Quetzeltenango

After 25 hours of active Spanish instruction, not to mention the countless after-hours of intensive self-study to supplement, I feel like I have a pretty solid grasp of the necessities of the Spanish language. To my surprised delight, I've been understanding more and more of what I previously interpreted as utter nonsense streaming out of local mouths.

On the Sunday of my first weekend in Xela, I joined a group, guided by the non-profit Quetzaltrekkers, for a few hours of rock climbing atop a volcanic peak followed by an hour's basking in some natural steam saunas. All in a day's work, I was rightfully exhausted and slept well prior to my first day of school.

I enrolled at the Celas Maya Spanish School, principally for its high regard, but also because it was attached to the guest house at which I was staying. I was taught privately by a local and native Spanish speaker who had clearly developed boundless patience for the kind of Spanish unique to people like me. (Bad, bad Spanish.) Amidst 2 evenings of libations with a few other students and a Calgary native that lived in the room next to mine, I spent most evenings studying and practicing the language.

By Friday, I was ready for some excitement. I packed up the warmest of my clothing into a borrowed backpack, rode a bus for ten minutes, then spent two hours hiking up the monstrous Santa Maria Volcano. I spent the night at the frosty peak with a small clan of locals. The sunrise was undoubtedly the finest I'd ever seen. Watching the shadows of mountains slowly slide off of the town of Xela was nothing short of breathtaking.

A glutton for punishment, I took my already tired legs just outside of town on Saturday afternoon to join 30 Guatemalans in an aficionado bike race. I was quite pleased with my 26th place, but by Sunday morning, I was unable to stand. I spent the better part of the day at the enchanting natural hot springs called Fuentes Georginas.

I write now from Lago Atitlan, nearly 100km east. This lake is so stunning I could easily write a post about it's surface alone. For another day...