Guatemalan Diaries: Quetzaltenango (Xela)

Friends of mine invited me to drive to Quetzaltenango, the second most populated city in Guatemala located in the same named department. Quetzaltenango (Place of many Quetzals) got its name from the Spaniard Pedro de Alvarado after he defeated the great Quiché warrior Tecún Uman and destroyed the city around 1524. Before then, the town was named Xelajú which is Quiché for "under the ten," which presumably refers to the peaks surrounding the town. Locals never fully accepted the name imposed by the conquistadors and to this day always refer to the city by its Quiché name, calling it Xela for short (pronounced Shey-la).

We lucked out with the weather since it is now rainy season and most afternoons usher in dark clouds and heavy downpours. Furthermore, Xela is located in the mountains and known for its bitter cold climate, especially in the mornings. However, after a heavy rainstorm that evening, we awoke to a town illuminated by clear blue sky and radiant sunshine. After breakfast we took a stroll through the tranquil streets of the old part of town toward the stunning Parque Centroamérica. The main plaza has been touted as one of the most beautiful in Central America. It is a tribute to neo-classicist architecture dating to the city's rebuilding after the disastrous 1902 earthquake. On both ends, there is a line of lonely detached Greek columns which now function as street lamps.

Statue of former President Barrios Amongst the Greek Columns

Parque Centroamérica in Xela

Another statue at the Parque

Across from the Parque is the magnificent Pasaje Enriquez, a renovated arcade of bars, cybercafés, and restaurants, and now Xela's hottest spot. On the opposite side of the park is the Catedral del Espiritu Santo.

Pasaje Enriquez

Inside the Pasaje Enriquez

Inside the Catedral del Espiritu Santo

Xela surprised and delighted me with its clean streets and charming eclectic architecture. My friends also introduced me to their favorite restaurants and cafés whose interior decoration floored me with its opulence and originality.

The Facade of a Former Movie Theatre

Inside Café Bavaria

There is a lot of culture in Xela due to the high concentration of universities, private colleges, and overabundance of top-notch language schools. Matter-of-fact, my friend Bernadette, who is French Swiss, stopped by a recommended school, Proyecto Linguistico Quetzalteco de Espanol, and registered for a week of 5 hours of daily private instruction and a home-stay (which includes three meals a day) for only 200 dollars. The school also organizes activities for students to learn about current cultural and socio-political issues facing the country.

Bernadette Contemplating an Exhibition of Chair Designs
at the School of Architecture

A Chair Design called Las Bailarinas

Poster Commemorating the Anniversary of Che's Death
Inside the Proyecto Language School:
Che is still very much revered in Guatemala
and one can see his image everywhere.

We finished off our Xela excursion with a trek to the natural spring spa Fuentes Georginas, whose hot water is fueled by the Volcano Pico Zunil. There were plenty of locals there despite the shroud of heavy fog. The cleanliness of facility left a lot to be desired; nevertheless, while we soaked in the steaming hot springs surrounded by a very colorful odd mixture of half-clad patrons, I laughingly remarked to my friends that I felt as if I could be an extra in a Fellini movie.

On our way back through Xela toward Panajachel, we stopped at one of many vegetable stands along the highway. The land in the department of Quetzaltenango is very rich due to volcanic ash and much of the produce is transported to markets as far away as those in El Salvador.