Guatemala - Day 3: Today is Friday, and on Fridays the children's parents get to vist them at the center for a short while during the afternoon. Teams do not stay at the center during this time. So, after we fed and played the children this morning, we left the center to go to the San Juan outdoor market. The market is set up in a courtyard setting in town. There are many venders along the sidewalks around the courtyard and nearby streets. These venders offer many different products including produce, meats, jewelry, clothing, and toys. We were told before getting off the bus to walk the market that we should not purchase any foods. It became apparent why. The venders displayed their product in various types of containers, on cloths, or right on the sidewalk...but nothing was refrigerated or protected from flies or other environmental elements. There were some foods that you had to wonder what they really were or what they were intended for. Take various animals innards for example...or a cleaned out and dried out iguana (with the claws and hide still remaining). We called this iguana jerky. What else could it be? A more comical cultural experience would be the very tiny lady who carried a burlap bag around the market with a small squeeling pig inside. Another would be the large turkey who lay perfectly still on the sidewalk next to his vendor as if he had no idea what he was there for (ok, his legs were tied...but still...he lay so still!) A wonderful touch to the tour of the courtyard was a visit to an old catholic church. The architecture was beautiful!
We returned to the center to wake the kids from their naps, give them snacks, and spend more time giving them attention. It is so amazing to see how much they long for someone to play with them and to hold them. Once you pick up a child, every child refuses to be put back down. They will even throw screaming fits. It's mind-boggling. They know they must get all the attention they can get while we are there...because when we leave...they only have a small number of workers at the center who can do this. I was told that when we left this evening to go back to the hotel that the babies began crying. The workers told our team that they were not crying because their parents were not there, they were crying because we were leaving...because they know we are there to hold and play with them. It doesn't take long for these kids to grow on you and pull your heart strings.
Back in Antigua, Howie took the team out to a wonderful Mexican dinner complete with a live band at La Pina. The band performed a combination of guitar, congas, bass, drums, and pan flutes. They were magnificent! I know at least one other of our team members thought so too! How do I know? SHE DANCED! Oh what a wondeful night it was! We love Guatemala! And we are looking forward to another day with the kids tomorrow!
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