Week 2 of 3 in Lake Atitlan
Trip Start
Jan 01, 2007
1
24
141
Trip End
Ongoing
San Pedro La Laguna,
Guatemala
Sunday, January 28, 2007
On Sunday afternoon, we caught a launcha ferry from San Marcos back to San Pedro in order to secure a hotel for the second week.
We stayed at the Hotel Tepupul Kaán for the 2nd and 3rd weeks. It is a great hotel and we highly recommend it to anyone! It is very new, with new tiles floor and beds. All the rooms are brightly painted and pretty, with a large private bathroom. There is a rooftop deck that has several chairs, tables, a hammock, and a cooktop. There are also several tables and hammocks throughout the hotel. The rooftop has an amazing view of the Lake and surrounding hillsides and villages. (see our photos for proof!).
That Sunday night, we went to Zoo-La for dinner, which is another great recommendation
Coffee drying fields
. They serve amazing Israeli food in a very cool, chill environment near the water. There are several large low tables with pillows scattered about for seats. You sit on the floor, take your shoes off and relax. The food is fantastic too! An Israeli friend we met at the restaurant introduced us to Lebane, a really tasty cheese made from yogurt. The food was also really cheap. This place became our favorite, and we returned many times to eat and sometimes to study.We awoke the next morning at 4:30 to the sound of the loudest Gallo (Rooster) that ever lived. This guy had some serious vocal chords, and kept going for hours. No joke. And he kept it going every single day. One day, later in the week, he hopped over the fence and ended up in the yard of our hotel. Frank and I had a perfect opportunity to decommision him, but the animal lovers in us held us back.
For the 2nd and 3rd weeks, we switched to a different school - the Coopertiva Spanish School. It was formed 4 years ago by a group of 8 teachers that used to work at the San Pedro Spanish Schools. They were not happy with how the school was run and the owner of the SPSS would not listen to their ideas, so they split off and started their own school. They are all shared owners and share all the responsibilities, including teaching, construction, leading activities, accounting, etc
Coopertiva Classroom
. This was a much better school and the teachers were older and more experienced. Frank and I each had fantastic teachers - mine was Luis and his was Wendy. Classes were about $60 per person for 4 hours a day for 5 days. An amazingly cheap course. The Coopertiva also sponsors several local impoverished families. Twice a month, the teachers visit the families and bring food staples like beans, rice, and eggs.Our routine for the 2nd week was slightly different because we took classes in the afternoon, from 2 to 6pm. Each day, weŽd wake up at a leisurely hour and make breakfast on the roof. Chocolate pancakes and fresh fruit where the usual. Yum! WeŽd have tea and breakfast while watching the amazing view from the rooftop. Then weŽd study before heading to class at 2. Somedays, weŽd walk up to the market in the center of town to buy fruits and veggies or sample a quick lunch from one of the street vendors, like tostadas with guacamole, or bread with beans and guacamole.
At our hotel, we met a friendly Argentinian couple and their parents. One evening, we watched them make a yummy pizza on the stovetop. Our noses and tongues were envious as we ate our Cup-O-Noodles. The next evening, we went shopping at the market for the ingredients and they showed us how to make it
Coopertiva Teachers
. It was surprisingly simple and very good! All you need for the dough is flour (we used a mix of whole wheat and white), water, and a little oil. Kneed it into a ball and roll out with a glass. Cook it on a griddle (like the one they use for tortillas). Separately, cook up fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and peppers. Put onto the pizza with cheese and Voi-la! Fresh tomatoes and basil are key.One night this week, we saw Motorcycle Diaries at the school. I had read the book before, so it was interesting to see it in movie form. After observing the genuinely sweet nature of Guatemalans the last couple weeks and also knowing what difficulties they have been through in the past, it is very easy to understand how Che became so motivated in Guatemala to become a revolutionary to try to help them.
Cheers, Kay
