Well it's back to school for me today, and the weekend was a lot of fun. On Saturday I was getting some stuff ready for the party Christmas Eve. There was a group of former and current students at the school that had the run of the house they were staying at for a couple weeks. The family had gone to the USA for a couple weeks and they were allowed to have partys. We all brought something to bring to the party, although my contribution was kind of lame, just a cake bought at the bakery. There was turkey, vegetables, squash, salads, cheese and tomatoes, desserts, mashed potatoes, etc. Basically everything you could ever want. There were twelve of us, so it actually felt like Christmas. One of the girls even brought the paper hats! Later on we had a gift exchange of silly gifts. Two of the gifts were firecrackers and fireworks which were a lot of fun later on. At about 10 we tried some of the pyrotechics on the roof balcony. It first started with a few pretty flaming things, but soon progressed into sending bottle rockets at the neighbouring house. It took a while to figure out how to aim those things but we eventually got it figured out. The other people were more than happy to fire back their stash of ammunition back at us, but with seemingly more powerful versions and with more accuracy. It is quite a tradition in Guatemala to light firecrackers and fireworks all year long, but especially for Christmas and New Year's. At the end of the fireworks war, our side was losing and out of ammunition so we had to retreat inside, however not without casualties. Emily ended up with a hole in her shirt from one of the bottle rockets. I must say though, it was a blast!!
Later on in the evening just before midnight we came back outside to watch one of the most incredible spectacles I have ever seen. For 30 minutes there were countless fireworks and firecrackers going off all over the place. By the end it was so smoky it wasn't possible to see the other side of the city. They were being lit from every street throughout the city. Most of them were individually pretty common fireworks, but the sheer amount was amazing.
On Christmas Day I went with Harold, Martha, and Katherine from the school to a town called Totonicapan. There was supposed to be a big parade or something. We caught a cab from Xela directly there so we wouldn't miss anything. We got there pretty fast as the cab driver was passing everyone he could. At least this cab driver didn't try to demand more money when we arrived, so I don't have to hate all cabbies in Gautemala now. There were people all over the place, most of them dressed in their best clothing for Christmas. We watched a bunch of mascots dancing in a square. We saw Sponge Bob Squarepants, Wonderwoman, Superman, etc. so I guess it wasn't exactly a very traditional event unless we missed something. (Which we probably did because we had to find some food for lunch, and by time we ate, the party was all over.) We looked around the street markets for a while and eventually decided to go back to Xela. I jumped on the bus first and while I was boarding it started pulling away without the others. He did stop though and let the rest onboard fortunately! Only about 10 minutes down the road however; the bus was stopped and two policeman got on the bus to say everyone had to get off the bus. At first I understood that they wanted some money for themselves, but eventually we determined that the bus driver was drunk so he wasn't allowed to keep driving. We got off and got most of our money back and had to walk about 1 km to the next main intersection where we caught another bus. The next bus driver was okay apparently and we arrived without incident although the ride was extremely bumpy. Good thing we had seats! In town we had to get yet another bus (microbus) to get back to the central square. Back safe and sound, and even though we didn't see much it was an interesting adventure and actually kind of fun.
Today back at classes we were supposed to have a lecture on human rights in Guatemala, but the lecturer didn't show up, so instead one of the teacher's gave us a tour of the municipal cemetary. It was a huge place and were many interesting historical facts to learn about it.
There are some photos here taken by Martha. She has much better pictures than me, so if you want you can try to find me in some of them.
Martha's Photos
Monday, December 26, 2005
Friday, December 23, 2005
Feliz Navidad
The school still has lots of students even though it is almost Christmas. There are even more fire crackers going off than usual, even at the school. It is the tradition here. Christmas Eve is the big thing here as opposed to the day after. The prime time is around midnight. Tomorrow some of the students are having a party with everyone bringing a dish to eat, and there will also be a silly gift exchange. The family I'm staying with won't be around so it won't be too exciting staying around there. At the end of last week and yesterday we had a graduation party for the students that were finishing. We all had to form groups and make a dish for the lunch. Last weeks theme was pasta, this week was salads. We also had a gift exchange between students and teachers. Last week I went to a natural sauna nearby in a place called Zunil. Actually the steam was natural, but the room was just a normal sauna room. It was probably the hottest sauna I've ever been in. I only needed a few minutes in there to be well cooked. A lot more humid than the steam room at the Cranbrook Rec Plex!! Today I participated with some of the other students in painting the outside of a daycare. Last time it was the inside.
