This past weekend, I got to run away with two inspiring girls to Monterrico, a beach town on the Pacific Coast that is made up of small tropical shacks hanging with hammocks and miles of black beaches of volcanic sand. It was a weekend of getting back to the basics, finding simplicity again, and just generally getting refreshed in every aspect of my life. I needed to get away with my thoughts, and during those 2 days I looked long and hard at my plans for Mexico. For those who don't yet know, the two friends who were supposed to come with me to Mexico had to change their plans, and while I have 2 other people I could go meet there, money is getting tight and my original plans have fallen through. It's not such a bad thing, though, because at the same time as these scheduling hiccups were happening, I have been feeling that there is so much more to see in Guatemala than is possible to discover in 8 weeks, especially with a teaching contract that leaves no more than 2 days a week to travel around and see things. Antigua is a beautiful city, there is no doubt. But it is widely known that ANtigua is the "pretty face" of Guatemala. It is the tourist town, the place of quaint 'cultural' encounters and Ladies' Night 5 days a week in all the bars. It's the place where you can eat Ceviche ( a typical Guatemalan treat) for lunch and then go next door for McDonald's.
Guatemala is so much more than that. It's a country still affected by the civil war that made hundreds of thousands of missing and dead and ended just over 10 years ago. It's a country inhabited by millions of indigenous peoples who have for a long time hidden their customs from the outside world in order to preserve their culture. It's a land where there are countrysides full of garbage dumps and makeshift huts where a huge proportion of families live in extreme poverty. Guatemala is full of history carved into church walls and relics of pre-columbian history hidden in its jungles. And I want to see that Guatemala.
And so instead of playing the tourist in sunny Mexico, I have decided to stay in Guatemala until the 15th of August and travel around the country with friends, discovering the hidden faces of this country and truly living what I believe to be a raw, pure cultural immersion.
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I think you'll have a fantastic time getting to see the country! I'm excited for you. It's a beautiful place (or at least Nicaragua was and I'm assuming they're similar).
you're also the 5th person this week to recommend Blue Like Jazz... I'll read it when I get home, unless I find it in English here :)
i guess you got it all figured out! you really seemed to understand what this country is all about. if i can make a suggestion though, you should still go to mexico, in chiapas, really! its quite similar as chiapas was part of guate not too long ago and as rich (not money wise of course. the pacific sea, the jungle, san cristobal de las casas, the EZLN, and all those little places only visited by backpackers. but anyway, if you decide to stay only in guate you could go see flores and tikal, really cool. take care liz!! mucho luv
hey elisabeth!
i am typing from 10,000 Villages (with Valéry's permission) :) glad to hear that things are going well. sounds like the decision to stay in guatemala is a good one. we know you'll have lots of stories to tell when you get back. a "thank you" from valéry for the postcard that arrived here in the store.
small group meeting tonight -- a mixed group of billingtons and vermilyeas! :)
continue to enjoy... see you in about a month.
tim
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