Buenos Dias,     

     I think the best way to start our “catch-up” is to star with “a-broad” subject…..corny?… maybe, but I thought it was kind of clever! Anyways, my most admirable friends of the cyber world, I would like to tell you all about my trip to Guatemala this summer. I was a long-term volunteer in San Lucas Toliman Mission, working as a Spanish Interpreter for other volunteers, medical, and dental groups. It was absolutely fantastic!      At first, however, I experienced a definite culture shock. Never having been in a third world country, I remember leaving the airport and seeing the gravity of the poverty in the city and wondering what I was getting myself into for a month and a half. Tin roofs, dirt floors, and makeshift furniture is not a rare sight in the many villages of Guatemala. People are poor, there is no doubt, but this does not limit the richness of the native Mayan culture. The Mayans are the native Indian tribe of Guatemala, a native people whose culture pre-dates our own Native Indian culture of North America. Throughout my stay, which was primarily in San Lucas Toliman (a village located around Lake Titlan), I had many interactions and opportunities to experience the Mayan culture first hand.    Each village has a different traditional style of clothing, incorporating different patterns and colors woven into the cloths used to make women’s skirts, men’s pants, and various other necessities of the home. In San Lucas, the primary colors were red and white, symbolizing the people’s emphasis on purity and the blood of their ancestors. Cakachequel is the name of the native Mayan dialect spoken in the San Lucas village. It is one of about 50 dialects spoken all throughout Guatemala, each dialect being very distinct and archaic in grammar and vocabulary. I made some effort to lean a bit of Cakachequel , but about all that I can remember is something to the effect of “Utz mate osh, Krii” (I’m fine, thank you, God).        One of my favorite jobs, while working for the San Lucas Toliman Mission, was Spanish interpretation . I would go out, with medicial and dental students, to remote villages and help provide health-care to men, women, and children of all varying ages. Being a Spanish major and a pre-med student, it was simply an honor  to be able to utilize both of my passions for the betterment of the Mayan peoples. We would see many cases of amoebas (which are intestinal parasites which are contracted from drinking the water) and back pain. Women, in the villages, carry heavy baskets of fruit, bread, and household objects on of their heads, which causes major back problems. Likewise, the men, who stand no taller than 5 feet, carry up to 300 pounds of “llena” or firewood on their backs all throughout the villages. Even boys as young as 11 can be found following their fathers with large piles of llena mounted on their backs. It is an extraordinary sight, but also one that we found to cause many back and neck-related problems.        Over the course of our trip, I had a few opportunities to travel and see other villages and cities. Traveling with two of my friends  and  from Loyola who decided to join me on my Guatemalan adventure,  I was able to climb Pacaya (one of the active volcanoes in the area) and see actual flowing lava. It was the simply breathtaking—and once in a lifetime experience.        Shopping was another favorite diversion of ours. With a family of seven waiting patiently for me at home, I needed to come back with my hands pretty full! Battering was a skill that I honed while  attempting to disprove the “ignorant American” stereotype that many of the Guatemalans seem to have.  Busting out my Spanish numerical repertoire, I think I did a pretty good job getting my gifts for a fair price.          This trip was one that I will remember for a lifetime and if any of you are interested in volunteering aboard in Guatemala please feel free to contact me. Obviously, I love talking about my experiences and would be more than happy to encourage you to take on a Guatemalan adventure! More to come,Saludos,Michelle