The middle of my San Cristóbal visit

[Greg Malivuk]

(As usual, I've been uploading pictures.  There are at least three new sets since any of you last checked.)

 

San Cristóbal is a really lovely little town surrounded by mountains.  (Or at least what seem like mountains after the flatness of the Yucatan.)  I've decided to stay here another four nights, and then go to Guatemala.  I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do there (or for how long), but I did finally find an English version of the Belize, Guatemala, and Yucatan Lonely Planet guide.  A couple English girls I met here are going to be in Antigua by October 2 for a week of Spanish lessons, so I may try to be there around then and meet up with them.

 

I've done a few volunteer conversational English practices with Maya women at the Fortaleza de la Mujer Maya, a place just down the street from the hostel.  The guy who runs the language teaching program there told me he's probably going to leave that position in early November, should I be interested in returning to San Cristóbal to teach.  Unfortunately, he wasn't sure if there would be any money available to do it.  (He's evidently just doing it on a volunteer basis.)  But if after travelling a bit more I do decide this is the place for me, I'll definitely check back with him to see if money or at least some kind of room and board option is available.  Then depending on how time-consuming it is, I might also look for part-time work at one of the other language schools I've come across here.  (Most places seem to prefer hiring new teachers for part-time work, anyway.  Garret, one of the other CELTAers who stayed in Mexico for work, has found one job in Morelia for 4 hours a week and will probably soon start another for 13.)

 

Overall, this hostel/city is much better for meeting other travellers than Campeche was.  A big part of the reason for that is that this hostel is relatively full of people, and many of them have decided, like me, to keep extending their stays here.  (I met a woman from Australia who put a law program on hold for a year or so while staying in Mexico.  Her sister was visiting for two weeks, she thinks because her family wanted someone to come and get her to return home.  Now her sister wants to move here, as well.)  There's a relatively large group of Israelis staying here, and with Rosh Hashanah starting tonight, a bunch of us are going to celebrate with them.  (Sure, the rest of us aren't Jewish, but considering how many of them were quite happy eating bacon last night, there's a pretty big range of Jewishness among the Israelis themselves, too.)

 

I hope everyone has an enjoyable weekend,

 

-greg

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