Journals

    Welcome to my travel journal. I'm departing for a month-long volunteer trip in Quetzaltenango . Let's keep it quick and breezy for this first post shall we? Since posting some Spanish vocab will prove to be mutually beneficial, let's begin with Lección Uno:   ¿Como se dice... / how do you say... La matricula / tuition La llegada / arrival El equipaje / luggage Saco muchas fotos cuando estoy de vacaciones . / I take many photos when I am on vacation. Creo que tengo disentería . / I believe that I have dysentery. ¿Cuánto cuesta este cosa? / How much does this thing cost? Mas barato por favor. / Cheaper please. No necesito impermeable hoy , ¿verdad ? / I don't need a raincoat today, do I? Quiero una agua en botella, no vaso, no hielo por favor. / I want a bottled water, no glass, no ice please.   After a one-night stay in Guatemala City, I'll board a bus for the 5hr drive to Quetzaltenango . Pre-Spanish conquest, Quetzaltenango was a Mayan city called Xelajú -  possibly derived from  " Xe laju' noj " meaning land of ten mountains. Today, locals refer to the city as Xela for short (pronounced "shay-la"). The city is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes and sits 2,200 meters above sea level. Temps average 70-80 °F during the day and 45 °F at night (although lately the temps have dipped down into the 30's). It is unofficially thought of as the capital of the Mayans with roughly 65% indigenous population. Once I arrive, I'll meet my homestay family: a grandmother (abuela), father (padre), and 9yr old boy, Pablito (niño ). No internet in the home but I'll have limited access at my Spanish school the afternoons I'm not volunteering. Class begins at 8am, 5 days a week, 4 hrs a day  (ay dios mio !). I'm excited, nervous, and sleep deprived.