Guate, Quirigua, Puerto Barrios

Guatemala City
Started off the trip with a great dinner and peaceful night sleep at Quetzalroo. It was so great to see Marcus and Willie again! Marcus made the most amazing, healthy, organic spread for dinner, by far the best meal I have ever had for only 50 Q. We, as a group, ate on the rooftop of Quetzalroo with the wonderful staff and various other groups staying at the hostel.
After a shower, bed and well needed rest we took our wits to the nature preserve that contained centuries old Mayan ruins. Quirigua is a nature preserve in the department of Izabal in the south-eastern part of Guatemala. This site and the Mayans that occupy it date back to 200 A.D.

Puerto Barrios
Puerto Barrios is a beautiful port town located on the Gulf of Honduras.
We stayed at Hotel del Norte, one of the oldest hotels in Guatemala! It is so old the floors are slanted and creek as you walk. Walking through the hallways was a treat, however, because as you walked to your room you could see the ocean not to far off and ships coming into the port. Boats brimming to the top with carts full of bananas. We took a walk next to the ocean, swam in the pool and had a wonderful seafood dinner right on the ocean.

After dinner, we salsa danced at a near by discoteca and had a few piñas coladas! 

We ate a wonderful breakfast the next morning at the hotel. And then loaded up the bus and left Puerto Barrios for a new adventure. 

one month

This week marks the end of my first month here in Guatemala...

For this experience I could not be anymore thankful for.
This beautiful country has taken me in and has created a great deal of joy and happiness within me.

Through 5 hours of classes everyday I have pushed myself, and I have succeeded in learning so much so far. I have tried so many new, wonderful things. I have met so many genuine, intelligent, lively people. I have fallen in love with salsa dancing. I feel so unbelievably healthy. I have learned to appreciate so much. I have seen so many beautiful things so far, I can not image how much more beautiful these next few months are going to be.

cultura antigua

This last weekend

our group took our first long weekend excursion to the city of Antigua.

Knowing that Antigua is the most well known city within Guatemala I was very excited to get the opportunity to visit!

The bus ride was three wonderful hours of bonding time, after we had a wonderful meal and rested up for the day of adventure ahead.

Saturday, Jess and I woke up early, I'm guessing since our bodies are so accustomed to morning classes we can't help but wake up at 7 am, even on a day of vacation! We had an amazing breakfast of eggs, toast, rice, beans, yogurt, fresh fruit, and coffee of course. After living in the mountains for the past few weeks we couldn't help but sit by the pool and have a relaxing morning reading, drinking coffee and chatting with other guests at the hotel. The strong sun, the view of mountains in the distance, and a wonderful cup of coffee made for the best, most peaceful morning.   

During the afternoon we had a wonderful lunch at Mono Loco, I recommend the fish tacos, and spent the afternoon touring museums, ruins and beautiful cathedrals.  

Antigua has so much character and is very different for the other parts of Guatemala I have seen thus far.

We had the wonderful opportunity to find our dear friend Willie while in Antigua! Knowing the area, he was able to show us a beautiful part of Antigua that we would never get to see. We had the opportunity to join him in an adventure to a beautiful art museum, Santo Domingo del Cerro, which just so happened to look over the whole city of Antigua. This beautiful museum had wonderful modern art, a great view and a history lesson in Guatemalan artists.  

Sunday, a small group of us went to a local market. I got to test out my bargaining abilities! I bought a beautiful purse and a handmade blanket. We then decided to spent the rest of our small time left by the pool relaxing in the sun and eating sandwiches and ice cream.

Antigua is so wonderfully beautiful, I loved it so much I've decided to go back at least once before I return to the states.  

Sunday morning we had the opportunity to go to Momostenango and see the process of how sheep's wool is made into yarn, naturally dyed and then made into beautifully intricate blankets. The family that we visited comes from a long generation in which this process is practiced. We also had the opportunity to learn how to make tortillas over an open fire and eat them with homemade guacamole and salsa!

 

An eventful weekend!



We, as a group, started Saturday off with a morning of zip-lining!
The hike up was tiring but beautiful, and completely worth it once we were at the top!

 

The view was unbelievably gorgeous and the trip was an unbelievable team bonding experience. The 11 lines took us from the top of the mountain, gliding over the valley below, and finally ending at the bottom were we all then piled back into the bus to go home to Xela in the afternoon.

Saturday night we decided to celebrate Thomas' birthday with a surprise party. After buying a Spiderman pinata, a delicious chocolate caramel cake, soda and snacks that my host mom made for the occasion we were prepared for a wonderful way to celebrate Tom's 21st.
He was very much so surprised and we had a fun night! Willy and Marcus came to Xela to celebrate with us! It was so great to see them and share in the fun with them.

under my pillow

This week, I have to admit I experienced quite a bit of culture shock. With new foods that my tummy wasn't quite used to yet, new streets, and being surrounded by a new language I was overwhelmed with newness. When I arrived  here in Guatemala I acquired 'worry dolls.' A customary tradition is to put the dolls under your pillow at times when one is nervous, frustrated, and worried. I kept them by my bed-side table not thinking much of them.
Yesterday, my host mom changed my bedding. And as I crawled into bed looking for a good nights sleep I found a 'worry' doll under my pillow. Knowing that it could have only been her who put it there I fell asleep feeling a little more at home.

I'm falling in love with Xela. The mountains, the kind people and the food.

lunes
14 de enero
2012

Today after a long, chilly morning of classes
our group went to see a local store and school called Trama Textiles. This small organization of Guatemalan women create handmade, beautiful artwork to sell in order to support their organization. We were lucky enough to be able to learn more about the process, learn about the high quality of the work and the great abilities of the women who work for the organization.

 After, our small group adventured off to find some new places to eat. We successfully found some wonderful new treats at 'pops' ice cream shop and a wonderfully artistic cafe called "la luna" which just happens to have the best hot chocolate drink I've had yet here!