Day 11

Our last day at the Mission saw us work on construction projects in the morning. In the afternoon, we went to the coffee farm to learn about their sorting process for producing the highest quality coffee. Yum yum!

For dinner, we invited some of the long term volunteers at the Mission to dinner at a local restaurant. Our banquet was a nice way to say thanks and goodbye to our friends. In the morning we will start our trek back to our homes. Adios Guatemala!

-M. Rust

Day 10

Today was the tenth day of the trip, and we woke for an eight o’clock breakfast. We had eggs benedict, bread, and beans for breakfast. Since we had dish duty, we set the food, and cleaned the dishes when everyone was finished. Instead of choosing a volunteering venture for the morning as usual, today was the day we would go zip lining in Panajachel. We cleaned up and made sandwiches for lunch, peanut butter and jelly, and cheese and mayonnaise. Then we walked from the Mission to the dock of San Lucas Toliman, and boarded a boat named Crystal with some people from the Mission to take us there. Riding the boat on a calm lake made for some good photo opportunities, and most of us took advantage. It was another view of San Lucas Toliman that we hadn’t seen yet, from the water.

When we arrived at the dock, we boarded four tuk-tuks that took us to the Atitlan Nature Reserve, where we would zip line. It was a fun cramped ride, with the three wheeled tuk-tuks taking tight turns and weaving through traffic. It had a similar feel to riding a bumper car, but on bumpy roads and scaling steep ascents. 

When we made it to the reserve, we were met with a sign that listed the animals that could be found and where. To the bottommost left was a yeti that could be found on the left path 8,700 kilometers away and Nessie that could be found by taking the right path for a similar distance. There was also an assortment of animals that could actually be found there, such as monkeys and butterflies. We then went inside and we all agreed to go on the long zip line that spanned the water. When that was done we had some time before our guides would be back to take us up the mountain. So we all went up to see the monkeys, before coming back down to the reserve to wait. Some of us went to see the butterfly garden and when we returned we met someone else who was going to go zip lining with us, Sam. She is an environmental science major, and came to Guatemala ahead of an internship in Honduras. We adopted her into our group after talking with her while we waited to get ready. Then our guides arrived, and we were put into our harnesses and given the safety explanation in Spanish. There was a glove with a thick pad of leather that we would hold onto the cable as we sailed along it. We would have to clamp down on the cable, and it would slow us down. There was a short 20 foot cable that we practiced on before we hiked up to the zip line.

The hike was difficult in the thinner air, and it was a workout before we made it to the top. There were several bridges that spanned a small creek that flowed down the mountain side. We crossed the bridges six at a time, and it was quite wobbly if you didn’t stick to the center. It provided a nice view of the waterfall when we made it to that bridge. We took a small break at a rest area, and then continued on for the rest of the way. At the top was an amazing view of the city and lake below. The lake was too large to see across, and so it faded into the distance in cloud and fog. The second line was the longest in terms of time, and some folks would not make it to the end without help. Those who stopped fairly close to the end could pull themselves the rest of the way, but if it was too far, the guide would attach himself to it cable and climb along it, and the person would hold on as the guide pulled them back to land. The third line was the longest cable, but it was shorter in terms of time because it was a steeper and faster drop. Braking was required, and it took more concentration than ones where it wasn’t necessary. The glove would grow a bit warm when applied to the cable. Each ride was recorded on action cameras, so that we could see the view of the lake from the line as we rode above it. The last couple rides were a bit rushed as it started to rain, but we made it all back safely.

When we had finished taking off all the gear, we had some Xela Pan-style bread and quickly walked to the tuk-tuks that were waiting for us below. They took us back to the dock where we started, and again we saw the lake from other side. We walked through the market until three, when we had to go back. The vendors lined the street and we saw some of the same items that were in San Lucas Toliman, and some different wares. There were large bags, Poke ball hackysacks, paintings, and chess sets. Mixed in amongst the stores were a few restaurants. Due to more tourism in the area, the prices varied for particular items and bargaining was important. When we finished, we went to the boat and returned to San Lucas Toliman. Before dinner we played some Uno, and then had a dinner of Chow Mein, salad, and rolls. Tomorrow we have our last full day at the San Lucas Toliman Mission before we return to the US.