Hope everyone is well and happy at Christmas!
Adios! Matthew
Hope everyone is well and happy at Christmas!
Adios! Matthew
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Diablos
Hola!
Almost another week has gone by again. I've had almost two weeks of spanish instruction so far and I'm just now at the point where I can carry on a simple conversation with the family I'm staying with. It is a small but important reward because sometimes I feel like I'm not making much progress and it can be frustrating. But as my spanish teacher says {poco a poco}.
On Monday we had a fun excursion to a town called San Cristobal about half an hour away. We could tell it would be a good trip because some of the other spanish teachers were coming along, not just students. Normally only one of the teachers has to accompany the students for the week's activities.
The festival is to celebrate the Virgin of Guadelupe (Mexico). There is a procession through the streets towards the church. They carry a statue of the Virgin Mary on a platform. Following them are a band, some distinguished looking gentlemen dressed in nice clothes, and some people dressed up in scarecrow costumes, aliens (I don't know why) and there were some 'victims' of Hurricane Stan which is still fresh in people's minds.
The main attraction of the parade was the painted devils (diablos) who were painted head to toe in black, silver, or red paint. They would pass by screaming and growling at everyone. later on, they would rub off some their paint on some of the spectators. They would seek out the gringos first, but especially would go after the gringas, as they were all men. By the end of it they were chasing kids and our group through the streets. They got all of us in the end though, but it was the most fun time had so far. I will try to put up some pictures later. The diablos didn't bother with most of the people, but I guess we were fare game because we came prepared with old clothing. Most of the people watching seemed really delighted to see the gringos walking along all covered in paint. They had huge smiles on their faces, so it was really a happy time for all.
Almost another week has gone by again. I've had almost two weeks of spanish instruction so far and I'm just now at the point where I can carry on a simple conversation with the family I'm staying with. It is a small but important reward because sometimes I feel like I'm not making much progress and it can be frustrating. But as my spanish teacher says {poco a poco}.
On Monday we had a fun excursion to a town called San Cristobal about half an hour away. We could tell it would be a good trip because some of the other spanish teachers were coming along, not just students. Normally only one of the teachers has to accompany the students for the week's activities.
The festival is to celebrate the Virgin of Guadelupe (Mexico). There is a procession through the streets towards the church. They carry a statue of the Virgin Mary on a platform. Following them are a band, some distinguished looking gentlemen dressed in nice clothes, and some people dressed up in scarecrow costumes, aliens (I don't know why) and there were some 'victims' of Hurricane Stan which is still fresh in people's minds.
The main attraction of the parade was the painted devils (diablos) who were painted head to toe in black, silver, or red paint. They would pass by screaming and growling at everyone. later on, they would rub off some their paint on some of the spectators. They would seek out the gringos first, but especially would go after the gringas, as they were all men. By the end of it they were chasing kids and our group through the streets. They got all of us in the end though, but it was the most fun time had so far. I will try to put up some pictures later. The diablos didn't bother with most of the people, but I guess we were fare game because we came prepared with old clothing. Most of the people watching seemed really delighted to see the gringos walking along all covered in paint. They had huge smiles on their faces, so it was really a happy time for all.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Volcano
The Christmas party was pretty fun last night. There were about 50 kids and their parents and the school put on quite a show for them. There were 3 skits, most of them were very well done. I had a small part in one of them. At the end after then dinner all the kids got three wrapped presents each. The gifts were paid for by their godparents in Germany. Those kids were so small and cute.
