Guate, Guate, Guate!!!

So I’m heading into week 2 of my studies in Guatemala and I guess now I feel like I can make some observations. The city/town we’re living in Antigua, is quite different from the rest of the country. I haven’t been all around, but from what my house mom and others have stated, Antigua is a bit of a bubble. It’s a very beautiful place that’s very colorful and the people are extremely nice, but its hard not to avoid the outside influence. There are countless bars and restaurants in the area catered to the American and European palate. Of course McDonald’s, Burger King, and Subway have made their mark here in Antigua. I’ll be honest the McDonald’s is one of the nicest I’ve ever seen and really blends in with its surroundings. The divide here between the have’s and have nots is insane and its heartbreaking to see little children not in school peddling goods. Our house mom has a maid and I just found out that she’s only 15 years old. It’s definitely a different world outside of the west in which we take many basic things for granted.

On a more positive note, I have a good group of housemates and our house mom Thelma is great! She’s a pretty good cook overall and I’m not really used to eating 3 meals a day. For this upcoming weekend, we’re looking maybe going to a beach in Monterrico or Picaya, which is a volcano.

Anyways I’ll begin posting on a more frequent basis, so until then…later.

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