-Zeke and Kendall

Day 9

We started our day with breakfast which consisted of beans, oatmeal, bananas, and bread. Today marked the five-year anniversary of the passing of Father Gregory Schaffer, who was a vitally important leader of the San Lucas Mission. A children’s mass began at 8am and immediately following was a procession through the streets of San Lucas and to the final resting place of Father Schaffer. We left shortly before the precession began and went to see Father Schaffer’s grave, which was front and center within the cemetery, and extremely well-kept. We then watched as the procession made its way into the cemetery; Professor Northrup, Kendall, and Zeke took part and walked with the children. We then had the rest of the morning to spend at the lake, visiting some local shops, and even playing a few rounds of UNO. We were on dish-duty for lunch which was beef soup and macaroni salad.

After lunch we went to the women’s center to take part in a few of their cultural classes that are offered weekly. We started out by listening to beautiful melodies played on the Marimba, and then were able to learn how to make tortillas. The dough was pre-mixed and we learned the correct technique for shaping the tortillas, which was much easier said than done. After tortillas, we headed up the hill to the pila, otherwise known as the washing center. Several students brought articles of clothing to be hand-washed; we learned the most efficient way to scrub and then rinse the clothing. We definitely were overshadowed by the women who were there washing their own clothing, and they even lent a hand to some students who needed some extra help scrubbing their clothes. It made many of us realize how fortunate we are to have the easy access to washers and dryers while at home and while at school.

Once the laundry was rung out, we headed back down the hill to learn how to balance the banos (buckets) on our heads. Most Guatemalan women will carry up to 50 pounds on their heads at any given time, but we only tested the buckets with roughly 10 pounds. It took a lot of practice to balance the bucket just right on our heads, and everyone was able to take a few steps on their own before having to catch the bucket from falling. What was even harder was learning how to carry wood using a modified backpack in which the wood was carefully packaged. We learned that many families travel two to three times a week to gather wood, and some men carry up to 150 pounds of wood at a time. Some students were up to the challenge of picking up the wood using the backpack, and while it wasn’t easy at first, it definitely was rewarding when we were up and standing. 

Finally, to end our day at the women’s center we had the opportunity to support the local women by purchasing items that they made in the store. We wrapped up our day with dinner and even got to venture out for some ice cream!

-Lucia

Day 8

Today was our first full working day at the Mission. After breakfast, we split into two teams to work on different projects for the morning. One group went to work on a wood house on the outskirts of town, while the other group helped build a stove for a family’s home in San Lucas.

After lunch, we again worked in teams, with the majority of the group heading to the reforestation project with the rest continuing to work on the housing project. The students did a lot of hard work today, and are definitely rock stars!

-M. Rust

Day 7

Today was our first full day in the City of San Lucas Toliman; it started off at 7:40AM due to our team having 8AM breakfast duty at the San Lucas Mission. Breakfast duty involves prepping the dining area for the other groups and setting the food out. Today’s breakfast consisted of oatmeal, black beans, and fresh bread. After breakfast, we broke up into smaller groups to wash the dishes and clean the dining area.  After completing our chores, we were all excited for today’s activities.

At 9:30AM, we met up in front of the church to start a tour of some of the projects that the Mission oversees. Our first location was the school which houses the montessori (Pre-K) to 6^th grade students. As soon as we walked in, a majority of the kids started waving at us and saying hi, and we even got some high fives from them. After we loaded into the back of a pick-up truck, we headed to the next location and surprisingly it was a lot of fun. We then arrived at the women’s center, where women and even sometimes their children are taught sewing, weaving and music classes. It was amazing to learn that it sometimes takes up to six months to create a product. We then left the women’s center for the hospital. The hospital first started as a small clinic near the church and as of today is a full hospital that contains 33 beds. In 2016, the hospital served over 22,000 people. After the hospital, we went to our last stop which was the coffee processing plant. There we learned that the plant only makes medium and dark-roast coffee, and for every 100 pounds of coffee seeds harvested it creates 64 pounds of coffee.

