How to Read this Blog / About Me

Note (Feb7, 2010): I am presently updating this blog, with additional entries for the other schools at which I have studied during May 2009, and Dec 2009- Feb 2010. I hope to have the updates done by the end of Feb 2010. In the meantime, if you have questions, feel free to email me at timtower1@yahoo.com

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How to read this blog
Like most blogs, the most recent entry is shown first. So it can be a little confusing. To start at the beginning, click the horizontal black arrow next to the lowest month listed in the left pane (November 2008), to display that month's blog entries. Then select the bottom entry- "The blogging begins - Nov2008".

If you wish to read only about the three schools at which I studied, first click on the blog chapter near the top, ("Comparison..."). (Chapter under revision). For comments on and photos of each school, see  the individual chapters with the titles of each school.

To enlarge a photo, double click it. Some are larger than others. After a while I started shrinking the photos because they took so long to upload to Blogger. The downside is that one cant blow up these photos as much.

About Me
I am a 60 year old electrical engineer (born 1950), who did not study Spanish at school. I was raised in South Africa, and have lived since 1980 in Seattle WA. My wife and I have been married since 1988, and we have a daughter who has just started college. I decided to learn Spanish in 2007, after joining a Habitat for Humanity trip to Honduras. Durante ese viaje, me di cuenta que es necesario hablar español si yo desearía aprender la cultura y las costumbres y conocer a la gente en Centroamérica, y quizás haga trabajo voluntario en el futuro. (During this trip, I realized that it is necessary to speak Spanish if I would like to learn the culture and customs, and meet the people of Central America, and perhaps do voluntary work in the future).

Help ! I am too old / too scared / not smart enough to learn Spanish

That's what I thought when Jessie, the leader of our Habitat for Humanity Group loaned me a beginner's Spanish book and CDs during a group meeting in Jan 2007. I had never studied Spanish before. But no one else wanted the book and CDs. We were heading out to Honduras for 2 weeks, so I thought, heck, what have I got to lose?

I started the Spanish course at home, and learnt some basic words, like necesitar and poder, and how to conjugate them. When we got to Honduras, I found that I could understand a little (but not much). I realized that learning a language takes work. So when we got back, I borrowed the Pimsleur Spanish CDs from the library and started listening to them while commuting to work, and while going for walks. These CDs start with the basics, and help you along. They are easy to listen to. Suddenly, learning Spanish became fun - a game.

Several months later, my wife Rita and I were discussing how to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary, in December that year. We thought of Hawaii, or a cruise in the Caribbean. Then Rita said, why not spend our money in a poor country, where they really need the tourist dollars, and learn some more Spanish in the process? So we took a 3 week trip to Nicaragua, and had a wonderful time. Great people, few tourists, and what fun getting around using Pimsleur Spanish!

This blog details the next phase of my journey in Spanish - 7 schools and homestays in Guatemala  and 1 in Copan, Honduras. The trips have been fun, easy to organize, and inexpensive. I have met a lot of nice people, both foreigners and locals. For Costs, Weather, and Getting Around/ Safety, see separate chapters. (Under Revision).



Along the way, I met a number of single women ages 19 to 63, who were doing the same thing as I. They all said they felt safe traveling alone in Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Some young men would whistle at them but nothing more. So I think anyone, male or female, can do this on his or her own. Perhaps one third of the students were over 50. Why not give it a go - even if only for 2 weeks? If you go in Nov/Dec, you can just show up and choose a school. There are so few students that the schools will make you feel like a VIP. I have heard that the summer months can be busy, in which case, you should consider a reservation. Contact the school directly, or book through websites such as Guatemala365.com. Go for it! It may be your best experience in a long while. And it will feel good helping poor Central Americans do something at which they excel - teaching and hosting visitors.

Costs - My Spanish Schools in Guatemala and Copan

Spanish Instruction
All schools offer Spanish instruction. One can study during the mornings and afternoons, for 2 to 5 hours, usually with one teacher per student (“1-on-1”). The most common is 4 hrs/day, 1-on-1. I have tried 5 hrs/day but found this to be too tiring. One needs several additional hours each day for review, practice and homework, in order to benefit from the lessons.

