Sunday, July 31, 2011
For several of us, the final day
Saturday was the last day in Guuatemala that our entire group would be together. Andrea, Betsy and Ashley will move on to more fun throughout Guatemala and then Belize, but for Mitch, Steph, Sammie and I, yesterday was our final day to enjoy the beauty of this great country.
I'll keep things brief because our work at Common Hope had finished on Friday, and yesterday was just a day for fun and adventure. And fun it was.
We left the city around 6 o clock and journeyed by van to the Pacaya Volcano. Will, our guide, then led us up the volcano where we enjoyed beautiful views, closeup glimpses of a steaming volcano and lava flows that happened during the last decade, and even a marshmallow roast in a crevace that remains heated to temperatures hot enough to...well...roast a marshmallow. It was a rigorous climb but well worth it. We snacked on stuffed sandwiches and chips before heading back down and then back to Antigua.
After showering and reorganizing a bit, it was time to go back into Antigua. Mitch, Steph, Sammie and I first hit the very wild central market where we bought some final gifts and just soaked up the experience of a scene we don't see back home. We then walked around the city, stopped for some nachos and Gallos, and finally settled in the central plaza.
I got my traditional shoe shine from my pal Gregorio while Sammie had a woman braid a woven "thing" in her hair. Sammie and I then enjoyed one final father daughter moment at the Cafe Barrista. We chatted about the trip and about how glad we both are that we did this together. She's an awesome girl and I'm so proud to be her dad. Tears... The night ended with the four of us enjoying a pizza and some wine and coffee, then one final ride back to Common Hope from our new friend Chicki.
I won't make an effort to sum up the trip in a tidy couple of sentences, but I do want to say that this has been just another fantastic experience thanks to the efforts of EPS Global Connect. My hope is that trips like this will continue well into the future. If you ever have a chance to join us, and I hope you will, please do it. You won't ever regret it!!!
I'll keep things brief because our work at Common Hope had finished on Friday, and yesterday was just a day for fun and adventure. And fun it was.
We left the city around 6 o clock and journeyed by van to the Pacaya Volcano. Will, our guide, then led us up the volcano where we enjoyed beautiful views, closeup glimpses of a steaming volcano and lava flows that happened during the last decade, and even a marshmallow roast in a crevace that remains heated to temperatures hot enough to...well...roast a marshmallow. It was a rigorous climb but well worth it. We snacked on stuffed sandwiches and chips before heading back down and then back to Antigua.After showering and reorganizing a bit, it was time to go back into Antigua. Mitch, Steph, Sammie and I first hit the very wild central market where we bought some final gifts and just soaked up the experience of a scene we don't see back home. We then walked around the city, stopped for some nachos and Gallos, and finally settled in the central plaza.
I got my traditional shoe shine from my pal Gregorio while Sammie had a woman braid a woven "thing" in her hair. Sammie and I then enjoyed one final father daughter moment at the Cafe Barrista. We chatted about the trip and about how glad we both are that we did this together. She's an awesome girl and I'm so proud to be her dad. Tears... The night ended with the four of us enjoying a pizza and some wine and coffee, then one final ride back to Common Hope from our new friend Chicki.
I won't make an effort to sum up the trip in a tidy couple of sentences, but I do want to say that this has been just another fantastic experience thanks to the efforts of EPS Global Connect. My hope is that trips like this will continue well into the future. If you ever have a chance to join us, and I hope you will, please do it. You won't ever regret it!!!
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