Friday November 21st, a group of 45 Swedes traveling in the footsteps of a national treasure, sing-and-songwriter Evert Taube, veered off their path and visited Hospitalito Atitlán. Ulf Lewin, the country’s former ambassador to Guatemala, headed the group. We got a chance to show them the current hospital and the new site, where huge rocks are split by hand to make way for the foundation.
Taube traveled the highlands of Guatemala by mule in the 1950s, and came very close to its people, whom he deeply admired. Besides songs, he also wrote magazine articles, which have been collected into a wonderful book. What better way to end the group’s visit than with the Evert Taube song Sololá on the porch of Hotel Bambú? Swedish television’s sing-a-long leader Bosse Larsson, in the colorful hat, led the much-appreciated performance.
