11-7-04 Day One - Sunday

My first day in Xela went very well. I woke up to the sunshine, horns honking, and the city coming to life outside my hotel.

The car horns are a sure sign the day has begun....

Its a funny thought that car horns are the way I should start my day. But they indicate that the taxis are running, people are going to work, and things are happening.

The first sunday of the month is the grand market day in the central park of Xela. There are booths all over, people in the most beautiful clothes, and bartering. I avoided the central park for the day. I was not ready to deal with all of the commotion.

I ate some lunch and retired to my room to update my journal and to wait for 2pm when I would go to my school and move in with my family.

Around noon I asked a lady at the hotel, Tera, for directions to my school. Coincedence I should ask her.... the more we talked the more in common we have. She is attending the same school, moving in with her host family today as well, staying in central america until March, and lives in AK!!! We also have a friend in common, Dready Betsy. Betsy has the largest set of dreadlocks I have ever seen on a woman and is cool as hell. She lived in Seward AK last summer and I stayed with her for a few days while passing thru. So Tera and I were off to a great start and Xela was feeling more friendly with each minute.

Tera introduced me to Joan and Mary who are also studying in Xela. Joan, Tera, and I are all at Proyecto Linguistico en Quetzaltenango. We are all three living with host families and moving in with them today!

We go for coffee and then pack up and head to the school. My family consists of Consuelo, Iban, Mili, and Eduardo. Upon arrival to their home I was immediately impressed. My room is huge and so is the house. Consuelo is "madre de internacional" and it is true..... you will find out the reasons soon.

Coni and I make up my bed with lots of blankets. There is no central heat here and the nights get pretty cold. She tells me that she has been doing this, hosting students, for 7 years and loves it all. Turns out she is a great cook (smiling large) and is very friendly.

Her house is in the shape of a square with the rooms around the edge and an open courtyard in the center. When I walk out of my room I walk into fresh air and a covered walkway. It is beautiful.

The bathroom is an experience. The tub is concrete and the "hot water heater" is a heating element attached to the shower head. I have to flip a switch on a wall mounted power box to turn the hot water heater on and then wait for it to kick on and warm my water. When the heater kicks on the lights flicker and there is a funny sound coming from the shower head. ha ha

Joan, Tera, and I agree to meet up for coffee and compare living sitations... I´m the only one that shows up. I am also the one that lives the closest to everything.