Cerro de la Cruz in Antigua, Guatemala

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The Cerro de la Cruz is one of the must-see attractions in Antigua, Guatemala.

La Cruz (“The Cross”) is in an elevated park cut into a hill on the north side of Antigua.

I visited La Cruz a couple of days ago as I was finishing my trip here to host our volunteers in Guatemala.

My photos are at the end of this post.

I still love visiting La Cruz every time I am in Antigua. The place never gets old!

At La Cruz you can see the entire town of Antigua and get an unobstructed view of Volcan Agua.

Go on a clear day for the best possible viewing. It is best to go early morning, say by 8 am, before the clouds roll in and cover things up.

Although it difficult to get lost in Antigua — because of its small size and perpendicular street layout — La Cruz can also serve as a good landmark for newbies to the town.

La Cruz has had a bad reputation for years with robberies and assaults of tourists.

But the city has mostly ended the daytime dangers by having police patrol La Cruz from 8am to 4pm daily.

To reach the top of La Cruz, you must walk about 300 steps. Many of the “steps” are long and flat, so it is not too tough of a journey.

How to Reach La Cruz

  • Go to the street 1a Avenida
  • Turn north on 1a Avenida
  • Look for the entrance sign “Bienvenidos Cerro De La Cruz”
  • Start walking up the steps!

Facts About Cerro de la Cruz

  • Built in 1930
  • About a 15 minute hike from center of Antigua
  • Police patrol 8am – 4pm daily

 

Cerro de la Cruz in Antigua Guatemala

Cerro de la Cruz in Antigua Guatemala

Cerro de la Cruz in Antigua Guatemala

Cerro de la Cruz in Antigua Guatemala

Cerro de la Cruz in Antigua Guatemala

 

Spanish Classes in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

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The above is a video of one of our group Spanish classes today in Quetzeltenango, Guatemala.

Normally our students’ Spanish classes are one-on-one, but occasionally the teachers get everyone together for a group activity. The Spanish lesson in the Guatemala video below involved a card game to help the students with vocabulary.

Remember, all of our volunteering programs in Guatemala include ten (10) hours of one-on-one Spanish lessons. You can do the lessons either in the morning or afternoon.

Most volunteer work takes place in mornings, so the Spanish lessons typically take place in the afternoons (after lunch at the host families).

Our Spanish classes in Quetzeltenango, Guatemala take place at the la cafetera.net coffee shop at 15 Av 8 Calle 13-77 Zona 1 in Quetzeltenango. They have a beautiful rooftop terrace with views of the city and surrounding mountains and volcanoes.

 

Hiking Pacaya Volcano

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One of the most exciting excursions our volunteers do when volunteering in Guatemala is hiking Pacaya Volcano in Guatemala.

The entire Pacaya Volcano experience is a “half-day” excursion, usually lasting from 8am to 2pm door-to-door from the city of Antigua (where many of our volunteers live and work).

Hiking Pacaya Volcano

Most people who volunteer in Guatemala get the chance to hike the volcano — whether they are building houses or volunteering at an orphanage.

Hiking Pacaya Volcano is an incredibly rewarding experience but also very challenging physically.

You essentially need to be fit enough to walk up a hill for 2-3 straight hours.

You will sweat a lot but the air is windy and cool (especially at the top) so you’ll feel a bit clammy at times. Best to dress in layers.

Pacaya Volcano Album on our Facebook page

You can though hire a horse to take you up the volcano. It costs $20-$30 and there are horses and guides stationed throughout the hike.

Hiking Pacaya Volcano

You can start out on foot to see how you feel, then hire a horse ride if you don’t feel up to hiking.

Pacaya is an active volcano. Its last major eruption was very recent — in 2010, with ash columns up to 1,500 meters high and ash and volcanic debris raining down on Guatemala City and many surrounding small towns.

You probably won’t see any rivers of lava on your hike. But at certain points you can see smoke rising from the ground and feel the lava’s heat on your feet.

In fact at one stop on the hike, our guide gives out marshmallows that you roast using the heat rising from the earth.

Hiking Pacaya Volcano

The volcano and surrounding area now lie within Pacaya National Park which was created to supervise and protect tourism in the region. The park generates its income from entrance fees from tour groups like ours.

