Wednesday, February 16, 2011

February 2011: Patience with the Guatemalan way.

The group went on an overnight to Lake Atitlan over the weekend. This lake, surrounded by volcanoes, claims with some justice to be the world`s most beautiful lake. After a boat cruise around the lake we had lunch at Santiago. That night we ate well and watched a spectacular, ever-changing sunset. On the way home next morning we stopped for an hour in Chichicastanengo and shopped in the market for fabrics, jewelry and other treasures, including a carved wooden flute.

Now it is Wednesday. On site one the walls are now above window height and the group believes they will have the roof on by Thursday night. They are now working on the separate walls for the bathroom.

Group two is close to window height with their blocks and will try to have the roof on by Friday. The mason and his helper are relaxed and friendly with us now, especially with the women in our group. Funny how that happens.
Yesterday one of our group was having trouble laying his block, despite the advice he was getting from three other masonry consultants. Henry, our mason, seeing this came over and with a few swipes of his trowel solved he problem. Everybody laughed. We seem to be more patient now than we were at the beginning of the project, more willing to work with the masons in the Guatemalan way.

Brian Metcalfe
DWC Participant

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