Day 2: May 23rd

This morning we started off the day by having continental breakfast compliments of the hotel. The food was excellent, pretty standard breakfast food. Fresh fruits, pancakes, which tasted a bit different, eggs, toast, croissants, and coffee were some of the foods offered. One of the things I learned from the night before was the phrase ‘con lache,’ which means ‘with milk.’ It just helps to have multiple interactions with the same type of phrases until you finally pick it up. I have been having a hard time trying to speak because I get confused with French. All of those simple words like with, and, also, by, and a couple others I know in French but not in Spanish. I think that through practice and just listening I can hopefully pick up the language.


After we finished breakfast we went out into the city in search for a bank to exchange money. We walked around the city somewhat lost, but finally found the exchange place. We got our quetzals, the Guatemalan currency which is actually named after the country’s bird, the quetzal. Once we were all set with money in tow, we were ready to do some more exploring. Still as a group we ventured to find a convenience store so group members could get some more essentials they needed. We got a bit lost looking for the store that we were directed to, and this was evident by where we were in the city. We walked by a large group of people all congregating outside what looked like a license store. It was clear that we stuck out like a sore thumb just because some of us were wearing shorts, adorned in jewelry, and of different complexion. The men cat called us ladies as we walked by, some even offering their child to us because they knew we thought they were cute. And some of the kids were. It was too funny, as we orientated ourselves and marched on in a different direction a little boy smiled really big and shouted “Chicas chicas!” It was pretty cute and it was obvious he knew we were different. It was in interesting experience just knowing that you didn’t fit in. I am sure that there are many CLD students that feel this way as they come into a new country or school. I can only imagine how awkward and terrifying it must feel to know that you look different than everyone else.


We found the convenience store and everyone got the items they needed. We were then allowed to break off and do our own thing for a few hours. The whole group came across this large outdoor mall so we explored the place. There were many shoe stores, but there were also a lot of US stores like Payless Shoes, Guess, and yes even a Hooters across the street. While many of the fashion was similar to the US, the only thing that I found difficult was translating quetzals to dollars. I would see the digit 95 flashed on a sign and think “Dang is that shirt really worth that much?” But then I would have to stop myself and realize that no, it wasn’t dollars but quetzals. I experienced this throughout the entire day. I am still having trouble translating, but from what I was told 8 quetzals equals 1 US dollar.

One of the other things that we saw at the mall was a group of people playing Jenga. However, this was not ordinary Jenga. The game was set in the middle of the deserted food court and the Jenga pieces were huge. It was such an intense game and it was so much fun to watch. It is just fun playing Jenga as a family game, and you could tell that the game was a good bonding experience for the people playing the game.


After some relaxation time at the hotel, a few of us ventured out to get lunch at yes, dare I say McDonald’s. I went with the traveling professor and a few other girls. We wanted to get a really cheap really light lunch so we could eat a bigger dinner. At McDonald’s, there was a guard that greeted us at the door. I attempted to order McNuggets and fries and I had some problems communicating with the attendant. She knew that I didn’t know English so she helped me through the process through gestures and visuals. Again, I can see how it could be hard to communicate, but with the support of visuals and gestures it can help the process.
Later that evening, we went to a restaurant right next door to the hotel. It was very open and airy and a very nice night to eat out. We were given menus in English, but I attempted to order in Spanish. I ordered what was called a Kak-ik, a turkey basted in a broth. The menu said it was an authentic dish to Guatemala so I wanted to try it. What I received was a very large turkey leg in a bowl of soup. It was fairly decent, but definitely not what I expected at all. While we were eating our dinner there were a few forms of entertainment that we had while we were eating. A group of men just waltzed into the restaurant and we asked them to play a song. They played “LaBama” for us. It was very entertaining! We were also able to watch people that passed by on the streets. One of the things that we saw was a large moving advertisement truck. It was for a television show called “Mental.” However, it was not just a billboard; there was a man that was dressed in a mental suit inside of the truck that had padded walls. It was very odd to see an advertisement in that fashion, but obviously it was memorable and I could remember what it was for.

There was not really anything else that happened during the day. It was a pretty uneventful day as far as sightseeing was concerned. It was nice to have a day to get somewhat more acclimated with the country before a more intense day of travel. Although it has only been two days, I can see where some of the frustrations my lie with students coming to another country to study. While I don’t know much Spanish, I feel like I am starting to pick up a lot of the language. I am hoping that I will learn a lot more by the end of the two weeks. We have just been dumped in the culture and language so it is definitely the best way to learn by trying it yourself.

Hasta luego