Hey everybody! Our first day in San Andres we traveled to the Mayan ruins of Tikal. They were extremely impressive and massive. We saw a lot of unique animals and plants during our hike there. This was also the site of where they filmed Star Wars (the ewok settlement.) The best part was climbing the highest temple in Tikal. From the top we could see the expanse of the jungle stretching out before us and the ruins poking out of the treeline. We captured some awesome pictures that we would love to share later but the computers here won´t allow for it.
The rest of the week involved completing our first week of Spanish school in San Andres. We also stayed with families. Our days were busy with Spanish school in the morning and various activities in the afternoon. One day we volunteered in el bosque (the forest) planting trees. It was very physically demanding, but we were rewarded by getting to go to el mirador and climb a tower to see a magnificent view. We also spent our afternoons playing sports with the locals, spending time with our families, taking boat rides, and spending time in the beautiful Lake Itza (our namesake). We also got the opportunity to visit a zoo with animals that were either injured or had been brought there because of illegal trafficking. On our last night we cooked bollos, similar to tamales, and hosted a bonfire. Our teachers and some of our families came. It was a great ending to a successful week in San Andres that contributed greatly to our education in both language and Guatemalan culture.
-Kendall and Kaki
P.S Doña Alma makes the best smoothies and chocolate covered bananas on the face of the earth!