Greetings from Guatemala

Dear Parents,

It's been a whirlwind of activity since I joined the group in Xela last week. I arrived at our hostel about 30 minutes prior to your girls, after a 24-hour journey. The group arrived after a 10-hour trip from Chiapas, so we were all road weary. Still, the girls welcomed me warmly, and I passed along your hugs, letters and best wishes. There was a day of classes, preparation for backpacking and by Friday, we were up at dawn, will overfull backpacks, hiking to the starting point of a significant hike from Xela to Lake Atitlan.

I was lucky enough to join the girls for one of the three major days of hiking -- 12 miles of variable trails, roads and pathways winding through the Alaskan grasslands, the cloud forests and remote villages. The first day, we topped out at over 3,000 meters (over 10,000 feet) and gained and lost quite a bit of altitude altogether. The girls were amazing troopers, hiking steadily with out complaint. We finally made our way to Day 1's destination -- a municipal building where the girls laid out their sleeping pads in a circle, collapsed on them, and waited patiently for a much deserved pasta dinner. While we waited, three at a time, the girls hiked up to a nearby sauna-- where they could soak in the warmth and clean the dirt and grime of the day away. The next morning, I departed the group to join the parents arriving in Antigua. The girls, however, continued on their trek. I'm eager to hear how the last two days transpired and to catch up on all I missed. I know you at home feel the same way.

We'll be sure to contact you when we're all together at Lake Atitlan. Tonight the parent group and student group will join forces. We'll have a group dinner and begin our time together. We wish you could all be with us, and we promise to bring back more stories and photos to share.

Hugs to you all. You are missed!



Jennifer