The first day in Guatemala was amazing! The people we are living with are sweet and kind, they built us a raised kind of house, it has four walls two doors, lots of windows, seven bunk beds, and a nice bathroom. Theses people are amazing!
Riding on buses from Santa Domingo Xenacoj to Antigua was an experience I will never forget. They stuff a crazy amount of people into the buses. The first “bus” was actually a van that we fit about 25 people in. Then we got on a second bus, this one was a big bus. There where three people to a bench seat (the person on the end would only be half on) and people stuffed in the isle. After we got off the second bus we where waiting for our final bus to Antigua, but the bus was so full that only half our group was able to get on and the rest of us had to wait till the next bus came, which was just as full as the previous one. There where times when we all where pressed up against each other, or you where sitting on some one, or some one was sitting on you. When people wanted on or off they would be pushing past where I thought that there was no room for them to fight, being to packed was a big step out of my comfort zone. When we finally got to Antigua we where able to walk around and see some of the town, it is gorgeous. I was also able to look at some of the vendors and shops by the square. At about 6:45pm we realized that the last bus back home was leaving in 15 min. so there was about 15 of us almost running to get to our bus before it left. We got to the bus on time but ended up sitting on it for 25 min. before we actually left, and by then there was no way we where going to get one more person on that bus. The second bus ride was the best. That bus was so full that we all got to ride on the roof. Being able to look at the land, feeling the wind blowing through my hair, holding on for dear life, trying to figure out how to get on and off with a skirt on, that was my absolute favorite thing. Our last bus was not very full, but we did tow a truck back into town. By the time we got home it was 9 pm.
Today we went to a school about 20 min. from where we are living. When we first got there the kids where very stand of ish and didn’t talk to us , but after a little while they warmed up to us and began to play around with us. We mostly chased them around and tickled them, danced, goofed off, asked them how to say things, and watched them laugh at us. After a while some of us went down to the football (soccer) field, some of the people played football with them while the rest of us played with the kids, we tried to teach them how to play ninja, but since we don’t know that much Spanish it didn’t work very well, but they did have fun. Then we went back to the school house where they sang us some songs and did some dances. A few people from our group sang them some songs. BY the end of our time there we all made friends with the kids. It’s amazing to see how just going and playing with the kids made them so happy. I can’t wait to go back and do it all again.
