Navegar cohort with their teachers at Sol Latino Spanish School.
Hola from Xela!
We are finishing our time here in Quetzaltenango - also known by locals as Xela, after a pretty full week and a half packed with activities and new experiences! On Monday, we left Casa Seibel where we had orientation and headed to Sol Latino Spanish school where we began our first day of classes and met both our teachers and homestay moms! The school is beautiful and you never would have guessed that it was there. In America, we are about making our buildings big and noticeable so that they stand out from one another, but here are there are so many hidden treasures behind closed gates.
Our homestay families were all different but very friendly and welcoming all the same!
As we completed homework for school, we got to practice Spanish everyday with our families. After the excitement of sharing our first meals and hanging out with our families began to settle - our group began to notice how much we missed each other. Our cohort had become so close that we were missing each other so we simultaneously found each other and began to explore this new area of Xela.
Xela really is a beautiful city with lots of friendly people, neat shops and plenty of food! Over the next few days we got to tour local cultural landmarks including a cemetery, take salsa classes and go to a club where we could practice our moves.
Our group leaders even organized a trip for us to visit a nearby zoo. The zoo here in Xela, frankly is pretty sad. They did not have a ton of animals, and the animals’ life span is shortened by poor living conditions and limited supply of food. The park places more of a focus on the playground than the animals. Despite this, we still got to see some interesting animals and learn how zoos compare to those in the U.S. (We also got to feed some grass to a thankful monkey!)
To lift our spirits afterwards, we went to a nearby mall. Some of us went to see how it compares to malls in the US, while others wanted to visit due to homesickness and a need for some familiarity. The mall had many of the same types of stores as our own, and it was absolutely huge and modern. At some point, I wasn’t even sure we were in Xela anymore. We had some American food for the first time since being in Guatemala and it was interesting to experience something as familiar as Subway with rather different ingredients. The same day got even crazier when our chicken bus driver decided not to stop for us! We all ran for our lives to catch up to the bus and jump on one by one! It was both stressful and exciting, not to mention the very bumpy ride.
The next day, we visited the farming community of Almolonga - taking the scenic route to the hot baths. We saw huge patches of farmland and some of the techniques they utilize because of their access to natural spring heads including streams of water running between crops. We learned from our guide Mario, that the lands are also incredibly fertile because of the nearby volcanoes.
Last, but definitely not least, on Saturday we took a day trip up to Fuentes Georginas in Zunil to visit the hot springs. We got to ride in an open truck bed all the way there! It was so fun and so beautiful. The hot springs were also lovely and we had lots of fun playing chicken and having conversations in the water.
During our spare time in Xela, we had a blast playing card games, going shopping and visiting a nearby fair! Next up is Pachaj where we will aid in reforestation efforts with the Chico Mendes Foundation.
Until next time, hasta luego!
Caitlin Hacker
Cultural Immersion in Xela.
A little thank you to our teachers at Sol Latino.
The beginning of our Chicken Bus or Burra adventures in Xela.
Carrots grown in Almolonga and gifted to us.
