Life is good in Guatemala

May 20, 2014- Life is good in Guatemala

Dan-    As I sit to write this blog post, Marino and Lucia are outside throwing homemade bamboo spears in the beautiful gardens of the house we are renting. The spears are decorated with colorful feathers (Makaw, parrot, owl) that Marino has collected on our trip around Guatemala. Kim is volunteering at a clinic in a town on a different part of the lake. The sun is out, and it is another warm morning (it has been cold here for us tropical islanders).  Life is good in Guatemala.

            This is our second week at Lago de Atitlan. We are renting a lovely house tucked in the center of the Mayan town of San Marcos. It is our last stop before returning to the States. 

Half of our days here have been spent taking one-on-one Spanish classes at a wonderful family run school located at another small town on the lake. Everyday of the week we take a water taxi to school. The Eco Spanish School (http://www.ecolanguages.net/sanjuan.htm) is run by Benedicto and his wife Maria. It is also a small organic coffee farm. Kim and I have been over-joyed with Lucia and Marino’s willingness and happiness to take classes. In addition to studying Spanish the kids have taken field trips into town (getting treats of coco bananas), walked the coffee plantation, and done a good amount of art. Today, Marino is going to his maestra’s casa to make tortillas. I think they really love the one-on-one attention and they have creative, funny teachers. Kim and I are going to have classes on weaving and medicinal plants this week.  This week after classes, Marino is taking art classes from Benedicto, who is a well established international painter.

 Going to Spanish school in a launcha (water taxi)

 The return from school is usually in a tuk-tuk (3 wheel motorcycle from Asia)

 Marino gets help from three maestros!

In and around classes, Marino and I have been volunteering on the coffee campo (farm). The parents are wanting to explore the other town and villages around the lake, or take hikes, but this has proven difficult with the kids. When we are not in Spanish classes they are happy being at our house reading, playing cards, or fighting! At least we have a beautiful house for all this to happen in.

 Our friend Zoe who we know from Santa Fe