Today we did our first STEM presentation. I was super nervous to lead the activity in Spanish. Everyone on my team did a great job preparing the supplies, and working with the children. It was much less scary when I actually did it. I love working with the children. Aside from our STEM project, I have really enjoyed Guatemala. The smells are so enticing, and it is hard to not eat the street food. I love the hustle and bustle of Panajachel. I think my favorite part is watching everyone drive around on motorcycles. Men, women, and children drive motorcycles, and I have seen up to four people on one. There were street vendors everywhere too. People were selling everything from pottery to bracelets, even knives and shot glasses. The first day I was very sick, and missed the trip to the market. Luckily, I still got to go wander a bit and buy some things to take home. I thought it would be a lot hotter, but the weather wasn’t so bad. I am fairly comfortable in light long sleeve shirts, and light pants. I recommend wearing linen.
The first night, we had dinner at a pizza place. It was good pizza, but not the traditional food I have been looking forward to. The drinks, however, were amazing, and I had a sort of smoothie drink called a Licaudo, with papaya and yoghurt. That was the highlight of the meal, and many other people grew to like them. The day I was sick I had a simple chicken soup with avocado, and it was delicious, it tasted like something my papi would make.
The hotel is nicer than I thought it would be. I love that it is open air, and the pool area is really nice. It reminds me of an oasis. There are also a lot of plants and flowers in the hotel, which I enjoy a lot. Our rooms are very basic, and we don’t really have hot water, but it feels nice after working all day. The hotel does have really good breakfast, and I look forward to the plantains every morning. So far, I am very grateful I have had the opportunity to come to Guatemala, and I look forward to all the other things we are going to do this year, and in future years.
Thanks,
Maya