We returned to the mission for 12:30PM lunch. Today’s lunch consisted of bread, beef & vegetable soup and rice. After lunch, we broke up into two groups. One group went to the school to help in assisting with prepping for the construction of the expansion. My group went to a construction site near the women’s center to help build wooden structures that will serve as a home extension. After completing three sides of the expansion, we decided to break for the day. Four of us (Dr. Northrup, Alexis V., Jess, and I) decided to walk back to the Mission from our location, which was over 2 miles away. Along the way, we found one of the women that attends the women’s center and she was walking back to her home. She told us that she was only 18 years old and she has been visiting the center for almost two years. She said her favorite part of the women’s center was the music classes because she learned to play the marimba. When arriving into town, we decided to go to the local bakery, but along the way we stopped at one of the stores. The owner immediately recognized Dr. Northrup and told us that he and his wife were thinking of him last week. At the shop we learned that Miguel (the owner) is working with recovering drug addicts and alcoholics to teach them to make handmade materials to sell at his shop. He believes that it will help them stay off the streets. After leaving Miguel’s shop, we headed to the bakery and bought a lot of bread. We then sat down on curb of the street and to eat the bread with a good view of the lake.

Dinner was at 6PM, it consisted of warm fresh bread, pasta, rice, and left over beef & broccoli soup. After dinner we headed to the office to watch a video on the history of Father Gregorio Schaffer and the Mission. We ended our night be stopping at an ice cream shop in town.

-Francisco

Day 6

Today was the sixth day of our trip, but it was also the last day in Xela. We began our day with the usual breakfast of porridge, scrambled eggs, beans and an assortment of fruit. After breakfast, the group loaded up the bus and headed towards the Mayan ruins of Iximche. The journey from Xela to Iximche was roughly two and a half hours, consisting of roads that wound up and down multiple mountains. When we arrived at the ruins, we were greeted by our tour guide, Alex, who spoke great English and was of Mayan descent! In addition, our tour guide was very informative and comical which made the tour more enjoyable.

During the tour we were able to see the remnants of the city, which was considered a metropolis in the Mayan civilization. On the tour, we were informed of the layout of the city and various characteristics of the Mayan civilization such as how the Mayan’s walked up the stairs at a diagonal due to not wanting to have their backs to the Sun out of respect for the Sun god. After the tour, we were able to walk the grounds of the ruins and take photos of the ancient city as well as group photos. Later on this afternoon, we stopped at a nearby restaurant for lunch in which the group shared a cheese pizza that everyone thought was delicious!

After having lunch, we made the trek down to San Lucas Toliman. The drive was another two and a half hours, which was grueling to say the least, but the drive did provide great photo opportunities! We arrived in San Lucas Toliman later this evening and unfortunately had to say goodbye to our hosts from Xela, who will be greatly missed by the group for the rest of the trip. After settling into our hotel rooms, we quickly realized that the San Lucas Toliman is a beautiful place with picturesque views of Lake Attilan and the volcanoes of Attilan and Toliman. We were then treated to dinner at the Mission in which we were able to mingle a little bit with the other groups visiting this week. After dinner we then informed of the general rules of the Mission and what a typical day consists of. Starting tomorrow, we being the final leg of our time in Guatemala!

-Jessica

Day 5

We started our day with breakfast at 8:30am, which was a group favorite of panqueques (pancakes) with mango slices and cornflakes in warm milk. The group piled into the van at 9:30am to go to a soccer field in Xela to play some soccer with some of the Guatemalans we knew in the area. We split into two teams with an equal mixing of Americans and Guatemalans. We had the pleasure of playing with two of Victor’s sons, Mateo and Andres, as well as our two translators Jose and Jose, and a friend of Jose. Professor Rust pulled out some surprise soccer skills that wowed the group. The Guatemalans outplayed us significantly; their amazing skills due to the Guatemalan love for the sport and devotion to its practice. Although tired and out of breath, we all managed to stay upright for a few pictures to commemorate the game.

Before starting our trek to the next venue, we stopped at Xela Pan to pick up some snacks for the ride. We began our steep climb to the hot springs, Georginas Fuentes, up to an elevation of almost 8,000 feet. During our drive up we saw the amazing feats of farming that the Guatemalans specialize in. We saw all kinds of fields along the mountainside such as cabbage, radish, onion, and even ones we couldn’t recognize. The drive was a bit nerve racking due to the lack of visibility from the fog that had descended along the mountain, turning our views completely white.

