller. This San Simon was whiter with a cowboy and a
bag. There weren't as many alcohol bottles around as the other one either. It was interesting to compare the two. Then we went to the hot springs, Fuentes Gorges. It's an area where the volcanic activity creates natural hot springs. It was really nice because it was so cold outside. It felt like a giant bath tub! And the atmosphere was very mysterious in the jungle surrounded by fog. Next, we traveled to a local vegetable market. This area is where they get most of the vegetables for a lot of Central America. The market was fascinating. The best part of the experience, was getting to see how the people there live. It's very admirable how the Maya have managed to keep their traditional practices, while still adapting to the changing times. From the persecution of Spanish through the recent civil war, they have been harassed and threatened, but still they are able to maintain their way of life. It's inspiring.
School is going well. We've got to teach all 3 days this week so far. Our new class is very impressive. They are so smart and learn so quickly. It's hard for us to keep up with them!
I don't know if it's because there are only 2-4 of them per day or just a different maturity level, but they are so different from the primary grade. It's really cool to see them learning so fast. The older ones are doing really well too. They are actually writing full sentences in English on their own now. I'm so proud! The little ones vary from day to day. They are a challenge, but they make me smile most of the time. At recess we've been having dance parties with the girls, so that's fun. Last Friday, they were invited by the city to a cultural performance in the central park. Kids from several schools performed, including some from Casita Amarilla. It was cute to see them onstage, rapping and dancing. I'm really going to miss the kids when I leave.
Well I only have a week and a half left. It's winding down, but I'm trying to make the most of it. That's it for now.
Hasta luego!
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Mom
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Misty, but vibrant.
The mist in the mountains and trees is so beautiful! I think of Guatemala as hot, but this looks chilly (people with heavy jackets). How high are the highlands? I've really enjoyed following your adventure and your photos. Can't believe you only have a week and a day left to go! Looking forward to seeing you home soon!