Guatemala 2013: Day 8 and 9
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Today was our final full day of the trip. Silvana Ayuso (Vice President of Paramedics For Children) arranged for us to spend part of it at a spectacular residence in the hills surrounding Guatemala City. Infinity pool, hot tub, Foosball, Ping-Pong… and a wood-fired pizza oven where you made your own pizza which was then cooked by our very generous hosts. We had several hours to reflect on a hard week of training and once again marvel at the intensity and dedication of the Fire and Rescue personnel that we had spent the week with.
The day ended with a trip to the City Market, where team members were able to purchase coffee and hand-made goods in order to further remember and cherish the unique environment that we had become a small part of.
There are too many people to thank, but special appreciation goes to Silvana Ayuso, who worked so hard to make the trip possible; the US government, who assisted in making it happen; and Colonels Mazariegos and Lima of the Rescate, who went out of their way on numerous occasions to make us feel comfortable and secure. A very special thanks goes to the members of our team: it would have been much easier to spend that week of vacation with family and friends, but the kind of person that takes up this profession is typically not inclined to choosing the easy path.
We are happy to be back home, but we miss our brothers and sisters in Guatemala. We hope they will always endeavor to stay safe and continue to serve the people of Guatemala and the surrounding countries as talented and compassionate professionals.
Until next time…..
