A Week in Guatemala -- a few sights around town

This hospital (yes, hospital) was directly across the street from the little hotel where we spent our nights.   It's actually a large property with a huge courtyard when you see it closer.  This is just one of the entrance gates.  The church people in Coatepeque have a ministry in this place and go several times a week to take coffee and encouragement to those waiting with their loved ones, especially in the children's ward.  The mothers have to sleep on the floor next to their sick children, so the church women made some pallets to make them more comfortable.  Sadly, there are often so many children that they have to put two in the same bed.

The yellow building with the orange stripes is the Kamali Vic Hotel where we stayed.  Interestingly -- and revealingly -- there are funeral parlors on both sides of the hotel and two more within one half block.  Remember, this hotel is facing the hospital.  Do you notice the person riding the motorcycle?  Do you see anything missing?  A helmet, maybe??  There were hundreds of motorcycles being driven in this town, and we didn't see a single helmet.  

I thought you might enjoy this little picture.  $464.90 dollars for 13.67 gallons of gas???   No, not quite.  The unit of currency in Guatemala is the quetzal (which also happens to be the national bird).  The exchange rate while we were there was 7.65 quetzales (they call them Q's) per dollar.  So, the total bill here is actually $61.17 American dollars or $4.47 per gallon.  Higher than here.  Which begs the question -- how can they afford to drive anywhere when their salaries are so much lower than ours?  It also explains the prevalence of motorcycles.