TravelStream™ news feed for member paular on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/paular en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:55:25 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1227543060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1227543060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1227543060/tpod.html Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:55:25 -0500 2008 Trip to Quezaltenago, Guatemala (aka Xela)

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Gainesville, Virginia, United States

First, I am happy I was able to complete without any real problems). I am suffering from sort of insect bite that has me scratching constantly, which I will check on sometime today or tomorrow (but if I didn't come home with something what would there be to talk about).

My two weeks have been great fun and this time I believe that I saw an improvement in my Spanish while I was there. Not that I learned more words, but that I felt I was better able to communicate and I felt more comfortable doing it than I have after returning from previous trips. Of course, the challenge now will be to find opportunities to continue to use it.

I enjoyed the group I went down with. It was nice to renew some friendships and to build new ones. Except for Wray who has promised to sign up, we are all on Facebook, so we will try to use that as a method of keeping in touch (I'm still pretty new at it so, I will see how that works).

This will definitely not be my last trip, but I would like to go on a mission work trip to Guatemala or El Salvador or Nicaragua so I can use my Spanish and help out. I will just have to see what happens.

I had a great time and have returned with lots of pictures (more than 260, all time high for me) an improvement in my Spanish and lots of memories. Who could ask for more from a trip?

On one final note, I discovered an article in the November 17th issue of Prensa Libre (one of the Guatemalan newspapers) that some US group is constructing a Golf Course/Resort in Antigua that is scheduled to open in January 2009. What a great opportunity to combine two of my loves - Spanish and Golf. I will definitely have to look into palnning a golf outting to Antigua.

Thanks for allowing me to share my trip with you.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1227541980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1227541980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1227541980/tpod.html Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:10:29 -0500 2008 Trip to Quezaltenago, Guatemala (aka Xela)

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Antigua, Guatemala

On Saturday at 7 AM we boarded a bus for a 3 hour ride to Antigua, our final stop on our way home. We took the coastal road which was very scenic. Not too much traffic so the ride went quickly. We stopped at a very nice restaurant for breakfast. I had a bit of a scare when I was offered Avena (watery oatmeal, that everyone swore by), but was able to decline the offer and was happy to enjoy my eggs and fried plantains, frijoles (not refried this time) and several cups of coffee (simple, aka black). Our hotel in Antigua was very nice and I discovered later had really hot water (I indulged that evening in a longer than 5 minute shower).

I had forgotten how touristy Antigua was and I realized why it had been so easy to continue to speak English there. The city caters to tourist and in most of the shops and restaurants the menus and signs are in both English and Spanish (in fact you can purchase items in either dollars or Quetzals). It is still a very beautiful and quaint city and worth visiting even if the Guatemalan to tourist ratio appeared to be 2 to 1. We had lunch (I had soup and fries), walked around, did some last minute shopping and then went back to our rooms. The only "inconvenience" was that they locked the hotel door with a chain and padlock and so you had to ring the bell to get in or out of the hotel.

Dinner was a very nice restaurant, but I was still pretty full from breakfast and lunch and so chose the Caldron Real (a thick chicken and rice and vegetables soup) and garlic bread. Then we headed back to the hotel, said goodbye to Joe who was leaving at o'dark thirty and took my surprise hot shower and went to bed.

Sunday morning the rest of us headed to a restaurant down the street at 7:30 AM for breakfast (this time I just had fruit and granola and coffee), made sure we were all packed and waited for the shuttle to Guatemala city (a 30 minute ride). It was good to be headed home, but sad to be leaving my new friends. We've promised to keep in touch and share all our pictures. Now it was time to look ahead to family and friends in our hometowns.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1227301620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1227301620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1227301620/tpod.html Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:33:22 -0500 2008 Trip to Quezaltenago, Guatemala (aka Xela)

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Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

I was just contemplating getting up a few minutes before 5 AM. At 5 AM I heard very loud Mariachi music. At first I couldn´t figure out where it was coming from; if was it on a radio or in the street somewhere. Then I reallized it was coming from downstairs and remembered that today was Addis´ (my ¨mama¨) birthday. It is a custom in Guatemala to serenade the ¨birthday person¨. I jumped out of bed, slipped on jeans and a sweatshirt, grabbed my camera and headed downstairs. A couple of friedns came over to celebrate, too. It turns out Jackie was making all the arrangements last night and that is why she was late. We celebrated with hot chocolate and cookies and sweet rolls and of course took lots of pictures. At about 6:30 AM I headed back upstairs to get ready. Soon after the maraiachis left (it was weird watching them fit a bass into a very small car with the stem stickingout hte window). Then I had breakfast (I´m back to regular food with scrambled eggs and tortillas).

