(6/22) 8 Hour Bus Ride? Sike, It's 18


Instead of Spanish classes, today we had a tour of the public hospital in Xela. It was a very eye-opening experience that allowed me to get a deeper understanding of the state of health care in Guatemala. It was super crowded, with all the waiting rooms packed and people waiting outside too. Some people traveled over 6 hours to try to see a doctor. I've never lived farther than 20 minutes away from a hospital, so the fact that all of these people have such limited access to check on something as vital and necessary as their health is crazy to think about. It was also amazing to see how many people the hospital was able to treat, despite very limited resources and space. The chairs were losing their backing, and there were quite a few beds in the hallways with patients laying in them. Even under these circumstances, the staff was doing everything they could to give the best medical treatment as possible. 

 After the tour of the hospital, we got lunch at Tacorazon, a Guatemalan version of Chipotle. We finally got to try the avocado fries, but sadly they were a disappointment. Just way too greasy. But at least the burritos were bomb!


After lunch, we started off on the what we thought would be an 8 hour bus ride to Semuc Champey. Something was off from the start, when a van that barely fit all 12 of us pulled up, let alone all of our luggage and gallons of water. But, we turned on some good road trip music and group morality was high for the first hour or two. We even stopped by a huge mall in Guatemala City, which blew my mind away. The difference between this mall and the hospital we were just at was beyond words. The fact that a public hospital didn't have the resources to keep all their hallways lit and clean while a mall probably 3 times its size was blinding and shiny was bizarre. 


But, it was only downhill from the break. We stopped in the roads multiple times during the night because of construction and whatnot. 8 hours turned into 10, 11, 12. At one point we stopped by a gas station, but it wasn't only to get gas. The driver had to take a 2 hour break to get some rest. Which I completely understand, but it just added 2 more hours of sitting around in the cramped van. 

 And it doesn't stop there. I was in and out of sleep, but when the sun was slowly coming up I realized we were literally in the middle of nowhere. We were on a dirt road surrounded by nothing but trees and mountains. What made the driver think this was the right way to Semuc I have no idea. After about an hour of driving on this road it finally hit him to turn around to find the main road again. At this point it was around 5 AM, and everyone was about to lose it. Because the driver didn't even think to bring a map, Kurun and John had to direct him out using maps on their phone. 

 I was preparing myself to never make it to Semuc, but after 18 hours, we did. We left at 3 PM, and arrived at 9 AM. Semuc, you better be worth it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

(6/13-14) 7.0 Magnitude Earthquake But It's Fine

Image
After the morning Spanish classes, we got to listen to Dr. Fredy Salanic speak about the Guatemalan health system and diabetes. As we listened to him speak about health and some of the prevalent problems Guatemala faces, it seemed like the country has adequate resources, maybe even an abundance. It's so unfortunate and bizarre that all these problems arise because they aren't being allocated fairly and because many Guatemalans just aren't aware that these problems even exist. My Spanish teacher also talked about how the health system is very good in theory, because treatment is free most of the time or at very low cost. However, it isn't working in reality because of corruption and lack of resources. It's frustrating because it seems like many of the problems can be alleviated if the wealth and resources were properly allocated. It's crazy to realize how crucial education and being aware of what's happening around you is to society. Even though Guatemala ...
Read more

(6/20-21) Vaccines, Por Favor

Image
Our afternoon activity for today was listening to lectures from Dr. Rodolfo Sanchez, a specialist in infectious diseases. We learned about rabies and diseases caused by parasites in Guatemala. Many families, especially in more rural areas, prefer witches or traditional medicine over hospitals, which often doesn’t solve illnesses caused by parasites. It’s so crazy how many of these diseases could be easily fixed with a vaccine or medicine from a doctor, but fear or doubt gets in the way. We also talked about how this problem really is a problem without passports, because many communities in the United States have doubts against vaccines or don’t think they’re necessary. Human stubbornness is one of the most difficult things to surpass. Oh, forgot to mention. Before heading to the lectures, Sofia, Elaine, and I got ice cream from Pops in Parque Central. HIGHLY recommend. Cheap but amazing ice cream. You have to try the cappuccino chocolate shell with nuts, it was heavenly wit...
Read more

(6/23) So I Almost Died

Image
After everyone took a couple hours to recover from that delightful 18 hour trip, we started on our first activity in Semuc. River tubing!  Okay, the title of this post is kind of an exaggeration, but I literally thought I was going to die. So it all started off super fun, the river was super cooling against the scorching heat. I was well ahead the rest of the group because I couldn't slow myself down, but it was fine until a fork came up in the river. Before I knew it, I was floating down the right side, when the guide and everyone else was yelling LEFT LEFT. While they were all yelling SWIM BACK I helplessly flailed my arms and failed miserably to fight the current. I hopped off my tube and tried to swim, but that was an epic failure too. The current was getting stronger and stronger, and the group was soon out of sight and I was surrounded by nothing but trees floating in a river. Thoughts of surviving alone in the jungle like those wild survivor shows filled my head, wh...
Read more