We are almost done here in Guatemala! We have one more day and then we have one day of travel back to Minnesota. My feelings are very mixed about this. On one hand I am having a great time here and loving the country and learning about this country and getting to know the people, both in this country and in our group. On the other hand, I miss Erik and my bed and a good night's sleep! I am ready to go back. Well, today was a really great day. We got in the van early (bags by 6:30am, breakfast at 7am, leaving at 7:30am) and drove and drove and drove and wound around mountains and finally after about 3 1/2 hours ended up in Santiago. It's a really beautiful city on a gorgeous lake.
We had lunch at a beautiful, but extremely touristy resort. Lunch was delicious. Then, we had a tour of the city. We walked to a place called the Peace Park. 
It was a memorial to 13 people who were killed in a massacre in 1981. The woman giving the tour told us about how the people had gathered in front of the church wondering what was going on and the army thought they were guerilla fighters so they started shooting in the air, with women and children present. After that, we walked to an area that had been devastated by a mudslide in 2005 from Hurricane Stan. We could see the damage. There were some buildings still standing where we could see the mud line. 
The mud was apparently 4 meters deep. We walked in a field that had housed many families and their crops, but we couldn't tell; there was no trace of homes ever being there. It was very sad.
Then, we hopped in a truck and headed to downtown Santiago. Our first stop was in a place that I'm not quite sure what it actually was, but it was a building that housed many of the Mayan gods and goddesses. They were covered in clothing, especially their main one. He had many ties and scarfs on his neck and a cigarette in his mouth. Apparently, he is the god who heals the people. Then, we walked to the church. We learned that there was a Mayan temple there, but the Catholics had come and built their church on top of the site. So, ever since then there has been a struggle between the Mayans and the Catholics. The Mayans want to have their ceremonies there because it is sacred land to them, but the Catholics don't like it because it's their church. Now, Mayans can practice in the church, but there is one room that is exclusively Catholic. We learned about a priest that was here for about 15 years. 
He was from Oklahoma, but came down here in I think 1968. His name was Stanley. He came to Guatemala and decided that he wanted to help the people of Santiago. He helped the poor and started many programs. He was the one who let the Mayans come into the church for their ceremonies. He was really an advocate for the people, so much so that he was murdered in 1981 by the army. We visited the room where he was killed, which has now been turned into a chapel. It was sad because the woman giving the tour had known Stanley personally. After the tour of Santiago, we got on a boat and headed across the lake to Panajachel. 
It is a very touristy city and you can really tell. We had about 2 hours to explore the town and do some shopping. I called Erik. It was good to talk to him, but I could hardly hear him; he could hear me. I was a little more than annoyed that I paid for a conversation where half of the time was spent telling him I couldn't hear him or asking him to repeat himself. I'm glad I called him, though. After wandering around, we went to dinner at this cute little family run restaurant on the beach. 
It was good food. We started off with some gorgeous fruit platters, which were a nice treat. After dinner, most of the group (myself included) went to a bar because Donna wanted to try a specific kind of rum from Guatemala. It was so great and just what I needed. They even had a live "band" (a drummer and a guitar/singer) which was pretty good. I had a margarita, which promised to be the best you've ever had, and it was good. I also tried the rum, which I actually liked. It was a very fun night and a great end to the evening. Well, I should probably go to bed-it's getting late and my roommates probably want the light off. ¡Buenos noches!
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