Day 10

We started off our morning with a breakfast of eggs and beans. Then we walked to the docks and took a short boat ride across Lake Atitlan to Panajachel.

Once there, we rode in little carts called tuk tuk’s up to the Reserva Natural Atitlan, a gorgeous reservation where we went zip lining. When we were ready and strapped in our gear, we proceeded to struggle up the mountain. The view was worth it though. The longest zip line was about 2,822 feet long, and many of us got stuck midair, but the view was magnificent. In total we rode 7 different lines, each varying in length and speed, yet all equally exhilarating. We raced our tuk tuk's back down to the town, and the two of us and Kate won!

We ended up getting lunch at Pollo Campero, with some of us eating in and others getting take-out. We explored the city of Panajachel which is a big tourist area, completely different from where we have been staying. The streets were lined with shops filled with tons of jewelry and souvenirs. It was very overwhelming how many stores there were, and unfortunately, due to lack of time, we were unable to go through even half of them.  Eventually, we loaded back on to the boat to return to San Lucas for a choppy, bumpy water ride. Back in town, we went shopping again. Dr. Northrup’s friend Moices was kind enough to stop by the hotel to show and sell students hand carved spoons. After our long and exciting day, we all rested and dressed up for our last fiesta!

Our dinner was held at Hotel Toliman and we enjoyed the company of the long term volunteers as well as Lisa and Larry, the parents of one of the long term volunteers. The restaurant was beautiful and empty, perfect for our last outing because we are a rambunctious bunch. The nachos were “da bomb” and the rest of the food was also delicious. When we were finished with our meals, it began to hit home that we were leaving in only 2 days. We began to share our thoughts about our experiences and how we ultimately became a little family in less than 2 weeks. We all appreciate everything Dr. Northrup and Dr. Rust have done for us over the past days and how welcoming and accommodating the long term volunteers have been. With their help, we were able to immerse ourselves in the Guatemalan culture as well as aid those who needed our help. We will definitely be leaving this incredible country with a new perspective on life. But our journey isn’t over quite yet!

 

-Erika & Marlena