La Antigua

They call it the "Antique Guatemala" because that it just what it is. Before Guatemala City was the capital, the seat was held in Antigua. The city was hit by two devastating earthquakes (of 1717 and 1773), after which the capital was moved to its current location. But walking through the streets of Antigua it is easy to imagine that the Spanish Military government held power here for decades. The architecture is glaringly colonial and they churches positioned on every other street corner (I am only exaggerating a bit) retain the echoes of past religious conflicts.

The heart of Antigua resides in the Central Park, or Parque Central. The rest of the city is organized grid-wise with "avenidas" running north to south and "calles" running west to east. The entire city is surrounded by active and inactive volcanoes. Any direction you look, you see the mountains looming into the clouds (that is if there are clouds, the sky has been surprisingly clear since I have arrive, probably because the rainy season in Guatemala is in late summer) The streets are composed of old cobblestone that you can image has been here since the city was first built. Drive to fast on the road, as most of the drivers do here, and you will be in danger of giving all your passengers motion-sickness.

The house I am staying in sits in the most north-western part of the city. A white house, with two levels, the windows are barred ( like most of the windows in Antigua). I live on the upper floor. It is usual in Guatemala for there to be spaces in the houses open to nature. For example, the courtyard of our house (not really a courtyard, more of a small area open to the sky) resides on the first floor of the house. But my window and the common balcony open over it. This means that every time I leave my room, I actually step outdoors. But it doesn't matter; the weather is warm and it rarely rains this time of the year.

I've had two housemates that I've lived with since I arrived. Ester, who had departed to return to the States (but who lived in Washington, DC for a time, which clearly makes her a kindred spirit) and KC. Both girls attend the same Spanish school that I do.

The school is gorgeous. Unlike the many other Spanish schools that seem to pop-up (or have popped- up) all over Antigua, the school that I attend, Christian Spanish Academy (a former school for missionaries that still seems to attract many people of the faith) is very professional. At every table in the school it is possible for the student to see the sky directly. I, however, have the best table of all. My teacher, Lisa, and I sit at a table in the middle of the modest courtyard surrounded by flowers, bushes, and (after 10 am) the sun. I don't think I've ever learned as well as I have outside. Lisa also tends to have patience with me (which most teachers in the States have lacked). She seems to understand that sometimes I just need to be standing when conjugating verbs. If you are ever looking for a school to learn Spanish, I heartily recommend this one. Note: the teachers don't speak English, you learn entirely in Spanish.