Quetzaltenango
About Quetzaltenango
Quetzaltenango is a rapidly growing city surrounded by mountains in a highland valley at 2300 meters above sea level. A wild mix of rich Mayan farmers, poor city dwellers and a dash of drug lords makes this town, also called Xelaju, a fascinating place. It got rich with coffee plantations, and nowadays boom presumably is powered by "remesas", the money sent home by millions of migrants from the United States.
Spanish schools tend to be in the historic part of town. Here, tourism is only a trifle, and you may enjoy being the only foreign member of your host family. The nights are cold, and in winter even at daytime some students sat in their sleeping bags studying.
From here you can make interesting trips to Mayan villages, the big hole "Cimarron", the volcanoes Santa Maria and Santiaguito, hot springs and archaeological sites.
About Quetzaltenango
Quetzaltenango is a rapidly growing city surrounded by mountains in a highland valley at 2300 meters above sea level. A wild mix of rich Mayan farmers, poor city dwellers and a dash of drug lords makes this town, also called Xelaju, a fascinating place. It got rich with coffee plantations, and nowadays boom presumably is powered by "remesas", the money sent home by millions of migrants from the United States.
Spanish schools tend to be in the historic part of town. Here, tourism is only a trifle, and you may enjoy being the only foreign member of your host family. The nights are cold, and in winter even at daytime some students sat in their sleeping bags studying.
From here you can make interesting trips to Mayan villages, the big hole "Cimarron", the volcanoes Santa Maria and Santiaguito, hot springs and archaeological sites.
