Hola from Antigua Guatemala! Today’s weather was about 70 degrees and partly cloudy. Our 8:00 breakfast at Violetta’s consisted of pancakes and watermelon, with a choice of water, tea or coffee for our drink. We then took a bus ride to Iximche Park to see the Mayan ruins. This bus ride took about an hour and 30 minutes. Upon arriving, we met Vinny, our amazing tour guide for the day, who had tons of experience with Mayan culture, customs, and language. He taught us what life was like for the Mayans before and after Spanish conquest. At the end of our tour, we participated in a Mayan Fire Ceremony, which is a powerful prayer that’s used to find clarity and manifest our well-beings as well as that of others. Learning about Mayan culture has helped prepare us for our work weeks which start on Monday. Our work sites are all located in areas with a high Mayan population, and we’re all looking forward to connecting what we learned with the people that we will be fortunate enough to work with. As the day came to an end, we ate dinner at Pollo Campero, visited the Santa Catalina Arch of Antigua, and enjoyed some helado (ice cream). We are all anticipating a wonderful trip, and look forward to continuing to provide updates!
-Christopher Ely-
