New Friends Means New Adventures

Does your weekend compare to mine?

Let me tell you about my weekend...

On Saturday, Jackelyn and I had many adventures. First off, we both moved into the "second guest house". We had the option of having two separate apartments, but we decided to share one half of the house instead. It was so easy for me to want my own half, to avoid having to practice Spanish all day long. I usually run from the opportunity to practice...but this time I decided to embrace it. By living with Jackelyn, I literally spend all day with her. She does not speak English. The best part is, I feel comfortable now because she wants to learn English...so we are in this together. I help her with English and she helps my Spanish. I already feel like I am improving after one week here. My "survival spanish" is turning into conversational quickly. 

We decided to take an adventure to Panajachel. Now Pana is only 30 minutes away via car...but she does not have a car. SO...we took just about every transportation possible to get to Panajachel. First, the chicken bus. That is what they call a school bus that has been turned into public transportation. This bus has about 100 people on it. Three people per seat and then people slammed in the aisle. By the time we got on, I was literally standing hanging on next to the bus driver. The door of the bus is not there and I literally thought I was going to fall out. I was hanging on so tightly because the drivers of these buses are crazy! They drive SOOO fast, and the roads are dangerous and curvy. Then we had to transfer to a microbus, which is a van, and that was much better!! But... still crowded. In the end it took us over an hour to get to Pana. Coming back, we rode in the microbus again, then had to transfer to a "taxi". Now a taxi in Guatemala is a pick up truck. They pack people standing up in the back of the pick up truck. Now that...was an experience. But honestly, I liked that more than the chicken bus!! By the end of the day, needless to say, I was exhausted!! 

On Sunday we went to Panjachel again with the couple we are living with. It was Will's birthday so I got to go ON Lake Atitlan for the first time. I am telling you, I tried just about every single mode of transportation this weekend!! I loved being on the lake. Although, I got soaking wet because the public boat transportation was not made for waves. I felt like I was on a water ride at the amusement park. I love being in Pana because of all the people, the stores, the beauty of Guatemala really shines. 

So let me ask you again, does your weekend compare to mine?