Settling In and My First Pictures

A week has come and gone. It’s strange to think that I’ve already settled in enough to start understanding some Guatemalan traditions and slang. It hasn’t been a completely easy transition – I hate not having reliable internet, not flushing toilet paper, and not completely understanding what my host mother says to me. But all in all, I’m pretty happy with the decision to come down here. I move into an apartment this week with some new friends (although I’m still taking Spanish classes) and I get my first taste of “el campo” aka the rural farming area that I will be spending a lot of time working over the next 6 months.

The first weekend didn’t fail to disappoint as far as crazy new experiences. Where to start…? How about a story about Zombies? Everyone loves zombies. Last Thursday, myself and my friends Emelie, Brenda, Darren, and Sam headed out to what was called a Zombie Wedding. The night went smoothly, drinks came and went, and I felt like I was in college again at a weekend house party. Good times. The DJ did fail and never played “Thriller.” Epic fail if you ask me. You knew what wasn’t an epic fail though? Our outfits.

Friday was mostly spent recovering from the night before. I swear headaches are worse down here. I’ll blame it on the altitude. Everyone blames everything on the altitude down here in Quetzaltenango. For Spanish classes we did take a quick field trip to a town about 30 minutes outside of Xela to an amazing church. Covered in brightly colored figures, the church depicts tigers, tourist, farmers, and Jesus. It was quite a sight.

A long night’s sleep help recover fully from being a zombie on Thursday and gave me the energy to head up to Parque de Baul just outside Xela, overlooking the city. Emelie and Brenda put together one of the greatest BBQ’s I’ve ever been a part of. The girls, myself, Sam, and other friends ate tortillas, corn, and tons of meat while putting away a few liters of cheap, yet refreshing beer. The bill for enough food and beer to sufficiently stuff and intoxicate 6 people: about $20. I know my excitement for Guatemala’s cheapness will wear off, but until then I I’m going to be thrilled every time I spend essentially pennies on adventures. Check out our spread!

We returned from the mountain for a quick afternoon siesta before heading out for the night. The night… well, it was pretty fantastic. But you’ll just have to read about it later this week when I return from 'el campo.' Until then, adios!