Guatemala Day 2
I forgot to mention that on day one we had stopped to use the bathrooms and there was a guard with a gun making sure everyone paid the 2 quetzals to use it. A different and interesting aspect!
Day 2: Early morning wake up call from a rooster in the distance and the corn grinder across the street. The corn grinder is pretty loud and is a mix between an engine backfiring and a machine gun... that's about as close a description as I can tell you. Honestly I was used to it within a day or two. The sun rose early and the birds sung beautifully to welcome the new day. The smell from the kitchen was divine as Dominga cooked breakfast. Mango, watermelon, pineapple, chocolate and banana pancakes plus coffee or milk. The milk is different. Slightly sweet and a different flavor, I like it!
We left shortly after breakfast to visit San Andreas, a local village. Some of the group went to church services but I stayed with the group who went exploring. We walked around the village and took many pictures. The architecture varies but is all pretty and interesting. The simplicity of some buildings is refreshing. We did go to the local market and try fresh fruits, tostadas, and papas fritas (french fries). I even bought some chips and candy. I tried 3 new fruits. One was yellow and the size of a cherry with a similar pit but the flesh was creamy white. It has an odd flavor. The second was red and the size or smaller of an apricot. The pit and flesh was similar to a plum but a different flavor. Both were good. I then tried very small bananas that tasted like a mango and banana blended together (my favorite). The traditional dress for women could be seen everywhere in this village and was so colorful and beautiful. The talent of the fabric weavers was stunning.
We headed out for the clinic but on the way we stopped at an overlook. The view was good but very cloudy so not many great photos. There was a couple of local women set up selling some of their handmade goods. The group kind of went crazy and bought a lot! I personally bought something for almost everyone on my list! It was great to see the reaction and gratitude from the women when we bought their items. Then even let us watch as one of them worked on a project.
We then went back to Casa de Sion for lunch. Dominga made us boccoli and zucchini, steak with salsa, tortillas, and guacamole. It was heavenly! Then the crew started unloading the supplies and organizing the clinic. It took a few hours but we all pulled together and finished it with time to spare. The clinic has a larger entrance room which we used for triage and pharmacy and two exam rooms one with a bathroom and shower, and a main bathroom. We separated all the medications and set up a pharmacy. A group of us cleaned out the old and organized the new inside the exam rooms to make sure the practitioner had everything they needed. The group found a tote full of older style donated reading glasses. We did our best to separate them into prescription and non-prescription. Soon everything had come together and was ready for the next days work. That is when we all went to write in journals, play cards, or simply enjoy each others company.
Dinner was served a little after 7 pm and consisted of black bean puree on tostadas with parmesan cheese and fried plantains. Another great meal! Emily and steve arrived around 7:30 and had dinner with us. Everyone greeted them warmly with hugs. We had a short team meeting about the day and assignments for the next day and then we all (18) played spoons! It was a fun and interesting game! Another long but great day!
Day 2: Early morning wake up call from a rooster in the distance and the corn grinder across the street. The corn grinder is pretty loud and is a mix between an engine backfiring and a machine gun... that's about as close a description as I can tell you. Honestly I was used to it within a day or two. The sun rose early and the birds sung beautifully to welcome the new day. The smell from the kitchen was divine as Dominga cooked breakfast. Mango, watermelon, pineapple, chocolate and banana pancakes plus coffee or milk. The milk is different. Slightly sweet and a different flavor, I like it!
We left shortly after breakfast to visit San Andreas, a local village. Some of the group went to church services but I stayed with the group who went exploring. We walked around the village and took many pictures. The architecture varies but is all pretty and interesting. The simplicity of some buildings is refreshing. We did go to the local market and try fresh fruits, tostadas, and papas fritas (french fries). I even bought some chips and candy. I tried 3 new fruits. One was yellow and the size of a cherry with a similar pit but the flesh was creamy white. It has an odd flavor. The second was red and the size or smaller of an apricot. The pit and flesh was similar to a plum but a different flavor. Both were good. I then tried very small bananas that tasted like a mango and banana blended together (my favorite). The traditional dress for women could be seen everywhere in this village and was so colorful and beautiful. The talent of the fabric weavers was stunning.
We headed out for the clinic but on the way we stopped at an overlook. The view was good but very cloudy so not many great photos. There was a couple of local women set up selling some of their handmade goods. The group kind of went crazy and bought a lot! I personally bought something for almost everyone on my list! It was great to see the reaction and gratitude from the women when we bought their items. Then even let us watch as one of them worked on a project.
We then went back to Casa de Sion for lunch. Dominga made us boccoli and zucchini, steak with salsa, tortillas, and guacamole. It was heavenly! Then the crew started unloading the supplies and organizing the clinic. It took a few hours but we all pulled together and finished it with time to spare. The clinic has a larger entrance room which we used for triage and pharmacy and two exam rooms one with a bathroom and shower, and a main bathroom. We separated all the medications and set up a pharmacy. A group of us cleaned out the old and organized the new inside the exam rooms to make sure the practitioner had everything they needed. The group found a tote full of older style donated reading glasses. We did our best to separate them into prescription and non-prescription. Soon everything had come together and was ready for the next days work. That is when we all went to write in journals, play cards, or simply enjoy each others company.
Dinner was served a little after 7 pm and consisted of black bean puree on tostadas with parmesan cheese and fried plantains. Another great meal! Emily and steve arrived around 7:30 and had dinner with us. Everyone greeted them warmly with hugs. We had a short team meeting about the day and assignments for the next day and then we all (18) played spoons! It was a fun and interesting game! Another long but great day!
Comments
Post a Comment