The beginning of Guatemala....#19: Volunteer in an Orphanage...anywhere!

Well, I’ve fallen in love again.  In Guatemala.  With the people, the culture, the dancing, the language, the food, the scenery and the atmosphere that makes you feel at home….oh and there was a Spanish guy…but more about that later… 

Street performers!!

Nestled in the north of Latin America, Guatemala is full of vibrant cities, cute towns, beaches, forests and lakes; grand history, religion, dance and delicious food.  The people want to know where you’re from; they want you to share their food; they want to teach you the language and the beautiful dance of salsa.  For a country with over 75% of their population living in poverty, us Westerners have a lot to learn from the Guatemalan people. 

Now, as a backpacker, you need to understand that when you can save money that inevitably doubles your travelling time; you generally do it.  Not because you love seeing the inside of a bus or sleeping at an airport, but because that money you save could mean dinner this week or beers for a fiesta.  It was because of this, I arrived in Guatemala at the beginning of November, to an incredibly busy airport and after spending the past 24 hours in transit, I was exhausted.  I had people yelling at me in Spanish and couldn’t understand a single word.  Trying to comprehend what anyone was saying to me (considering my knowledge of the Spanish language extended to “Please”, “Beer” and “Thank You”) was an impossible task.  What had I got myself into??

However, a beautiful Guatemalan family picked me up and while our communication existed purely in sign language, I started to relax.  This is where I met my first Guatemalan love, a little boy named Melita.  He was so adorable, in his elmo jumper, smiling at me from behind his mum.  It didn’t take long though before he gave me a cuddle and my heart melted.  I knew then that it was going to be difficult not to want to take one of the Guatemalan children from the orphanage home…

Many amigos in Guatemala!! <3

 

The next day I trekked up the mountains to a city called Quetzaltenango (or Xela for short).  It’s the second largest city in Guatemala and is the place for students and volunteers alike.  As such, I soon met some amigos and settled into my 6 weeks here.  First off, I needed to learn the language.  I know it’s not an easy thing to do in such a short time but I couldn’t even ask for the bathroom!! It was not good.  So I enrolled in a Spanish school and have been taking some classes since, and while I’m still not great, I manage to get by…just. 

On top of this, I volunteer at an orphanage.  Finally, I’m doing something I’ve always wanted to do (#19 on my Bucket List), for as long as I can remember!  It’s taken years to get here, but I’m so grateful I’ve chosen to do it here in Guatemala.  I just love the children.  Some are happy, some babies always cry, some girls just want to learn English, some have very sad histories, but all are adorable and all just wanting a little bit of love and attention.  It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done in my life and I just wish I could do more.  It breaks my heart that I can’t give these kids a better life.  Maybe one day, I’ll be able to.  Until then though, I go and play with the children, make them smile, make them laugh and they give me the same joy in return.



Choppy! My favourite little boy! <3 <3

Such beautiful kids!

 

My time in Xela has been full with a lot of other activities.  Most pointedly, I’ve found a liking of salsa dancing.  While the professionals make it look easy, it is an intense workout but a lot of fun!  I go to lessons every now and again and every week a group of us will head to a club for “Salsa night” where we dance with locals and visitors alike.  It’s vibrant, it’s fun and a nice way to interact with some of the locals!

Because my time in Central America is quite short, I’ve also been using my weekends off from school and volunteering to go exploring the country.  My first trip was to Antigua, the tourist capital of Guatemala.  However, while touristic, it was a beautiful quaint little town, full of cobblestone streets, cute market stalls and a collection of different food to try.  I used my visit to eat some Asian food (yes, I’m Asian and having withdrawals), see how chocolate is made at the Choco Museo and to check out the local markets, where you can buy anything you need for absolute pennies!  It was lovely weekend, but over way too quickly!

Chocolate Display - YUM!

Streets of Antigua!

The next trip I made was to the beach.  While Xela is really lovely, it is so damn cold!! Being over 2300m above sea level, Xela is cold in a tropical country…yeah go figure.  I chose Guatemala to volunteer because I wanted to escape winter and go somewhere hot; I failed.  Which is why I ended up in Monterrico.  I needed just a couple of days to warm up and prepare myself for the second half of my stay in Xela.  It was a magical weekend.  I lazed in hammocks, played pool volleyball, tried to swim in the ocean (but wow, the waves were incredibly strong!), drank mojitos, released baby turtles into the sea, ate cerviche and seafood and worked on my tan…I didn’t want to leave..

Giving the turtle a kiss before releasing him x

Sunset in Monterrico!

Now I’m back in Xela and only have 2 more weeks left.  Hopefully my Spanish will just miraculously improve in this time and I’ll be all set to go off exploring more of this beautiful country.  I’m planning on visiting Semuc Champey and the ruins of Tikal, as well as doing some hiking through little villages to the beautiful Lake Atitlan and also to the top of one of the tallest volcanoes here for an overnight stay; cannot wait!

So stay tuned for the rest of Guatemala…

xxx