Day 12

Adios Guatemala!

We packed our bags this morning and made our way back to the States. After a 3 hour bus ride back to Guatemala City, we caught a 3.5 hour flight to Atlanta. Follwing a brief layover, we took a 2 hour flight to Hartford, where many of us were greeted by our waiting friends and family.

What a trip! We spent almost two weeks in Central America exploring various aspects of healthcare. Visits to hospitals and clinics, volunteering at co-operatives, and listening to the Guatemalan people were just a few of our activities. We also experienced the culture, food, and language of the areas we visited, and even managed to celebrate a soccer championship.

We hope you have enjoyed reading about our travels. If you would like more information about our trip or would like to get involved in healthcare in Guatemala, please contact us at any time.

Thanks for reading!

-M. Rust
-S. Northrup
-ILP 296 Students

Day 11

After breakfast at the mission, we boarded a boat called the “Karina” to go across Lake Atitlan, which boarders San Lucas. The views of the mountains and the villages were exquisite and cannot be matched in New England.

We landed in a town called Panajachel and rode in “Tuk-Tuks”, which are motorized tricycle taxis, to a resort where we were scheduled to do zip-lining. We hiked up to the top of the resort, and got to view the unique vegetation and wildlife. We experienced speeds as high as 40 mph, and we enjoyed the amazing views of the surroundings.

We then visited the shops around the resort and had lunch. Afterwards, we rode the boat back to a town called San Antonio and continued shopping in the local area. The level of poverty at San Antonio is much higher than that of any area in which we had previously visited. It helped reinforce the need for volunteer help, and how even a little effort can go a long way in helping the people of Guatemala.

For our final meal together we headed to the Hotel Toliman restaurant, which would match any fancy restaurant in the States in quality. The professors thanked us for our efforts and made it a point of describing in detail how we surpassed their expectations. We returned the sentiments and thanked them for giving us the opportunity to help.

-Pete

Day 10

Today our team was split into two separate groups. One group visited the clinic again while the other went to the women’s center to break rocks into gravel and dig out boulders from the side of a hill. We were given pickaxes and a heavy duty pry bar to take care of the boulders, and hammers to smash the little rocks into smaller ones. After roughly a half hour of digging out smaller boulders from the hillside, Pete, Tim, Dr. Northrup, and I took it upon ourselves to dig out the biggest boulder we could see. In order to get to the big boulder, we needed to first get out a few other massive rocks. We used our superior engineering skills to find the best points to pry from to make the large boulders come tumbling down the hillside into the pile that was at the bottom. As time passed, one by one the massive rocks came tumbling down, bringing us closer to getting out “the big one”.  After about an hour and fifteen minutes of trying to get it out of the hillside, we decided to take a 20 minute break to refuel for the epic battle. After the break we went back to work with only one more rock standing in the way of glory. As I was prying out the last rock before “the big one” could be reached, Alyssa noticed that it was not as stuck into the side of the hill as we had thought. With a little extra effort, it came right out, and the glory was ours.

After lunch we all walked to the reforestation project for our next job of the day. When we arrived, we were given the task of preparing individual bags of dirt that would be used to begin life’s journey for hundreds of trees. We were divided into three separate teams, and Dr. Northrup said that the team that bagged the most dirt would win an ice cream treat. All together we must have bagged at least 700 parcels of dirt. After we had completed that task, the leader of the reforestation project told us about all of the different trees that he grew on his farm along with their uses.

We finished our day with a talk given by the only doctor at the local health clinic. He talked about how the clinic was started, their major challenges, and how people can get involved in the future by helping out the clinic.

-Mike

Day 9

After breakfast most of our group went to the reforestation area. There is a large problem in San Lucas with deforestation from a combination of mudslides and infrastructure. We worked in a bucket line moving saplings to a new area where they can grow. Toribo, the gentleman who runs the reforestation area, took us on a special hike after working. He brought us to a Mayan alter and explained the many similarities between the Mayan religion and the Catholic religion of the mission. It was a very unique experience, and it was very moving. The Mayan religion is largely based on respect for the land. This makes the reforestation efforts not only good for their prosperity, but it satisfies their religious wishes.

After lunch we went to the Clinic in San Lucas. We worked as a team to sort through a supply of sutures based on their size and whether they are absorbing or non-absorbing. While not the most difficult task, it was a good learning experience to understand the importance of little jobs which keep a hospital running. Most of the sutures came from donations from large American companies, which shows the importance of giving back.

Our final trip of the day was to a local restaurant to celebrate Maureen’s birthday. Happy birthday Maureen! The professors were kind enough to treat us to dessert, and fun was had by all.

