On day five, we woke up at 0730. We all then prepared for our day and had breakfast at Violetta’s Tienda. Breakfast consisted of local fresh fruit and a delicious breakfast burrito. An excellent thing about Guatemala is that you can not go wrong with the food.
Today the team was given a free day to explore the city with others. DJ Faivre, Matilda Laux, Alex Barbour and Victoria Boss all went to the local open market. This is where thousands of vendors sell various products and nothing goes for the posted price. This group was extremely successful in learning bartering and were able to get shirts for less than half the price. The total per person was about $7 USD for 3 work shirts and $30 USD for two handcrafted mayan shirts.
Jennifer Verilli, Reece Gannon, Shayla Narodowg, and Jacob Nutter went to Hobbitenango. This is a hobbit themed area with activities included. At this facility, there was a swing, axe throwing, mini golf, archery, and more. It’s a fun place for local families and tourists. Getting there is not for the faint of heart as It is a really steep road to take by shuttle.
Aidan Weir, Luke Tedstone, Zack Bohnet and Chris Ely went shopping, had lunch at Violettas and explored the town of Antigua. They were also able to catch the Celtics vs. Miami Heat game at a local shop! The Celtics won!
Another great thing about Guatemala is the haircuts. Both DJ Faivre and Zack Bohnet were able to get haircuts that included a massage, shampooing and ear hair cleaning for way cheaper than a normal haircut in the United States.
The entire team then all came together and had dinner at Captain Lennon, Professor Cadwalader and Smitty’s home. This consisted of pasta, bread, soda and Guatemalan Oreos. All prepared by Celebrity Chef Lennon. He should really open an Italian restaurant in Buzzards Bay. We then discussed our work groups and our schedule for tomorrow.
After the delicious pasta dinner, the team headed back to the hostel and all enjoyed each other’s company on the roof and watched some fireworks before heading to bed.
–Daniel Faivre–
