So I`m still not too cool for school. I`m back to taking classes again. There`s one verb tense called the subjuntivo that I have yet to learn. It`s the most complicated tense in Spanish, but is necessary to learn if I`m really going to have a decent handle on the language.
Aura, mi maestra, has told [...]
I went with Marty and Carlos to Escipulas this weekend for a tour. Escipulas is in the South-East corner of Guatemala and is a pilgrimage site for most of Central America. There is a statue of Christ called “Cristo Negro” (Black Christ) that is said to have miraculous healing powers for people of faith. This is taken [...]
After doing some intense Semana Santa walking (/running to keep up with my mom) in the sun (with [tight] jeans). I seemed to have developed slight jock itch.
I was not sure how to remedy the situation because my Spanish vocab does not include hygenic terminology that includes something of this specificity. This being said, I felt that I [...]
So you´ll have to bear with me here, didn´t have time to explain. Check back for updates…
We chartered a boat ($12 a head) to see some of the pueblos that surround Lago Atitlan. There are 12 pueblos, and each one of them is named after one of the 12 apostles.
It was actually not the best [...]
So Friday was Charlie`s last day at Familias de Esperanza. We met up for drinks later that night.
And I guess even without the full blown beard I`ve managed to maintain my scrubby bum-like appearance. While we were walking around, we saw a group of volunteers that had helped at the organization for a week or [...]
I spent this past weekend in HueHuetenango. Jaime told me that the name of the area literally translates to “the place of old men”.
Rodalfo`s friend Carlos invited me to his house for a long weekend. HueHue is about 4.5 - 5 hours and 2 camionetas north of Antigua. The bus ride was awesome, I actually [...]
So Marty had a birthday party on Sunday.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH2BYwdfKZM[/youtube]
The party was a good time. Otto`s aunts and uncles took this as a perfect opportunity to sit down with the gringo and teach him a bunch of palabras malas. They didn`t forget to throw in a few hand signs too…
So welcome to the Cuchubal, a monthly event held to bring the family together… and take their money.
The Cuchubal is a very common game played in Guatemala. It`s a sort of round-robin event held with a group of usually around 10+ people (Otto`s family plays with about 30). Everybody throws down Q200 (about $26) and [...]
Throughout the entire 40 days of lent, Antigua begins to gear up for Semana Santa. Semana Santa is the last week of lent and the week right before Easter. From what I have heard, this is the time of the biggest celebrations in Guatemala. Antigua is famous for their processions and alfombras (carpets made of sawdust, fruit, flowers, [...]
So due to popular demand I have uploaded a few pictures of myself.
My time here in Guatemala has really had a profound impact on me as a person. After more than a month of camioneta rides, mariachi music, and constant Spanish, I feel much more at home here. In a very short time I [...]