During a week in Coatepeque, Guatemala a short time ago, we saw many sights that made us stop and ponder what we were viewing just a little longer.  Not only were the sights contrasts to what we’d see “back home,” they were also windows into this culture, these people, and their daily lives.  This hospital pictured above (yes, hospital) was directly across the street from the little hotel where we spent our nights.   It’s actually a large property with a huge courtyard when you see it closer.  This is just one of the entrance gates.  The church people in Coatepeque have a ministry in this place and go several times a week to take coffee and encouragement to those waiting with their loved ones, especially in the children’s ward.  The mothers have to sleep on the floor next to their sick children, so the church women made some pallets to make them more comfortable.  Sadly, there are often so many children that they have to put two in the same bed.

The yellow building with the orange stripes is the Kamali Vic Hotel where we stayed.  Interestingly — and revealingly — there are funeral parlors on both sides of the hotel and two more within one half block.  Remember, this hotel is facing the hospital.  Do you notice the person riding the motorcycle?  Do you see anything missing?  A helmet, maybe??  There were hundreds of motorcycles being driven in this town, and we didn’t see a single helmet.

I thought you might enjoy this little picture.  $464.90 dollars for 13.67 gallons of gas???   No, not quite.  The unit of currency in Guatemala is the quetzal (which also happens to be the national bird).  The exchange rate while we were there was 7.65 quetzales (they call them Q’s) per dollar.  So, the total bill here is actually $61.17 American dollars or $4.47 per gallon.  Higher than here.  Which begs the question — how can they afford to drive anywhere when their salaries are so much lower than ours?  It also explains the prevalence of motorcycles.Have you ever thought about going on a short-term mission trip?  Guatemala is a short plane ride away.  Perhaps this post and the two that follow will stir your heart about the possibilities for you, both for visiting and for serving.

If you’d really just like to “be a tourist” in Guatemala, there are several websites you should study to help with your planning.  Click here, here, and here for some suggestions for staying, eating, and playing in and around Guatemala City.  Just stick to bottled water and no uncooked foods, and you should be fine.  It truly is a beautiful country, and I can personally recommend a sidetrip to Antigua for sightseeing and shopping. There are tours that will pick you up and bring you right back to your hotel. When Steve and I visited in 1991, the political climate was uneasy, but when we went back in 2013, everything was MUCH, MUCH calmer.  Coatepeque is NOT a tourist destination, although there are some lovely people who call it home.  Guatemala City, on the other hand, would give you a cultural taste without stretching you too far away from your comfort zone.  Am I stirring up at least a small interest in having an adventure?  Drag out that high school Spanish and go for it.  🙂