Guatemala Day 5

Today was our final day of work. It was our last chance to practice our Spanish with the workers and stuff ourselves with doblados at snack time. 

The work has gotten increasingly easier over the past few days. Today we were split into groups to either stuff bottles with trash, clean glass bottles on a roof, or clear a cornfield. 

Lunch was another delicious Guatemalan meal of chard, rice and vegetables for the vegetarians and chicken over rice otherwise. A hefty stack of tortillas accompanied each meal. 

After lunch, we went back to work for our final afternoon. Rachel, Sarah and I were lucky enough to snag the job of blow torching bamboo that had been cut the day before. Dory, an Israeli staff member of Long Way Home, set us up with a homemade blowtorch (yes, even this was homemade) and showed us how to properly "cure" the wood. The bamboo was going to be used as a roof for an outdoor walkway, and we needed to take the water out of the wood so that it doesn't rot in the future.

After saying our thank you's and good-bye's to the courteous Long Way Home staff, we made the final trek back to Feliciano's home. Along the way, we stopped at various super markets and shops, picking up final souvenirs and bites of sweet bread. 

When we arrived back at Feliciano's, we all showered and got ready for the "cultural night" that was being set up for us on the terrace. Many of the staff and volunteers of Long Way Home came over to the hotel and shared a delicious meal of rice, beans, guacamole, salsa and potatoes. Stuffed, we listened to traditional Guatemalan Marimba music and danced along with all of the staff, enjoying our final night in beautiful Comalapa. 

The night ended with Feliciano recounting the Guatemalan Civil War for us, which only occurred in the past two decades. Many many citizens were killed, as the rebels didn't have uniforms and the police openly fired on anyone. Because it was so recent, the effects of the war can still be seen today on many communities around Guatemala. Along the streets, various political parties campaign through street paintings and posters. In many political elections, there still exists violence, and the political system is still fraught with corruption. 

Finally, we got ready for bed and our trip to Lake Atitlan the next day!