Summer Spanish Adventure in Guatemala

[bth7]

Guatemala

Facts:

* Guatemala ranks 120th out of 173 countries on UN development index.
* Ranked second poorest country in Western Hemisphere (just above to Haiti)
* 20 years of Civil War ended in 1996. 200,000 indigenous Mayans killed by US-backed Guatemalan army. Millions more fled to Mexico and US.
* 10 years of peace has seen political and security situation stabilize in Guatemala, but little improvement in economic situation.​

Is it safe to travel to Guatemala? Yes! Absolutely. Guatemaltechos (as their called) are a friendly, warm, laid-back kind of people. They love Americans, as almost everyone has at least one member of their family living and working in the US. Even when my Spanish was very poor, I traveled by myself for months and I never had a problem or felt unsafe. I met numerous women traveling alone or in pairs as well, also without problems. The dangers of Guatemala are at the same level as in any big American city. If you keep you're wits about you and don't carry $500 in cash with an expensive-looking camera dangling around your neck, you'll be fine.

Is it far away? It's a 4.5 hour flight from California.

Is it expensive? No. It's really cheap.

What can I do there? Anything! From learning to speak Spanish to clinical experiences to volunteering at an orphanage to drinking beer on the beach. (This last one is my personal favorite.)

How will I get around? There are buses that go everywhere in Guatemala. They are very, very cheap ($1 for 3 hour trip) and easy to use.

There are many, many Spanish school in Guatemala. Many of them are of questionable quality. Here's three of the best:

Pop-Wuj
www.pop-wuj.org

Pop-Wuj offers a one month intensive course in medical Spanish. You will leave this course speaking Spanish, but it's hard work. Classes begin the first Monday of every month. Reservations well in advance are a must. Clinical Experiences are included. The cost is around $800. That includes 4 weeks of classes, housing & food.

Proyecto Lingüistico & La Escuela de las Montañas
www.hermandad.com

I highly recommend this school. They don't offer a specifically medical Spanish course, but they do offer one-on-one classes with a native Spanish speaker. You stay with a local family who houses and feeds you (private room.) You get 5 hours of private instruction, room, board, and numerous excursions, all for $180/wk. If you've never spoken a word of Spanish, after 2 weeks at this level of intense immersion instruction and you'll be confident enough to travel anywhere in the country. This school also has a smaller, beautiful center for Spanish instruction up in a rural coffee growing region. You will interact daily with your host family that makes their living picking the coffee you drink at Starbucks. You get the same private instruction, and when you're not studying you can hike through the endless fields of coffee to waterfalls and supernatural vistas. My week at this school was one of the most memorable I spent in Guatemala.

Both the Proyecto and The Mountain School fill up at least a month in advance. Make your reservation through the website as soon as you can. Plan to arrive at either site on Sunday afternoon, so you can settle in before classes begin on Monday.

Other places I highly recommend:

Guided hikes in the Nebaj area: http://www.nebaj.com/ixilguides.htm The three day overnight hike my guide took me on led us through Mayan villages that rarely have contact with the outside world. The guide was informative and allowed me to enjoy the experience and not worry about being lost. Most of the people in this region do not speak Spanish, so the guide is able to translate from the Maya language into Spanish.

San Pedro, Lake Atitlan. Plan to spend at least a week-end in this quirky town on the shores of beautiful Lake Atitlan. Fun. Lots of American/Europeans intermixing with the local population. Good food, music.

See lonely planet for details on some of these tourist stops that are totally worth seeing:
Tikal / Flores.
Rio Dulce.
Volcan Pacaya.
Todos Santos.
Maya market in Chichicastenango.
Iguana Perdida in Santa Cruz de la Laguna, Lake Atitlan.

If you're unfamiliar with traveling in the developing world, avoid Guatemala City, at least until you're familiar with how things work in Guatemala. My advice would be to take a shuttle bus directly from the airport to Antigua upon arrival in Guatemala. (about $20) Antigua is the most American place in Guatemala. It's a good place to get yourself orientated.

Don't go to Guatemala without buying the Lonely Planet guide to Guatemala or Central America. Read it!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. I'm happy to help in any way. Have a great summer!

Bryan Hopping
[email protected]

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[humuhumu]

I'm guessing most people already have their summer plans lined up. But sounds interesting. When were you there?

 

[bth7]

I was there December-Febuary 2005 and then again May-July 2006. Wonderful time. I really love Guatemala.

 

[Mardi-Bob]

I've heard good things about Pop-Wuj.

I studied there w/ Celas Maya. http://www.celasmaya.edu.gt/

Great program and really great teachers and host families.
I loved Guatemala!
Its a great place to learn Spanish. The best imo.

 

[Mardi-Bob]

I was there Summer 06 too.
I'm assuming you were in Xela. or Antigua?

 

[cinemachick]

I leave for Guatemala on the 26th, right after my neuro/last final of first year. Thanks for the info and insight. I'm not going for spanish classes, just for fun, immersion, and diversion.

 

[bth7]

I leave for Guatemala on the 26th, right after my neuro/last final of first year. Thanks for the info and insight. I'm not going for spanish classes, just for fun, immersion, and diversion.

You'll have a great time! Enjoy.

 

[musashi]

I'm thinking of delaying my application for a year just to do this. I pick up new languages pretty easy and thought this would help strenghten my application. Does the ability to put Spanish down as a fluent language on your app. or the time served (6weeks or so) volunteering among the sick help boost an "average" application? Do Adcoms weigh on spanish or doing a medical missionary?

 

[bth7]

I'm thinking of delaying my application for a year just to do this. I pick up new languages pretty easy and thought this would help strenghten my application. Does the ability to put Spanish down as a fluent language on your app. or the time served (6weeks or so) volunteering among the sick help boost an "average" application?

I think adcom's would look very, very favorably on not only fluency in Spanish, but in any kind of volunteer work, especially in the developing world. Demonstrates character and awareness of broader issues in health care.

Plus, you'll have the experience of a lifetime.

 

[ChildNeuro]

I had the best time in the world in Antigua Guatemala. There were when I went alot of awesome volunteer activities, I didn't need to do the spanish courses, because I had already done some abroad, but I spent about 6 days/week doing volunteer work. It was truly a memorable experience, and I felt more useful there than during many clinical rotations in school. I abstractly planned on learning spanish to do international volunteer healthcare and to practice in a state with alot of spanish speakers. Currently, I just finished an elective in a hospital centered in a large spanish speaking population. I truly never knew how much I would be grateful for improving my spanish in Guatemala. I am constantly using the spanish, and get involved in a lot of cases because I can translate. This helps *alot* in the ED. One nurse looked at me and said where in the world I learned to speak spanish! Once you have a good foundation in the language what you learn builds, i.e. I can ask one spanish patient how to this or that or figure out what a words is just by the context, and then use it on the next patient. If you stay focused on your spanish skills, and keep them fresh, i.e. I read news and books in spanish, as well as a couple of other languages, then it is a skill that no one can ever take away from you truly. I am more and more grateful for the family I lived with there who taught me about interacting with a different cultures, a different world perspective, and of course the language skills.