Monday and Tuesday of the Second Week in Xela

Trip Start Jul 14, 2007
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Trip End Aug 11, 2007


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Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Monday, I started school again and had a new teacher. Antonieta is older than Julia and has about 11 years experience as a teacher. She gave me homework every night and some great explanations of grammar points. We talked about politics, Mayan culture, and teaching. I felt like I was starting to understand even more the second week, especially after the intense Spanish immersion of the first weekend.
 
Tuesday, I went with a group from the school to Zunil, which we rode by in the pickup on Sunday. In Zunil, we went to a women's cooperative that makes woven goods and sells them to help feed and clothe local orphans. I bought a couple of small gifts for friends and family.  I expected to score a few more in Panahachel and Chichicastenago later in the trip, so while the work was amazing, I didn't want to blow my entire budget the second week.  
 
We also went to the local church, which isn't the oldest in C.A., but it is the oldest that has never been renovated. It's a huge structure that dominates the whole town. I took some photos of the outside and the inside.  The inside is amazing because of the various niches that contain icons and artifacts of saints. I was amused by the confessional that sits right next to some pews-there's no such thing as a private confession in that church!
 
Then we went to see San Simon, who Susie (another student from Atlanta) called the O.G. (Original Gangsta) because he is apparently the first San Simon (I think there are three or four in all). Of course, I had to pay the Q10 for a picture, but it was worth it for the tourist value alone. Honestly, I had to see at least one of the San Simons!
 
We also passed through the market, which is only a vegetable market on Tuesdays. I swear that I have seen some of the biggest carrots that I have ever seen here in the markets. They are amazing. They also had huge cauliflowers and heads of cabbage. Apparently, some of the produce in the local area is exported to other countries, and it was easy to see why.
 
I have more to write about, but no more time because I have more homework to do. I will try to add photos to the last couple of entries soon.
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