I could get used to this...

Typical day for me here:

Wake up at 6:30 to a cold shower, breakfast at 7:30, then get Spanish grammar beat into my brain for 5 hours. Go home for lunch, study/wander around/nap or do some sort of cultural activity... dinner at 7, in bed by 10:30. Sounds boring, right? Oh contraire!!

3X a day, I get to eat the delicious I-don't know-what-the-hell-this-is food that my 'mom' cooks for me *drool*, plus the odd 50 cent chocolate covered fruits from the organic chocolatier down the street. The guacamole is out of this world and the food and fruit so fresh it makes you drool. And I haven't even started on about the bakeries yet!!

The cultural trips have ranged from visiting a women's fair trade co-op where they make and sell texiles and products using the traditional Mayan methods (think hand shuttles for weaving), lessons in Mayan herbology (botanical medicine), salsa lessons, and random films.

Then, there are the weekends! Apparently the Sunday markets in Chichicastenago have made an appearance in a book of '1001' things to do before you die' or something... they are definitely a fun day trip, in addition to the chicken bus ride to and from there. You wouldn't think those old US school buses - even pimped out as they are - could take turns like they do here. I swear I got an arm workout trying to just hang onto my seat.

This weekend I'm off to the old colonial capital of Guatemala, Antigua, to hike up an active volcano (evidently, Guatemala has the highest concentration of active volcanos in the world), and roast marshmellows at the top!!!! Just thinking about it makes me giddy. :-)