The Weekend

  Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
Monday, November 20, 2006

Saturday was the most difficult walk yet. We hiked to the top of Volcan Chicibal.

The laguna from the crater rim.

It was a long steep walk to the rim of the volcano,

Down the steps to the laguna,

then 600 steps down to the lake, then up the same amount back to the rim, but on a trail this time not steps. The lake had a beautiful white pebble beach. We laid on the beach for an hour or maybe an hour and a half.

Resting at the laguna.

We watched the clouds blow in, then blow away. Sometimes one single cloud would come to the middle of the lake and drop down to the water slowly.

The laguna. at Volcan Chicibol

I was very tired, and today I am sore but it was worth it. We left at 7a and returned at about 4p.

Today we went to the largest market in Central America at Chichicistetango. It was a different kind of market from the one at San Francisco Alto. No animals and not so much food. It was mostly handcrafts. Actually I made a mistake by not bringing more money. I was trying to be safe but I really could have shopped more, but I did shop some.

The market from our balcony at lunch.

I had a great lunch along with a few in the group in a second floor restraunt with a balcony overlooking the chaos in the market. This was definitely a bargaining market.

From the balcony.

The one item I bought ended up costing half the original asking price.

Olga posted the activity schedule for the next week and none of them seem as active. Perhaps someone (John our group leader or someone else) asked her to tone it down. It will mostly be films, attending conferences. An ex-guerilla in the civil war will address us about the issues. I have enjoyed everything but it will also be nice to have a bit more time to explore Xela itself if we are not driving and walking as much. Only one activity looked to be out of town and it is a visit to another town. Probably not much walking.

The niece of my hostess and her fiance; had supper with us last night. At first I could understand NOTHING, since my hostess spoke more quickly with her family. As the evening wore on I got into the conversation. I think they slowed down when they realized I was lost, and I got a little better too. It was fun. He teaches at the local medical university. They spent a lot of time thinking of the most difficult place names in Guatemala to pronounce and then asked me to say them, to see how I would pronounce them. We all laughed a lot. Actually it was not entirely fair since a lot of their choices were Mayan names with sounds foreign to English AND Spanish...but I enjoyed it too.

Back to school tomorrow.