Most enticing Spanish immersion school
I
have to admit that armchair travel is nearly as much fun as the real
thing, and my list of places I want to visit is probably already too
long for one lifetime. But Minerva Spanish School in Xela, Guatemala, is going
on the list.
Xela ("Shay-la") is the
commonly used name for the unpronounceable town of Quetzaltenango,
located at 7,000 feet above sea level in southwest Guatemala. The
school regularly leads trips to nearby attractions like volcanoes, hot
springs, and Mayan and Olmec ruins, and it sounds like just walking
around the 65% Mayan
city is an adventure.
As
part of the $175 per week tuition fee, you get to stay and eat with a
nearby family --- true immersion in both culture and language.
And, of course, you receive 25 hours of one-on-one Spanish language
lessons. Or, if you'd rather, you can take Mayan Ancestral
Anthropology: "An
exclusive course concerning the true esoteric and ancient thought of
the Mayas—psychological, philosophical, esoteric, practical and
extraordinary." Or perhaps you'd rather learn about Guatemala's
ecology or 
history? Classes are
available on those topics as well.
The most expensive part
of the proposition is getting to Xela, but even that is not
outlandish. I've seen roundtrip flights on Spirit Airlines from
Atlanta for under $400 apiece. Add in $60 roundtrip bus fare from
Guatemala City to Xela (or much less if you're willing to stand for
four hours on a "chicken bus"), and your trip is complete!
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