Four weeks in Guatemala: back to school

After three busy weeks in the Netherlands, we’re on our way to Düsseldorf. We’ve tried to visit as many friends as possible while also sorting out paperwork and other things for Raimundo’s parents. Now we have a long journey ahead, via Amsterdam and Panama to Guatemala.

Donkey is on his way to South America. We’re going back to school first. Four weeks of Spanish lessons, so hopefully we’ll get a bit further than we would with just our Duolingo practice.

We land in Guatemala City at around eight in the evening. A shuttle takes us to Antigua. It’s dark, so we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see whether the city really is as beautiful as it looks in the photos and videos. We check into Hotel Las Marías and fall straight asleep.

Not the best start

The next morning, we’re reminded straight away why we’re here. The staff speak hardly any English, and we speak hardly any Spanish. We try ordering breakfast with our Duolingo Spanish. A little later, a traditional Guatemalan breakfast arrives at our table. They understood us. That’s something.

Then we head into Antigua. Our hotel is built in a colonial style, and we find that same atmosphere throughout the city. We walk past the Arco de Santa Catalina and wander through the streets. It’s beautiful.

After Africa, we have to get used to how quiet it feels here. No loud music or shouting in the streets. Even at the local market, we can take our time looking around. We sit down in the food section for our first hot meal in Guatemala.

That evening, we pick up a bread roll from the bakery. During the night, Miranda wakes up feeling sick. It seems something hasn’t agreed with her. One full day in Guatemala, and she’s already ill in bed.

Over the next few days, she mostly sleeps. The jet lag doesn’t help either. When we do venture out for a walk to the park, we’re soon back again. Miranda almost falls asleep on a bench.

Four days after arriving, we leave for San Pedro La Laguna. The school has arranged a taxi, and we stop for lunch along the way. Our driver speaks a little English and is pleased that we want to try traditional food. Luckily, it goes down better this time.

Homework again

In San Pedro, we’re staying with Wendy and her husband Louis. Louis works for the police and will be home in a few days. Wendy explains how everything works. No toilet paper down the toilet; it goes in the little bin beside it. Don’t drink the tap water. And above all: make yourselves at home.

At eight on Monday morning, we sit down with Violeta for our first lesson. We get straight into grammar. Four hours later, our heads are full. Very full. Spanish school link

We don’t do much that afternoon. We still haven’t quite adjusted to the time difference, and we have enough to take in for now.

Slowly, our days settle into a routine. From Monday to Friday, we have lessons from eight until twelve. Afterwards, lunch is waiting at Wendy’s. We relax in the garden, do our homework and try to chat with her. That last part is good practice in itself.

Raimundo regularly has a siesta, while Miranda works on the book about our adventures in Africa. We walk around the village, stop somewhere for coffee and tea and sometimes watch a bit of Dutch television in the evening. Then we’re ready for bed again.

Steep streets and loud bangs

There’s plenty going on around Independence Day on 15 September. Flags hang across the streets, children dance and marching bands make their way through the village. Lots of schools take part.

And then there are the bangs. During the day, in the evening and sometimes in the middle of the night. We learn that they’re part of religious celebrations too. Some of them nearly shake us out of our chairs. So much for that quiet first impression of Antigua.

In the evenings, we walk down to the lake. It still feels a little strange to be able to walk around together after dark. In many places in Africa, that wasn’t possible for safety reasons.

We also walk to the market near our house. Well, eight hundred metres looks close on the map. In reality, the market is at the top of a steep hill, and it takes us almost twenty-five minutes to get there. Lots of people take a tuk-tuk. We keep walking. A bit of training for the hikes in South America won’t hurt.

Luckily, there’s time for other things besides school. We kayak on Lake Atitlán with fellow students and play football with students and teachers. We huff and puff our way up Indian Nose. Raimundo also climbs San Pedro volcano with fellow student Andrew.

Miranda decides that a cup of tea at Café Panorama is an excellent alternative.

Going out with a bang

Before we know it, the four weeks are over. Suddenly, it’s our last day at school.

During their climb, Raimundo and Andrew decided that the graduation ceremony really ought to include a few of those loud bangs. Violeta thinks it’s a great idea. Apparently, we can buy the things at the church.

And so, a little later, we’re walking back through the market to school with a bag of fireworks and a mortar tube.

They’re set off during the graduation ceremony. The teachers enjoy it too. We certainly don’t leave unnoticed.

With our certificates in hand, we say goodbye to the Cooperativa Spanish School. One thing we really like about the school is that part of the tuition fees goes towards local projects. The school supports, among others, two children with cancer, a centre for children with multiple disabilities and twenty-two single women.

The women come to the school once a month to collect supplies such as sugar, oil and laundry detergent. Teachers and students help hand them out. It’s lovely to be part of it and see where some of our tuition money goes.

Then we say goodbye to Wendy and Louis. For four weeks, their home has felt a little like ours too. With our backpacks, we climb into a tuk-tuk to the harbour.

On to South America

A lancha, the local water taxi, takes us to Panajachel. From there, we continue by minibus to Guatemala City.

We arrive at our hotel in the late afternoon. Since we’re being picked up at five the next morning, they serve our breakfast for dinner. That works too.

We fly via Panama to Buenos Aires. Turbulence gives us quite a shaking along the way. Once we land, everything at the airport goes smoothly, thankfully. Except there’s no sign of the taxi we’ve booked.

After contacting the hotel and waiting an hour, we find our driver. It turns out to be an Uber. We suspect someone may have forgotten about our booking. But we’re in the car and on our way to our hotel near the harbour.

Four weeks ago, we arrived in Guatemala tired and armed with little more than some Duolingo Spanish. Now we have certificates, heads full of grammar and plenty of homework behind us. We’ll find out over the coming weeks how much has actually stuck.

Tomorrow, we’re taking the boat to Montevideo. Another step closer to Donkey.