La vida en Antigua

Alyece Says:
Hola! So the past week has been amazing... it started with a trip out to a little beach town on the west coast called Monterrico, which is about a 2 hour drive in an overly full mini-bus meant for about 12 or 13 people but crammed 18 in (we were glad we werent the girls in the back of the bus who had a big sweaty guatemalteco man sitting on top of them). We went with other students from our spanish school and we all stayed in a luxurious hostel on the beach, and at least one of our beds had sheets that were possibly washed within the past few weeks so that was a bonus. It was super hot and we spent the day enjoying cervezas at one of the beach pubs. (the restaurant we ate at with a giant pelican about two feet from our table)

Later in the afternoon we took part in a preservation program for sea turtles. This organization hatches sea turtles and then releases them on the beach so they can make it to the water safely; so we each got to have a baby turtle and set it free on the beach! They were so cute running with their little flippers down to the water... but with the thought that only one in every 1000 turtles actually survives to come back and lay eggs, Erin started tearing up and Alyece had to explain the circle of life to her.

En la noche, we went to the local discoteca where we were the odd ones out who didnt bring their 2 year old child to the bar... We woke up before dawn to take a guided boat tour through a mangrove reserve which was gorgeous and a very tranquil way to wake up in the morning. We spent the rest of the day sleeping on the beach and playing in the waves... ... and yes us students nerded it up with a study session in the afternoon. The bus ride back was even better... because it was Guatemala`s independence day --- which turned a 2 hour bus ride into 4 and half hours due to the massive celebrations in every town and village we passed by. Everyone was out in the streets eating, drinking, dancing, setting off fireworks, and throwing buckets of water or hosing down all the traffic and people passing through (which meant we had to keep our windows closed in the sardine packed bus in tropical heat!). Its also their tradition for groups of kids to run from town to town with torches so the highways were also packed with people. As long as it took to get back to antigua, we were really lucky to be able to see all the excitement and experience the buzz of their biggest holiday.

The celebration continued on Monday (the actual holiday) so we convinced our profs to take a break from the espanol and we wandered the swarming streets and watched the masses of school and college students parade through town. The music was awesome and some of the costumes were amazing. Every street was decorated with flags and lined with food vendors cooking all the traditional dishes such as corn tortillas, beans, and snow cones with spicy peppers..! The evening was crazy with fireworks and firecrackers and we hung out with our buddies in the bar/restaurant to show our love for guatemala.

On Wednesday we took a little field trip in the afternoon instead of spanish lessons... We hiked up an active volcano just outside of Antigua, Volcan Pacaya, with our professors, on the agreement that we would speak in espanol all the way up the mountain, which may or may not have happened. We had a wicked tour guide who was super pumped because on this particular day the lava flow was extraordinary and he had us flying up the mountain! At one point when we got to the clearing where we could see all the old lava flows and see the top of the smouldering crater, we stood at the top of this enormous slope of volcanic ash/rock about the consistency of thick sand (but super crumbly) and our tour guide started running down it yelling Vamos! and we all started sliding, running, and for some, falling and rolling down this massive hill. At the bottom while we emptied the volcanic crumbs out of our shoes and clothes, we noticed the nice flat path carved down the side where the other tour guides were leading their groups... Our tour dude definitely had some fun with us. When we got up to the river of lava we were pretty much in a state of shock.We walked accross the slightly hardened over lava from where the flow was the night before, which was still smouldering hot! As we walked across it we could hear the crackling underneath us and every few feet there were cracks in the rock where we could see the lava flowing underneath us. We had to keep our feet moving cause if you stand in one place too long your feet and legs start to feel the burn! Melted shoes are a common occurrence up there. Our guide took us right up to the river of lava which was just mezmorizing to see. He stuck a big stick in it and grabbed a chunk so that some of the people could light their cigarettes off of lava. We headed down the mountain as it started to get dark and the flourescent lava looked amazing against the black mountain and dark sky. Definitely the highlight so far... sorry baby turtles.
(And.....What else do you expect to see at the top of an active volcano.....but a man with a machine gun standing on the lava rocks)

Today was our last day of spanish school and this morning we took (yes another) field trip to a Mayan village just outside of Antigua to learn about and take part in their traditional wedding practices. They had volunteers act out the wedding ceremony in full costume... and to make a long story short... Erin is now married to a German boy and they already have a child together ;) Our favourite part of the demonstration was when the Mayan woman was explaining their traditional way of life and her cell phone rings in her pocket. Oh the 21st Century.... After the wedding they prepared us their typical food that is served at weddings and taught us all how to make the corn tortillas. ----- Which brings us to now: three 20-day-old puppies just threw up on Erin and we have to go home to our family to get cleaned up and have dinner!! (Alex and Alyece working at the bar... )

Buenas Noches Niñas! (as grandma says to us everynight)