021. The AtiTrip Begins

I stepped out of my house a little bit late for the first day since we started and I was afraid not to be at 7 at the circle. During this trip I found out that only Diego and me have been all days on time, Isa was the third one but she got late last week because a car crush (she is fine, don’t worry... only a little bit worried but she found out she the guy she crushed it was a friend’s parent hehehehe).

Well I got on time 6:56 ufff... and to my surprise we skipped the morning meeting because we had many missing persons and also we have a lawyer waiting for us.. yes a LAWYER!!! He was there for us to sign the disclaimer for the trip. Well as my years related with lawyers taught me I actually read the document, it was only a declaration that we were individually responsible for the trip. But I realized that many of the pioneers didn’t read the paper, actually that was the first thing that the lawyer  talk to us and then he read the full document. (Fausto I think was his name... so appropriate name for a lawyer hehehehe) (Be educated and read Goethe and you will understand the joke, lol)

Then the guy of the bus called me and I tell that to the guys who start going out. Then Bert who was still working on getting ready the binders told us to come back. Then he gave us the binder and a couple of readings and schedule. The we departed to the catch the bus. Problems with communication made Carmen and me to accept a ride from Lorena who thought that the bus was at Las Margaritas Mall not the UFM Margarita’s entrance and this made us get almost 15 minutes late!!!! We were called the VIP’s aka the Very Irritating Persons. Ohh well... then we departed for sure.

The travel was smooth and we arrived Pana 3 hours later. Then we took a boat to Santa Cruz and another incident happen. When negotiating Alejo and Bert got a price of Q150 for the 18 persons but when we arrived at Iguana they told us that it was now Q180!!!! Can you belive that? Well some people get really mad Bert and Lola included more because the guys of the boat approach the manager of the hotel to protest about us! Well you can say it was only Q30 (about U$3.50) but it was more than that it was about principles and honoring a commitment. Well we finally paid the price they asked but this will proved during the week a point about our own learning.

Then we had lunch and after that we have a meeting (mpceers correct me if I’m wrong) and then we divided a set of questions about the MPC that each student had to work on.  We were alloud to change so I did with Chacho and I got: “How MPC students learn the economic principles of a free society?” Wow what an amazing question it was my mind got happy because I got in touch with UFM almost 4 years ago trying to get more info about this. I wanted to be an economist after I graduated... well that is another story for another time. As Bert would say (correct thing to do, wrong time).

The thay keep unfolding with such a nice background that makes you realize how limitated are words to describe the greatness of some experiences. But don’t misunderstand me they do can help if can revive the experience you had. So lf you have ever been at Atitlán you will know how astonishingly beautiful the lake is and add to that the fact that you are joined with a group of committed inlove with their learning. What a great week was ahead!