Sunday, July 25th
After 7 hours of flying/layovers, we finally arrive in Guatemala City. After going through customs we walked outside where there were TONS of people waiting. We felt like celebrities! We took a few pictures, loaded our suitcases on top of the bus, and headed out. GCity is beautiful! The city is surrounded by mountains on all sides. So cool! After leaving the main part of the city, someone asked Julio (our contact at Casa Xelaju) how long the bus ride would be. He responded: "Well, the road we usually take has been shut down because of mudslides. We're going to take a different route, which will take 4 hours instead of 3." Well, after 6 hours, we FINALLY arrived in Quetzaltenango. The bus ride was rough...potholes everywhere, rain, heat, etc. It was a little scary too! The drivers here are crazy! We arrived in Xela (nickname for Quetzaltenango) around 8:30p.m., after having been up since 4 a.m. We were all exhausted by the time we were dropped off at our host homes. Terri and I met Veronica (pronounced Bear-oh-nick-ah) and toured our house. After the tour of the house, I started to panic. It was not what I was expecting and was a bit of a culture shock. However, I've gotten used to it, and have realized that it could be worse! Veronica is probably in her late 60s and has 3 grown children. She is very nice and helpful!
Terri and I went to bed as soon as we got settled into our rooms (which were outside in the courtyard). My door doesn't lock, so I didn't sleep muchthe first night! I kept thinking someone would come in if I fell asleep! I finally fell asleep well after 1a.m., only to be woken up by a BAND in the street at 4:30. Drums, trumpets, and singing that lasted until 5:30, which is when the rooster started. Needless to say, it was a rough night! In the morning, we found out that the band was playing because the colegio (high school) in town was having an anniversary celebration all week. However, the rooster will be a problem every day :/
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