I headed to school. The first thing I had was a comprenshion test. My teacher, Flor, read me a pretty long story to see if I understood it. I didn´t understand all the words but I understood what the story was all about (it was a very interesting story). Then we talked for a while. Then we studied the Conditionals (Simple, Progressive and Perfect). Then I had my 2nd examination - several games of Concentration (this time with occupations). Flor won the 1st game by three pairs. I won the 2nd game by 8 pairs and Flor won the 3rd game by 8 pairs. The the bell rang for the end of class and Graduations. We were each given our diplomas and had to make a speach. John, Joe and Stephainie did their´s extemparaenously. Wray, Pam amd I read ours (asking me to give a speach off the cuff could have had us there all day and there´s no telling where my mind would have wandered). Then we all headed for a Taco resturant up the street. It was funny, all the teachers had hamburgers and all the students had tacos (go figure). Then we headed back to the school to put our handprints on the wall. Mine looked a little deformed; I think I should have practiced before I started.

It was really sad for me. I will miss the teachers and my family. I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends but it doesn´t keep me from hating to leave at the same time.

Tomorrow we are to be at the school at 6:45 AM and to leave at 7 AM for Antigua. Looking forward to seeing Antigua again. Not sure if I will be able to make any entries after this one.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1227300720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1227300720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1227300720/tpod.html Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:06:23 -0500 2008 Trip to Quezaltenago, Guatemala (aka Xela)

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Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

On Thursday morning I was still on a diet of tea, jello and toast. But it was more than sufficient. Class was good, we talked about all sorts of things for the first half and then started studying the Present, Past, Past Imperfect and Future Particle (not all that easy when you don´t have a good handle on the tenses in English). After class I rushed home for lunch (had less than an hour). For lunch I had soup with potatoes and carrots in it this time and toast.

I realized (with a reminder from Joe) that we had been to San Andres de Xecul before. This time they were setting up for some sort of festival in front of the church. Then we watched a dance/enactment/mime called ¨Dance of teh Monkeys¨it was odd and I really can´t explain it. At one point a man dressed like monkey or tiger searched a bystander and eventually ¨found¨money on him. Then we walked up a steep street for a view from the top of the town. Afterwards we returned to the school.

From there we took a public microbus to a Catholic Church for teh Mass/Service for Olga´s father. It was hard to hear, let alone understand all that was going on (altough I did recognize one of the songs). Also all the sitting and standing was a bit tiring after all the walking earlier in the day. Aftwards we walked back to the school and then headed home.

At home we decieded to wait until Jackie came home from classes to take pictures. We ate dinner (I had a couple of tamaneras) and then at about 9:30 PM we gave up and took pictures without her and I took my shower and headed for bed.
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Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

Last night a few minutes after I sent off my blog while I was going through my e-mail the power went out again. There was only only one other person in the Internet Cafe not counting the the guy behind the desk. The power went out around the same time as the night before - 6:30 PM. The guy behind the desk brought out a cadle so we didn´t have to sit in total darkness. I talked with the other guy who suggested since the power was out we shouldn´t have to pay anything. I decided to wait in the Cafe in hopes the power would come back on in a timely fashion. One of the good things about that incident was I got the international code for calling into Guatemala (502). To use my phone to call my ¨casa¨ or anyone with a Guatemalan cell phone, like several in my group, I have to call as if I was in the US and use the code. So I called my casa to let them know where I was and that I was going to try to wait for the power to come back on. But after more than 30 minutes, I decided to go home (just around the corner). I paid for 45 minutes (the agreed upon time) and headed home. We had sandwiches for dinner and hot tea (they have gas) for dinner and about the time we finished the power came back on.

