Hi Mom and Dad,
Guatemala has lots of things that I like and I hope you will like too. It's very different from home, so it's been fun discovering new things. What I like best is that it's kind of like Egypt. You know how the people are so nice? Well that is the same thing about Guatemala. You will probably enjoy meeting new people Mom. Dad don't worry, there is lots of fruit here available in many markets. By the way, the markets are kind of like Egypt's markets. I think you will like it a lot and we will enjoy going to all sorts of places together.
I'm having the time of my life here and I really like the variety in the climate. It is very hot in the south where the latitude is only 14° north of the equator. Boy is that hot! The weather is also affected by elevation. In the lowland areas it tends to be warm, but in the highlands it tends to be just right. The weather is a little like Egypt but the seasons are opposite. From May to October trade winds bring moist air inland from the Gulf of Mexico! Therefore the East Coast receives more rain than the West Coast. Be prepared for some hot weather. But do bring some heavy clothes if we want to go up to the mountains. In case if it gets really cold.
If you want to get a good place to live I say we should live where there is good climate, a place where there are nice people and good land. I say we live in Antigua. Guatemala is about the same size as Pennsylvania. It is 42,052 square miles. You're never going to believe this but 2/3 of the area is made up of mountains, which are volcanic. You can see smoke coming out of some of the volcanoes. Guatemala's most important ports are Santo Tomás de Castilla and Puerto Barrios, which are on the East Coast.
There
are many different types of plants here and I think that they are neat.
Guatemala's national flower is the White Nun Orchid; it is called that because
it looks similar to the silhouetted head of a nun. You might think that sounds
weird, but it really looks pretty when you see it. In Spanish they call it
"Monjo Blanca." Most of the plants that are tropical are found in
lowlands, but in highlands the weather is cool, so there are lots of crops. The
things that are found in lowlands are palm trees, while in highlands, there are
oaks and pines, and hardy grasses. When you come, I want us to buy some plants.
Guatemala has a lot of people and your going to be shocked when I tell you the population is 10.7 million and is growing at 2.6 % annually. Don't forget that Spanish is their main language, so you both will have to take Spanish lessons. You won't have to worry about Nura and Basmah learning how to speak Spanish because there is an American-Spanish school here. I know that it's for kids who are coming from foreign countries and want to speak Spanish. The popular sports are soccer, basketball, and volleyball.
You can find some beautiful crafts here. For example, the Mayans were famous weavers and there is a picture on the right of one. The Mayans also made beautiful pieces but they would be expensive because the Modern Guatemalan Indians produce only simple pots and water jars, but you might like them anyway. When you come maybe we can learn to make some arts and crafts like they do here.
Before Columbus landed in the New World the Mayan Indians developed a great civilization. The Maya developed a system of hieroglyphics, but unfortunately archeologists are unable to figure out what the Mayans wrote. From 1524 to 1821 the Spanish ruled Central America. When you come we can go to some of the museums and ruins which have history exhibits in Guatemala.
Some of the religions here are Protestant, Jewish and some other faiths but the most important is the Roman Catholic religion. There is complete religious freedom and non-Catholic missions are permitted in the country. I have not heard about any Muslims here, but I bet you that the Egyptian Embassy will know where we can find a Muslim Mosque.
I'm so excited to see you. I hope you have a safe trip and I can't wait to show you some of the places I've seen here in beautiful Guatemala. For example lets go to Mayan ruins.
Love,
Amani
PS. Don't forget to bring some food because Basmah and Nura can be a little picky.