imagine.................Guatemala

As we headed for the Guatelmalan border, through the lush countryside of southern Mexico, our combi driver ejected the tape playing the ever present ranchera music. I then heard the familiar sound(to those of us over 30) of a new tape clicking into place.............then soft whispers of John Lennon's fingers on the piano. We were listening to Imagine, pushing toward la frontera.................and i took it as a good sign.

Guatemala.......where do i begin. first i will say that Guatemala is NOT Mexico. for those of you all that hold the idea that all countries south of the US border are the same. NO. no es verdad. the land. la tierra. is different. es diferente. la gente. the people. es diferente. are different. and there is nothing quite like being in the junge during the rainy season. like buckets of water being tossed on your head from the heavens. it's warm and wet. to the socks. to the underwear. to the pore. to the core.

we were in Xela(Shay-la) for a couple days. not so exciting. typical city. big. dirty. traffic. market. poverty. department stores. people walking. people begging. students. tourists. noise. men in suits. crafts. fast. pizza. beer. sports bars. the indigenous.

leaving Xela..........after 51/2 hours on the chicken bus(use your imagination) we landed in Santiago de Atitlan and i was horrified. wet wet rain. grey day dripping soggy ugly steets. muy feo. muddy dirty backpack self. looking around. where are we and what the hell are we doing here??? our traveling companion, Petra, content to find some rainless spot to smoke a cigarette. relax. we stayed. room number 9. and, again, i took it as a good sign.
2 days later my immpressions were changed. the people are kind and humble. so much poverty. so much peacefulness. and some depression and aggression. indigenous city. interesting place. not too touristy. streets full of the stench of piled decaying garbage, plastic, peels, paper, rubble, rancid. yet alive with colorful women chatting, walking, laughing. boys playing futbol(soccer) barefoot in the rain. very old shrivled shoeless women limping the wet streets peddling whatever little trinket they can. stripped of all dignity. i just want to hug them and cry. or to scream.

but Guatemala is so lovely and ironic. green, greeeeeen......almost unbareably eternally green. jungles, slopes, waterfalls, volcanos, coffee plantations, maiz, windy roads, valleys, crazy bus drivers. rich in resources. poor people. work and suffering. family. i have much to learn. to grow. to know. to forget. to be. to become.
...............Mary