Around 4AM I started having stomach problems that did not go away. When my alarm went off, I used my standard method of determine if I was well enough to go to class (if I can brush my teeth and wash my face standing up then I´m good to go; if I have to hang onto the sink to brush my teeth and wash my face, then I need to stay in bed). I was in the hanging onto the sink mode, so I crawled back up to my bed, took 2 Imodium (should have done that at 4 AM), told my ¨mama¨ that I was not feeling well and went back to sleep. I called the school and John at 7:45 AM to let them know I would not be in class and I didn´t need anything. It was good that the power went out the night before or I would not have known how to call anyone.

At about 12:30 I woke up, saw I had an IM from my husband and responded to it. I was trying to decide if I was better enough to venture out of bed (I was feeling guilty for sleeping so long), when there was a tap at my bedroom door and Pam was there. She said everyone in my group was downstairs. So I put on some clothes and came downstairs to let them know that I was really doing a lot better. They suggested strongly that I not go to the cooking class, which I agreed to (guess I loss my big chance ;-).

Addis was going to bring me something to eat in my room, but I said I would come downstairs. She made me an herbal tea that she said was good for the stomach and gave me jello, plain soup and some toasted bread cut into cubes. It was just enough. Afterwards I took another nap and now have ventured out to update you on my latest adventures.

Tomorrow we go to San Andres de Xecul. I don´t want to miss that, so I´m planning to take it easy the rest of the day & night. After the activity we will go to a Mass/service for the father of the director of the Spanish school who died last week.

Friday is the Graduation Cena (dinner), but they told me today that it was being moved to lunchtime at a restuarant becuase many of the maestros (teachers) have class or examinations in the evening and would not be able to attend (my teacher was one of those). So I still need to continue working on my speech (it will be short).

Hasta Luego!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1227050940/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1227050940/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1227050940/tpod.html Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:56:48 -0500 2008 Trip to Quezaltenago, Guatemala (aka Xela)

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Quetzaltanago, Guatemala

Last night the neighborhood lost power for about an hour (from 6:30 - 7:30). I ended up doing my homework in the dark with only the light of my flashlight (many, many thanks Marian for the loaner). I was just trying to decide what to do about charging my camera and if I was going to have to forego a bath, when the lights came back on.

When the lights came back on Addis´(my ¨mama¨) son came over to cook dinner. It was a delicious pasta dinner, but I was given too much and was really stuffed. I was still stuffed in the morning and didn´t even want to see food. So I didn´t have naything but water and coffee until 1:30 PM which was fine.

Class was good. I studied using the Passive voice and we talked about all sorts of things. It gives me a chance to practice what I am supposed to be learning. We all (except maybe John) seem to be hitting a bit of a ¨learning¨ wall to one extent or the other.

This afternoon the activity was a visit to a Railroad Museum. The trip to and from the museuam was by public microbus. It is always crowded. But the real challenge was not being crushed on the bus it was getting hit by cars that came very close to the curbs (no standing on the street at all). The museum is on two floors. The museum included photos of the construction and the eathquake destruction as well as pieces of the track and some of the memorabilia of the ¨maiden voyage¨. There was also a movie (in Sapnish, of course) that told alot about the contruction and all the events up to the beginning of the use of the train - not anything about the earthquake. All of it actual footage of events. An electric railroad was built in Guatemala in 1930. In order to have the railroad hydroelectric plants had to be build as well as a system of bridges and of course the track. The railroad was more of a trolley system with the trolley wires that connected to the trains to provide the power and of course that system had to be installed, too. Unforutnately the railroad only lasted 3 years because in 1933 there was terrible earthquake and all the bridges were destroyed as well as a lot of the track system. The project was terminated after that. After the museum (the entire trek lasted only an 1.5 hours including the bus rides). Stephanie, Pam and I went to the Vienese Bakery for hot chocolate and cookies (an early dessert). We have finally figured out that choclate with milk is not the thing to do. It really waters down the hot choclate. We got almond flavored hot chocolate - very good.

