Ashley and Anna

Two weeks ago we began our time at language school (we’re halfway through our third and last week as we speak). Each afternoon we have activities after we’ve finished with Spanish class for the day. A highlight from the first week was spending a day at La Pedrera, a community-development project working to educate children and improve the living standards of the area. We spent an afternoon with the children, tutoring them in English and playing games. At the end of our time with the children we sat down with them for a snack, which for many of them would be their last meal of the day. Spending time with the children left us worn out (try playing tag for an hour straight), but happy.

That weekend we took a three-hour bus ride to Panajachel, on Lake Atitlan. There we visited a nature reserve (monkeys included), had some beach time, and took a boat to Santiago Atitlan, a small community that was hit hard by the violence of the civil war. On our bus ride to Panajachel we stopped by a women’s artisan cooperative where the president of the organization addressed us. A few of us tried our hand at weaving, and we all learned about the struggle the women have gone through to improve the situation of their indigenous community and their kids. The cooperative is based on fair-trade standards, so we all did a little shopping (that’s right…gifts coming your way).

These last two weeks we’ve been balancing academia and Latin rhythms. Thus far we’ve attended three lectures: one on the recent change of political power and the challenges that the new president faces, one about liberation theology, and the third covering the effects of the free-trade economy on small businesses in Guatemala. We’ve also had a marimba dance class and today we should be learning a little salsa (not the kind you eat).

Last weekend was full of adventures. We skipped school on Friday (don’t tell Dr. LeRoy) to climb a volcano and spend time at a lake that is sacred to the Mayas. The forest surrounding the lake is the last cloud forest in Guatemala, and the beach there is still used for Mayan ceremonies. After the hike we played a pick-up game of soccer with some local kids, who played in rubber boots and taught us a few moves. The next day we visited Las Fuentes Georginas,  natural hot-springs heated by volcanic activity. By the end of the day we were sunburned and relaxed, and smelled like sulfur. That night, many of us went to a soccer game in Xela, which was, well, a cultural experience. People take soccer seriously here in Central America, which makes for some good entertainment. Sadly, the game ended 0-0. The weekend ended with a three-hour bus trip to Chichicastenango, a market town with an interesting Mayan history, where we picked you all up some more gifts.

We’re wrapping up our time here in Guatemala and are preparing for our plunge trip this weekend, followed by a home-stay in Honduras.