2018: Celas Maya Spanish School, Second Session
April 30 - June 23, 2018
April 30 - June 23, 2018
I'm back with my Guatemalan family, ready to start Spanish lesson tomorrow.
Apr 30, 2018. Xela
First day of school. New teacher Carlos. Like him a lot. Energetic, smart, very political. He’s going to be great. Only about a half dozen other students, one of whom I remember from two months ago. This is the slow season.
May 1, 2018. Xela
School activity: Féria de la Esperanza, a short bus ride away. Parade, masked dancers, hot band, good food, lots of fun (and photos). And earlier in the day, went to the town center with Carlos twice, once for a religious parade, and once for an anti-government demonstration.
Guess who?
May 2, 2018. Xela
School showed Coco - seen it before, but only in Spanish. This time there were subtitles. Loved it. Even choked up a bit.
Dropped in st the Pool and Beer pub (Wednesday night is samba night), but too chicken to try dancing. Lots of locals and expats, all about a third my age.
May 3, 2018. Xela
Fiesta in Barrio de Cruz de Piedra, Carlos’ neighborhood. Marimba band, more masked dancers, very small crowd. Carlos said it will be a bigger deal Sunday night.
Signed up for a week of Samba lessons ($50)! Starts next Monday afternoon.
Spanish pretty shaky- hope it comes back.
May 5, 2018. Weekend at Lago Atitlán
Up at 5, walked to the 6:30 bus. Missed getting off the bus at Los Encuentros, but found a minibus down a rough road to Panajachel on the lake. Then a ferry to San Marcos La Laguna, the hippy hangout on the lake, for a short visit, and on to San Pedro La Laguna for the night. Spent the big bucks ($45) on a lovely room with a great lake view, lovely gardens, quiet, the best: Hotel Sak’cari El Amanecer. Weather perfect (no rain yet). Read more of my terrific Theodore Roosevelt books (three volumes).
Left the next day by ferry for Santiago Atitlán, checking out its church with wooden statues of saints, and good market, then one last ferry to Pana and three incredibly crowded minibuses back to Xela.