Wake Forest Athletics
Blogs: Deacons Hike a Volcano, Volunteer at School
3/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
By Jenna Romano, Wake Forest Women's Soccer (@WakeWSoccer)
March 12, 2015
Today we had an early start as we had to wake up around 7 a.m. to cook breakfast and get ready for the hike. We drove a windy, bumpy two hours to get to the volcano.
During the drive our tour guide, Carlos, gave us background information about Guatemala's people, politics, and education systems. We were extremely surprised and saddened to learn that 55 percent of Guatemala's population is poor. The education system requires schooling from the age 6-15, however with lack of transportation, authority, and resources it is difficult to enforce this constitutional requirement. Despite these difficulties they face, Guatemalan citizens are some of the most genuinely happy people I have ever met. The views as we drove through the countryside were breathtakingly beautiful as well.
Out of the 40 volcanoes throughout the country, we arrived at the Pacaya volcano. We started at 5,000 feet and after a very long, tiring, uphill battle (to say the least) we hiked to 7,500 feet (which is about 3.7 miles in all). Young boys on a pack of horses followed us up the mountain (all of the horses named Champion) in case we needed assistance getting up the active volcano. Although it was very, very tempting, we pushed through the pain together and the view at the end was completely worth it.
When we arrived at the volcano there was a lava store where we bought jewelry made of igneous rock from the past eruption last March and we roasted marshmallows in a lava pocket. After hundreds of pictures, we hiked back down and got back onto the bus where our lunch was waiting for us. As soon as we finished eating, our entire bus fell asleep; hiking definitely took all of the energy out of us.
Next, we went to the Elementary School that the BFB foundation built. Since the school was technically closed for the day because the water was not working, not all of the girls were in attendance. But for the handful of girls that were there, we were able to play games and enjoy every second spent with them. They were some of the cutest little girls in the world, full of energy and love.
After spending time at the school we went back to the condos and finally washed off all of the volcano dust that covered our bodies. The time before dinner was spent either napping, doing homework, or relaxing since we were all pretty worn out from the long, hot day. We went to a really great Italian restaurant for dinner at 6:30 and before bed we packed up our things since we were moving to a different location the next day.
By Maddie Brock, Wake Forest Women's Soccer (@WakeWSoccer)
March 12, 2015
Hey everyone! It's Maddie again.
On Tuesday we began our day by going to the Socorro Boarding School. None of us expected how expansive the school was. The girls escorted us to seats covered in bright and intricate fabrics, and we sat down in an open courtyard with a fountain in the center.
Some of the girls made opening remarks, speaking in both Spanish and English. After, various girls performed dances and songs, inviting us to join in. We spent some time meeting the girls, then followed the head nun on a tour of the grounds. The campus seemed to go on for miles, with historical buildings, courtyards, and gardens covering the site.
Following the tour, we were led to a court in the middle of the dorms where a soccer game among the young boys and girls was happening. Of course we had to join in. It was an amazing experience being able to interact with the children, observe their excitement towards the smallest things, and increase our understanding of the Guatemalan school systems. Needless to say, it was a great day.