Tomorrow is a cooking class. Don´t anyone get any ideas. I still won´t be doing anymore cooking than I did before, I am sure. You can´t do miracles in an hour or less.

I´m off to dinner and studying an a sort of hot shower.

Hasta Luego!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1226965680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1226965680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paular/2/1226965680/tpod.html Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:09:29 -0500 2008 Trip to Quezaltenago, Guatemala (aka Xela)

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Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

There were no new students this week, so we didn´t the usual introductions where each person says in Spanish ¨My name is ... and I am from ...¨. Joe got a new teacher, but most of us kept our same teachers. I moved to a new room (the same room John and Pam are in). Today I reviewed verbs and studied the Gerunds in the Presente, Preterito, Imperfecto and Futuro. We also talked about what I had done over the weekend and a few other topics.

In the afternoon we visited Trama Textiles. Before we left the school Silvia gave us a little introduction to the school in Spanish, of course, and Joe did the translating. He did okay until he translated that the cooperative provided a way for the women in the cooperative to put food on their tables as whenever the women get together they eat. He took one look at me and said ¨Did I translate that correctly?¨ and of course I told him no and that I didn´t like his translation. That got a big laugh and he is now hoping that he won´t get asked to translate again (I wonder if that was part of his plan).

Trama Textiles a coopertative for women who were affected by the Guatemalan Civil war. The cooperative is made up of pueblos around and near Xela. They make textile products of very good quality and sell them in Xela and on the internet (http://www.xelapages.com/asotrama/). They are a Fair Trade cooperative. I bought a few items from them. The shop is located a little behind Parke Central, but it is straight up hill. It was a bit of a trek, but I took it slowly and Silvia from the school didn´t walk up it very fast either, so I didn´t have to play catch-up. They demonstated the craft. Everyone in our group went, but Wray. I think he went home to study. It was very interesting.

Afterwards we went to our favorite place, Cafe Luna. I got the Chocolate Pura, but it was too rich, so I couldn´t drink it all. Tomorrow we go to a Train Museum. I can´t wait. I have 12 sentences to write. Also I have to start writing my ¨speach¨for Friday night at ¨graduation¨.

Hasta Luego!!!
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Chichicastenango, Guatemala

I am having to write about yesterday today, becuase teh Internet Cafe was closed on Sunday.

We had to leave for Chichicastenango at 5:45 AM becuase there was going to be a 1/2 marathon in Xela and they were closing the streets at 6 AM. We stopped for breakfast at a little restuarant. The food was very good, but the service was a bit slow and they did not bring our coffee until near the end of the meal (sort of like you would expect for dinner - after the meal). Chichicastenango is a big market that covers many many streets or aisles. I found all the things I was looking for, but only bought them after chceking out the prices at all of the stalls. That way I could dicker for the best price. They expect you to dicker, but I like to still ask a responable price. We had allowed 3 hours for shopping, but four of us met up after an hour and a half and we were all through, so we went looking for the microbus. When we couldn´t find it we went searching for John and Joe. When we couldn´t find them we decided to stop for coffee or some other beverages and then head look for the bus again when it was closer to noon. As we were looking for a good place to go we found John and Joe already having coffee and fries. So we joined them and then headed back to look for the microbus. It showed up about 5 or 10 minutes after we go to the spot where it was supposed to be (a few minutes before noon).

We ate lunch at the same resturant we had had breakfast at. Again the food was good, the service was very slow, Stephanie never got her coffee and Joe never got the soup he had order with his sandwich. That turned out to be a good thing because the bowl of soup was huge. There was music at the restuarant that turned out to be a small band playing just outside the restaurant.

When returned to Xela, I dropped off my stuff and met everyone at Parke Central. It was atime just to rest and do some people watching. We decided to go to Cafe Luna, but despite the fact that the hours for the cafe are 4 - 9 PM, and it was a little after 4PM, it was not open (Guatemalan time is anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes later than the announced time). So we went to another cafe. They were washing the floors as if they were planning to close, but let us come in to order (they will never close if there are customers - a big difference from the US). They were also washing the windows and to rinse them they just threw bowls of water on the windows (if you were close you could expect to get a little drenced).

