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Three weeks into the trip…

I’ve picked up more British and Australian than Spanish. No worries.

I’ve spent twice as much money as I expected per day.

I’ve taken half as many photos as I expected per day.

I’ve made actual, will-keep-in-touch kinds of friends.

I’ve missed my friends and family back home very much.

I’m having a remarkable time.

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This morning I woke up early and just had time to pack up my things before getting on the minibus to Antigua.

The ride was long and slow, but was far more comfortable than the last one and a lot of the friends I’d met at El Retiro (and a few from even earlier in the trip) were also on the bus.

I instantly liked Antigua the minute we arrived. It’s a great little Spanish colonial town with old cobblestone roads and brightly colored building. The southern skyline is dominated by volcan agua, a huge volcano. A few blocks from the main plaza, we found a nice hostel called the Black Cat.

We walked around town looking for one of the many Spanish language schools. We found one that was open and many more that would be open the next morning. They all seem fairly similar in scope and price. Around $150 gets you 20 hours of one-on-one lessons plus homestay (your own room in a local family’s home, including three meals a day) for the week.

We stayed out that night at a nice hookah bar at the north end of town, before returning to the room. Alec played guitar while we settled in for the night.