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Well, we did not get a chance to meet the president, but we did get to meet some cute military guys who camped out next to us. The president was on campus all morning and shifted our classroom and cafeteria a bit, but I guess he was just too busy to come and say hello. The military guys were very informative and funny at the same time. They were stationed on campus over night to help build the parimeter and protect the president. They said they were the third line of defense behind the secret service and then the police. There were so many people walking around campus with huge guns, it was sort of scary, but interesting at the same time.

Maria De Los Angeles, or Maria De Los for short, was a former student of Dr. Clemente´s and obtained her Masters degree in Counseling at the University in Guatemala City. Maria came to speak with us about her story and life as an indiginous, educated woman in her society. I thought she was very informative and gave us much insight into her life. At birth, her path was determined by the Mayan Calendar. She was to be a healer and she struggled with her decisions to take on her path as a healer. It seemed that each life occurrence happened for a reason, thus bringing her to a University to complete her Master´s degree, which is a huge feat for an indiginous woman. From much respect, she is also the Mayor of her village which is basically unheard of since she is a woman and she is single, without children. I respect Maria for telling her story and giving us the hope and strength that she has. She crossed many barriers and is paving the way for other little girls or boys who want to pursue an educational path.

We went to two little towns on the lake that were not big at all and not very touristy. I enjoyed the tranquilness of the villages and seeing the day to day life of the townspeople. Each town we go to seems more and more open to foreigners. The children seemed especially open to us as we walked through the towns and wanted to take pictures with us just so they could look at the picture through the digital screen. I noticed the women´s head scarves or hats differed in the two towns again and I wonder what the symbolism is behind the different hats or scarves.

We also got to stop in Solola and walk through the busy market. I guess Tuesday is market day and many traders come to Solola to trade goods or shop. I could have sat there all day and watched the transactions take place.