Blog Post #2 (May 25)

Hola! Blog number two of the day coming to you from Ashley and Kylie! After lunch at our homes, we traveled by bus to La Democracia, a private hospital in Xela. Throughout the week we have learned that while treatment at private hospitals is  superior to what one would receive at a public hospital here in Guatemala, it is also very expensive, limiting the number of people who can access this type of care. La Democracia was small with only 25 beds, but very pretty and well-kept. The hospital also has 21 different outpatient specialty offices, three operating rooms, and six private rooms in the emergency room. This year, La Domacracia is celebrating their 25th anniversary (just like Ashley's parents--"Happy Anniversary mom and dad! ❤️ Ashley"). Seeing only two people occupying rooms during our visit, it represented just how difficult it is to access affordable and sufficient healthcare in Guatemala.

 

 

After the tour of the hospital, we returned to the language school before going to explore Central Park. On our way, we happened to run into a precession for the celebration of Corpus Christi. Corpus Christi is tomorrow (May 26), however Guatemalans have been celebrating all week with firecrackers! The women seen in the pictures below are wearing traditional dress called a traje. Upon watching the procession arrive at the only Catholic church in Xela, we ventured to La Luna café for some delectable hot chocolate. Along the way, we saw Giovanni (a gentleman who shared his story with us during the migration presentation yesterday) and invited him to come along! While we drank our hot chocolate, Giovanni (also a musician) rapped for us in Spanish. Most of us had no idea what he was saying, but we were all pretty impressed! The evening was filled with a lot of laughs and great company. 

 

 

Be sure to check back tomorrow for more! Adios!