This morning we packed up our stuff from Hotel El Centro in
Quetzaltenango to prepare for our trip to the Mission in San Lucas. We will be staying
at the Mission for the rest of the week; our hotel in San Lucas is called Hotel
Iquitiu. Our journey started at 9 am as we headed out to visit the Mayan ruins.
The ride to the ruins was a long two and a half hour drive through winding,
mountainous roads before reaching a rural town outside of the Mayan ruins. Upon
our arrival we were greeted by our tour guide, Alex, who apologized profusely
for his very accurate English. The tour began with an explanation of the Mayan
symbols on a copy of a Mayan pillar. We were taught about how the Mayans were
separated by rich and poor and those who were rich lived in the Iximche (the
private, post-classic sector). Inside the walls there were five plazas where
the different families lived according to wealth. The only parts left of the
ruins were the foundations of the structures. We learned the name Guatemala and
a lot of the Guatemalan cities are named after Mayan derivatives! We explored
the sun and moon temples in each plaza along with where sacrifices were held
and performed. In the last plaza we were able to observe a ritual to honor the
Mayans which is still a common practice for people in Guatemala. The day turned
out to be beautiful, and the ruins were a very fascinating experience.
At lunch many of us had rabbit for the first time at the
restaurant Chichoy. Then we enjoyed the day outside in the garden around the
restaurant. After lunch we got back on the bus for another two and a half hour
drive to the city of San Lucas. During the drive most people fell asleep! When
we arrived in San Lucas we were pleasantly surprised by the quaint hotel
Iquitiu. After settling in we walked over to the Mission for dinner and
orientation. We met and talked with the other groups helping at the Mission,
including medical students and groups from other universities. After talking
and dinner we walked to an ice cream shop and watched a basketball game in the
central square of San Lucas. We are very excited to start our work with the Mission
and make contributions to the community!
Sending our love and best wishes!
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