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Guatemala: May 17

I expect this to be the first of several posts from the road. I´m in Quetzaltenango in the western-most part of Guatemala, sitting among a surprising number of enlish-speakers at an internet cafe. The mountains are covered in fog and the streets in rainwater. I arrived in Guatemala City last night with a small backpack, a bankcard, and a poor ability to speak Spanish. This morning I took a 4 hour bus ride way up into the highlands to Xela (CHE´-la; the city´s more common pre-colonial name). This is going to be the center of my activities on this seven week visit (the longest I´ve ever been out of the country). While here, I intend to get a little more Spanish under my belt and learn more about this underappreciated part of the world. Heather joins me in two weeks. Before spending all my Quetzales at this internet cafe, I need to find a reliable vegan food source (e.g., a produce market) and a language school to begin the endurance training. I hope you´ll check back here for updates and leave some comments for me too. This will be my first major trip in the blogging age. Let´s see how it goes.

“Guatemala: May 17”

  1. Anonymous Anonymous Says:

    Say hi to Xela for me! One of my favorite (and the cheapest) breakfasts around is to go to Xela-Pan and get some sweet bread (pan dulce). You can spend the equivalent of $1 american and be totally stuffed.

    Not so good for the low carb diet, but there you go.

    What kind of bus did you end up taking? Any chicken bus adventures yet???

  2. Anonymous Anonymous Says:

    gimme a call when ya get back in town.
    -alienacean

  3. Anonymous Anonymous Says:

    And do you count yourself amongh the "enlish" speakers?

  4. Anonymous Anonymous Says:

    I meant ... "among" not "amongh" -- oh forget it, I messed up my own joke.

    Good luck finding vegan fare.

  5. Anonymous Anonymous Says:

    dude, a hurricane is coming to guatemala!!!!!!!! are you going to be safe? FOX news states "the region is going to be devastated."

  6. Blogger Jeff Says:

    Beth: no chicken buses (yet?). I´m chicken.

    alienacean: who are you?

    Jenn: hi! i almost never speak english here (so far), and I´m managing surprisingly well (so far).

    Joanna: you shouldn´t be listening to FOX news.

  7. Anonymous Anonymous Says:

    i'm visiting dad, of course we're watching FOX news!

  8. Anonymous Anonymous Says:

    I watch FOX news too. What's wrong with FOX news?
    PS: Beware of hurricanes.