Well, that last entry ended a bit abruptly when the blogspot decided that I´d said enough! Maybe that´s a good thing.
Back on the road, we arrived in Xela by 11 am, checked in at the school, signed up for our first 4-hour class that afternoon and were taken to our host family who live a 5 minute walk from the school. The family consists of 4 sisters in their 50´s and the studious 17-year old son of one of them. They are a sweet and industrious family and have been hosting students for 25 years. Our weekly fee ($150 pp) includes our room and 3 meals a day with our host family, plus 4 hours of private English lessons each day at school. The meals have been delicious, and we broke our rule on the very first one and ate the fresh vegetables that were offered. We have each had an intestinal upset since then, but never from the food at the home.
the home of our host family in Xela, Guatemala
our host family: Elvira, Lilian, & Isabel
The days that followed have been filled with a barrage of Spanish language, of course, and all sorts of new sights and sounds. The city is pretty old and worn and in need of lots of infrastructure. The people seem gentle and kind. We have heard and read enough of the history of the country and the fairly recent genocide of 250,000 of its indigenous people to know that this is a country of profound sorrows, too. Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, mud-slides, flooding, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions have also plagued them. Poverty is all around us, and more than 50,000 people try to flee to the US. each year. But life goes on, as always, and people make the best of their lives and try to enjoy the simple comforts of family and friends and fiestas.
the interior patio of our school, ICA, in Xela
Most of our fellow students. Left to right: Gato, a teacher; a med student from Australia; Julie, from Denmark; Jing & Jeff, med students from USA; Bruce & Linda
And speaking of holidays, stay tuned for the biggest holiday in Central America next week, happening right here in Xela, where independence from Spain for all of Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Panama was signed. The festivities take place all week and most schools (not ours) will be closed for the whole week. National elections take place this Sunday, and that, too, promises to be quite an interesting happening to observe. So far, the city seems fairly safe, if you keep your wits about you. Having said that, many small businesses employ guys with big rifles to stand guard outside, and everything at our house gets locked up tighter than a bank each night.
Asta luega!
Back on the road, we arrived in Xela by 11 am, checked in at the school, signed up for our first 4-hour class that afternoon and were taken to our host family who live a 5 minute walk from the school. The family consists of 4 sisters in their 50´s and the studious 17-year old son of one of them. They are a sweet and industrious family and have been hosting students for 25 years. Our weekly fee ($150 pp) includes our room and 3 meals a day with our host family, plus 4 hours of private English lessons each day at school. The meals have been delicious, and we broke our rule on the very first one and ate the fresh vegetables that were offered. We have each had an intestinal upset since then, but never from the food at the home.
The days that followed have been filled with a barrage of Spanish language, of course, and all sorts of new sights and sounds. The city is pretty old and worn and in need of lots of infrastructure. The people seem gentle and kind. We have heard and read enough of the history of the country and the fairly recent genocide of 250,000 of its indigenous people to know that this is a country of profound sorrows, too. Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, mud-slides, flooding, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions have also plagued them. Poverty is all around us, and more than 50,000 people try to flee to the US. each year. But life goes on, as always, and people make the best of their lives and try to enjoy the simple comforts of family and friends and fiestas.
And speaking of holidays, stay tuned for the biggest holiday in Central America next week, happening right here in Xela, where independence from Spain for all of Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Panama was signed. The festivities take place all week and most schools (not ours) will be closed for the whole week. National elections take place this Sunday, and that, too, promises to be quite an interesting happening to observe. So far, the city seems fairly safe, if you keep your wits about you. Having said that, many small businesses employ guys with big rifles to stand guard outside, and everything at our house gets locked up tighter than a bank each night.
Asta luega!
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