After arriving in Guatemala City last night, we drove 45 minutes to Antigua, the ancient capitol of the country, and our beautiful hotel, the Lions Inn. First impressions: beautiful country surrounded my mountains and an active volcano; constant singing of the quetzal birds; friendly people; bustling city with shops, open markets, and restaurants of all kinds.

The day started with a walking tour of the city led by ex-pat Elizabeth Bell, a 40-year resident of Antigua and tour owner. The first town hall was built in the mid-1500s, which is when the formal city government began. The building was replaced in the mid-1700s and is a wonderful example of "earthquake" architecture. We visited the Catedral, a Catholic church in the town square where Mayans also worship in their ancient religion. Adjacent to the church are ruins that also date from the 1500s and that the town leaders are working to restore. The locals were busy making paper-maiche floats that they will carry in their processionals during Lent. We ended the tour at a jade factory and learned about one of Guatemalas best industries. As we were walking along the city, we saw several MWU students who had just arrived and were heading to their hotel. We shouted our welcomes and their excitement about their adventures to come were apparent in their faces.


Photo: The town square in Antigua, Guatemala

After this great orientation to the city and its history, we headed to lunch and my first introduction to several of the DOCARE regulars. DOCARE is a nonprofit organization led by osteopathic physicians that conducts medical missions around the world. This is the group's 11th trip to Guatemala. In addition to the physicians, the group also includes other health providers (nurses, dentists, pharmacists, podiatrists, etc) as well as non-health-care professionals, such as members of the Glendale Rotary who come down every year to help at the mission. Lunch was at Frida's, a wonderful Mexican restaurant and was the first meeting place for several veteran DOCARE members. I was touched by the strong sense of community and common purpose. These are people who freely give of their time, talents, and treasure to provide health care for so many people of Guatemala who may not otherwise be able to afford it. Their camaraderie was very genuine and I immediately felt like part of the team. We shared our plans for the weekend and looked forward to the first day of the clinic on Monday. 

Following lunch and a sample of Gallo (the local beer), we headed off to the mercado, or market. For several city blocks there were stall after stall of Mayans and other locals selling their beautiful handmade wares. From textiles to clothing to jewelry to purses to candles, the market had something for everyone. I quickly learned that in this culture, it is considered rude to not try to bargain with the merchants. They tell you the price, and then you offer your price, negotiations ensue, and eventually you agree on a price or decide not to make the purchase. I was not entirely comfortable with this kind of "haggling," but it is an expectation of the marketplace. I bought a lovely table runner that was initially priced at 475 quetzals for 350 quetzals (1 dollar = about 7 quetzals). As we went from stall to stall, it was obvious that salesmanship is valued in Guatemala! These shop owners were also much better to translating from quetzals to dollars than I was! The children were charming and it was hard not to walk away without several bags of gifts.



Photo: The open-air market

After visiting the market, we headed off to a local spa for pedicures and massages. After a day of walking, it was nice to relax and rejuvenate. After freshening up at the hotel (and sneaking in this blog entry), we're off to dinner with some fellow DOCARE members and friends from the Detroit area and the Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine. The MSU group brings some of their residents and teaching faculty in addition to predoctoral students. We're looking forward to another wonderful meal, great conversation, and sincere enjoyment of the Guatemalan lifestyle and people.