Feliz Cumpleanos A Mi!
Hola mis amigos!I'm now approaching the end of week two in Antigua and I feel so lucky to be having a successful trip thus far. On my birthday weekend Kate, Nath, Elizabeth and I made a trip to El Lago de Atitlan, a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains and volcanoes in the highlands of Guatemala. I can also report that classes have been quite trying this week and with that, comes many emotions (you don't want to miss this). But more on that later!
First up, I must share my tranquil experience at the lake. Lago de Atitlan is a bumpy and curvy 3 hours from Antigua and is reported by many to be the most beautiful lake in the world. Some 80,000 years ago a volcanic eruption occurred creating a deep and grand crater in which a lake eventually formed. Fast forward thousands of years and you have the inviting Atitlan Lake surrounded by mountains, 3 volcanoes and a bunch of towns skirting the shoreline. Remember when I said the road was bumpy and curvy? Well, just before descending to the lake our shuttle hit something in the road and our tire popped. 'Great' I thought as I envisioned being stuck in the middle of nowhere for the night but thankfully everything was okay. As we stood alongside the road with locals walking with machetes in hand I definitely thought a different outcome might happen. But 30 minutes later our spare tire was on (although this one was also quite flat) and we were back on the road headed steeply down to the lake and town of San Pedro La Laguna.
Flat tires...not so fun! But living and not flying off the road…fun!
Water taxi!
We stayed both nights in the tourist friendly and ultimately chilled-out town of San Pedro at the Mikaso hotel. Our first evening we all had a hankering for Thai food so we dined at a tiny restaurant called Ventana Blue that held only a few tables. The pad thai was mouth-watering good! The following day we jumped on a small taxiboat and sped our way to the Mayan village of Santa Cruz. The village itself stretched from the lake and high up into the mountains and we made our way up greeting several of the friendly locals. We watched as many people (kids and adults alike) would climb with determination up steep streets with many kilos of wood or material strapped to their back, still smiling when crossing paths with us. I had a new appreciation for the people of Guatemala and it definitely made me realize how hard they work (and how easy some of us may have it back home). It was such a lovely place with unforgettable views and I hope to visit the other small villages that dot the edge of the lake in the near future.
The rest of the weekend was spent lazily hanging out on the deck completing Spanish homework, reviewing verbs with one another (I know, boring...), dining in different restaurants, and checking out the night scene. It was fantastic! The best part of it all was that the lake had the most calming effect on us. We all slowed our pace, talked a little slower and cared a little less about things. It seemed we needed a getaway from the hustle and bustle of busy-Antigua. But Sunday approached and we had to wave goodbye to Lake Atitlan.
Spanish Classes!
Moving right along, I'm now in my second week of Spanish classes which has turned out to be much more difficult than I thought. I guess speaking the language fluently in one week is not a realistic goal! :) Ha! On Tuesday, I'm not ashamed to admit, I had an awesome 'break-down, crying in front of my teacher' moment. There I was, seated across from Judith. We were going over an exercise in a book where I had to make up answers to the questions. I must be horrible at making up answers because my mind became blank when she would ask me questions like 'where does your dad's brother's sister travel for vacation.' Yeah, I know I only needed to make up an answer but for the life of me I couldn't do it. So frustrated, I wanted to say 'my dad's not alive! and he doesn't have a brother. and I have no idea where they are on vacation!' That, coupled with the fact that everyone in the city seems to be able to speak Spanish better or more fluent than me helped with my award winning mascara-running-down-my-cheeks moment. This place is definitely testing me and although I feel like I'm getting nowhere in my lessons I can already feel myself improving (I think I've at least gone from kindergarten to 1st grade!). Thankfully, my teacher and I had a hearty laugh about the whole thing and I told her that the book isn't working for me. She modified quickly and we were on to something new where my Spanish confidence was repaired. With a new topic and real answers I guess I could speak some Spanish!
Besides class, our school offers free activities on some of the afternoons. I didn't participate in any the first week but took the opportunity to hike with a group up to Cerro de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross) which is a prominent landmark in the hills above Antigua. The views of the city and surrounding volcanoes were stunning. In addition, I met a few students who were in the beginning phases of learning Spanish (Yes! I finally know more than someone).
Cerro de la Cruz, Antigua, Guatemala
In close, I thought I'd put together a top 2 list each week so I can remember what exactly I loved at the moment...
Top 2 things I love about Antigua...
1. Food vendors. Just when your stomach starts to grumble, there appears a lady bearing food. I am literally obsessed with the mango here. It's like an addictive drug and the second I have it in my hands from the vendor lady I am ripping through the bag to eat it. It is the sweetest fruit that has ever hit my lips. Other than mango there's pineapple (a close second), cakes, cookies, banana breads, regular breads, any fruit you can dream up, tortillas, arroz con leche (better than it sounds), and more!
2. One word: Lavanderia. Drop off your dirty clothes to a cute lady at the lavanderia and within 24 hours it's folded, smelling and looking clean, and costing virtually nothing. 3 pounds of clothes = 30 quetzales = $3.80 USD = so cheap!
Maybe I'll add a quick #3.
3. Taylor will be here in human form in a few days!!! I can hardly wait!
Love, Linds