Once I got the tour of the home, I sensed Flor (my hostess) encouraging
me to go out and explore. She gave me a map and some safety tips and then kind
of left me to do my own thing, which was great. I realized that this Sunday was
probably going to be my only day to check out Antigua since I would have 8
hours of class a day for the rest of the week and it’s not safe to be out at
night. So, I set off in the mid-afternoon to see what I could find!
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| Yeah, that's right. I stomped on those uneven cobblestones. |
I was really struck by how old this city is- you can
definitely tell that some parts are actually hundreds of years old. For example, I just walked by some ruins of colonial buildings three minutes from the
house, no big deal. I eventually hit the plaza square where a bunch of shops
were. I met a tour guide named Louis who was excited to be what he thought was my
first friend in Antigua. (I didn’t burst his bubble by telling him about Flor
and Hugo who I was already BFFs with…) Eventually, a live band started playing
and couples began dancing on the sidewalk (too sweet!). Horses pulled carriages
around the plaza, which had this big, attractive fountain centerpiece. I could
tell I was in a touristy area since I could still hear lots of English around
me, but I was using my Spanish so I was happy!
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| Ruins. Casual. |
Everything was all really cool, but the one thing I had
associated with Antigua (thank you, college Spanish class) and wanted to see
was El Arco de Santa Catalina. I was just thinking about asking for directions
when I turned a corner and there it was in all its historical and architectural
glory! Apart from being visually beautifully, the arch is neat because it
allowed nuns to cross the street without being seen back in the 1600s and
1700s. I was elated that I had unexpectedly stumbled upon the crown jewel of
Antigua. I couldn’t resist splurging on a beautiful little watercolor of El Arco painted
by a street artist as a souvenir. I
love it so much and I can’t stop looking at it. It’s going to look great on my
bedroom wall this year!
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| EL ARCO DE SANTA CATALINA!!! |
Still riding my “I love traveling” high, I decided to sample
some local cuisine. I had this FANTASTIC roasted corn on the cob served with a lime
slice and salt (which I also think was flavored with lime). I had forgotten to
eat lunch that day, so I basically devoured it. I spent the rest of the
afternoon wandering into shops, exploring old churches, and snapping a few
pictures.
It was a bit of a surreal
feeling to be so “off the grid”. I didn’t have a phone, no one knew anything
about me, and no one in the world knew where I was. For a few hours, I was
responsible for just me, myself, and I. I definitely savored the moment knowing
that soon enough A LOT more responsibility will be coming my way, which I can’t
wait for! I think I was just acknowledging and appreciating this personal time
before things really kick into gear.
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| Before. |
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| After. I was just a little starving. |
I know today probably won’t be representative of my year
with NPH. I doubt I will be traveling and exploring all the time like I did
today, and that’s okay.
That’s not
what my time with NPH is supposed to be about. This isn’t another semester of study
abroad, it’s a year of service to the kids. All that being said, I’m glad I got
a little independent adventure Jess time in before many hours of language
school this week. That also doesn’t mean I won’t whip out my Nalgene and boots
(AKA “adventure gear”) as soon as I get the chance again either! (BOTH OF THEM
WERE SO WORTH PURCHASING- check ‘em out!)
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| Boots+Nalgene=Happy Jess :) |
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