Hola Mi Amigos!

We´re preparing for our final free weekend in Guatemala, before heading for Tela, Honduras this coming Thursday in a small group of seven of us. It´s crazy to think how quickly our time in Guatemala has flown by! I think we are ready for a change but saying goodbye to our host families and friends here will be very bittersweet.

This past weekend we stayed in Santiago which is a city on the edge of Lake Atitlan, one of the deepest lakes in Central America. Unfortunately, the lake has been extremely polluted and thus we could not swim in it. Boo. But we had an incredible time nonetheless. Friday, on the way to Santiago, we stopped at a coffee co-op and were able to sample some of the delicious coffee. Upon arriving and checking into our small hotel, we had some free time to explore the city. Once again we had an opportunity to look through the markets and handwoven products and spend even more money on gifts for people =)

We then returned to our hotel which, while basic, had a lot of amenities which we had not had the weekend before (aka clean bathrooms!!!). There were two people to each room, so Laura and I shared a room, with the hope that we would not be attacked by ants again.

On Saturday, we visited a cathedral where a priest was murdered in the 80s due to his work with the indigenous people of the city. Next, we saw the Peace Park, which commemorates the deaths of 13 people who were shot by the army during a protest. Afterwards, we walked through the hot sun to a small town on the edge of the city which was destroyed in a mudslide several years ago. It was hard to see how many disasters these people have faced and the violence that is ever present in their lives. We finished up this little tour by visiting the ANADESA cooperative, which works to get education and jobs for many of the indigenous people in Santiago. Saturday evening, more shopping time! Though a lot of us simply spent time playing games or talking or sleeping.

Sunday, we took a beautiful boat ride across the lake to the touristy town of Panajachel. There was an extensive network of markets which we scoured for good deals and tortilla clothes. Luckily, we were all mostly able to restrain ourselves from the temptations of the expensive bags and clothes and earrings. Then, back onto the bus for another long trip home.

Upon arriving back at my house, I got to enjoy the birthday party of my 26 year old sister Diana, whom I have only briefly met once before. I had the privilege of hugging and meeting every one of the 30 some people there and then laughing at my mother´s insistence on starting a dance party.

This week has been a fairly routine one in which we have all begun to feel the typical lack of motivation that comes at this time in the semester. Pray for us as we prepare for final exams next Tuesday and leaving behind our families!

With love,

Taylor (Rach and Laura too)

aka Gordita, Altita, and Loquita