The views at the top of Pacaya Volcano are simply spectacular.

The amazing views include the volcanoes Fuego, Acatenango, and Agua as well as Guatemala City, Antigua, and dozens of villages.

Volunteering in Bangalore India with the Lovedale Foundation

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Our host organization for our travelers volunteering in Bangalore India is the Lovedale Foundation.

Cosmic Volunteers’ Director Scott Burke first visited the Lovedale Foundation in Bangalore in 2004 to establish our partnership.

Scott spent several days at the Lovedale Foundation with founder Jeny Verma. She gave Scott and his sister Susan (on her first-ever trip to India) a tour of her children’s home, office and the Bangalore area itself.

volunteering in bangalore india

volunteering in bangalore india

volunteering in bangalore india

volunteering in bangalore india

The experience easily convinced Scott to start programs here for volunteering in Bangalore India.

Miss Verma has won numerous awards in India for her work humanitarian work including:

  • Woman of the Year 2015  by Awards by Garshom
  • Iconic Woman 2016 by Eastern Group
  • Educationist of the Year 2016  by the Wokhardt Foundation

The Lovedale Foundation is a not profit organization with a mission to “…unleash the potential of under-served children from stone quarry’s, orphanages, streets and slums since 2001.”

They are a first-class organization doing tremendous work for kids in India.

We hope to continue sending people to our volunteering in Bangalore India program with the Lovedale Foundation for many years to come.

Some Reasons to Volunteer in Cuzco, Peru

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Cusco, Peru

Our travelers have always loved volunteering in Cuzco, Peru. Our volunteer programs in Cusco include teaching English and working at medical clinics.

Today Lucas Peterson, the FRUGAL TRAVELER from the New York Times, recently wrote an article on Cuzco.

The short version? He loved it!

He visited the San Pedro Market, “…a massive covered expanse (it seems slightly larger than a football field) where vendors sell an array of items, like textiles and cuy, or guinea pig.”

He ate too. As he says, “Peruvians are fanatical about their pollo a la brasa — roasted chicken — and there are a number of pollerías where you can try the salty, greasy dish.”

More on Lucas’ experience with the food in Cusco:

“The tapas at Cicciolina, which included Peruvian duck ham with chile, scallops with avocado and a Cuzqueñan salad of corn, cheese and fava beans, can be had à la carte (10 soles each) or as a selection of five (chef’s choice, 30 soles). I enjoyed a salad of local organic lettuce and prawns coated in blue-black quinoa with a maracuyá (passion fruit) vinaigrette (36 soles). Other food options on this end of the spectrum include La Bodega 138, where I had a decent 39-sol Estrella pizza with mushrooms, salami and ham, and a local Peruvian beer for 16 soles.”

Scott Burke at Visitation BVM School

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Scott Burke at Visitation BVM School

Scott Burke at Visitation BVM School

Cosmic Volunteers’ Director Scott Burke made a visit last week to his niece’s​ 8th grade class at Visitation BVM Catholic School. He talked about his 17 years in the field of international volunteering.

“They were a great group of incredibly attentive and inquisitive students,” said Scott. “Special thanks to teacher Mrs. Poot for the invite and organizing everything. I was very proud to have my parents and a sister come along too.”

#visitationbvm #cosmicvolunteers

Money Matters When Volunteering Abroad

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The US dollar is the easiest currency to exchange anywhere.

Before leaving home, call your credit card company and bank to let them know you will be traveling abroad. (Many institutions have automatic blocks for security when card are used abroad.)

When arriving in any foreign country for your volunteering abroad program, always exchange your cash for some local currency before leaving the airport and walking out onto the streets.

If you need money from home while volunteering abroad, have your family deposit money directly into your bank account, so that you can withdraw the money locally in cash. (The ATM fees will be considerably less than the fees charged by money-transfer companies like Western Union and Moneygram.)

Split-up your cash, travelers checks, and credit cards in different places (pockets, handbag, money belt), in case of theft or you’re forgetful and misplace any of these items.

Become familiar with calculating currency exchange rates quickly in your head (so you understand better what things cost abroad)

Save a few notes and coins as souvenirs to take home with you to show family and friends.