Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala - Monday - Wednesday, February 20 - 22, 2023

                                    The Open Door School / La Puerta Abierta

Finally,  it is time for school!

Monday

La Puerta Abierta continues to be an amazing school doimg exemplary work in the field of education.

Post pandemic - children were fully engaged in the environment, happy, the school was a bustling.

We connected with Amanda the founder of the school and delivered supplies such as: masks, Covid tests and of course an abundance of art supplies - a big shout out to all teh families who made donations.

Guess what was very popular.....STICKERS..... not easy to come by!

They were carefully sorted and each classroom received a bunch!

Our friend Suzi, who accompanied us to the school, had a mosaic activity planned with the 5th grade students on Monday and Tuesday - watching the students engage with the materials and eventually creating the final product was great!

The Preschool Class appeared very comfortable and were very receptive to us joining them in class to engage and play with them.  The school year runs from January to October - therefore it is the start of school for many of these students.

We sat in on a music class with the preschoolers.

We spent time in the kindergarten class and shared stories about life in New England and SNOW - of which they are very curious.

In Guatemala there are two seasons - wet and dry!  This is the dry season!

Tuesday

Preschool Physical Exercise class from 9.00am - 10.00am.

Children were actively engaged playing many organised games with David their instructor and the teachers.

Mini hula hoops were used in a variety of games.

Carole and I introduced a parachute game which they loved!

In the Kindergarten classroom we played the parachute game outside and then we played a fun game called Little Mouse, Little Mouse!!

Wednesday 

We participated in an English class in1st grade, this was so enjoyable as we listened to these young children navigate a new language, visited the upper classes, and played with the preschoolers and kindergarten children.

It is hard to put into words the experience - but hopefully the pictures and narrative give you an idea of life at La Puerta Abierta

For more information on the school:  www.atitlanabierta.com

Volcano San Pedro on the lake in Santiago.

Guatemala in Pictures

Suzie and a 5th grade student in her mosaic class at La Puerta Abierta

Little Mouse game with Kindergarten students

Parachute Game with Preschool class

Snack time in the upper school

Frida's in Antigua

Central Park just another Thursday

Central Park Antigua, Easter preparation

Church in the square

Family Time in Antigua

All doors lead to somewhere

Antigua.....

Do you know who this guy is?

Volcano San Pedro

Cat on a tin roof

Panajachel - a busy town across the lake from Santiago.  The boat ride will test your comfort level on the water.

School kids at play!

Mormon Church in Panajachel

Waiting for the boat back to Santiago from Panajachel.

Glad to make it back safely!

 Returning to Guatemala.

February 17, 2023

We arrived in Guatemala city in the afternoon.

It was warm and sunny.

On our drive to Antigua the city was as busy as I remember it being in February 2020.

Typical Friday afternoon traffic of people leaving the city for the weekend.

Where were they going?

Cars, Flatas, (small pick up trucks with a bar going down the center of the bed of truck which you hold on to as best you can, more prominent in urban areas) and Chicken buses were everywhere.

Once we arrived in Antigua, we learned that the electricity was off everywhere.

We were staying with friends so they were well well equipped with candles and flashlights!

Then you have the volcanoes in the background!

No matter where you walk in Antigua a volcano hovers in the background - what a sight!

The electricity came back on around 9.00pm

Digger our class crab made the trip with us.

                                                   Driving from Guatemala City to Antigua.

Central Park, Antigua

Dusk

Hill of the Cross - offering a panoramic view of Antigua and the three volcanoes. Agua, Fuego and Acatenango.

Antigua, Guatemala - February 2023

 A beautiful city surrounded by three volcanoes, Agua, Fuego and Acatenango.

There they hover sometimes, like today a cloud sits at the top.

The city is as vibrant as it was since our last visit in February 2023.

Hotels are welcoming guests. New restaurants have popped up as well as the familiar places that people frequent.

The market was bustling today.

It's good to be back.

Volcanoes Fuego and Acatenango 

Volcano Agua

Plants in recycled milk cartons

A beautiful dining space at the garden center

Our hosts Suzi and Kevin's yard

A mosaic

Hill of the Cross panoramic view of Antigua.

Returning to La Puerta Atitlan after a global pandemic!

We are excited to have the opportunity to return to Guatemala and more specifically La Puerta Abierta (The Open Door School) in Santiago Atitlan,  Guatemala.

Our last visit was in February 2020 just before the world shut down.

Many questions arise as we get ready for this trip.

How did the residents of a small indigenous village in a pretty rural part of the country manage the pandemic?

We learned that they managed as best they could. There was no real support from the government so we were told.

Have they access to vaccinations?

Yes, however there appears to be some trust issues with being vaccinated especially in the rural indigenous villages. Some misinformation around the pandemic in general and especially with getting vaccinated.

How has their life changed since the pandemic?

As a visitor returning to Guatemala after a global pandemic - all seemed normal for the country. Guatemala city was busy, Antigua was also busy with lots of tourists, hotels open, and restaurants and stores operating.  It's hard as a visitor to get a true sense of the fallout from the pandemic.  

The school we go to in Santiago Atitlan was as happy a place as I remember in 2020.

The children and teachers were happy and engaged.

It was so good to be back.

Are they happy to see people not from their country come back?

I think so, tourism is their livelihood in many regions.

Were there many deaths in Santiago and surrounding towns?

There was no data recorded or so it seems!

Did they receive any support from the government?

No.

What about their livelihoods, how were the villagers impacted?

Business stopped like here, one tour guide I spoke with told me they stayed home and he did not work for a year.