Karin's Guatemala-trip
2nd Nov 2006Trip to Xela! Ok, so here I go once again, hoping that this time the computer wont freeze and erase everything I`ve written! (still very bugged about that..) So, two weekends ago we set of to Xela. It`s real name is Quetzaltenango, its the second biggest city in Guatemala after Guatemala City, the capital. We were planning to go with a guatemalan friend of mine, Rodrigo, and his friend on friday by car, but since we had the friday of from work (some sort of holiday..) we decided to leave already thursday afternoon by chickenbus and meet up with the guys in Xela on friday instead. The bus ride was an interesting experience. I`d heard legendes about the crazy bus drivers, seemingly wanting to run the bus over the edge of the cliffs (the road to Xela is very mountainous, with winding roads and beautiful views!) and also about the extrordinary capacities of the bus, managing to fit at least 3-4 times as many people as would usually fit in a bus like that. The fact is that the bus doesnt leave until it`s so full you wouldnt fit a needle more in there, and there are usually people even hanging out of the bus through the windows, or sometimes standing on the ladder on the back of the bus. So, cramped in the bus with loads of guatemalan people, chicken, big baskets of vegetables and a goat we set of to our destination Xela. Or so we thought. We soon found out that the driver of the bus didn`t feel like going to Xela that day, instead he decided to take us on a "short" detour down south. Apparently there is no real bus system, you never know when or where the buses are going to leave, the only way is to ask around. So, after we realized we were actually going the opposite way we were supposed to we got of in a small village, where the bus driver said we could take another bus up to Xela. However, we asked a couple of locals, and they said that was the first bus that had stopped there for two days! That bus driver must have had something against us..this time, however, we were lucky, because the local people we met knew some people who were going up to Chimaltenango, on the way to Xela. And true enough, 5 minutes later a truck came by, and we climbed up on the back along with a group of mayan women. The rest of the way went pretty smooth, we changed to a bus in Chimaltenango and after several hours on a bumpy road with a seemingly suicidal driver we finally arrived to our destination. Xela is a beautiful city! Not to unlike Antigua with its cobble stoned streets and friendly athmosphere. There are also loads of restaurants, cafées and nightclubs, and an enormous market, ofcourse! The big difference from Antigua (except the fact that its much bigger!) was that the city didnt hoast nearly as many tourists as antigua! In fact, we didnt see one single tourist our first night there! This was a nice change. We found a nice, cheap hotel close to the central park, went out to get some dinner and then went straight to bed, totaly exhausted after the long trip! The next morning we went to a small village close by, famous for its big friday market (biggest in guatemala!) it was enormous!! Every street in the whole town was filled with vendors, selling everything from animals, vegetables and fabrics to national costumes, instruments etc. Again, we could tell from the stares the people gave us that they werent used to tourists. Actually, most of them didnt even speak spanish but Quiche, on of the mayan dialects. It was a cool experience to see a "real" guatemalan market, where they actually sold things for guatemalan people, and not only for tourists. In the night we met up with Rodrigo and his friends (one of them living in xela) and we all went out together. The nightlife in xela was awesome! So many people out on the streets, and the streets next to the central park were absolutely filled with bars & discoteques! I dont know what time we got back to the hotel, but it was after admirering the beautiful sunrise the next morning=) The next day we woke up pretty late (naturally), had some brunch and then went by car to visit the famous "Fuentas Georgianas", some natural hot springs up in the mountains about half an hours drive from xela. The place was situated several hundred metres up in the mountains, so it was a bit chilly and extreely foggy! So much nicer though sliding into the steemingly hot, turqoise colored water when we arrived to the fuentas=) It was extremely relaxing, and we had a wonderful view over the valley and surrounding mountains from the pools. Also here people were staring at us as if we had dropped down from the sky or something, they were all very curious, asking us about where we were from, how things are different where we are from in contrast to Guatemala etc. The children were following us around everywhere we went, and later we got invited by one of the families to eat with them (for most of the guatemalans its to expensive to eat at the restaurants, so they just bring their pots and pans, make a fire and cook their own food) it was delicious!! Would have wanted to stay for longer and talked to the people there, they were so nice! Anyways, we had to return back to antigua before sunset (the roads are so curvy its not even safe driving at daytime, and when its dark its a true nightmare!) What a nice feeling going back by car instead of the chickenbus! Only two whole weeks left here now..time is just swoooshing by! The work at school is going really well now. The kids have more confidence in me, trust me and actually do what I say (sometimes). Sometimes Im alone with the whole class, and sometimes another volunteer is helping me out. Its a lot of planning to do, and I always have to spend at least 2 hours when I get back from work planning activities and preparing homework for the next day. Its pretty exhausting sometimes, but it pays of! The kids are so sweet, and the people Im working with in the school are wonderful! Most of them work for free or for a really lousy pay (about 5 quetzales - 5 kronor or less than $1 per hour!) And many of them use that money to pay the bus trip etc when they take the kids on a trip somewhere. Very generous, admirable people! Ok, I have to get going..would have wanted to write about the trip to Monterrico as well, but that will have to be another time. Take care my friends!! ps. I put up some new photos from the trip to the lake & Xela as well, so check them out!
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