Day 2 - Antigua!

We woke up early and had breakfast at the Nazarene Center. Jessica and I tried to figure out the internet and how to post our blogs... wasn't as successful as we hoped. We weren’t able get mine up before we needed to leave, which is why I’m posting yesterday’s update at the same time as this one. After breakfast we got to travel around Antigua like Jessica was talking about. The food was amazing and the city itself was a ton of fun to walk around in. The streets are all cobblestone and the buildings were incredible. From the outside it looks like you're walking into a small shop, but after you walk inside it opens up into huge, gorgeous courtyards with fountains and trees. So needless to say, our lunch and dinner/dessert settings were great! We learned a lot about the coffee farming process and got to see a wonderful city. It sure did tire us out though… we’re getting to bed early and resting up for our exciting day tomorrow!

-Garrett




A picture of the market in San Felipe de Jesus:










Our Group in front of the ruins of a Cathedral in Antigua:







From left to right: back-Dean White, Jessica P, Sung, Garrett, Paul, Wade, Karen. front- Dr. P, Rosie, Jessica K, Lauren, Jim. kneeling - Chris and Katherine

Day in Antigua

Our first full day in Guatemala happened to be a Sunday, meaning that we were not needed at the hospital. We decided to spend our day in Antigua, the original capital city. We left early this morning and spent about an hour on the bus. We first walked around a little market just outside of Antigua and purchased some souvenirs. Up next was a visit R. Dalton's Filadelfia Estate, a local coffee plantation. We were led by Carlos through the entire process of how coffee is grown, harvested, and roasted. After the tour, we tasted the coffee (which was delicious) and purchased some in the gift shop. By that time we had worked up an appetite, so we ventured to a traditional restaurant in Antigua, Fonda de la Calle Real. The food was delicious, and it was clearly a great place to eat as Marie Jose and Paul sat in chairs that were formerly used by Charlie Sheen and a former president of Guatemala. We then walked around and explored Antigua and its market. At 5 PM there was a procession in observance of the first Sunday of lent. It was great to see so many people and to be immersed in their culture. We visited the Jade museum, and we learned that it is so strong it can only be cut by diamond. Following the museum tour, we went to a bakery and pastry shop, which was delicious. By that time, it was getting dark, so we headed back to Guatemala City. We are now going to rest up for our first day of work at the hospital! - Jessica

The view from the top of the coffee mill, complete with coffee beans drying on the rooftop:

The view of the Cathedral in Antigua with people beginning to congregate to watch the parade:

Day 1 - Off to a great start!

We have arrived in Guatemala City! 5:15 came a little early this morning, but we all made it to Branscomb (more or less on time) and got to the airport with lots of time to spare. I guess I’m not the best to be giving you an update on the traveling part, I slept at the airport and straight through both of our flights – from Nashville to Houston and Houston to Guatemala City. Once we got to Guatemala City and made it through customs we were greeted by Dean White and Maria Jose, our guide for the week. Victor, our bus driver, was also there and after packing up the bus we drove through the city to the Nazarene Center, our home for the week. Driving through the city made me feel like I was at home, driving through some of the more hispanic parts of Los Angeles. The city itself is packed with people! Take one look at the city buses and the rear of the bus is almost sitting on the axles because they’ve got so many people packed in! The Nazarene Center is great. It’s situated on a hill and is very homey and comfortable. After getting settled in and setting our stuff down, we again loaded the bus and headed out for the site of the Shalom Foundation’s future surgical center. Maria Jose showed us around and, with a little creativity, we were able to see what it will look like after construction is finished. It’s definitely going to be an amazing place and do some awesome work in the city when it’s all up and running. After our tour, we came back to the Nazarene Center and had dinner and did some other activities before heading to bed. One activity included relfecting on the day and write ourselves some letters with expectations for the trip that we'll get to read on the final day. Anyway... off to bed - we’re going to need the sleep, we’ve got to be up and having breakfast at 7 tomorrow morning!

Garrett

The Nazarene Center:

A bus packed with people:

Our group walking through the Shalom Foundation's future surgical center:

We are in Guatemala!

We made it to Guatemala! Our journey began yesterday at the early hour of 5:15 AM. After packing up the cars, we ventured to the Nashville airport. Check-in went smoothly, and we even ran into the ASB group that is also spending their week in Guatemala. Our flight to Houston was fairly quick and went well despite a bumpy landing. Our flight to Guatemala City left a little late, but we arrived in the afternoon to meet Dean White and Maria Jose. After settling in at the Nazarene Center, we went on a tour of the surgical center that the Shalom Foundation is in the process of building. We had a delicious dinner back at the Nazarene Center. More updates to come later! -- Jessica