Hotel del Norte

The old hotel we stayed at in Puerto Barrios. The floors sagged, the deck slanted, and the stairs creaked, but the old place was imbued with a wonderful sense of history. Apparently it was built around the turn of the century and used to house workers from the United Fruit Company.

Antigua preps for Independence Day

Fuego Erupts!

I woke up yesterday morning intending to be incredibly productive, until my boss called and told me to go have a look at Fuego. From the street I could see a huge plume of smoke and ash rising from the crater...an actual eruption! So instead of concentrating on my school work, C and I rushed off to watch from the roof of La Merced. It was a spectacular (and, I'll admit, somewhat nerve-wracking) sight to behold. So far, there are plans to evacuate some 30,000 people from communities close to the mountain and lava flows have threatened several roads. 

Apparently, NASA documented the eruption from space:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57513173/nasa-captures-guatemala-volcano-erupting-from-space/ 

Monterrico

The Hawaii-Monterrico Biosphere

The docks - Monterrico

Monterrico is located on the Pacific Coast of Guatemala, about 2.5 hours southwest of Antigua.  The brilliant thing about it is that there’s almost nothing to do.  No dive boats, no thumping clubs, no surfing.  The ocean, with an unforgiving break close to the shore, even discourages most swimmers. The small village has a rustic, laid-back charm.  A handful of seafood restaurants, black sand, stray dogs, political graffiti on crumbling walls.  

Our activities in Monterrico consisted of:

1. Floating in the pool

2.  Drinking Beer

3. Walking on the beach

4. Drinking beer

5. Eating Ceviche

….you get the picture!

Yes, that is a giant pelican...and he's not about to be pushed around!

 

There is one undeniably splendid attraction: the Hawaii-Monterrico Biosphere, an extensive reserve of mangrove canals home to caiman, iguanas, fish, crustaceans, and migrating birds.  We took a canoe tour organized by a fantastic guide from the “Tortuguero”; a local organization that protects nesting sea turtles and other wildlife. It was worth waking up at 5 am to see the spectacular sunrise over the distant volcanoes.  Due to the influx of fresh water during the rainy season, the canals were especially green.

Convento Capuchinas and Santa Clara

Courtyard of Convento Capuchinas

Outside of the San Francisco Cathedral

Convento Santa Clara

Covento Santa Clara

Guatemala wins first Olympic medal...EVER

Yesterday we watched Erick Barrondo race walk his way into history, winning the first ever Olympic medal for his country. It was pretty exciting and has undoubtedly been the topic of conversation on every street corner. When we turned back to the local station hours later the announcers were still recapping his victory. Not only did Barrondo win a silver medal, but he kept China from sweeping the top three spots. AND he is a good role model, using his Olympic success as a platform to encourage youth to make smarter choices and turn to sports rather than violence. Go Erick!

Reasons to Love Antigua - Views like this...

Taken from the rooftop terrace at El Sereno