The costs of my Spanish classes (in 8 schools) mostly varied between $65/ week and $120/ week, for 5 days x 4 hrs, 1-on-1. Guacamaya, Copan, was the most expensive ($140/week – Dec2009). Of this, the teachers received between $30 (Pana, San Pedro) and $47 (Copan). This works out at $1.50 to $2.30/hr for the teacher. (Dec 2009 figures). At Guacamaya, Copan, my teacher received the smallest percentage of the fee ($47/$140 =34%) compared with $30/$65 = 46% at Corazon Maya. The overhead at all schools appeared to be similar, so it was not clear to me why some schools paid a smaller percentage to their teachers than others. Perhaps it was a case of paying what the market will bear.

Food and Accommodation
Most schools also offer optional homestays, which include accommodation with a local Guatemalan family in a private room, shared or private bathroom, and 3 meals/ day Mon-Sat. A few schools include meals on Sundays. Some schools offer accommodation only. There are cost savings to be had if one buys both instruction and homestay/accommodation from the same school. One may also choose to find one’s own accommodation and food.

During my studies at 8 schools, I have always chosen homestays with each school. The pluses have been the chance to speak more Spanish (since few families speak more than a few words of English), exposure to the local culture, the chance to make friends in the community, and excellent value for money. The minuses have been having to fit in with a family and their customs, and, at times, a certain lack of privacy. The food has varied a lot. Sometimes this has been basic, consisting of mainly beans and tortillas, with tea, bread and sometimes eggs. Sometimes one gets pancakes, fruit and vegetables. One may get honey, jam and even that luxury, PNB (two families). Overall, I have done fine with the food. I am a vegetarian so I have not been bothered by the relative scarcity of meat and chicken, which tends to be relatively expensive. A family may have more than one student, in which case one may need to reach an agreement to speak only Spanish at table, to get more Spanish practice, and out of courtesy to the family. There is competition for students amongst the families, so one may visit more than one before deciding. One is usually free to change families at any time, but usually one tries to do this during the weekends. (Once I changed during the week, as I simply didn't fit in). One needs to commit to a family only for a week at a time.

Overall Costs
Overall, my studies have cost me between $150 and $250 /week total, including 20 hrs/week of 1-on-1 Spanish lessons, homestays and misc expenses. Airfare and tips were extra. The cheapest studies (and the best value for me) were in San Pedro La Laguna, Lake Atitlan, and the most expensive in Copan, Honduras, with Antigua, Panajachel and Quetzaltenango in between.

Tipping
Don’t forget to tip well - the schools and homestays are excellent value for money, and the people have so much less than we do. If satisfied, I tip teachers and families 20% of what they receive from the schools. I also tip other individuals in the schools if they provide good service.

Useful Links: Spanish Schools in Central America

I found these reviews useful:

123teachme - http://www.123teachme.com/language_schools/. This covers schools throughout Central America.


Survey of Spanish Schools in Guatemala - http://www.guatemala365.com/ (I reserved my stay at Probigua through this website. The web manager later emailed me for feedback on my experience there.


The Spanish Schools of Antigua Guatemala, by McCormick - http://www.geocities.com/guatemalanspanishschools/spanishschoolsantigua.html

Guatemala Spanish Schools - http://www.guatemalaweb.com/SpanishSchools.htm

Top 10 Spanish Schools for Waves, Wilderness and Buena Onda - http://thetravelersnotebook.com/top-10-lists/top-10-spanish-schools-for-waves-wilderness-and-buena-onda

Also look at the reviews in guidebooks, such as Lonely Planet (Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua & El Salvador).

There are numerous other websites and blogs. Your research will be limited only by your available time!

Corazon Maya Spanish School - SanPedro - Dec 2009 to Feb 2010

The school is called Corazon Maya, which means "Mayan Heart". I studied  here for 2 weeks in December 2009 and for another 5 weeks in Jan 2010. For me, it is the nicest of the 8 schools at which I have studied so far in Guatemala and Honduras.

(0029) Corazon Maya is owned and run by the Navichoc family, and has room for 16 students (8 in the morning and 8 in the afternoon). In December there were only 4 students in total, but this increased to 12 in Jan 2010. During my stay, there have been students from the US, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, England, Germany, Japan, S. Korea and Belgium.

