My name is Jonathan Isabelle. I am a senior and one of the team leaders for the Guatemala trip. Today our goal was to leave Boston and to get to Guatemala City tonight.
My day started off bright and early with an icy drive to Logan airport at 0530. Our trip involves flying from Boston to Miami, and then from Miami to Guatemala City, Guatemala. I met ten other students and Professor Lennon at the airport where we boarded our three plus hour flight to Miami. The plan is to meet one additional student in Miami, and then hopefully catch our flight to Guatemala City from there.
Our flight from Boston went great. While we were all crammed into the back of the plane, we were all eager to escape the cold, and the flight meant the start of the trip we had been planning for months. All of us were a bit nervous wondering whether we had packed the right things, and truly not knowing what to expect.
When we landed in Miami we were all happy to get off the plane but dreaded having a 4 hour layover. Miami is a very modern airport with a real Latin American vibe as the airport is the launching point for hundreds of flights per day to South and Central America. The highlight of the layover was our first group meal. We all sat down in a Cuban restaurant for lunch where we all ordered various Cuban dishes. It was a good “ice-breaker” for the trip, and fun. We also used the stop to go over the plan for landing in Guatemala and for getting through immigration and customs at the airport.
At around 6:40 pm we boarded our final flight of the day, Miami Florida to Guatemala City! As we were settling into our seats, and getting ready to depart, the captain came over the radio and informed us that there was a maintenance issue preventing us from leaving on time. We soon learned there was a small dent on the body of the plane and they needed confirmation that the plane was safe to fly. About an hour later, we got the green light to go and took off for our final destination. Guatemala here we come!
The flight to Guatemala went great and we quickly worked our way through baggage, immigration and customs with no issues. It was very strange being in a place where no one spoke English, and where I did not speak the language.
When we stepped outside the terminal it was pretty obvious we weren’t in Boston anymore. While it was warm by Boston standards (low 60s), the streets around the airport were busy with Guatemalan families dropping and picking up people. There were street vendors offering us rides and taxis. It was a bit crazy but really neat at the same time. This is why I signed up for the trip! To get out of my comfort zone and to get a real feel for Central America.
Once outside we also met our local guide who had coordinated vans to meet us and to take us to the Hostel. Her name is Tanya and she is a person who has worked with Professor Lennon for years. Within minutes of stepping outside, we were all packed into two vans and on our way to Questzalroo Hostel. The ride through Guatemala City was fascinating. It was late so the streets were mostly empty but the lights of the city revealed large neon signs in Spanish. Some of it was very familiar like Burger King and McDonalds, and some of it was things I couldn’t read and had never seen before. In less than 10 minutes we were at the hostel and getting settled for the night. The hostel was a large 4 story apartment building in the center of the city that had 2-3 interconnected apartments with rooms full of beds, bathrooms and a community kitchen. By 2330 we were settled in, tired and ready for bed. We made it to Guatemala. Mission accomplished!