Waterfall hike, and washing clothes
Today I am relaxing in the home of Elias and Becky Alonzo; and enjoying their internet! Thank you guys!
Yesterday we hiked up a ravine in the valley and took lunch at this incredible waterfall. Elias tells me that very few people ever see it, so our group felt extremely lucky to bask in the sun and soak up the view. It was a tough scramble off-trail to find it, down the forested nearly-sheer side of the mountain.
In response to questions I have been receiving, I’d like to say that our work here is going extraordinarily well. The kids here are incredible, taking up the challenge of documenting their culture with a voracious appetite for learning new things and mastering difficult technologies. Based on our experiences with them, we all feel strongly that when we leave they will have a greater interest in their own culture, and more confidence to utilize technology. One of the students has even expressed a strong interest in pursuing journalism!
I have truly fallen in love with the humble mountain community of San Mateo. Today we washed our clothes by hand in a concrete wash basin (that’s right Mom!) It was a great way to spend a warm Sunday afternoon; meditating on the simple, efficient technologies we in North America have left somewhere in the past. There is definitely a great pleasure in stepping outside life as you know it for awhile, and learning different ways of life.
We will leave here Wednesday, making the long voyage back to Guatemala City, where I will meet up with Mai and head towards the town of Flores and the ruins of Tikal.