Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! In April 2018, I spent 4 weeks in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala at Sol Latino Spanish School. I was planning to travel in Latin America for a few months so I researched the best place to study Spanish (in terms of quality, price, and environment). I found out that Guatemala was a great place to study Spanish because, for one, their style of speaking is a bit slower and clearer than other regions in Latin America. There were so many rave reviews about Sol Latino on TripAdvisor and other websites that I decided to check them out. Their website was basic and a bit outdated (they list an activities calendar that clearly hasn't been updated), but in my opinion, this was a selling point. You can either stay in a homestay, in their accommodations (Casa Latina) if it is available, or book your own accommodation. I chose the homestay option. The homestay price in the low season is $165 a week for one person, which includes 20 hours of private Spanish lessons a week, a private room in a homestay, AND 3 meals a day. It’s really an amazing deal. They also have deals for couples or friends that want to take classes together to save money. Registering with Sol Latino The whole process of registering with Sol Latino was easy. I had originally tried filling out the Google Form on their website but had never heard Continue Reading
7 Things To Know About Xela, Guatemala
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! In the Western Highlands of Guatemala, 200 kilometers from the capital, there is a city called Quetzaltenango (Xela), with delicious food, friendly people and a moderate climate. Here are 7 things to know about Xela. The official name is Quetzaltenango Xela (pronounced shay-lah) is short for Xelajú, which is the Mayan name for the city. The local football club is Xelajú M.C., in honor of former player and team captain Mario Camposeco who was killed in a plane crash in 1951 (the stadium is named after him as well). It’s a fairly large and busy city Xela is the second-largest city in Guatemala, spread across 127 square kilometers (49 square miles), with approximately 200,000 residents. It’s a decently sized city, with shopping malls, tons of cafes, retail stores, Spanish schools, parks, restaurants, banks, movie theaters, even a Walmart. It is 7600 feet above sea level Xela is around 7600 feet (2330 m) above sea level. For some people, this elevation has no effect, but for me coming from sea level, I had a headache for a few days. I recommend waiting awhile before going on any intense hikes. Weather reports aren’t entirely accurate Rainy season is between May and November. However, since I arrived at the beginning of April, the weather apps constantly showed thunderstorms Continue Reading
Best Things To Do In Sarajevo
.. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! For me, the name Sarajevo has always evoked memories of the early-mid 90s. I was in middle school, Bill Clinton was president, Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan were making headlines ahead of the '94 Olympics. We were seeing snippets of Sarajevo on the news, but not really understanding the impact of what was going on. I was originally going to visit Sarajevo with some friends that were coming to visit me in Barcelona (one of whom is Bosnian), but we didn’t end up going. But the idea was planted and I wanted to go, so I went solo. At first, I wasn’t sure if it was safe to go alone to Sarajevo. Sarajevo didn’t exactly seem to be a top 10 vacation destination. But I started talking to people that had traveled to Sarajevo solo and had loved it. Now that I’ve been, I don’t know why I was ever worried. I suppose it was just fear of the unknown. But what I found was beautiful landscapes, cheap beer, great food, kind people, and of course, a tumultuous history. But as Neno the tour guide said, you don’t have to walk around wearing a bulletproof vest as the war’s been over for over 20 years. He laughed when he said it but it’s sad to think that was actually the reality such a short time ago. Sarajevo is a really interesting city because of the blending of cultures - you can find cathedrals, Continue Reading
Stages on the Camino Frances from Astorga to Santiago
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. (It also contains a lot of numbers and data because I love numbers and data.) If you make a purchase using them, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! In September 2017 I hiked the last 265 kilometers (approximately 165 miles) of the Camino Frances, one of the routes that make up the Camino de Santiago. I walked from Astorga to Santiago (distance is according to what I tracked on Runkeeper but according to the magnet I bought it’s officially 260.4 kilometers). This article outlines the stages between Astorga and Santiago that I completed, and some of my experiences along the Camino. The best thing about the Camino is that you can choose to make each day as short as long as you want, this is by no means a set itinerary. I walked a total of 11 days, an average of 15 miles (24 km) a day, with the longest day being close to 18 miles (29 km) and the shortest being 12.5 miles (20.12 km). For other information on the Camino de Santiago, be sure to check out my other posts regarding costs, a packing list, and other resources! Here is a summary of the stages and the hotels and albergues I stayed in. You can also click on the stage to skip to the details of that stage. Day Origin-Destination Walking Distance Accommodation Type of Accommodation Travel Day Barcelona-Astorga N/A Hotel Gaudi Hotel with private Continue Reading