My trip comes to an end

Sometimes keeping up-to-date with your travel blog can be harder than traveling itself. I haven't updated since my misadventures in El Salvador and the mountains of Guate, but not to worry-- I made it out alive and I am now back in the United States.

Between my stalled bus outside of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala and my airplane's touchdown in early February in San Francisco were some of the most interesting and rewarding parts of my 7-month journey. I'll do my best to recount the highlights.

Quetzaltenango, Guatemala (Part II)

On the roof of El Nahual with Enrique, my old English student

Returning to 'Xela' felt like coming full-circle. At the beginning of my trip, I spent a month and a half in Xela studying Spanish, volunteering, and living with a host family. I arrived as a true rookie, with only my high school Spanish skills and a Lonely Planet guidebook. This time around, the LP stayed in the pack. I met up with old friends, visited my host family (including their brand new addition to the clan), and stopped by El Nahual, my amazing Spanish school.

My host mom, Ely, with 2-month old Ricardo

The one thing that had changed dramatically was the weather! Xela is high in the mountains which keeps it fairly cool, even in July. But now in January, my sweatshirt and sweater made their first appearances in a long time. The best part for me was being able to fully communicate in Spanish with all my old friends. Language was not something I had to worry about anymore. It was a great feeling to just sit and talk, whereas before all my conversations felt like language practice.

Reuniting with the Germans

Me, Niels, Marius, and Ben at a gas station in Guate

From Quetzaltenango, I headed North towards the Mexican border, Chiapas, and the city of San Cristóbal de las Casas. At a gas station just outside of Xela, my good traveling karma officially came back.

As I was waiting for the arrival of the tourist bus that would take me to the Mexican border, I ran into three of my good friends from Honduras. Marius, Benedikt, and Niels are from Germany and are doing their year of national service in Honduras. Ben works at an orphanage in El Progreso, and Niels and Marius are stationed closer to the El Salvador border. We spent our winter vacation together in the Bay Islands and had talked about meeting up in Mexico in January, but seeing them was on the of the most random things that happened during the whole trip. To end up at the same gas station, at the same time, in the same small part of Guatemala..... And on we went to San Cristóbal


More updates tomorrow!