After the party some of the students and teachers went to a bar across the street. It was a bit nuts but it didn't stop us all from getting up at 5:45 this morning to go on our volcano hike. I didn't feel too great this morning but I survived! We had to get a ride in the back of a pickup truck for about 20 minutes to get to the trail. It took almost 2 hours to get to the viewpoint for the volcano, we had to backtrack at one point. There was much evidence of Hurricane Stan on the trail. There were huge gullies in the trail, but it was still passable. The trail was a bit hard because I'm still not used to the elevation. When we got to the viewpoint the volcano was just erupting, and we waited a while for the next one. We got tired of waiting so we left, but just after we left the viewpoint there was a huge eruption. We only saw the cloud of ash overhead. (it was pretty far away). Still it was pretty neat. On the way back to town I got my first ride in a chicken bus. It the normal bus in Gautemala, an old school bus. We had to stand in the back, and my head kept bumping the ceiling. It was only 20 minutes though. Tomorrow will be a day of rest.
Hasta la vista!
After the party some of the students and teachers went to a bar across the street. It was a bit nuts but it didn't stop us all from getting up at 5:45 this morning to go on our volcano hike. I didn't feel too great this morning but I survived! We had to get a ride in the back of a pickup truck for about 20 minutes to get to the trail. It took almost 2 hours to get to the viewpoint for the volcano, we had to backtrack at one point. There was much evidence of Hurricane Stan on the trail. There were huge gullies in the trail, but it was still passable. The trail was a bit hard because I'm still not used to the elevation. When we got to the viewpoint the volcano was just erupting, and we waited a while for the next one. We got tired of waiting so we left, but just after we left the viewpoint there was a huge eruption. We only saw the cloud of ash overhead. (it was pretty far away). Still it was pretty neat. On the way back to town I got my first ride in a chicken bus. It the normal bus in Gautemala, an old school bus. We had to stand in the back, and my head kept bumping the ceiling. It was only 20 minutes though. Tomorrow will be a day of rest.
Hasta la vista!
Friday, December 09, 2005
Una Semana
At the end of one week at Spanish school here in Xela I can say that my spanish has imporved a lot, not enough to write this blog in Spanish however. My teacher is patient and we can now actaully have conversations. The mornings are a bit cold, but with all my clothes on, it is okay. Only one day this week was it cold all day. Today it is quite warm now that it is the afternoon.
When school ends at 1pm, we go to our houses for lunch and then in the afternoon there is a different activity every day. So far there was a lecture on agriculture in Guatemala, a salsa dance class, and on Wednesday we helped paint the inside of a daycare centre. Yesterday we went for a walk up the mountain and the view was great. The city is at 2500m above sea level, so it was pretty high on the walk yesterday. Today there is a Christmas party for some kids that are sponsored by the language school. There will be food and some plays for the kids. In one of the plays, I got roped into playing the part of the ignorant tourist who offends the locals. It should be interesting. Tomorrow we´re going on a trip to see one of the nearby volcanoes. It leaves early in the morning so we can´t party too much tonight.
It is pretty tiring here so far. It is probably a combination of five hours a day of spanish, the different food, and the altitude. The other students are a lot of fun. There are people here from Canada, USA, Holland, Wales, Switzerland, and England. One of the students staying in the same house as me has decided to leave Xela for Honduras. She found it too cold here, and she didn´t feel comfortable with the family. We get fed three times a day, and the food is fine and filling, but it is mostly quiet at the table since I don´t know enough spanish yet.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Back To School I Go
Hola
Yesterday I decided to sign up for a spanish school here in Xela. This is the end of day two and my head is ready to explode. It is kind of like an all inclusive vacation except there isn't unlimited alcohol. Actually it's nothing like a typical tropical vacation except it includes room, board, classes, and activities. I have 5 hours of classes in the morning. Each student has his own teacher so you can learn a lot in one day. I'm staying with a local family and I get my own room and three meals a day. It is pretty typical Guatemalan food, although more food than the average Guatemalan would get to eat. There are two other students staying at the same house, and the woman and her brother don't speak English.
more later.....
Yesterday I decided to sign up for a spanish school here in Xela. This is the end of day two and my head is ready to explode. It is kind of like an all inclusive vacation except there isn't unlimited alcohol. Actually it's nothing like a typical tropical vacation except it includes room, board, classes, and activities. I have 5 hours of classes in the morning. Each student has his own teacher so you can learn a lot in one day. I'm staying with a local family and I get my own room and three meals a day. It is pretty typical Guatemalan food, although more food than the average Guatemalan would get to eat. There are two other students staying at the same house, and the woman and her brother don't speak English.
more later.....
