Welcome to the Jungle

Guatemala, where the jungle vines grow over the electricity wires. Nature fighting back against the creeping construct of modern life. Modernisation runs adverse to much of the Mayan legacy and yet even the jungle does not give up. A country with a culture that runs so deeply connected to all living things.

International Vision Volunteers arrive in to Guatemala City airport. We gather in the nearby café and look for our driver Henry. When the bus pulls up the driver team pack it with the luggage, some of it more carefully than others as some bags contain sensitive medical equipment.

The team are back in full force for the International Vision Petén Project. In the intervening years since our first trip here in February 2022 Cheryl, the founder of IVI, has given a huge commitment to bring the 2025 trip to fruition. This year most importantly includes cataract surgery.

We are truly international, USA; Canada; Brazil; Denmark; Haiti; Ireland and, of course, Guatemala.

The advance team, Bill and Melissa, have been here a week already along with Tania. And Cheryl who arrived even earlier in January to ensure that all logistics were in place. This advance team have spent the past week screening patients for eyeglasses and for cataract surgery in three of the 14 communities of the Petén region.

The optometry team screen for vision and eye health. Patients that need a prescription can choose eye glasses from a large selection of donated frames. These are taken back to the US, fitted with the prescription lens and will be brought back here to dispense in March or April. Patients are offered cataract surgery if suitable. A number of people are scheduled to come to clinic later this week.

The surgical team and support have left Guatemala City. After the initial introductions, some catch up by those who worked together in Haiti, we soon settle down for sleep. The background is a constant sound of busy traffic right through the night. In the early morning we are awake and ready for the first stop of the day. Coffee, snacks a bathroom break. We are now awake and the conversation takes off. We pass the lush vegetation edging down to the road and the sporadic buildings along the route. Some in a state of disrepair. The road is bumpy in parts. The speaker is out and the music is in full flow. Each trip has a theme song and we think we have found this year’s winner already, courtesy of the four Danish medical students. But we still have many miles to go and a few more stops.

One highlight of the week is the moment we arrive at Jungle Lodge Hotel, spilling out of the bus to shouts of greeting for Tania, she is laughing. Henry the driver tells her we are the best group he has ever had on the bus. Bags off, rooms located. After two days of travel and that bus ride it is bed for some of us; right through to early the following morning. Those who stay for dinner make an early night of it too, there is a long week ahead.

The rain has postponed our group trip to the ancient Mayan city of Tikal so we will do that tomorrow. Jungle Lodge does its best to be an ecofriendly option. Our wooden cabins are surrounded by tropical trees; exotic birds and maybe even some Howler monkeys. In the jungle the mighty jungle International Vision sleeps tonight..