A Farewell to Guatemala

The time has come for us to move on, one country down, four more that we plan to visit. We’ve spent these last two weeks in Antigua, and we have really liked it here. Antigua was once the capital of Guatemala, and seeing the beauty here makes it easy to see why. Getting around has been a dream. You can walk anywhere in the city in less than half an hour, and there is a stream of cheap public transport to take you any where in Guatemala. There are many museums, ancient buildings, ruins, giant churches, 

parks, Indigenous markets, Ice cream shops, bakeries, and everything else you’d hope to see in a city named “Ancient”.  Tourism is very important in Antigua; it is what drives their economy. Checking out the different restaurants, events, entertainment, art markets, and hotels they are clearly out of the price range of most Chapines. The volcanoes surrounding Antigua are huge and can be seen from almost any where in the city. For a best view of them, there’s a trail that leads to an incredible lookout point over the whole city (Cerro de la Cruz). A few restaurants have rooftop terraces; the stunning views of the horizon really do enhance the dining experience. We enjoyed a meal with our friends Heather and Greg on the roof of the SkyCafe. During the meal, “Volcan Fuego” spat out a giant cloud of sulfur that took the form of Angie’s favorite animal; a seahorse. 

There’re quite a few non-profit organizations based here; people form all over the globe are here trying to make a difference. Angie and I have been learning a lot about how NGO’s work. Watching our friends from “Project Somos” go through and talk about some of their trials in the initial stages of starting their project has been very insightful. Casasito, the volunteer house where we’re staying, alone is supporting around four hundred people. They also assist other organizations by providing volunteers and other materials. The profits made from guest staying at the house goes to community outreach. Despite all that being done, the reality is that there is much more help needed here.

Angie talked about us volunteering in San Mateo. We have been doing ok there. It is difficult to teach that many children at once without just becoming some kind of crowd control officer. Soooooo…we have done the best we could. I taught my class English/Art by drawing a variety of different things on a chalkboard and then writing their English name underneath them. This also covered for knowledge that I lacked in Spanish. I feel bad about just being there for two weeks because I know that these kids really need teachers. They need teachers that will be around, someone that will be there every day. However, I do find a little comfort knowing that there is a group of children out there that don’t speak English very well but would understand someone if they mentioned a ninja, dodge viper, samurai, or snow leopard.

Living at Casasito has been great, especially the having a kitchen part. We’ve made ninety percent of our meals, making everything from chicken fried rice to strawberry chocolate candy bar pancakes; we’ve also mastered the art of guacamole.

I’ve noticed there is an ease in connecting with strangers when you’re all very far from home; everyone can relate in that way to each other. Add that with salsa dancing and it’s like you’ve always known each other. Being a new Spanish speaker, I think it’s pretty cool how everyone is bi/trilingual here and are constantly switch between different languages, yet everyone still understands each other. We’ve made great new friends here in Patrizia(Germany), Gritta(Germany), Rory(Ireland), Josh(US), and Adriana(US) some volunteers here. Patrizia is a great salsa dancer. On one of our last nights there we all got together and made an international feast; it was glorious. Then later we played word board games in Spanish. I didn’t win any games, but I am proud that I was able to hold my own.

I have been immensely surprised by the salsa dancing in Guatemala; it’s incredible here in Antigua. There are a lot of small dance schools here, but the dance level is pretty high. What’s even better is the music. There are live salsa band here almost every night. My favorite band here is “Buena Vista de Corazon”. The lead singer/drummer is the original drummer from the Buena Vista Social Club. His voice is powerful, he is mad with the drums, and the band is awesome too. Best live salsa I’ve seen by far. There is a shortage of good females salseras, but that’s why I have Angie around. The bar has been set pretty high Central America, so watch out! We leave for Honduras at four in the morning, so after dancing Wednesday night are just staying up and waiting for the shuttle. We’re going to see the Copan Ruinas. Into the unknown once again, here we go. Take care everyone.