You´re not in America...

When the McDonalds has a security guard and that guard has a machine gun.

That is life in Queztaltenango (or Xela´´, as we locals call it).

I arrived in Guatemal City on Sunday to a cold rain. I have plenty of gear for cold and wet conditions, thanks to years at REI. However, all that gear is in a basement in CT.

Mistakes were made in the packing. Cést la vie.

An arrival in GC is a bit confusing to those who do not speak Spanish. I was one of those people. When you leave the airport, there is a mass of people - waiting for friends, waiting to rip you off, willing to give you a ride in their minivan.

After walking in a circle for 15 minutes, i was able to hop in a cab with a woman. I´m not sure where she was going but i was able to get a ride to the bus station.

we had a great conversation. i thought She was telling me about her work with a Honduran chicken company. i didn´t understand why she was saying ´chicken´instead of ´pollo´. I turns out she was telling that she was from a town near Honduras and the town´s name sounds (to me) like chicken.

I caught my ´fist class´bus (circa 1960 - no bano) for the 5 hour ride to Quetzaltenango´. if you always wanted to see the result of a car without airbags impacting a school bus, come to Guatemala.

i think i saw the remains of 5 or so accidents. Wet dirt roads and questionable drivers are not a good mix.

On the bus, i met a woman from Florida who was coming here to visit her sister. she grew up near Xela. I was lucky to meet her. When we got to Xela, her sister gve me a ride from the bus station to my school. the school was closed but i used sis´s cell phone to call the owner. All worked out.

I started school on Monday. 5 hours a day. I have some great cheat sheets for learnign spanish verbs and words. those sheets are safely stored in CT. Darn.

There are a number of schools in Xela. i picked Miguel de Cervantes. I believe they´re all similar but some teachers are probably better than others.

There are a few options with respect to the housing situation. i chose to live with a family. I am with a mother, father and 3 boys (18, 14, 11). Two americans are in the house, too. the Americans and i live in a front house, where the family has its kitchen. the family lives in the house behind us.

It´s working out for now. I may stay with the same family for my time (4 weeks?) in Xela. I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with the family 6 days a week. (Meals are provided but i do not have to eat with them) I will be on my own on Sundays.

Lunch is the big meal. Dinner is often leftover lunch plus black beans. Breakfast was pancakes on tuesday and Kellogs Corn Flakes today.

The school costs about $105 per week, while the homestay is $35. Quite a good deal. I don{t know if i can get a job here but i can live cheaply.

Tonight is salsa night at on of the discos (Xela is the 2nd biggest city). I will check it out and try to impress the locals with my gringo dancing skills.

Tomorrow, i will skip school. i am going to the beach with the family that helped me out on Sunday. it´s not as warm here as i would have hoped. I guess i should have read the guide book. Aside from the risk of catching a disease, a little sun and surf should make for a good day.

all for now. bjm 24 october