Study Spanish in Antigua, Guatemala

It was after midnight when the plane touched down in Guatemala City. The streets were clear of traffic and the moon had risen high above the jacaranda trees silhouetting Pacaya volcano, with its molten lava spilling out the cone. A short winding ride later, I neared my hotel in Antigua. The streets were empty, the wrought-iron gates of the colonial homes locked up tight and the air chill as the driver jumped out and rang the buzzer. And rang and rang and rang. The sleepy owner finally woke up and led me past a lantern-lit courtyard to my room. It was the doorman’s first day and he was a sound sleeper.

My plan was to take a crash course in Spanish. That might seem crazy since I’m married to a Guatemalan but my ad-hoc home schooling has resulted in huge gaps in vocabulary. I can talk about kitchen ingredients and family stuff but if the conversation veers into religion or business I’m lost. I just don’t have enough words to work with. Often, I just stay silent, nodding demurely and leading people to think I’m shy — which is the opposite of the truth.

View from the rooftop of my hotel in Antigua

If you want to learn Spanish, Guatemala is one of the world’s leading locations. Antigua boasts over 30 language schools while Quetzaltenango and Panajachel have emerged as new alternatives. I chose Antigua because it was 25 minutes away from family in the capital, and tuition at Probigua was only $140 a week, plus a book donation, for 20 hours of one-on-one personal instruction. It wasn’t the cheapest, but I liked that it a non-profit institution that provides mobile libraries for children in rural villages where there is no access to books. Books had been such an important part of my life growing up, I think everyone should have the opportunity to read.

I met my teacher, Lucrecia, and she assessed my level of Spanish as intermediate and adjusted the training plan.

“I’ve been teaching here for six years” she said “and, after one week, if you work hard, you will get to here.”

She pointed to the Future tense in my workbook. “But, if not, you ll get to here”. The Past Preterite. Not one to live in the past, I vowed to diligently complete my homework. The lessons began that day. Soon my brain was going fuzzy.

“Only one more hour to go until la pausa or coffee break,” she encouraged. I persevered and was rewarded with strong coffee and a bun from a woven basket. Coffee was served in an olla, a large earthenware urn. It was ladled into each student’s mug, the delicious scent of coffee with a hint of cinnamon and cloves wafting up and warming your face and hands.

Exploring the shrines in the churches of Antigua

I used the coffee break to scout the premises. There were 20 pairs of students and teachers, seated at individual wooden tables, within an outdoor courtyard. Stone steps led to a garden patio shaded under pink bougainvillea.  The break ended and another hour and a half of lessons began. By now my teacher was puzzled.

Why do you speak Spanish with a Guatemalan accent?” she asked her eyebrows raised in curiosity.

“Mi esposo,” I shrugged.

The disclosure was like opening Pandora’s Box. Once she discovered my partner was from Guatemala she couldn’t resist steering our conversations back to my family life.

“Where does his family live? Did you meet here? What kind of job does he have? What kind of food do you eat? How does he compare to Canadian men – which is more macho?”

Just when I was sure I couldn’t possibly speak one more word in Spanish, a bell sounded and we were done for the day.   Just in time. My teacher now knew more about my personal life than my mother did.

But I had enjoyed talking Spanish with a stranger and vowed to take more lessons in the future.

Posada La Merced is a bargain stay

If You Go

Where to Stay: I stayed at Posada La Merced, a nearby hotel managed by an expatriate Kiwi, Gail Rogers, with 26 clean rooms, two garden courtyards, a communal kitchen and my very own desk.  I loved the rooftop patio where you can see the whole town, the spires of crumbling churches punctuating the low relief of the short squat stucco buildings.  I stayed in a room on the back patio ($44). 

Around the corner is Hotel Casa Cristina where the best rooms (#11 and #12) come with a view of the volcano and cost just $35 a night in low season. Long stay discounts are available.

What to See: At the north end of Antigua is La Merced church, a confection of golden yellow stucco and glossy white trim, built in 1552. Inside is a 4 ton statue of the Black Christ which, during Holy Week, gets carried aloft by 80 men in a procession that moves slowly through the streets.

Where to Study: I chose PROBIGUA , a not-for-profit language school and library. In addition to classes,the school offers plenty of extra activities from salsa dancing classes, cooking lessons, movies and excursions to coffee plantations. 4 hours of individual classes daily is $140 USD and group classes are $110 plus a book donation. You can study up to 7 hours a day if you’re super keen. Home stay options are available.

Tours and Transportation: Adrenalina Tours offers shuttles from the airport direct to your hotel, from Tikal and other points in Guatemala and they’ve been doing business in Guatemala since 1987.