El Dia de Guatemala and a weekend in Gualan

Ryan, Marianela, Andreita and I in our traditional Chapin outfits.

With Vivi, Sarah, and Miguel. Sarah worked mostly with Vivi in
English Class and I got to work with Miguel.

Friday was our last day with all my little buddies at Pasitos and it was also Dia de Guatemala at America Latina. All the kids dressed up in traditional Guatemalan clothing, which for the older kids meant soccer jerseys and for the younger ones meant skirts and blouses and vaquero outfits. We all lined up and paraded around the school, then had a big celebration with the singing of the mile-long national anthem and typical Guatemalan treats. Afterwards, we went back to Pasitos and all the teachers gave Sarah and I a thank-you presentation. It was hard to say goodbye, especially to Vivi and Miguel- it felt like leaving a family even though it's only been two weeks. Thankfully I'll be able to keep in touch with them and hear what the kids are up to via the wonders of modern technology.

It was an incredible, joyful week. I hadn't expected to be working with preschool aged kids, but it turned out to be the best placement I could have asked for. I completely agree with Vivi's assessment that this is the best age to teach... sure, the lessons are simple, but you get to be a part of laying a foundation for these kids' lives and you get to have tons of fun while doing it.

This weekend, Irma and Winston took me to Gualan (in Zacapa, Eastern Guatemala) to visit Irma's sister and to see another part of the country. It was extremely hot and humid but extremely beautiful. The drive there was quite the adventure. Because of the abnormally heavy rain we've been having, the 4-hour trip took 7. There has been a ton of flooding in Eastern Guatemala- one of Irma's sisters lost everything in her home last month when the river rose 3 meters above its normal level, and many other houses are underwater right now.

In Gualan, we stayed at Irma's sister Eloina's house, which meant we got to meet a lot of family and eat a lot of food. Saturday's breakfast was a case in point: I had a bowl of mosh (oatmeal), two big pieces of pan con frijoles y queso (bread with beans and cheese), carnitas, two mugs of coffee, and two pan dulces (sweet breads). And they still complained that I don't eat much.

On Saturday, we drove even further east with Tia Eloina and my cousin Raul to the departamento of Izabal, which is on the coast. Though we didn't make it all the way to the coast, we visited Rio Dulce, which runs from Guatemala's largest lake into the ocean.  The drive alone was worth it: the lanscape is incredibly green with tons of rolling hills and rivers and banana plantations and cows. We took a boat ride around the river, then stopped at a Spanish fort from the 1500s, and then went swimming at a hot springs. That was by far the highlight of the weekend. The springs flow out above a cold river and then come down into it via a gorgeous waterfall. This place is pretty far off the beaten track, but thankfully Raul has been many times before so he knew how to get there. We were the only ones there, so we got to swim around and just sit there for almost an hour, soaking it all in. I can't begin to describe how beautiful it was- I was quite literally in heaven.

We swam across, sat under the falls for a while, then swam through the cave behind the falls and climbed up to the top. Que rico.

I loved Gualan. Guatemala City is great, but the country is beautiful in every way. It's much safer, less gray and dirty, warmer both in climate and in manners, and on top of that, every house has at least one hammock.  I wish I could have spent more time there. Oh darn, looks like I'll just have to come back to Guatemala.

We leave tomorrow morning for Retalhuleu (southwest corner of Guatemala) to do clinics with women and children all week. Not sure what the internet situation will be there, so this may be my last update for a while. Thanks again for all your prayers and support- it's been an incredible month so far.