It’s hard to pick the high point of our second full day in Guatemala. It could be the three hour ride from Guatemala City to the Lake and surrounding Mayan villages—the farms, the colorful towns, mudslides and mountain vistas. Perhaps it was the choppy ride across Lake Atitlan during an afternoon downpour. Or maybe it was the nighttime ride hanging off the back of a pickup truck with about 20 other passengers, followed by a wonderful dinner and bonfire sing-a-long with our Mayan hosts.

Our first day’s experience with 150 gang members seemed hard to surpass. A remarkably high bar had been set, but the two days could not be compared.

We left our hostel, Xamanek Backpacker’s Lodge, at 6:30 a.m. We exited the city through rush hour traffic, which lessened only as we entered the increasingly scenic highway. There was a lot of great discussion going on, but my mind was focused solely on the surroundings. A lot of the shots turned out blurry, but I couldn’t help but to stick my head out of the window to capture everything around me.

As we weaved around the roads further into the mountains, looking down the valleys onto small towns and farms, cliffs lined the route. The road closed in both directions every day for improvements to the gravel and dirt drive, and a long line of cars had formed. We got out of the van to take advantage of the photo opportunity. After about a 45 minute wait, a police officer told us that we would be moving shortly; there had been a mudslide further along the road. We found out the next day that 12 people had died as a result.

After everything had been cleaned up and we reached the town of Solala, we stopped at a restaurant overlooking Lake Atitlan. The view was incredible, and we had plenty of time to let it sink in as we waited for lunch. Coincidentally, the owner of the restaurant and hotel (the equivalent of $6 a night) created children’s books and went to elementary schools to tell children about environmental conservation. After coming up with stories, they presented puppet shows at local fairs. We had a delicious lunch of papaya juice, beans, potatoes and chicken with pineapples and cream for dessert. 

Continuing our trip, we stopped at a recording studio that Wycliff Translators managed. They translated the New Testament into some of the many Mayan languages and dialects of Guatemala. At the studio, they also filmed and edited Bible stories for children. The lead actors are finger puppets.

Finally arriving at the lakeside, we waited for the boat to arrive that would take us to the other side of the lake and the village where we would be spending the night. The afternoon rain that had ceased not too long before came back with a vengeance shortly before we boarded the small vessel. There was a roof on the boat and flaps covered the sides; a large tarp covered the exposed portion at the front of the boat. But there was water everywhere—on the floor of the boat, on the seats and on the passengers. The ride was bumpy to say the least. There were sporadic screams from the riders in the front as the boat jumped up and down.

Nate Howard, an emergency relief worker for Mennonites, acted as our guide. We stopped at a coffee shop to talk about his background and what we should expect from our visit. By the time we finished, it had become dark, and we walked through markets. There was a musical performance going on, coinciding with the fair that had come to town. 

The pickup truck looked well past capacity, but the nine of us squeezed in. Eastern Graduate student, Josh Cooper, Howard and I hung off the back until our destination about 10 minutes away. Amazingly, the trip cost only 1 Quetzal per head (just over $.10).

Before our dinner, Nate introduced us to the families that would be hosting us, as well as some of the people that work with and stay in their homes. After our dinner of beef, rice and tortillas, which are served with every meal, we pulled chairs around a bonfire. We all talked a little bit with the kids, who seemed excited to have us. Everyone then introduced themselves. We all shared our names and where we’re from. It was a very communal affair, and everyone received applause after sharing, a major theme of the visit. Our hosts were very hospitable and gracious, repeatedly noting their happiness about our visit. Then the kids jumped and spun around as they sang a song, and we followed along for the repetition.