It’s happened on my travels before.
I’ll head to a destination with the intention of staying for only a day or one
night and find myself extending the stay. There are certain places that have
that appeal, an energy that is impossible to turn away from. Some places are worth the cancellation
fee, the discomfort of wearing the same wardrobe for days, or missing an
absolute must-see that was once etched into the itinerary.
On day two in
Guatemala, I had only spent 20 hours in Antigua. That’s barely enough time to
experience the small town in daylight and already I was heading for the hills.
The Earth Lodge is infamous among backpackers as a place to lay in a hammock,
devour the avocados they grow on the farm or star gaze with the distant view of
Antigua sprawled below Volcán de Fuego. For most of the visitors, the
exerting part of their stay is in the five minute hike up the steep hill in
order to catch the shuttle back to Antigua. For others it can be a safe haven
6,000 feet above sea level to hike the dusty trails that pass through forests and the square tin houses that belong to residents of El Hotal.
Perhaps it was
her British charm but when I was presented with the opportunity to spend a
night in the dorm lodge by Emma, one of the lovely receptionists, I jumped at
the chance. This was despite the fact that I only brought my daypack and had
already booked two more nights at El Hostal in Antigua. Luckily, Emma
coordinated with El Hostal to have my backpack picked up by the shuttle driver
and they were nice enough to cancel my reservation. When does that ever happen?
(the answer: almost never).
After Emma
explained the map of the trails around the mountain, I set off to immediately
take a few wrong turns. As usual, heading in the wrong direction proved to be
the best mistake I could have made.
In just a few
steps I met the first of many beautiful children that live in El
Hotal.
I continued on
with my hike, passing by men with heavy stacks of wood loaded on their backs
while they swung a machete by their side, and women carrying a baby in their
arms while perfectly balancing a load of laundry on their heads. Although the
men and women in El Hotal are generally very friendly, it was clear the
children provide the energy that make this community a unique place in
Guatemala.
During a second
hike in the afternoon, I headed towards the center of the community where the
church and school were located. This is also the crossroad where the road dips
downhill towards Antigua. Many children and their families seemed to be leaving
the area. At the time I assumed this meant school was finished for the day, forgetting that it was summer in Guatemala. There were two
boys at the side of the road who were giggling as I passed by, one of them
shouted, “photo” and I nodded before taking a quick shot. When I showed them
the photo they giggled some more. Later on, thanks my impeccable sense of
direction, I found myself passing these boys in the same place once again. This
time they were hanging off a fence like a couple of monkeys. I snapped another
photo of the scene and they ran towards me to view the results. Before I would
let them see the photo I asked them for a high-five, then a low-five, to the
side and then up high. Being 5’8” this meant my hand was way up high forcing
them to run and jump only to miss the target. This game lasted awhile,
eventually one of the boys got the idea to have his friend hoist him onto his
back and finally reach my hand. If it wasn't getting dark I could have played
with these boys for ages, instead I asked if I could take a photo with them
before finding my way back to the Earth Lodge.
At the lodge, I
shared my experience with Emma and another receptionist, Rebecca, both who
volunteered to teach ESL at the school. It turns out the two boys I had
played with weren’t enrolled at the school. In order for a child to be enrolled they must
provide their birth certificate which involves a trip to Guatemala City, a
costly and timely task some families can't commit to. A few years ago the Guatemalan government bought the school which
was actually built by the community. The government has marked its stamp
by providing some of the resources, such as building cement walls to separate the classrooms, however leaving a two foot gap between the ceilings. There’s still a need for improvement
and as a result children in the community are missing out. Some children are
enrolled in school as late as thirteen years old. By this time the experience
of starting late and being taught among children younger than them can become
far too frustrating for them to gain the necessary motivation. Rebecca and the organization she volunteered for have worked to launch a
pre-school program so the children can begin their education earlier on.
The next
morning, two other girls and I went with Rebecca to help out with the summer
camp program she ran. We watched these kids be kids, playing board games while
begging to use the computers instead, splattering paint on themselves as they painted rocks outside, cheering on the girls while they defeated the boys in a game of
basketball. Sure the view at the Earth Lodge blew my mind, but as it turned out
getting to know who lives at the heart of this community was a much better
excuse to extend my stay.
To find out more
about El Hotal please visit: http://elhatoschool.blogspot.com/