Alexis and Christy: Day 3 - Guatemala Field School

Hola readers!

Today, both Alexis and I were in charge of the blog. We decided it would be much better if we both talked about our own experiences instead of clumping them together. So you all get to read two lovely blog posts! Enjoy!

Alexis's perspective:

Antigua is an amazing city and it is definitely more cultural and rural than Guatemala City was. The streets are full of beautiful buildings rich with an incredible history. Walking around the city has been such a great learning experience. It continually reminds me that I am not in Canada and there are places in the world that are nothing like Canada or BC. (Which is something that slips my mind quite often...) Even after a few days of being in Guatemala I am not used to the food here. I ordered fruit and granola for breakfast fully expecting watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew and instead I got papaya and pineapple. The food is still such a culture shock but it is as equally amazing. I do not remember the last time I thoroughly enjoyed a meal like I have been here. Another thing that is both annoying but hilarious is the fact that pretty much no one in our group can properly count Quetzalas... Its taken us about half an hour to count our money to pay for dinner the past two nights - much to the amusement of our server.

This morning we continued learning about Maternal and Reproductive health in Guatemala. I am so excited and honoured to have had Dr. Tino and Sue Patterson teach me all that they have. They have definitely made this trip one to remember and they were only the first and second days.

Later this morning after Sue's presentation, the bus drove up the Cerro de la Cruz mountain to meet Nicolas - an indigenous Mayan man. Nicolas, along with his mother, performed a traditional Mayan ceremony with the group. His ceremony reminded me a lot of my own Ktunaxa culture. The feeling I got during the ceremony was unexplainable. The fact that I am so far away from home but have quite a few similarities with the Indigenous Mayan culture was amazing. It made me feel at home and I felt so close to Nicolas. Nicolas' mother began to cry at the end of the ceremony and while holding Nicolas she prayed for him. It was beautiful and so familiar. Again, it is just unexplainable.

Later in the afternoon the group went on a walking tour throughout Antigua. The buildings are beautiful with an intriguing history. Before this trip I was not all that interested in History. After walking through Antigua I am so interested in history. My favourite part of the tour was Hermano Pedro's shrine. Hermano Pedro is such an interesting man with an interesting life. I find it incredible that I was able to visit his tomb and learn a little about what he did.

All in all, Antigua will forever be a place to remember. I feel so incredibly grateful to have been able to come on this trip and I cannot wait to see the rest of Guatemala!
P.s. I'm still alive mom. =)
Alexis.

 

Christy's perspective:

Today, we spent a full day taking in the beauty of Antigua, Guatemala. After a 7:30am breakfast, we all loaded on to our bus to go to a presentation by Sue Patterson, the founder of WINGS, an NGO focused on maternal health. Sue is an incredibly engaging and inspiring woman who has done amazing this for women's health and education in Guatemala. After her presentation, and a few photo opportunities, we loaded back on to our bus to head to our next activity: a Mayan religious ceremony lead by Nicolas, a Mayan priest. We made our way to up the hill to Cerro de la Cruz, and gathered around a prepared alter to witness the ceremony. The ceremony sight looked down over the whole town of Antigua (amazing photo ops!) Nicolas, and his Mother, were both dressed in beautiful traditional Mayan dress. Nicolas talked to us about the Mayan religious traditions, and ended with a Mayan prayer, calling us all to think about the ones we loved yet were not with. It was a very moving ceremony and brings so much depth to understanding the Mayan tradition, as well as its importance to it's people - a reminder of why many of us are so interested in different cultures and on this trip.

After making our way back down into town, it was lunch time! A few groups of us split up and went separate ways to find some lunch. Caitlyn, Steph, and I happened to run into a high school friend of Caitlyn's and he recommended a delicious crepe place, right close by. Not exactly authentic Guatemalan cuisine but who can pass up crepes with Nutella. The restaurant (the name has slipped my mind) had a lovely rooftop terrace, where the three of us sat in the sun and filled our bellies. After lunch, the group met back up to explore Antigua by foot. We walked all over, encountering beautiful ruins over 500 years old, cute stray dogs, and the Shrine of Hermano Pedro - a man who was believed to heal the sick. We walked around the monastery grounds, taking in the beauty of the natural decay of the 500 year old Spanish inspired architecture. Hermano Pedro's Shrine itself housed thousands of "gratitude letters" in thanks of his healing, as well as a section covered in crutches and walking assisters no longer needed by the now healed. No matter what your religious beliefs, it is an awe inspiring space.

We came back to the hotel, regrouped ourselves and went right back out to find a dinner spot. Some of us had Middle Eastern, the others had authentic Guatemalan. Both have reported delicious food.

There are just a couple of us left up now, as everyone has gone to bed due to our 6am breakfast time, off to the banana plantation tomorrow!!

Mucho love,
Christy

Adios from Alexis and Christy!

Alexis Fisher -Feltham is a visiting student joining us from the College of the Rockies.  Christy Brain is a 3rd year Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies student.