Once we got to the hot springs, we walked up a long stone pathway that was surrounded by Jurassic-sized plant life that grew due to the moisture in the area. Once we reached the pools we all changed into a swimsuits and jumped in the nearest pool, which happened to be the hottest one. There were other pools nearby, but they were colder and considered more “kiddie” pools. As we went further into the pool, and closer to the rock wall, the hotter the water became. Many Guatemalans from across the country were there visiting, some traveling from Guatemala City for a weekend vacation. The hot springs were extremely relaxing and everybody had a great time soaking in the hot steamy water until we were ready for snacks from the café. We ordered some delicious nachos and many orders of papas fritas (French fries).

After everyone was relaxed and fed, we proceeded back down the mountain. We were stopped for a little while to allow a funeral procession of almost an entire community to pass by since there was a cemetery along the road. We saw a huge amount of people with lines of cars wrapping around the road, and we saw more people arriving as we passed by. Once the fog dispersed as we made it down the mountain, we all got some amazing pictures of the farmland and fields built into the mountainside.

We arrived back at our hotel for a quick respite to clean ourselves up from soccer and swimming to prepare for our banquet to say goodbye and thank you to everyone who assisted us in Quetzaltenango. We met at a very fancy Uruguayan steak house for some delicious family-style dinner complete with soup, toasted bread, salad, steak, potatoes, and chorizo sausage. Our translators Jose and Jose gave each one of the students bracelets as a gift, which we all put on right away. Our two professors were gifted small wooden marimbas and in turn we presented Pedro, Rosita, Victor, and each Jose various gifts from the university. And of course it wouldn’t be a true Guatemalan experience without the power going out shortly after gifts were exchanged. Illuminated by our flashlights, we exchanged stories across the table and brought our night to a comfortable and sentimental end.

-Isabelle and Alexis R.

Day 4

We arose this morning at an earlier hour than usual; breakfast was scheduled for 7 AM, bright and early. Following breakfast, we were treated to a lecture about Guatemala and the issues facing its people, given by professor Victor from the University of San Carlos.  The professor presented the lecture in Spanish and our translator Jose relayed the information to us in English.  As part of his presentation, Victor told us all about his most recent book he was working on.  One very powerful quote from his talk and book that stood out was “People could not exist without agriculture, however agriculture could still thrive without humans”.  His presentation was very up to date and made us all really think about how we treat our planet.

Following this presentation, we all gathered our belongings and packed ourselves into the bus yet again. This time our destination was the actual university that Professor Victor lectures at, USAC, which was surprisingly one of the only public universities in the whole area. This all gave us a shock; private universities still exist, however they are very expensive and not widely available to a majority of the Guatemalan people. This visit to the university was designed to allow our very own professor Rust to deliver his own presentation. The lecture was on the importance of healthcare in general, as well as the need for repair and maintenance of specific medical technologies. We attended the talk along with a group of hospital technicians. During this lecture, he broke down numerous important medical technologies and machines that are vital to patients. Most importantly, he described how the technologies functioned, how they could fail under certain conditions, and how to fix them. His presentation involved interaction with the audience, and it worked to give a thorough description of the topics he was explaining. After the talk, we took a quick tour of the campus grounds.

Following Dr. Rust’s Lecture, the group headed out to have our late lunch at Santa Escolastica café, located in a seminary school. Our meal consisted of meat and rice and a very tasty soup. After finishing off our food, we walked around the seminary and soaked in the aesthetic ambiance of the area.  Our day was not finished just yet, we then traveled to the cemetery in Xela. This experience was undeniably unique; the concept of death in Guatemala and most central American nations is that of celebration, versus our more somber view of death in the United States. Every gravestone was a different color, ranging from bright yellow to cyan, grand crypts were scattered throughout the complex, and uniquely shaped mausoleums were not an uncommon sight.  Our host Jose showed us around the grounds and described how everyone buried in the beginning section of the cemetery had to pay a monthly fee of Q 250, and would have their remains removed if not paid for.  As we ventured deeper, we entered a different section of the cemetery where people did not have a required monthly fee, and the difference was obvious. People buried here had a very simple burial compared to people in the earlier sections, who had whole crypts for themselves and family members.  During this visit, we actually experienced a funeral procession on its way to bury their loved one. As they walked by, we saw the women of the group draped in purple which symbolized pain, and this very powerful emotion was palpable as a passerby.

