Hola amigos.
After an amazing weekend of student directed travel in Antigua the group took a van to Guatemala City and arrived at the G22 complex. G22 is an organization that focuses on urban sustainability and renewable energy. They participate in numerous projects in Guatemala and other countries around the world helping reduce urban waste and promote conservation of natural resources.
This was the first week the group spent living together in a single room, which some were nervous about at first but it ended up being a great bonding experience for the group. The afternoon we arrived, our hosts Alfredo and Ricard introduced us to the concepts of sustainability that G22 uses in their work.
The next day was our first group activity with the organization. In this activity we went to the local produce market and divided into pairs. Each pair got 20 Q and was instructed to buy food to share with group in an urban picnic. Our guidelines were to acquire as Little plastic as possible and to only buy local produce. We then ate our picnic in a park and washed it down with local coconut wƔter that we bought on the street.
The day after we relaxed in the Botanical Gardens located at the heart of the city. We spent an hour in silence and introspection. We were instructed to write a short piece of literature regarding our thoughts about nature and share it with the group. Some members of the group took a trip to one of Central Americas largest malls in order to purchase Ipods and visit Dairy Queen. We capped the night off with a taste of home with delicious local pizza.
On Thurdsay, we visited a museum of mayan history on a local college campus. The museum traced the evolution of mayan society through the ages with chronologically ordered archeological artifacts. As you progressed through the museum, the evolution of technology was observable. The first artifacts were crude stone tools and statues with little detail. As you walked further into the exhibit, artifacts of obsidian and metal began to appear, as well as more advanced pottery and ceramics. Finally, section of the museum dedicated to the colonial period featured many artifacts showing the first appearances of Christianity in the maya region.
On Friday, our last day at G22, we visited a museum dedicated to the history of railroads in Guatemala. It was very interesting to imagine what it might be like as a Guatemalan traveling the country 100 years ago, and we were able to sit in the old trains and discuss our thoughts. After a long period of relaxation and free time, the group prepared a delicious meal for ourselves and our hosts. We picked a meal that would remind us of home: Hamburgers! We flipped some patties, tossed some salads, and Chris made everyone some phenomenal key lime pie for dessert. It was a great way to say thank-you to Alfredo and Ricard for being such hospitable and kind hosts.
The next morning, we got up at 4 am to travel to Nicaragua! We said our goodbyes to Guatemala and hopped on the plane to Managua. From there, we took a van to Matagalpa which is where we will spend the next week of our trip. We met our new host families, and off we went on the next leg of our adventure!
Signing off, this has been Ryan and Joe with your weekly update.
**Photos will be coming shortly! Check back soon!**