Me encanta GUATEMALA!!!

Sorry Grandpa (and all my other blog readers) for the lack of postings but I have spent the last two months disconnected from my laptop. After developing an intense relationship with said object from both grad school and months of thesis writing, it was a breath of fresh air. I spent the first month in Guatemala. I LOVE GUATEMALA! It's a spectacular country, full of beautiful people and fascinating history. My intent in choosing Guatemala was to further progress in my Spanish language abilities. So I spent 3 weeks in Quetzaltenango, a Spanish language mecca in the highlands of the country. I showed up, found a hostel, and searched out the best fit for me of the nearly 60 schools that populate the town. I found the perfect match and began 5 hours of class each day. I also moved in with a Guatemalan family to ensure that I had ample opportunity to practice the language at all times! The experience couldn't have been more amazing. I was able to learn about Guatemalan culture, live in a city surrounding by hiking, hotsprings, and agriculture, and meet amazing travelers from around the globe. Apart from Spanish classes and time spent at school, some highlights include hiking to nearby steam baths heated by vapors rising from the active volcano of Santa Maria, visiting the nearby market of Chichicastenango, and taking local pick-up rides to hotsprings immersed throughout the surrounding hillsides. The only downfall to my time in Quetzaltenango was the rain! The city streets were often rivers of flowing runoff. But it did make for beautiful green scenery!









After my time in school, I took my final week to travel the country and put my language skills to use! Another girl from the school, Jessie, decided to travel with me which made for cheaper and easier excursions. We had a blast. We started at Lago de Atitlan where we hiked around the lake to visit different villages, went cliff diving, ate fresh avocados every day, and drank coffee in various beautiful locations. This spot right on the lake was my favorite!



Next we ventured to Semuc Champey, arguably the most amazing place in Guatemala if not all of Central America! We stayed at a hostel built right next to the river that had communal meals each night and tubing adventures by day. There were so many highlights at this place it is hard to capture them all. First we went to the caves of Laquin, which are home to thousands of bats. We explored the caves just before dusk, and then as the darkness arose, we sat inside the entrance of the caves and the bats began to fly out. We were suddenly surrounded by thousands of flying bats. It was completely dark except for the small dimming light coming from the entrance of the cave and the sporadic flashes of cameras. UNBELIEVABLE!



The next day was full of more caving adventures. This time, we went to the Semuc Champey water caves. We swam into the entrance with candles and a few headlamps for light. We spent about 2 hours swimming, walking, and climbing through the caves. We came across waterfalls, cliffs to jump off, and amazing limestone formations. And it was all only visible by candlelight. The image of about 20 people swimming in complete darkness holding candles between their teeth was priceless!



After the caves, the most beautiful place was still yet to come! Semuc Champey limestone bridge is a stretch of limestone pools that exist on a limestone bridge over the rushing river. The river falls into a deep cave and comes out about 1km downstream. Above the cave is a series of limestone pools with crystal clear aqua water. It is breathtakingly beautiful. The pools are all interconnected and you can swim, jump, and climb between them. Pictures cannot do it justice, but here is a section of the pools from the viewpoint.



After Semuc, Jessie and I headed to Antigua to do some volcano climbing! We went up Pacaya volcano just outside of Guatemala city. This is an active volcano that frequently has streams of lava flowing from it. Definitely not something you could climb in in the U.S.! After a steep and rocky hike to the top, the day did not show us any flowing lava, but we were able to roast marshmellows on the heat emerging from cooling lava pools on the top! Incredible! Plus, the views of the other volcanoes in the area were fantastic.




After the climb we spent a few days exploring Antigua and the surrounding area and celebrating the 4th of July from this lovely cafe!


Overall, this trip was a fantastic experience. It helped me improve my Spanish abilities and confidence and also restored my love of solo travel. The people you meet and the places you'll go are unforgettable!

More pictures are posted.