Next, we travelled to Lake Atitlan, which is the biggest lake in Central America. This lake is at least 3000 feet deep, but it has never been explored. It sits between two volcanoes, and people refer it to the most beautiful lake in the world. We have learned, however, that it is extremely contaminated. We saw many village children playing in the water despite the garbage floating near by.
During our day, we were easily recognized as tourists and were approached by many venders. At least half of these venders were children, which made it difficult to turn down their offerings. While some of us bought bracelets, purses, and pens, many of us turned the venders down politely. One of the products that we bought was a personally designed weaved pen. A man who rode on the boat with us across Lake Atitlan weaved a single pen in less than five minutes. It was extraordinary to see such an artwork be made in minutes! While we were in Santiago-Atitlan, we were surprised by the transportation that awaited us. Fifteen people crammed on top of the bed of a pickup truck and navigated through the narrow streets until we reached our destination. We saw that this was a common way to travel, especially for the Mayan people. After passing many people, markets, and stray dogs, we arrived to El Parque de la Paz. Here, we learned about the massacre that occured during the 36 year civil war in Guatemala. On Dec. 2nd, 1990, 13 innocent Mayan villagers were murdered by militants, among them a 5 year old boy. There is no longer any type of government presence in that town, and Steve informed us that the distrust of the government is spreading through many towns outside of the capital city. We made a quick stop at la Paz, otherwise known as the village surrounding El Parque de la Paz, and saw the remnants of the 2005 mudslide that killed 600 people in a matter of seconds. Some frameworks of buildings had been dug up, but most were underground and all were vacant.
We made our way back in our new favorite form of transportation (the trucks!), and crossed the lake once more. Back in our vans, we quickly made our way to Iximche, the Mayan ruins that were discovered in the 17th century. It was pouring, but we powered through the walking tour of what is left of this ancient city, even seeing a sacrifical site that is used daily on the way. These sites are used by the Mayans to revive and practice their cultural beliefs, and often involve the sacrifice of fish and chicken (we saw the remains of both of these animals being eaten by dogs when arrived, yuck!).
Dinner came soon after Iximche, and we dined at a Swiss Steakhouse that is a local (and group!) favorite. We broke Carol's No-Ice-Cube Rule, but we were assured by Steve that the ice was from purified water (and no has gotten sick yet!). Our dinner included a platter of various Guatemalan meats for some, such as barbequed pork, Argentinian sausage, and chicken, as well as several vegetarian options like cebollinos (little onions), quesadillas, and black bean soup. Our table (Erin, Stephanie, Rachel, Beth, Mandy, Rose, Kellie, Lia, Valerie, Darvy, Emily, Harrison and Steve's kids) also had the pleasure of ordering french fries--an American treat! After dinner, we made our hour and fifteen minute trek home. Some slept, some heard stories from our guide, and all were exhausted. We took Steve's children home which was sad, but the promise of seeing and working with children for the first time at the homes tomorrow will be very exciting. Overall, it was a very successful and enlightening day. We are fastly learning that Guatemala is a very different culture than what we are used to in the United States, and we are excited to continue our service learning journey throughout the week.
Erin (Occupational Therapy Student)
Stephanie (Occupational Therapy Student)
Rachel (Occupational Therapy Student)
Emily Mertz, (Occupational Therapist), AKA The Ghost Writer
Sally (Occupational Therapist)
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