I am very happy to be having the opportunity to return to Todos Santos, Guatemala again this
year. I am one of six staff from Allandale Vet Hospital that has made the long journey which
started Thursday Feb 6, 2014. Our flight schedule started with us leaving Person airport and
heading to Miami. As usual we stuck out like sore thumbs at the airport. All of us had our
personal bag, carry on and 8 totes filled with medical supplies to last the week. U.S. customs
must of thought the same as they called a few of us over and wanted to peek in our totes to see
what we were bringing. With no problems we carried on, and arrived in Miami. With only an
hour and a half to spare before boarding our plane to Guatemala, we grab a quick bite to eat
and off we went.
We arrived in Guatemala City at around 9pm and grab our belongs and supplies. I am always nervous when it comes to customs in Guatemala, as none of us speak Spanish (fluently) and they do not have to let us bring our supplies in, so if they decide to take anything it can ruin our purpose of being here. They looked through a couple of totes questioning the de-wormer products, but once confident that we were not bringing anything bad into their country, we were on our way. Now the hotel we were staying in in Guatemala City was sending a car to pick us up, which was waiting for us when we exited the airport and to our surprise so was Heidi. Now if you don't remember Heidi was a vet in Guatemala that we met here last year. You may also remember her from the hospital as she came to Canada and stayed for about 6 months and worked at Allandale. Now the car the hotel sent was a compact car and could only fit half our supplies and 2 people the first trip. Luckily the hotel was 1 min away so the second group did not wait long, and the rest of us squeezed in Heidi's vehicle. We headed to our hotel, which was very quaint and clean. With a quick visit with Heidi she was on her way and our heads hit the pillow, as our ride was picking us up at 8am. Our drive to Todos Santos is a long one and we were hoping to make it there before dark. Our driver did not speak much English, but he was able to thank us for coming to his country and for providing him with work. Another man was with him, which spoke amazing English and he is employed as a tourist guide, his name was Norman. We were so lucky to have him, as he's enthusiasm to tell us all about Guatemala was amazing. About an hour or so along our journey there is a old Mayan city, so we were able to stop and Norman explained all the history, which was amazing.
Our trip was educational with all the history, but exhausting. We finally arrived in Todos Santos a 6:30pm. With dinner at 7, we quickly dropped our gear and ate dinner. Our hotel this year seems like the Hilton compared to last year, however there is only 2 twin beds in my room with a desk. But the floor is tiled and the walls have stucko, which is a big upgrade compared to cement floors and walls last year. Now the bathroom has no door on it and the shower has no shower curtain which would not be a big deal, however I am sharing a room with Natalie (Dr Lechten's exam room technician). So what we may not of know about each other I am sure we may find out.
We were all quick to bed as the journey here was exhausting. Today is community day, which is were we educate the people and children about responsibilities of owning a dog. There were crafts, games, coloring and painting. I worked at a table that the kids were able to color on the paper and then I would cut it out and tape it in a cube shape. The kids loved them.
I am not sure when the last time any of the kids did crafts, however I am sure it is not a routine thing. It is amazing to see how little these kids have, as I watch I young boy play with a old rubber bike tire, and see a 9 year old girl carry a child on her back and another child on her front. The responsibilities the children have is sad, as I watch one boy who would like to partake in the crafts but can't because he needs to shine shoes, my heart breaks.
We arrived in Guatemala City at around 9pm and grab our belongs and supplies. I am always nervous when it comes to customs in Guatemala, as none of us speak Spanish (fluently) and they do not have to let us bring our supplies in, so if they decide to take anything it can ruin our purpose of being here. They looked through a couple of totes questioning the de-wormer products, but once confident that we were not bringing anything bad into their country, we were on our way. Now the hotel we were staying in in Guatemala City was sending a car to pick us up, which was waiting for us when we exited the airport and to our surprise so was Heidi. Now if you don't remember Heidi was a vet in Guatemala that we met here last year. You may also remember her from the hospital as she came to Canada and stayed for about 6 months and worked at Allandale. Now the car the hotel sent was a compact car and could only fit half our supplies and 2 people the first trip. Luckily the hotel was 1 min away so the second group did not wait long, and the rest of us squeezed in Heidi's vehicle. We headed to our hotel, which was very quaint and clean. With a quick visit with Heidi she was on her way and our heads hit the pillow, as our ride was picking us up at 8am. Our drive to Todos Santos is a long one and we were hoping to make it there before dark. Our driver did not speak much English, but he was able to thank us for coming to his country and for providing him with work. Another man was with him, which spoke amazing English and he is employed as a tourist guide, his name was Norman. We were so lucky to have him, as he's enthusiasm to tell us all about Guatemala was amazing. About an hour or so along our journey there is a old Mayan city, so we were able to stop and Norman explained all the history, which was amazing.
Our trip was educational with all the history, but exhausting. We finally arrived in Todos Santos a 6:30pm. With dinner at 7, we quickly dropped our gear and ate dinner. Our hotel this year seems like the Hilton compared to last year, however there is only 2 twin beds in my room with a desk. But the floor is tiled and the walls have stucko, which is a big upgrade compared to cement floors and walls last year. Now the bathroom has no door on it and the shower has no shower curtain which would not be a big deal, however I am sharing a room with Natalie (Dr Lechten's exam room technician). So what we may not of know about each other I am sure we may find out.
We were all quick to bed as the journey here was exhausting. Today is community day, which is were we educate the people and children about responsibilities of owning a dog. There were crafts, games, coloring and painting. I worked at a table that the kids were able to color on the paper and then I would cut it out and tape it in a cube shape. The kids loved them.
I am not sure when the last time any of the kids did crafts, however I am sure it is not a routine thing. It is amazing to see how little these kids have, as I watch I young boy play with a old rubber bike tire, and see a 9 year old girl carry a child on her back and another child on her front. The responsibilities the children have is sad, as I watch one boy who would like to partake in the crafts but can't because he needs to shine shoes, my heart breaks.
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