Unas Fotos

Finalmente I found a way to upload mis fotos!  I have a tendency of getting caught up in the moment and therefore my photos are by no means a complete representation of all that has transpassed during these past three weeks. Hopefully they will give some sense of the landscape, the numerous educational trips offered by the school and of my host madre who I described in an earlier post.

The adorable dog at Guatefriends, the B  & B I stayed at my first night in Guatemala

Trina, one of my first friends at the language school. We went with the school on a hike to an ex-Guerilla camp called La Muela; it was made all the more interesting due to the fact it was led by a former Guerrilla fighter who had traversed the path hundreds of times throughout the Guatemalan Civil War.

A view of the beautiful countryside between Xela and a nearby hot spring.

Trina next to a gigantic leaf  at the hot springs (Las Fuentes Georginas)  where the naturally scalding sulfuric water seemed to slowly boil the bathers.

Maria Teresa, my host madre, tried on my sunglasses. We laugh a lot together.

View of a small town neighboring Xela. The bright yellow edifice is a historic church built in the 1600s by Spanish colonizers. Its vibrant colors and designs incorporate Mayan concepts into the Catholic tradition.

A forest veiled in fog during one of the most difficult hikes of my life. Incredibly, the 7 hour journey of constant muddy uphill treks is traversed everyday by individuals of all ages who must travel from the opposite side of the mountain to sell their goods in the town of Zunil. We saw children as young as 10 years of age carrying heavy loads on their backs to bring to the bustling market in Zunil.

Maria Teresa blows out the candles for her 64th birthday party. She soon realized that they were trick candles.

Don Fido, Maria Teresa´s dog, enjoying the festivities at her birthday party.

The first church in Central America in the town of Salcaja, built in the early 1500s. It has survived numerous earthquakes over the years and even the wooden door is original to the building!