San Pedro, Guatemala Versus San Pedro, Belize

There is no comparison, only that they are both surrounded by water. San Pedro, Guatemala reminds me a bit of Coeur d´Alene due to the fact of the fresh water lake...it smells like CdÁ.

We made it to San Pedro, Guatemala...chicken bus from Anitqua to Chimal (1 hour), Taxi to Panajachel (2.5 hours), Water taxi to San Pedro (20 minutes), and then after walking around lost for 30 plus mintues, we got another taxi to Casa Rosario, which still left us lost...but eventually we found our spanish school. Last night we weren´t able to move into our host families house, but we stayed at the dorms that the school owns. We found the Buddha bar, which is fairly close to the school, and hung out there for hours last night, eating, drinking and watching ¨Big Fish¨ projected onto the wall. It is COLD HERE! I was freezing in my long pants and warmest long sleeve on. It must be the altitude that is making this place so cold...but the plus side to that is there are no bugs! During the day, the temperature is around 75-80 in the sun, but in the shade it is cold! Maybe I have just climatized to Belize weather and the humidity, who knows! Today´s goal is to find some warmer clothes, maybe a blanket.

We woke up this morning around 7 am to make it to our host families houses for breakfast at 7:30. Both Hana and I ate a pancake, which tasted so good! I live with Maria, who owns a restaurante just down the street from Hana, who lives with Manuel and Olga. At breakfast, I struggled to make conversation, but pretty much was silent. Our 4-hour spanish class was good. I am put with Christina (due to the fact that we both have the same name, as everyone here calls me Christina). She is 20 years old and has two jobs. She has never travelled outside of Guatemala and has lots of sisters. She likes to swim, cook, and is afraid of snakes. Pretty much we got the basics down in the 4 hours, all the small talk you can think of. Tomorrow I am told that we are going to work on verbs. Much needed, since I only have two in my vocabulary. My head is going ¨loca¨ with trying to come up with the spanish translation to my english mind. We will see if this week will help!

I ate lunch back at my host families restaurante, and ate chicken, mashed potatoes, y ensalada. I sat with Rosa, who is 19 and works in the laundrymat. Pretty much that is all I know of her, other than she used to work in Max Pizza shop. It is hard to be immersed in Spanish, solemente speaking spanish.

Off to go shopping and tour the town with Hana until 6, when dinner will be served. Talk to you in a few days!

Dad- The Chicken Buses are converted school buses that the locals use to get from one place to another...We took pictures and will post them another time.

Christina