Tag: Guatemala

If you’re a true Gossip Girl fan like I am, you’ll remember the “lost weekends” that Chuck and Nate used to have. These weekends were wild, party-filled getaways to random locales and were probably full of trouble. While I’m sure my past weekend getaway to Santa Cruz La Laguna was much tamer than a Chuck and Nate Lost Weekend (although there was a party), I think it still should classify as a “lost weekend,” even in a slightly different sense of the phrase. Mainly because the weekend was full of losses:

1. We lost power
2. I lost most contact with the outside world (no wi-fi)
3. I lost my umbrella
4. I lost the opportunity to kayak on the lake at sunrise because I couldn’t charge my phone and thus didn’t wake up until 9:30am

And to top it all off, the place we stayed at was called La Iguana Perdida, which means “the lost iguana.” (I forgot to ask where the name came from, I didn’t even see any iguanas.) So the “lost weekend” title fits and I’m sticking to it.

But the weekend was also full of wins. La Iguana Perdida was an amazing place to stay. It’s a fun, colorful hotel/hostel right on the lake with a wide variety of rooms. There are dorm-style rooms as well as huge suites with balconies that overlook the lake. There’s a bar and restaurant, which every night serves a family-style dinner to guests. There’s plenty of outdoor lounge space, including hammocks and a pool room. This place was so relaxing and tons of fun at the same time.

Friday night we went into the tiny town of Santa Cruz and had dinner at Café Sabor Cruceño, which was fantastic. This place had an unbelievable view of the lake, and the food was amazing, right down to its presentation. It was actually the first night that they were serving dinner so we also got free dessert (#winning). Between the gorgeous lake view and the delicious food, this place could be easily one of my favorite spots I’ve eaten at in Guatemala so far.

 

The sad part about this weekend was that it stormed really badly on Saturday, and we lost power. But this meant we had a candlelit dinner accompanied by live guitar music, which was a pretty cool experience.

Saturday night is also the night that La Iguana Perdida has their cross-dressing/costume party. They have a closet full of hideous dresses, obnoxious blazers, and animal print onesies that people can borrow to fulfill their wildest dress-up dreams. Even with the power out, the show went on. And although I didn’t have time to get my outfit together, some of the other guests were able to put together some fabulous outfits.

I will say, despite the many losses, this weekend was definitely a fun time. I loved loved loved La Iguana Perdida and would go back if I had the chance.

-S

My Spanish school provided us an opportunity to observe a traditional Mayan ceremony, which was quite beautiful. I’d hate to lie to you all and tell you I remember exactly what all the symbolism used in the ceremony meant, so I will mainly share some of the pictures I took. There was a lot going on during the ceremony, but I’ll try to share the bits and pieces that I remember.

The Mayan priest began by forming a circle with sugar, then layering various offerings, including coals made from pine sap, chocolate, tobacco/cigars, and herbs. Everything placed in the circle has a meaning, such as sugar for the sweetness of life and the cigars for the memory of the ancestors.

The different colored candles are placed with the wicks towards the center, and each color is associated with a cardinal direction. Red is the east and the sunrise, black is the west and the sunset, white is the north and the air, and yellow is the south and the earth/material things. (Notice how those four colors are also the four colors of corn.) Blue and green candles are also added to the center.

Next, a student helped the priest light the candles.

During the ceremony, the priest honored the ancestors, the 260 Nawales (spirits), the elements and nature. He invited other students and teachers to add more candles and seeds to the fire. Towards the end of the ceremony he added honey and liquor to the flame.

As a neutral observer I found the ceremony to be quite relaxing and peaceful. Definitely a cultural experience I’m happy I was able to witness.

-S

So I’m almost done with my first week of Spanish classes! And my brain is a mushy overload of Spanish medical vocabulary and idiomatic phrases. Every morning, I have one-on-one classes with my teacher, Jessica for 5 hours. Five longggg hours of Spanish grammar, vocab, listening exercises, and just general chit-chat. So by the time class is over I’m mentally exhausted. But I really feel like I’m getting a lot better at speaking “con fluidez.”

The school is close to Xela’s central park, and is a quaint spot with a beautiful courtyard. From 8am- 1pm the students and their teachers sit at tables throughout the school and have their Spanish lessons. They have free coffee for students and teachers (#blessed), and bread during our 30 minute break.

I love love love my Spanish teacher. Jessica and I talk about anything and everything, and she is a fantastic teacher. I’ve learned so much about Guatemala and Mayan culture from her. Even though the days seem incredibly long, I can’t believe I’m almost halfway done with Spanish school. I’ll miss my chats with Jessica once I leave Xela!

Jessica, me, and Sarah (another UVA student)

Hopefully soon I’ll get used to the long classes and my brain won’t feel as dead once 1pm hits. (No, but I actually need that to happen pretty quickly, because some afternoons I feel like I can’t even speak proper English let alone Spanish.) Until then, I’ll just keep on taking these afternoon siestas to get me through.

Hasta luego,

-S

Two days ago, after the longest day of my life I finally landed in Guatemala City. The trip here was pretty exhausting (largely due to the fact I had to be at the airport at 4am) but also incredibly fun (because we decided to turn our 9 hour layover in Miami into an adventure to get breakfast in Little Havana and a day trip to South Beach). It was great to travel with some of the other students in my research program, and although tiring, the trip was exciting.

We spent our first night at a small hostel in Guatemala City, and then the next morning, after a breakfast of pancakes and fruit, all 14 of us piled into a van. With our luggage tightly strapped down on top of the van, we headed for Quetzaltenango (Xela). The trip was about a 4-hour drive on a windy highway up into the highlands, with beautiful scenery. It was a cloudy day, and the clouds hung low over the mountains—absolutely breathtaking.

In Xela we had lunch at La Chatia Artesana, a restaurant with delicious sandwiches. The in-country coordinator for our program gave us the run-down of our first couple of weeks, and then we headed out to walk through the city for a bit. It was raining. Pouring, actually. But in the midst of jumping puddles I was still able to take in some of the beauty of the city and its European architecture. However, because “packing lightly” is something that just isn’t in my DNA, I had to leave my rainboots at home, so of course my poor feet were completely wet and sliding around in my sandals. Yuck.

Finally, we waited in the lounge area of our Spanish school for our host mothers to come pick us up, which felt pretty much like back in the day when you had to wait for your parents to get you from your after school program. My host mother is so incredibly nice. Already, she has cooked a delicious dinner of mushroom soup, chicken and tortillas and walked me through Xela to show me how to get to my Spanish school. We bonded over our love of OPI nail polishes. Love her already.

I’m excited to start Spanish lessons tomorrow and explore more of Xela over the next two weeks. But high on my priority list is finding a pair of rainboots because this rain is something serious.

 

Hasta luego,

-S