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The group has arrived safe and sound in Guatemala City. They had some (typical) delays at the airport in Guatemala but still arrived in time to walk around the city. The report is that it was "hot" there but "incredibly exciting."
They have already made a change in plans (again, not unusual!) They will leave Guatemala City tomorrow (Sunday 3/12? morning and head over to Panajachel. There are some significant protests scheduled for the city tomorrow, and our hosts at Cedepca and Mark and Diane decided it was better to be out of the city. If you are interested, the protests center around Guatemala's signing on to CAFTA, and you can read lots about it in many online news reports.
Panajachel (called Pana by the locals) is a very quaint, very cosmopolitan little village on Lake Atitlan (almost directly across the lake from their worksite in Santiago Atitlan). The students will love Pana as it is laid back, easy to walk around, and right on the lake! They will also enjoy the beautiful ride through the mountains to get to Pana.
If you would like to see more about Pana or the lake, check out these links:
You can also read about Santiago Atitlan and their hospital project at:
Stay tuned for further reports!
— Dr. M. Cherie Clark
Greetings Friends,
After leaving Guatemala City we left for Panajachel. Our trip there went very well and we all had a good time touring the city. The lake and the view were absolutely beautiful!
We traveled to San Lucas after a night in Panajachel. We traveled by ferry on the lake. It was a very fun trip. We spent several hours in San Lucas visiting a Catholic church and talking with Father Greg. He told us about Guatemala's history and social situation. He and the church have really helped the people of San Lucas. He has empowered the people to work for themselves and improve their lives.
After San Lucas we traveled to Santiago Atitlan. Here we got a better feel of how the Guatemalan people really live. We visited our work project at the hospital, and the marcados around the city. We woke up Tuesday morning ready for work at the hospital. Here we helped dig trenches for the new fence they are building. We all had a hard day of work and in the afternoon we went to the "Catholic Church" where Father Aplas was murdered. The experience was very moving. We then went shopping in the marcados and visited the weaving museum and beading cooperative.
Wednesday, today, we worked at the hospital again and we will meet our families for our homestay tonight. We hope all is well at home. We are having a great time and learning a lot. We are looking forward to the next couple of days.
Truely,
Guate folks
Hola friends!
Today is We just finished our last day of work. We all worked very hard to help build the wall to the hospital. It was sad saying goodbye to all of the children and workers at the hospital, but we all feel accomplished knowing that we have contributed to the community of Santiago Atitlan. Soon the people of Santiago Atitlan will have a hospital.
This afternoon we will tour the city and visit the Peace Park, which is dedicated to those who lost their lives in the violence of the civil wars.
Wednesday and Thursday we stayed the night with our host families. Everyone reallly enjoyed the homestays. Some say this was the best part of the trip. Look forward to our next update. We will be visiting a weaving cooperative and a health and nutrition cooperative. We are all excited and doing well. Hope all is well back in the States!
Sincerely,
Guate folks
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