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Guatemala
Hola!!!
I've made it to Guatemala at last. Right now I'm in the small city called Quetzaltenago or as it is usually known Xela (shayla). It's been about 48 hours since I left but it seems like longer already.
The flight to Mexico City was okay not too busy, watched a movie, had some mediocre food. It was a bit late arriving in Mexico City but I wasn't worried about my connecting flight. I was told to walk to gate 19 when I got to Mexico, so I did but when I got there they told me to go back to the same gate I just came from. It turns out I got back on the same plane. I'm thinking they told me to go for a walk for my own good, get a bit of exercise. The next leg of the trip was completely full but not as long. The airport was pretty quiet when the plane arrived and customs was no problem, but after watching the bags being unloaded it turned out mine was nowhere to be found. Mexicana had misplaced not only my bag but about 25 other peoples bags on the flight. Not sure how they managed to do that, but it took a while to get that sorted out before I could catch my ride to the hotel. Fortunately the driver waited for me.
The woman at the hotel was very kind and helpful. I would recommend Dos Lunas to anyone arriving on a flight into Guatemala City. She tracked my bag down the next day and I got it, but it forced me to stay another day there.
This morning I caught the bus to Xela and there was a bunch of other people on the bus that were from the same hotel. It took about 4 hours and only stopped a few times to pick people up and drop others off. Nobody ever had to stand so that was good. The road was very winding and there were a lot of hills to contend with. When I got to Xela I shared a taxi with another guy on the bus and that turned out to be a unpleasant experience. The taxi driver quoted us 25Q each but he didn't know where he was going and kept asking people on the street for directions. When he dropped the other guy off he suddenly wanted more money, so I decided to walk from there. The taxi driver still wanted money from me, but the other guy who spoke good Spanish was able to negotiate something... He and a friend of his walked with me to my hotel and it was fine after that. Xela seems like a nice place. The central park has just re-opened and there were quite a few people hanging out there. It seems pretty peaceful.
So after all that I'm ready for some food and a drink and then I can relax for a bit. Tomorrow I'll try to find a Spanish school.
I've made it to Guatemala at last. Right now I'm in the small city called Quetzaltenago or as it is usually known Xela (shayla). It's been about 48 hours since I left but it seems like longer already.
The flight to Mexico City was okay not too busy, watched a movie, had some mediocre food. It was a bit late arriving in Mexico City but I wasn't worried about my connecting flight. I was told to walk to gate 19 when I got to Mexico, so I did but when I got there they told me to go back to the same gate I just came from. It turns out I got back on the same plane. I'm thinking they told me to go for a walk for my own good, get a bit of exercise. The next leg of the trip was completely full but not as long. The airport was pretty quiet when the plane arrived and customs was no problem, but after watching the bags being unloaded it turned out mine was nowhere to be found. Mexicana had misplaced not only my bag but about 25 other peoples bags on the flight. Not sure how they managed to do that, but it took a while to get that sorted out before I could catch my ride to the hotel. Fortunately the driver waited for me.
The woman at the hotel was very kind and helpful. I would recommend Dos Lunas to anyone arriving on a flight into Guatemala City. She tracked my bag down the next day and I got it, but it forced me to stay another day there.
This morning I caught the bus to Xela and there was a bunch of other people on the bus that were from the same hotel. It took about 4 hours and only stopped a few times to pick people up and drop others off. Nobody ever had to stand so that was good. The road was very winding and there were a lot of hills to contend with. When I got to Xela I shared a taxi with another guy on the bus and that turned out to be a unpleasant experience. The taxi driver quoted us 25Q each but he didn't know where he was going and kept asking people on the street for directions. When he dropped the other guy off he suddenly wanted more money, so I decided to walk from there. The taxi driver still wanted money from me, but the other guy who spoke good Spanish was able to negotiate something... He and a friend of his walked with me to my hotel and it was fine after that. Xela seems like a nice place. The central park has just re-opened and there were quite a few people hanging out there. It seems pretty peaceful.
So after all that I'm ready for some food and a drink and then I can relax for a bit. Tomorrow I'll try to find a Spanish school.
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