The property is narrow and long (about 50 ft by 600 ft), and stretches from the main (dirt) road down to the lake shore. The upper half is fenced and has the kitchen, outdoor communal area, office, PC/TV room and a main classroom (30x 12 ft, open on 2 sides). The latter is where we volunteers teach, where communal meals and meetings are held, and where we play table tennis.
 
Lower down, toward the lake, there are a family bedroom, the communal bathrooms and "pila" (for washing dishes and clothes), and 4 small cabanas or standalone bedrooms, one with 2 levels and a kitchen and two with private bathrooms. These rent for about $35 - $40 per week. Nearer the lake are 4 tiled pergolas, each 6 x 6 ft, with 3 windows and a small table, where each student sits with his/her teacher during Spanish Lessons. Here it is peaceful and relaxing, and one is not disturbed by other students. Classes are usually held from 0800 - 1200 or 1300 - 1700, with a half hour break. Students can also study alongside the lake, which is scenic and usually quiet. However, I prefer having a table and chairs while studying, and it is a little far to lug these to the lake (100 yards), so my teacher and I study inside the school grounds.
 


(0499) Two of the private pergolas, for studying. Very peaceful. Bird song is ever present in the garden. One can study in these pergolas, or at the lake, or anywhere else in the school property.

(0507) View of the lake from just below the school, looking SE. The active volcano Pacaya (near Guatemala City) is in the far distance. I usually sit out here in a chair most evenings, with  beer and my Ipod. Very relaxing (mostly). Sometimes they have water pumps going at the lake, but these are relatively quiet and canal phones tend to block out most of the noise. The standard Ipod earbuds may not work as well.








(0485) Another lake view in front of the school.









(0454) I am staying in this  Cabana on the school property, which is peaceful and has many pretty flowers and shrubs. It has a private bathroom, nice hot shower and a beautiful tiled floor.










(0455) View of 10,000 ft San Pedro  volcano from in front of my cabana.

(0460) Here I have a table and laptop set up in front of my cabana, ready for my Spanish class. There is a 120 V outlet on the porch, but one needs a 12 ft extension cable to reach it from the garden. Alternatively, one can study on the porch and the power supply cable will reach the outlet.

(0464) Here I am studying in front on my cabana with Mildred, one of my 4 teachers at the school. She has a degree in Marketing (Mercadotecnica) and is now studying psychology. She studies all day Saturdays at the local branch of the university.







(0598) Recently, since the school acquired wifi, my teacher (Micaela) and I have relocated to the main classroom, where I can use my laptop and wifi. (See picture, left). This has added much to my Spanish lessons, enabling us to look up the definitions of strange words, and to explore articles of interest in the Spanish version of Wikipedia. For example, recently I chose to read to my teacher a history (in Spanish) of Columbus’ four voyages to the Americas, using a book from the school’s library. Wikipedia provided detailed maps of the 4 voyages, which added much interest. I had not realized that it was only during his fourth and final voyage that Columbus reached the mainland, first landing at present day Honduras and later traveling down the coast to Panama. Another interesting addition provided by Wikipedia was pictures and details of Gutenberg’s invention, in 1449, of the printing press with movable type. I had to read a story about this in another Spanish book, and it was stimulating for both of us to use the internet to expand the details and photos. We then discussed how the subsequent dissemination of Bibles and other printed matter amongst the people gave birth to the Renaissance (el Renacimiento). We mused that perhaps it also led to Protestantism, since people could for the first time read the Bible themselves, and in this way realize that the sale of indulgences by the Catholic clergy was not Biblical. This thought led us to discuss religion and politics in the US, South Africa and Guatemala. Religion is a big thing in Central America, and is more central in people’s lives than in the US (in my opinion).

(0468) Marta busy in her kitchen. She also has a gas stove and a refrigerator. Tortillas are usually made on the wood fire. Making tortillas (the Spanish verb is "tortear") is harder than it looks. I battled to make mine round and stop them sticking to my hands. Making tortillas is almost exclusively a job done by women. We joked that men don't have the aptitude.

(0691) Mealtime with fellow students Jim and Lauren (medical students from New England), and Sheryl (missionary from Missouri). Norm, her husband is also studying here.

 (0502) The Pila where the dishes are washed.








(0462) Marta and Josepha, Chema's wife, shucking corn. I tried to help but soon developed a blister and had to quit. It is harder than it looks.







(0458) View of the lake from below the school, looking north.