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.