A Break In Time
Time runs slower mainly because people don’t pay much attention to it. Outside of cities, local pickup trucks are the taxis that offer rides in the back through the outside air. Pedestrians walk uncommonly slow but cars drive alarmingly fast and buses made for ten people pack in twenty. In the rural areas, children play games using fruit, and families spend more time together than they do in the cities. There are festivals almost every week and sometimes they shoot off cannons to try to get God’s attention. If you want to experience something that doesn’t make much sense but makes you feel alive, then volunteer in Guatemala. It’s as if the world decided to spin in slow motion just for your trip.
Affordability
To put it bluntly... stuff is cheap. Travel for an hour on less than a dollar, take personal Spanish classes for less than ten dollars an hour, stay in a homestay that includes homemade meals, for less than the price of a cheap hotel. Marketplaces teem with handmade goods, bartering is expected, but the items are inexpensive anyway and thrift shops sell old American clothes for pennies. Even airfare doesn’t cost a lot, if you’re willing to transfer in San Salvador airport.
Learn New Things
Guatemala is a great location for learning Spanish. Guatemalans speak slowly, and lessons are easy to find. Host families will happily sit down and laugh with and perhaps a little at you while you struggle through verb conjugations. Spanish teachers are always interested in field trips to marketplaces or even McDonald’s because on certain days it gives half of its proceeds to indigenous charities.
The opportunities for learning new things are unending and the aforementioned affordability helps. Try cooking quesadillas with your host mom, or sign up for a cheap chocolate-making class. Local artisans sometimes hold classes where foreigners can try carving or weaving. The project will probably be overtaken by a far more capable Guatemalan at some point, but giving a new skill a good shot is undoubtedly worth the time. Try playing soccer with local kids, or attend a professional soccer game. Some of Guatemala’s teams are the top-ranked in Central America.
Boundless Variety
Saying there is a lot to do in Guatemala is a major understatement. From chaotic, bustling cities like Xela and Guatemala City, to the peaceful highlands of towns like Antigua, to quiet rural villages like Pasac, there are people to meet and places to see and countless opportunities to give a bit of help.
Spend time in rural Guatemala, where you can experience Mayan culture and learn a bit of the local dialect. The varying altitudes change the experiences also. In the highlands, the climate is cooler and it rains more frequently, while in the lower regions on the coast it feels almost tropical. There is no risk of getting bored.
You’ll Be Unique
Guatemala is a ways off the tourist-beaten track. The experience will be rougher, but also more authentic, than a more typical destination. This allows for a real chance to understand what daily life somewhere else in the world is like. More careful planning is recommended. For example, research what vaccinations are needed, gain at least a basic understanding of Spanish, and find a travel organization that will help if traveling alone. The rewards of such an all encompassing immersive experience far outweigh the extra effort.
If you’re hoping to give a little back, experience something real, and maybe come home a little different after a once in a lifetime travel experience, Guatemala is the place. It’s a country with a spectacular culture with a lot to teach at a great price.