After leaving the cemetery, we headed back to the hotel with some time to spare, and took a small trip to the market once again to purchase some last minute trinkets. After our market venture, we had our very own Spanish dance lessons with a local law student who also taught dance.  We learned how to dance the Bachata, Salsa and Merengue.

-Sean and Joe

Day 3

We started our day bright and early at 7am. We had breakfast across the street from the hotel that consisted of corn flakes and milk, yummy pancakes, and some fresh fruit. We then headed to Hospital Nacional Coatepeque, which is closer to the coast. Once at the hospital, we were shown around by one of the hospital technicians. This hospital was much larger than our experience yesterday and much more populated. Our first stop was at x-rays where we saw that only two of the four machines in the facility were functioning; it was determined that both needed new parts from similar machines to function efficiently once again. 

We then headed to see the autoclave machines, near the surgical wing of the hospital. Three of the four machines were functioning, the other needed a gasket to work properly. The gasket was said to be too expensive for the hospital, so they fabricated their own which still did not improve the machine’s functionality. After inspecting the autoclave machines, we proceeded to the intensive care units, but due to the overwhelming amount of people we were unable to go inside the ICU.  We then were shown technology from the anesthesiology department, maternal ward, and even the laundry room. All of the technology was functioning due to the innovative efforts of the technicians.

After taking in all the things we saw at the hospital, we hopped back into the van and went to go get lunch. We stopped at Pollo Campero, where we got to cool down after experiencing the humidity that parts of Guatemala have to offer! After returning to the hotel, we went back to the market to do some shopping; some souvenirs included local clothing, blankets, headbands, and picture frames. After the market we enjoyed a light snack at Xela Pan—we definitely will be getting some fresh bread there one morning—and proceeded to take a short tour of the church in the center of the city. 

It was an interesting experience walking through the church due to the very obvious impact that religion has on the Guatemalan culture. Dinner was at a restaurant called Albamar. It was a light compliment to the variety of food choices offered in Xela. We had a busy and long day and are looking forward to attending the University tomorrow!

-Alexis V. and Lucia

Day 2

The group rose bright and early at 6:00AM Xela-time for breakfast at the El Centro Hotel.  Breakfast was a sweet-tasting Guatemalan porridge, huevos (eggs), plantanos (plantains), and beans.

Today we visited one of Guatemala’s hospitals, Hospital Regional de Huehuetenango Jorge Vides Molina.  We saw a lab where testing was performed on blood, urine, and stool samples.  Much of the equipment used in this lab did not belong to the hospital; they rented it from another party, who thankfully also serviced the machines when they broke down.  Professor Northrup and Professor Rust performed troubleshooting on other equipment that was broken, mainly the refrigerators that kept the samples cool.  We also visited the blood bank, the sterilization room, and the boiler room.

On the two- to three-hour bus ride to and from the hospital, we noticed that, in one part, the ground beneath the road was so eroded the asphalt had crumbled and fallen away around the edges.  We saw many shops that sold a variety of colorful goods, both traditional and modern. The huts and farmhouses of the countryside contrasted with the brightly painted facades of the city.

From the hospital we went to eat at a steak house. There we had a selection of meals to choose from, meals that included rabbit, to their staple of steak. We discussed the availability of books in Guatemala over tamales. Their library system is not as extensive as the American system, according to one of our guides. While the secondary education in Guatemala is much cheaper in comparison to American colleges, it is still more than the average a citizen of Guatemala will make in a year.

Back in Xela that evening, we took an evening walk around the areas of the city closest to our hotel.  We visited a couple small stores in the marketplace, there was traditional clothing and trinkets among other stock for sale. The architecture was run down and unkempt in parts, but also incredibly ornate and detailed.  We walked past a church with stunning arches and bright stained glass windows.  Through the vaulted doors we could hear singing, praying, and other sounds of worship from an ongoing service.  Afterward we ventured into an official building, much like a statehouse but with a large courtyard.  It was dark by that time, so we decided to return later when we could take some pictures.

-Zeke and Kendall

Day 1

A long day of travel began at BDL with some bright eyed golden bears getting ready for our adventure!

After a layover in ATL, we flew to Guatemala City and arrived around lunch time. Bags were then loaded into our van, and we set off for Xela.

About 5 hours later, we made it to our hotel in Xela (stopped for a delicious lunch along the way, our first meal together in Guatemala). Time for some rest ahead of our first hospital visit in the morning.

-M. Rust