Loving Guatemala, Missing Majuro...

My first three weeks in Guatemala have been nothing short of amazing.  The weather is perfect every single day.  The nature is breath-taking.  The people are warm and welcoming.  My colleages are incredibly helpful and warm.  The work climate is positive and focused on the kids.  The kids are fun and engaging.  The ability to travel virtually every weekend to beautiful locations is intriguing.  In short, I love it. 

                

That is not to say that Guatemala City is some heaven on Earth, in fact, far from it.  The traffic is something that cannot be described.  There are no left turn here and every road is one way.  Often, to get to a store a block away you would have to drive two miles around a ravine and following the one way roads.  On campus, the nature is amazing and the air smells like a Florida morning in spring, but the city as a whole is smoggy.  There are seemingly no emission standards for cars, or if there are, nobody bothers to get them checked.  Crime is a major issue here.  It’s not rampant, but you have to be aware of where you are and if it is wise to be walking in that location.  We are very fortunate to live in an area where there are many places that one can walk safely.  The wealth gap here is startling.  There are some extremely wealthy and so many living in squalor. 

                

I am still learning so much about this country and its people, but so far I love it.  Having said that, I also miss my friends, colleagues and students from Majuro last year.  I wish all of them nothing but the best… and just because I am loving Guatemala doesn’t mean I’m not missing Majuro.  

Guatemala City: First Impressions

First 24 hours in Guatemala

            It has now been almost 24 hours since I arrived in Guatemala City to start my new life in Latin America.  Sadly, Janae and Neyla won’t arrive until Monday night, so I am all alone for the time being.  On a positive note, that gives me time to get our house ready for their arrival and to learn the lay of the land a bit.

            Upon landing and driving from the airport to my new house my very first impression was that it was strikingly similar to other Latin American cities that I have visited.  The streets were crowded and crazy with a sort of organized chaos, adverts in Spanish were all around and street vendors were plentiful.  It was however much more vibrant and beautiful than I imagined.  From what the average American hears about Guatemala in the news I was not sure what to expect, but that first hour was pleasantly surprising to me. 

            Next I arrived at our new home in the La Hoya condo complex.  There was a very secure guardhouse out front with armed guards and a steel reinforced gate, but that is to be expected in virtually any Latin American city.  The green row homes had beautifully manicured gardens and a nice park that I’m sure Neyla will enjoy.  The home itself is incredibly spacious, in fact, I’m not sure what we’re going to do with all the space, so many of you need to come visit!  The style of home here is very different than most homes in Chicago mostly due to the almost perfect climate year round in Guatemala City.  There are several outdoor spaces to be enjoyed and a ton of large sliding doors that invite the natural light and air into your home.  I have to say that it is quite a beautiful to live.  I am very excited to spend the next few years of our lives in this house.  However, there is one downside that I am going to have to do something about.  The shower in the master bedroom is made for a person who is about 5’6’… and as many of you know I am a bit taller than that.

            After settling in I was able to Skype with Neyla and Janae in order to tell them my first impressions and to see their beautiful faces.  I did this on the school’s campus that I will be teaching at and to say that the campus is naturally beautiful is an extreme understatement.  It is wooded, surrounded with gardens and smells like a spring morning in Florida with citrus smells.  After a quick look around the campus I headed off with my new boss for a beer and dinner. 

            We stopped at his place for a minute and had a beer on his back patio and rooftop.  It was the absolute best view I have ever seen in my life!  His house is located on top of a hill and from the rooftop you can see all of Guatemala City and the surrounding volcanoes.  As we were up there the sun was beginning to drop behind the mountains to the west and there was a thunderstorm off to the north of the city.  I think he has gotten accustomed to the amazing view, but I was left with my jaw on the ground. 

            From there we went to dinner in La Cayala, a newer part of the city that reminded me of a very clean and well-kept European town.  The neighborhood had a beautiful Church and center that reminded me of the Spanish steps in Rome.  Beautiful shops, cafes, bars and restaurants surrounded the cobblestone streets.  We settled on a sort of modern sports bar and the food was tasty and relatively inexpensive for such a nice establishment.  My boss commented that this was quite expensive for Guate (as the locals call the city), but believe me it was quite reasonable compared to Chicago restaurants.  The bartender served us the local favorite beer and even gave us a few pints on the house after finding out it was my first night in Guate. 

            It was a great first day here.  I can’t wait for Janae and Neyla to join me!