Volunteer in Guatemala: Valerie’s thoughts on week 3

After working in the Cumbre again last week, we had the chance to venture to Antigua last weekend. We were almost to our bus stop in Chimaltenango (where we were going to change buses), when we came across a “sister” bus headed the opposite direction that had broken down. Fluid was all over the ground, and a group of about twelve Guatemalan men (including, eventually, our bus driver) stood around staring at the engine’s parts. I was suddenly reminded of a bus problem I witnessed on a recent trip to Costa Rica. The bus wouldn’t start, and we were soon startled by a loud sound. The bus driver was hitting the engine with a large wooden stick…

Our Guatemalan bus driver (the ring leader of the attempt to fix the sister bus) toyed with things until the bus started and was turned around. He returned to our bus, announcing that we were switching to the defective bus. We filed off the bus…one passenger took note of our foreign status, saying, “It’s American bus,” in our direction, chuckling at his cleverness. Knowing we were between 2 & 5 kilometers from our stop, we opted to take the trek on foot. It worked out in our favor in the end…we never did see that bus pass by.

Needless to say, Antigua was worth the trek. I know it isn’t “real Guatemala”; it is expensive and more full of foreigners than Guatemalans. But you can walk the whole town, and there seems to be a breath-taking church everywhere you turn. It has cobblestone streets, and a beautiful park (and church) in its center.

As a side note, I almost didn’t make it out of Antigua. I had scheduled a shuttle out of town for 5 a.m.—the only safe way to avoid hiring a private shuttle driver to bring me to my destination. The “night watch” employee at my hotel knocked on my door at 4:30 a.m. to tell me my shuttle had arrived. Turns out we started driving to Guatemala City…we had to turn around.

I am happy to be safe and sound, back with the kiddies….who were happily working on their homework, sprawled out in the dirt after school today. They still ask me to take their picture sometimes—I try to curb this as much as possible to avoid distractions. But they are warming up more each day—they seem to welcome the “guest appearances” of volunteers, and the new energy and faces.

It started storming in Chiantla yesterday—this is unusual for this time of year, as rainy season (here, the beginning of winter) isn’t expected until May or so. The rain has been nice—it is much-needed, and it makes the roads less dusty. The Cumbre is already turning from brown to green. Although I prefer the brown hue. (I have been known to root for the underdog.)