Day 5: Mayan Village

Today we had an excursion day and visited a Mayan Village. We traveled for about an hour and a half through some curvy, steep mountain roads to reach the very remote village. The children greeted us with smiles and laughter and it became evident to us that our visit was a special occasion not only to us, but also to them. The Mayan village is supported by Behrhorst Partners for Development which has helped them to build a system which brings fresh water to their homes, and has supplied them with ovens for cooking inside their kitchen structures. Before these newest developments, they had to walk a significant distance for water ( one hour round trip) and down a steep mountainside. For cooking they had to buildfires inside the kitchen, with little ventilation for the smoke. The women prepared us a special, traditional meal which was amazing. Highlights included handmade tamales, rice, hibiscus juice, and soup. This was espcially generous because everything they prepared was from their own crops; and we are not a small group. We also played games with the children; which fortified that smiles and laughter are univeral, even though languages are not. THe Mayan people have their own language which is differnt from the Spanish language, so we had 2 interpreters translating for us; one from Mayan to Spanish, and the other from Spanish to English. Next we headed back to Antigua for some retail therapy in the markets. Each vendor we passed, promised a "special price for you!" We ate dinner at a lovely restaraunt. The owner is an American man who sold his buisnesses and retired to Guatemala. He started a school for children from the remote community in which hae had a farm. He became aware that the children needed occupation, but had no place to work, so he started new buisnesses to create jobs for the children. THis was very successful and now his school has grown, and several buisnesses have been established, including the restaurant, Epicure. It is interesting that the young men and women who make the food and run the restaurant are not typically eating the type of food they prepare, but they have great skill and desire to create positive dining experiences for their patrons. As occupational therapists and students we understand the value of occupation and doing for others.
Sally Trumpy Occupational Therapist
Emily Mertz Occupational Therapist, AKA The Ghost Writer