Can I Take All My Classes In San Pedro?

Hello again from Guatemala!

I haven't been able to post in a while because our days here are FULL, but wonderful.

The hammocks at Melida's house!

First thing is first--my host family is wonderful. We live a little far from the center of town, but it is completely worth it. Our family has a pretty little terrace, painted orange, where Karlee Cole and I are rooming. There are hammocks right outside our door, and we do our Spanish homework there every night. Melida, our host mom, is a fantastic cook. I had been assuming that I would lose a little weight in Guatemala but there is no way on earth that is going to happen--we have three meals a day and they are all delicious (even the one that was named "moosh." Pancakes, soups, eggs, rice, tortillas, pastas, vegetables, fruits--you name it, we've eaten it. Melida's husband, Domingo, and daughter, Melanie are wonderful and very patient with us. Most of our meals last for an hour because we are trying to make conversation across language barriers. Today we probably spent 15 minutes with Melanie trying to figure our what movie she was talking about (it was Rise of the Guardians.)

During our mornings here, we go to a clinic in San Juan, where the nursing students take paitents' vitals. Though we struggle with the language barrier, sometimes having to use two different translators (one to translate the Mayan dialect to Spanish, and another to translate Spanish to English) the clinic has been wonderful. Another bonus--you don't need to speak Spanish when you're playing with the children sitting around in the waiting room.

The view from La Cooperativa! Not bad, huh?

During our afternoons, we go to our Spanish school which is in a BEAUTIFUL setting. It's outdoors in little huts, overlooking the lake (see the bottom photo.) We're surrounded by volcanoes, plants, and a few stray dogs (my favorite being Rocky.) My teacher, Nicotu, has been wonderful and very patient with me (but he doesn't show a lot of mercy when it comes to assigning homework.

Well--that's all I have for you tonight--the cafe I'm at (Cafe Atitlan, located in what the locals call "Gringo Land") is closing.

Hasta Luego!

-Melissa