-Pete

Day 8

Today our class piled into a van and went to a village just outside of town. When we arrived we split into two groups. Each group went to a different home to construct an oven for the owners of the house. We began constructing the oven by mixing dirt and cement to place in between the cinder blocks for the oven's base. It took a lot of patience to make sure that the blocks were level and in place.  Some of the students used a machete to cut the cinder blocks to the correct size. Since it is the rainy season, it began to pour while we were working, which made us unable to finish building the oven. Everything was done by hand, and it was an eye opening experience to see and participate in all the steps to create the stove.

The trip back to the mission was one we will never forget. We all crammed in the back of a covered pickup truck. The combination of the pouring rain, the hot air temperature and the inability to see where we were going made us all very anxious of when we would hit the next speed bump.

Once we got back to the mission, we all explored the different stores within the town. The stores had many different colorful bags and scarves that everyone enjoyed. One of the store owners who knew professor Northrup from previous years invited us back to show us her home. Her family was very inviting and grateful that we went to her store. Her father took out his marimba and played a couple of songs for us. Being invited into her home was a great experience of the real Guatemalan culture.

-Rhiana and Haley

Day 7

Today Eric and I had the opportunity to go out into the field with Dr. Paul and a few others to meet the health promoters and see some cases. Health promoters are members of the community that are nominated to attend a three year class where they are trained to diagnose and treat basic aliments, continue thorough checkups, and dispense necessary treatments. Dr. Paul visits a few times a year to monitor patients that are high risk or have chronic conditions. The people we saw lived in communities with few resources. These communities requested to be a part of the program that Dr. Paul and his colleagues created, which provides free care for the communities that participate. So the patients receive checkups and medication. We were very thankful to be welcomed into these patients homes, and we learned a lot about health conditions in this area.

We saw cases that include malnourished children, adults with severe arthritis, and maternal health issues. We felt this was a very rewarding experience and were deeply grateful that we were able to be a part of the day. We admire these people because of their continued optimism and great pride. We are also very sympathetic of their health conditions, but with the program Dr. Paul has created these patients are in great hands. Being able to observe today and work with Dr. Paul, it really has shed light on our dream to continue this type of work in the future and possibly come back to join Dr. Paul.

-Alyssa and Eric

Today the group went on a tour of some of the projects that the mission is involved in here in San Lucas. We visited a women’s center that provides a place for the local women to learn sewing, weaving, and cooking. A playground for their children was also being constructed while the women could learn the different crafts. The next stop was to the local clinic, which was impressive to say the least. The final stop was to the farm where coffee and various vegetables are grown. After the tour concluded we ended the day by preparing a field for planting by weeding the area and sifting a large pile of soil for spreading. It was nice to get our hands dirty, and I’m sure there will be plenty more opportunities to do the same during the rest of the week.

-Tim

Day 6

Adios Xela. We woke up this morning, packed our bags, and began our trek south to San Lucas. On the way out of town, we stopped at the overlook above the city for a spectacular view.

After a 3.5 hour bus ride, we arrived at the Mission in San Lucas, and said our goodbyes to our Xela team of Jairo and David. We then had our orientation to the Mission and settled in for the night. We'll be taking a tour first thing in the morning and then getting our project assignment in the afternoon.

-M. Rust

Day 5

On our fifth day, we began with an hour long bus trip to the hot springs near town. Upon arrival we took a hike for about a half hour until we reached the hot springs. The hot springs consisted of three pools of water. The hottest being around 120 degrees, the second around 110 degrees and the coolest pool being in the mid 90’s. The three pools are heated by the volcano that is nearby. After a grueling few days of work, spending some time in the heated pools was quite a relaxing experience.

After we completed our excursion to the hot springs, we visited the headquarters of Agua del Pueblo  (AdP) for their 40 year anniversary celebration. A presentation was provided that allowed us to see how the company started, progressed, and what the plans are for the future. It was very nice to meet the founders of the company, who were very passionate about their work. One of the founders, Bruce Clemens, was actually previously a professor at Western New England University. After his talk, Bruce spoke to us about his experiences and advised us to take charge of our professional careers. After all, he started AdP just after finishing college, and it is still making a difference 40 years later.

To complete our day, we decided to put on our jerseys and go to a local restaurant to watch the soccer game between Xela and Guatemala City. This was the final game between the two, and would decide who would be the champion of the Guatemalan league. In a nail-biting encoutner, Xela prevailed on penalty kicks to become champions of Guatemala. Being involved with the experience, we have never met a set of more passionate fans. As a class, we discussed the result and decided that the victory achieved in this game was equivalent to an American city winning the championship in every sport possible at the same time. After the game, cars were driving down the street honking the Xela chant with thousands of people chanting along. It was a truly moving experience and none of us will ever view sports the same way.

