We spent one day in Antigua and got our first bit of free time to explore on our own. In the morning we walked around looking at different cathedrals and cathedral ruins. I then walked around a bit on my own and explore by myself. I fell in love again with the colors on central american culture. or maybe more specifically the importance of color in everything. From the street beautifully colored plants peak at you from over the walls of houses and businesses. The cobble stones seem to slow life down an a way that is not limited to walking or driving. Life appears much simpler here. Although there are obviously still people walking around on their cell phones it is not the same as the US. First of all there are FAR fewer people doing this because the uneven surfaces everywhere force you to be more aware of your immediate surroundings but also the narrow streets and the fact that everything seems to be connected in one never ending wall, it brings people together. Tinenda owners stand outside their doors and talk with their neighbors and passers by. I sat for a while in the central plaza which is filled with trees and beautiful garden plots and recognized that i was actually a minority as a tourist just sitting and enjoying the day. Most of the people around me seemed to just be on their lunch break or chatting with an acquaintance. It surprised me that there were not more foreigners (because this city is FILLED with tourists) enjoying this beautiful setting but that the locals see this as maybe a necessary part of their day, to be still and around people. The simplicity of this life style is very appealing to me.
After our free morning we traveled in vans, about 4 hours, to Quetzaltenango which is the second largest city in Guatemala. this is where we will be spending the next month. We're in a hotel near the center of the city for the next four days and then we will move in with our host families on sunday and begin spanish classes on monday!! Now we're just using this time to get to know each other a little better, learn more about the the program and what we can expect in the next four months. The internet is pretty slow here so i that is why i havent been able to upload any pictures yet, but i plan to go to an internet cafe soon to do this.
A couple side notes in getting to know this culture. #1 getting use to security measure taken by the locals has been eye opening and made me very appreciative of where i come from and the fact that i have never experience war on my home soil. It has not been fun getting use to seeing military or police men on prominent street corners with machine guns or going in to restaurants with men at the door holding shot guns. it is a fact of live and a norm for the people of this country and most likely this region. i dont like guns and it has been uncomfortable but humbling to get use to them.
#2 on a better note almost every place we have stayed so far has had a roof top patio and because there are not sky scrapers (except a few off in the distance in the more developed modern parts of Guatemala city) these views have been spectacular and literally breath taking (Quetzaltenango is in the highland of guatemala, siting at 7500 feet above sea level) we had class this morning on the roof of our hotel:)
now im going to try to grab a nap before lunch, later some of us are going to go thrift store shopping in town for some warmer clothes and tonight some of us are going to go over to the school we'll be studying at for a pic up soccer game with some of the local students!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! two of my most favorite things in the world:)
pictures to come soon!!
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