Guatemala Day 1

For the next three days, I will be staying in Guatemala with a family who will show me what their everyday life is like. They live on a plantation that is very close to a coastal plain, which means that they can grow coffee, sugar, and cotton, some of Guatemala’s most important exports. This means that they can live a life that is better than most Guatemalans, because many Guatemalans are not lucky enough to own a farm that they can earn money from.  When I arrived, the father, Carlos, was still at work and the mother, Jennifer, was working so I decided to go see the rain forest. Guatemala enjoys its large wildlife diversity. While I was there, I saw a Jaguar, a scarlet macaw, which is endangered, and many poisonous snakes. As I walked by the coastline, I saw a manatee slowly  swimming around. I was told by another Guatemalan also watching the manatee that I was lucky to see the manatee because they have been over hunted for their meat and have become a rare sight to see. When I returned home, Carlos greeted me and introduced me to his children, Felipe and Tania. They were all very nice and welcoming. In my honor, Jennifer had prepared tortillas made with chicken, beef, rice, and refried beans. For dessert, she made a delicious dish called pastel de banano, which is a type of banana bread.

A Jaguar in the Guatemalan rainforest

A rare Macaw in the Guatemalan rainforest