The day began with a presentation from Victor on the issues
in Guatemala and some information about the Institute of Tulan. Victor informed
us that almost 60% of the population in Guatemala is in poverty. We then went
to a soccer field where we played a pick-up game against each other. The high
altitude mixed with our pan (bread) filled stomachs caused everyone to be out
of breath very quickly. José, one of our translators, was the MVP of the match for
saving many goals.
We then drove an hour up a steep mountain through clouds to
go to the hot springs. The hot springs were rather warm but supposedly were not
as hot as it has been in the past. There are myths that the water from the
springs have healing powers and taste like lemon. Jenna and Cailin were the
first to try the water and were overjoyed when they realized that it actually
did taste like lemon water. The water dripping down from the rocks was boiling
to the touch. We stayed there for a couple hours and then made the trip back to
Xela.
A couple hours later, we went to a Uruguayan steakhouse with
our host, Victor, and the translators as a thank you for volunteering our time.
We enjoyed a family style dinner with steak, sausage, chicken, salads, and
soups. Both of the translators and our hosts received gifts from WNE as a thank
you for organizing this trip. They all gave heartwarming speeches about how
thankful they were for our help and for our newly formed friendships.
-David and Marc
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