So, just got back from my week at the mountain campus of my school. It is located near Columba, about 1 hour outside of Xela, in rural Guatemala. quite a change from Xela.
the clima was way warmer (yeah!) but swarming with mosquitoes (boo!). but other than the bugs, it really did look like a tropical wonderland. lots of mornings full of sunshine and laying in hammocks. the grounds of the school were sprawling, with lots of ranchitos where classes took place, a medicinal herb garden, banano and coffee plants, fish pond, community center, futbol field, and a Chuk (a traditional Mayan sauna).
since the mountain school is communal living you really get the chance to bond and get to know your fellow students. very summer campy, or what i imagine that to be like. luckily, i had a great group of people with me while i was there. the house was super comfortable and i loved having full reign of my own living space (a kitchen i could use, different areas to study). home stays are nice but you always kinda feel like an intruder even though the families constantly tell you you are part of the family and that la casa es tu casa.
each student is placed with a local family, with whom we have all our meals. i had the best food i´ve eaten in Guate so far with this family. tons of Textured Veg Protein, eggs, plantains, pastas and some amazingly yummy salsas. i brought a children´s book to read to the kids each day (actually they read the books to me!) and all 8 kiddos (ages 21 to 1) were super nice and very interested in what i was all about. but is was very obvious rural life in guatemala is not like life in xela. although the family seemed very happy and really loved eachother, life is hard. the patriarch gets up every morning at 3am to go to a neighboring town to find work. somedays he has luck, other days, no. most families are really living day to day. the money they receive by hosting students is one of the few opps for steady income.
one day, a group of us when to the biggest town around which has a campus of the public uni in Guatemala, to watch the desfile (parade) for the Dolores de La Huelga (pains of the Strike), a tradition that has been happening for almost 100 years. students protested current national and world problems and raised money to buy basic foods for extremely poor families in the community.
as always, i´m still processing all these experiences but i wanted to post some info and pics for you now. i´m thinking a slideshow when i get back with better commentary is in order, though.
For your viewing pleasure:
http://picasaweb.google.com/clarissa.moore/MountainSchool?authkey=Gv1sRgCPu-p7ePlpyPXg&feat=directlink
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