-Mike and Rahul

Day 4

Today was our second day at the hospital and it seemed as if the medical staff were warming up to us. We visited the departments of pathology, morgue, and radiology. We also saw the laboratory, and the other group visited the operating room today where some of them witnessed a C-section. Overall it was a very successful two days at the hospital. We saw many departments and took many good notes so we can brainstorm ideas and potentially help the hospital.

We were rewarded with lunch at a “special place”. The restaurant was called Albamar where a live marimba band serenaded us from 3 feet away. We couldn’t really hear or talk to each other, but it was a very enjoyable and delicious experience. After lunch we took over the massive playground that was part of the restaurant. The playground contained a four story slide and an indoor play land with ropes, bridges and swings that are way too small for college students.

After lunch we all suited up and played a soccer game. Professor Rust showed his soccer skills and Professor Northrup dove to make a save and proceeded to unintentionally do the worm. We all put in a lot of effort and had a great time. Professor Rust’s team ended up winning the game 5-3.

Then as usual we crammed into a  van and drove back to the hotel to great ready for our fancy dinner. On our way to dinner we stopped outside of the soccer stadium so we could all buy Xela soccer jerseys for the big soccer match tomorrow. We ended the night with a wonderful dinner at a Uruguayan restaurant and thanked Victor, David, and Jairo for all their help, hospitality and translation.

  

-Gabby and Emily

Day 3

Today we visited the hospital here in town. The staff graciously welcomed us, and the nurses provided a detailed tour of various departments within the hospital. We split into two groups with a professor, a translator, and a nurse in each. Our group began our journey in the post-operation ward of the hospital. The nurse was very honest about the different problems each section of the hospital faces in order to educate us and raise our awareness to the specific issues they encounter. We also traveled to different pediatric and adult wards, including post-op, ER, and maternity. The other group visited pharmacy and surgery; don't they look sharp in their surgical gowns!

The last area of the hospital we were able to spend time in was radiology. Here we learned about different equipment problems, including parts that needed replacing. We spent a great deal of time conversing with one of the maintenance workers who explained the problems that ward faced when it came to replacing or repairing broken machinery.  Dr. Northrup documented the parts that needed replacing and also spoke with the man about possible solutions for the interim. This experience, was very eye opening. Living in the States, we are not often aware or informed of the problems other countries face and I am grateful and thankful, as I think everyone is, to be able to have this experience. I admire the optimism and spirit of the medical staff. Despite challenging circumstances, they are doing great work.
-Alyssa

When we left the hospital, we headed to our new favorite lunch place (Cafe Corazon de Sagrado) for some much needed hot soup. We have had two great lunches at this same restaurant around the corner from our hotel. After lunch we went to the market near the restaurant where we went shopping for some Guatemalan souvenirs. We spent a few hours there, and I’m sure we could have spent the whole day going from shop to shop and talking with local shop owners. After some debate due to the rainy weather, we traveled to the cemetery in town. Some of us were hesitant, but when we arrived I think we were all pleasantly surprised by how beautiful and festive the tombs looked.

Almost every tomb was an above ground monument painted in bright colors in order to celebrate the life of each person. Even through the rain, the visit was very enjoyable and just one of the many authentic experiences we will surely remember about our visit to Xela.
-Maureen

Day 2

Our first full day in Guatemala was a busy one. After a delicious breakfast at the hotel, we attended a lecture by Victor, a Guatemalan professor and close friend of our program. The students learned about some of the challenges facing the people here, including land tenure, education, and health.

Next, we headed to the hospital to meet with the administrators and lay out the plans for our work. The administrators were very excited about the work accomplished during the WNE visit last year, and expressed enthusiasm for building a long-term relationship between our institutions.

                     

After lunch, we visited the local university and met with professors in the economics program. This enabled us to learn a great deal about the system of higher education in Guatemala, including its unique structure and degree opportunties. Our students were invited to pursue graduate degrees at their university, an idea that was met with enthusiasm. On our way back from the university, our students were treated to a homemade hot chocoloate drink. Absolutely fabulous!

One of the most interesting events of the day was our visit to the town square to watch the broadcast of the local soccer club playing a team from Guatemala City in a championship soccer game.  I have never seen more passionate fans in my entire life and I have been around sports for a long time.  It was extremely fun and exhilarating, which I hope to experience again considering that they are playing again on Saturday night.

-Ryan

Day 1

Our Guatemalan adventure began very early in the morning with a 6:00 AM flight from Hartford. After stopping in Atlanta, we made the trek south and landed in Guatemala City around noon local time. Our luggage was loaded into a waiting van, and we set off to Quetzaltenango.

Not surprisingly, our group was pretty tired from the long journey to our destination, and there were many people "resting their eyes" during the ride.

We made it to our hotel around 6:00 PM and grabbed a quick bite to eat before settling in for the night. Looking forward to meeting with our Guatemalan partners in the morning!

-M. Rust