It is hard to believe that it was only a week ago today that I left Palm Springs.  Palm Springs seems a place like long, long ago in a place far, far away.   It is certainly a different world. 

 

Yesterday and today were routine days, and now that class is from 8am – 1pm my life is a lot better.  I am up at 6am, breakfast at 7am, in class at 8am, lessons til 1pm, lunch at host house at 1:30pm, then study all afternoon, dinner at 7:15 at host house, then study until 9pm. 

 

In order to break the monotony of studying decided to join a school sponsored “Viaje”, or trip.  I was actually a two hour hike to the top of one of the mountains surrounding the town.  The name of the mountain is “El Baul”.  I think that is Spanish for “Kill the Old Gringo”.  Now keep in mind that the town is at 8,000 feet, so these surrounding mountains are really tall.  I would guess that our little walk was about two miles up a mountain on a rough, eroded “path” at about a 15% grade.  There were nine students and a guide.  The other eight students were all college kids, one or two grad students, so the oldest was about 23.  Our guide was a former guerilla soldier from the Guatemalan civil war who lived in the mountains and fought the government soldiers for a number of years.   Then there was me.  Grandpa.  Literally.  However I was not about to let down the baby boomer generation, so I kept up all the way to the top and back down.  It was really quite a spectacular view.  I would guess we climbed maybe 2000 feet.  You can see the pictures and guess for yourself. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos from the top of El Baul, which is Spanish for "Kill the Old Gringo".  The town is at 8000 feet and after hiking for well over an hour up a steep rutted path I think we were at least at 9500 feet. 

 

It was a relieve to get back to my host house and put my feet up and drink a Coke.