I went back to my room to study some and fell asleep. It was 7 PM when I woke up and I decided to have dinner on my own. I headed back to Cafe Luna which was open by now and had Cappocino Chocolate (a bit richer than I expected) and a salad (a bit bigger than I expected). Before I sat down to order, I confirmed that they would be able to break my 100 Quezales bill, because once before they had not been able to do it. But I gues becuase I was going to be ordering as bit more than a cup of Hot chocolate, it was possible or maybe they had just had more customers than the last time. It turns out Stephanie was there, too (she stopped by on her way out and we chatted for a few minutes).

After dinner I returned to my room to study for Monday in case I had a test. Got a shower (I finally figured out the hot/warm water and had a nice shower) and headed for around 11:30 PM.

Hasta Luego!
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Zunil, Guatemala

Today our group went to Fuentas Georginias (checkout their website,http://www.lasfuentesgeorginas.com/, for some pictures). We left from the school at 8:30 AM. Fuentas Georginias is "officially" in the town of Zunil. There is a short walk up from the parking lot to the Hot Springs. The mountain sights are breathtaking. It was pretty chilly (aka cold to me), but the water is very warm. Most of the group inched their way into the water because it was pretty hot. But not me. I stepped right in all the way up to my neck. At the back of the pool against the rock wall the water is a lot hotter. The rock itself is very hot, too. Where the water that comes over the top of teh rock wall is cold, but where it comes through the rock it is pretty close to boiling. It was soothing, although I had to get out once or twice and cool down. Afterwards we returned to Xela for lunch and to wander around the "mini mall" on one side of Parke Central and later to just take in the sights. There was some sort of Coke a Cola¨"event" going on with clowns and a beauty queen and a juggler who also rode on a unicycle. Joe was trying to take a picture of the flags in teh park when the anouce pointed him out and had some of the girls there pose for him. While sitting in the park we got approached by quite a few people selling indigenous crafts. They were very persistent to sell us stuff, but we just as persistent not to buy anything. Then we went to an ice cream shop and I had an guanabana ice. It´s my favorite flavor of ice cream and I have never found it in the States.

Tomorrow we leave at 5:45 AM for Chicicastenago and some gift shopping. We have to leave early because there is going to be a race tomorrow morning and they will be closing the streets off at 6 AM.

The rest of tonight will be quiet I think.

Hasta Luego!
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Quezaltanango, Guatemala

There were no adventures today (just when I was getting to enjoy them), except that I had to reneter this entyr. I hope I do as well the second time around. I was very tired for not getting any sleep the night before and so it was very difficult to pay attention in class. We reviewed the Imperfecto and direct and indirect objects. It gets hard when I have use both in a sentence (which probably an indication that I don´t have them down pat). I will need to practice them more. At the end of the class we played Cocentration with Opposites. My memory wasn´t very good with not sleep. The first game my maestra (teacher) won by 3 pairs. In the second game she felt sorry for me and when there were on ly 4 cards left she mixed them up and when she guessed wrong, I was able to get teh last two pairs. I won by a single pair.

After lunch I went to the Internet Cafe to put an entry in my Blog and then went to get money for my trip to the Hot Springs. Boy what a procedure. First you have to stand in a line to give a woman the money you want to change and which she chceks meticulously and then gives you a receipt for the money. Then you get into another line for a woman to check your passport,make a copy of it, check the exchange rate and give you two forms to sign one of which indicates how many Quetales you are going to get. The you get back in the first line to get your money. I should have taken a book with me.

The I returned to my house and took a nap. I felt a lot better after the nap. On Friday evenings there is alwasy a Cena (dinner) for the students. I decided to forgo that so I would be up to snuff for the trip to the Hot Springs. I did a little ¨test run¨to the Chocolate Shop. That went fine, so I feel good to go. Then I stopped in the Internet Cafe to update my Blog (two times it turned out).

Hasta Luego!
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