Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Rain, Ruins, and Reflections

Hola Familia y Amigos!

The morning started off without wifi due to the rains last night, but that did not deter us from having a wonderful day. First we drove the vans to Patzun where we visited Amigos Por Siempre: Friends Forever secondary school. The Guatemalan students were just as excited as the Xavier students. Each child escorted us in individually by the arm and showed to our seats. We were treated to presentations, skits, dances, and songs to learn about Mayan and Guatemalan culture. The students at the school are all on scholarships and were extremely proud of their work and enjoyed sharing it with the Xavier students. They gave us new knowledge and appreciation of their culture and we left sports equipment as a small token of our gratitude.


Next we visited the city of Iximche which is now Mayan Ruins. Katie and Jillian presented the history of the site and Mayan civilization as an introduction. Tour guides showed us through the plazas, temples, ball courts, palaces, and ceremonial alters of the first capitol city of Guatemala. You may recognize the Mayan ball game from the movie The Road to El Dorado.


On the way to dinner in Antigua, we stopped to haggle and purchase souvenirs in two different markets. The markets are full of beautiful textiles and handmade items of many colors. We shopped until we ran out of quetzales. We ate dinner at Epicure and enjoyed hearty and rich foods which have left us in food comas.


Buenos Noches,
<3 Amanda (Student), Jillian (Student), and Jackie (Therapist)

1 comment:

  1. What great accounts of your days! And yes, I was worried about not seeing a daily post but the lack of WiFi explains. Poor Sarah knowing that her mother is the only person commenting, but I read each entry with such delight and enthusiasm and marvel at your success stories! You should be so proud at all that you have already and will accomplish in such a short time. Anxiously awaiting the next installment! Take care, keep safe and ENJOY EVERY MOMENT!

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