Guatemala and Senior Gap Years

The land of Eternal Spring

Guatemala

I am here again in 
Guatemala
and it feels right for me

Journey 
here
soon

This could be

Your 

GAP YEAR

Gap years are not
not just for students.
Gap years can be for anyone. 
Gap years can even be for us older folk as well. 

You have worked all your life for your family and children 
You have put in extra time for everyone but yourself.

There are many ways to spend retirement years. 
For some trips will do like... RVing or cruises, or luxury trips to exotic places..All fine, all great.

Or people can go to a developing country volunteering giving of themselves for other people.

Hola I am Gavino as I am called here in Guatemala.


I retired a few years ago and well yes, I just kept on working didn't I.... Why not?  The economy had really changed, then like a lot of other people, I found myself being laid off. 

The question that came to me then was.... 

Was I unemployed or was I retired? 

It did not take too long

too figure out that one.

 The economy was on a real nasty nose dive... and I  needing somewhere to go.. I needed a change.. something to do. Costa Rica seemed a nice option and I could always do some volunteer work to pass the time.

What I discovered was that

Volunteering is about attitude. 

You do not do volunteering to pass the time.  

You volunteer to help.

A volunteering fact: 
There are companies that are disguised as charities and that their only purpose is to remove money from your pocket and not to really do any real good.  

These are a business' making money on someone esle's misery or on poverty or on disasters. Some will charge you thousands of $$$$ to volunteer with them.

There is a lot of money to be made in disaster work, or poverty.

So I did some research.. 

  

and found this

http://www.volunteersouthamerica.net  

Quatzaltenango or "Xela" (shay-la) as the locals call it, is the cradle of culture here in Guatemala. The city is home to about 300,000 people half of which are of an indigenous people. It also has ten universities, some 30 trade schools and as many language schools. 

Guatemala I discovered is the least expensive place to learn espanol and the easiest. It is the easiest because the people speak slower than in other Latin countries.

Xela is the best place to learn Spanish because it does not cater to English speaking tourists such as Antigua does.  Ask anyone and aside from the antique sculptured architecture of Antique, it is a boutique city that is vastly more expensive than Xela is.  


Xela sits at an elevation of 2330 metres (7655 feet) at its lowest point. Being a hilly city some elevations are close to 2400 metres.

Xela offers a sub-tropical highland climate. In the dry season (October to may) it has cool nights and warm sunny days. The coldest months are between October to February. The nights can be as cool as 4 deg C with average daytime highs in the mid 20 deg C.

If you are in Xela and looking to find the right volunteer group for you, check out Entremundos http://www.entremundos.org
Entremundos is an NGO (non-government organization) that supports other local community NGO's in Guatemala.

Volunteering and helping people is an amazing experience. It will open your heart and allow you to experience life in a very different way. It will change you and for the better... 

So before you run off with high hopes of helping other not so well off people in developing countries, do a little research and then you will be ready to do a lot of good.  

Or you could learn a language..... 

 

Espanol

Espanol

Take some Spanish language courses

Learn a culture

Get involved

There are many language schools 

in Guatemala.

Learning Spanish can be fun

a social event 

 an enjoyable pastime

Not having even a little of the language 
means you miss out on so much about the country. 

Spanish language 

classes are necessary for the basics.

Practice what you learn 

In the market

Riding on a chicken bus  

In the streets

Most importantly 

have fun....

after all
Senior folk

this could be

your 

Gap Year..

 **********

Being here in Guatemala for the second time

Is a trip of 
Discovery 
for me.

Get involved
 DO IT

 This is all about you having
a meaningful and a rewarding and 

interesting experience.

gavjonessm@gmail.com