Xela From Above: Photos from a Day of Wandering Around

Published on October 8, 2010 by Sam Langley

Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

It’s easy to get a view of Xela from above. The terrace of the house I’m currently in gives me a great view of the city each day. I’ll spend afternoons up here studying Spanish and drinking coffee.

From Quetzaltenango 2010-10
View from the roof-top of where I’m currently staying

The city also sits in a valley so a climb up any of the hills would give you a panoramic view of the city. It was a beautiful day today so I decided to walk around the city. Bored of just walking around I decided to climb one of the surrounding hills. If there are houses on the hills there would have to be roads, or at least a path, to get up to the houses and get a different view of the city. Walking along a major road I found a small concrete path that led steeply up a hill and looked like it was the main walkway to the houses on the side of a hill. After a 20 minute climb I had a great view of the entire city.

From Quetzaltenango 2010-10
View of Xela from the side of a surrounding hill

At the top of this hill there was also a small community of houses. The people living at the top of this hill must be in good shape because the road is too steep and narrow for a bus, truck, or car to drive up.

From Quetzaltenango 2010-10
A random, steep, narrow path I decided to check out

Shortly after the small community of houses I found myself walking on the top of a hill that was in the countryside of the city. Cows and horses were grazing by the side of the road and there were no people around.