My group spent the day at Lake Atitlan and visiting San Juan
and Santiago. As we drive back to Common Hope, I thought I’d give your some fun
updates.
It's been quite an interesting start to the week. After
beginning this adventure with 23 complete strangers, we quickly got to know
each other after traveling in some pretty close quarters since arriving.
Traveling from the airport to Antigua was eye-opening. There are no traffic lights here, it's just a fend-for-yourself mode of operation. An ambulance was on emergency and no one moved over! I think many of us were shocked to see the numbers of vehicles with small kids hanging out windows or standing in the back of the trucks.
Traveling from the airport to Antigua was eye-opening. There are no traffic lights here, it's just a fend-for-yourself mode of operation. An ambulance was on emergency and no one moved over! I think many of us were shocked to see the numbers of vehicles with small kids hanging out windows or standing in the back of the trucks.
I
don't have any photos of the people here as many of them don’t want their
picture taken and I want to respect that. They are very polite and quick to
smile – especially when some of us attempt minimal Spanish phrases.
Throughout the day we visited some of the local co-ops and learned about textile and medicinal trades. These are predominantly run by – and benefit – the women who make the products. They use the local plants to create the beautiful dyes to color the cotton that they spin by hand. The average table runner takes them one week to make. A simple scarf takes about three days.
We also visited two Catholic churches. Both were quite amazing. A service was in process as we arrived at the second one and it was very moving to hear the congregation singing. Our guide shared with us the story of a very beloved priest who was sent to the church on mission. He had been instrumental in encouraging the native people to embrace their Mayan culture and the Catholic faith as both reach for God. The church has elements of both cultures built into the structure and art.
Overall, this was a pretty awesome start to the week. Tomorrow my team will visit the local hospital.
Throughout the day we visited some of the local co-ops and learned about textile and medicinal trades. These are predominantly run by – and benefit – the women who make the products. They use the local plants to create the beautiful dyes to color the cotton that they spin by hand. The average table runner takes them one week to make. A simple scarf takes about three days.
We also visited two Catholic churches. Both were quite amazing. A service was in process as we arrived at the second one and it was very moving to hear the congregation singing. Our guide shared with us the story of a very beloved priest who was sent to the church on mission. He had been instrumental in encouraging the native people to embrace their Mayan culture and the Catholic faith as both reach for God. The church has elements of both cultures built into the structure and art.
Overall, this was a pretty awesome start to the week. Tomorrow my team will visit the local hospital.
Julie
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| Photo from the balcony outdoor living room at Common Hope. We are staying in dorm-style quarters with shared kitchens and bathrooms. In the background, you can see two of the active volcanos in the area. We heard what sounded like a large boom firework and then saw plumes of smoke billow out. |
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| This panoramic was taken from the boat in the middle of Lake Atitlan. There are a number of volcanos throughout Guatemala and here are two of the three that surround the lake. |
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| Rooftop picture in Santiago. |
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| My $10 lunch of spicy steak with rice, cheese, black beans, guacamole and fried plantains. Very delicious! |
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