Hola!
After a long set of overnight flights from Portland to LA to Guatemala City, we were picked up at the airport and rode in a mini-bus for four hours until we were dropped in the colonial old town of Xela (also known as Quetzaltenango). From the very first moments of entering the narrow bustling cobblestone streets and colorful buildings we were greeted by the smell of fresh baked bread, the sight of colorful streetside fruit markets, and the sounds of friendly locals bidding us “Buenos Dias”. We settled into our hostel located in a historic home complete with a central garden courtyard, hardwood floors, and even a 100 year old upright piano.
We spent our first days in the city becoming acquainted with the local customs, setting personal and group intentions, reviewing the itinerary for the next two months, and learning the ways to keep ourselves safe and healthy while traveling. After we had a few days to familiarize ourselves with our new surroundings (and to recover from jet-lag), the students were sent off in pairs and trios to explore the town on their own through a Scavenger Hunt.
During their Scavenger Hunt, each team learned about historic sites, talked to locals about their favorite places in Guatemala, sampled the local cuisine, and learned how to use the public phones and internet cafes. Each team also wrote a poem inspired by their day together which they recited to the group upon returning in the evening. Here are a few inspiring words our poets shared:
Oh Guatemala by Khim
Oh Guatemala, Oh Guatemala
Sweet Home Guatemala
You make me want to do mala things
Even though yo soy buena gente.
Oh Guatemala, Oh Guatemala
Sweet Home Guatemala
You make the best “guacamala”
You make me want to love you to the moon and back.
Keep being bad pero me gusta de esa manera.
Scavenger Hunt Rap by Zach
Scavenger Hunt here we go,
About to find some postcards...wait it’s closed!
Internet cafe was on the way,
But only had enough time to do the [dang] survey.
Tried to speak some Spanish but it was no good,
Took a wrong turn and wound up in the Xela hood.
Found another hostel, it was bougie as hell,
Just kidding, it had nothing on Casa Seibel
With Orientation behind us, the group is ready to dive headfirst into Guatemalan culture by spending the next week living and eating with local families while studying Spanish at the Sol Latino school here in Xela.
Thanks for following along with us on our journey, we look forward to sharing more updates soon!
-Topher and Carol
