Jasmine Wanders

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In this video, I share a few random thoughts about traveling as a short-term expat vs. a backpacker and what my daily life is like in Quetzaltenango (Xela) where I’ve been living since March. All of it was recorded from my favorite hammock.

Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is one of the biggest celebrations in Guatemala.  I was in Quetzaltenango, or Xela, during the Friday and Saturday before Easter.  I can’t explain too well what was going on as I don’t have much working knowledge of the Bible, but there’s an article here that goes more in depth.  [...]

There are times during my travels when I receive the amazing gift of interacting with someone by chance that I wouldn’t normally get to talk to unless I got lucky.

Last weekend, a few of my friends and I climbed to the top of Cerro Quemado in the outskirts of Quetzaltenango.  For me, it was a really hard climb, as I come from Florida, the flattest land of all.  Aside from this, I’ve only climbed a couple of mountains in Arizona. I thought I wouldn’t [...]

Yesterday, I was in San Marcos La Laguna and I wanted to get to Quetzaltenango. However, I didn’t want to pay 10 times more for the tourist shuttle, so I decided to try local travel.

San Marcos La Laguna is a pretty, small, spiritually oriented pueblo on the banks of Lago Atitlan. However, those who wish to pursue spiritual matters should come with a pocket full of cash as well. There are less amenities than in other pueblos (for example, there is no ATM machine here) and accommodation costs a lot more. I only stayed for one night as I want to get to Xela, get a little settled, and be able to work a bit more than I have been.

Tomorrow is my last day in San Pedro La Laguna around Lago Atitlan.  San Pedro is a place with two vastly different worlds… in the tourist sector, it’s billed as being a hub for drugs.  Which I’m sure it is.  However, the day after I came here, I started taking Spanish lessons and I moved [...]