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Published: April 22nd 2006
How can I summarize my experience? What did I like best? What did I find most difficult? Did I enjoy it?
It was a very challenging six weeks. Aside from the obvious struggle to understand and be understood in a place where English was minimal, and where most folks know only a few words, there was also the very real challenge of understanding and appreciating a very different culture. So many things are quite different in Central America. For example, there is no such thing as pedestrian rights, and though it is necessary often to step off the very narrow sidewalks into the street, one must constantly be on the lookout for vehicles speeding past - and I do mean speeding, because although there are man-sized speed bumps, and the occasional speed limit sign, the latter are strictly decorations, and it is amazing the speed you can reach between speed bumps!
Living behind concrete and steel walls, shopping and strolling in a place where there are security guards toting rifles constantly, being approached by beggars (often elderly) every time you slow down, coping with the sights and smells of human urine and doggie doo mixed with that of fresh baking and mountains of fruits and vegetables, being beseiged constantly by the noise and flow of people and vehicles (not to mention the occasional rooster and dog): all of these make for a certain amount of tension and fatigue. One never knows just what might happen next: was that loud bang just some university students setting off fireworks again, or was it someone firing a gun, or (as it once happened when I was there) was it an explosion somewhere nearby? And what does one do if accused of some wrongdoing when you can barely speak or understand the language? Maybe I'm a little paranoid, worry too much. Maybe I'm just getting too old for this sort of thing. One student said she felt much safer in Xela than in her hometown (Rochester, NY). But for a small town prairie boy, it was a little overwhelming at times.
Would I go back? You bet I would. Even considering all of the uncertainty and the risks that are perhaps greater than here in rural Saskatchewan, I would not hesitate to return to that part of the world. For one thing, I have contacts there now, and I'd like to spend more time with them. One has promised me a few days of travel to some very interesting places I have not yet seen. And there are many places I did not visit in Guatemala, let alone the rest of Central America. There is a rugged mountain beauty, and some incredible rainforest with many rare species of birds and animals as well as vegetation. But also, the people there desperately need the presence of folks like us, who can by just being there have a profound impact on the actions of governments and corporations who are not always sympathetic to ordinary residents (let alone the very poor.) And finally, there is so much that we can learn from them about ourselves and our lives here. We share many similar concerns, and we who are easily discouraged and defeated can learn a great deal about surviving hardships and overcoming tremendous obstacles. We can also learn about respect for the earth. We might even learn a thing or two about multiculturalism from a country where there are 25 language groups.
As Christians we believe that all people are our sisters and brothers, no matter where they live, but sometimes we don't act that way. In Guatemala I found people who want enough food for their table and a decent future for their children: those things that are most important to us as well. Though so many have little, I found them to be on average very generous with those in need in their community and hospitable toward those of us who were obviously not Guatemaltecans. I had people approach me with offers of assistance and friendly greetings, things I would not likely have experienced in a similar sized city in Canada. While its true that tourism is very important to them from an economic point of view, it's also true that something of their traditional caring for one another, which has to a great extent been lost among us, is still very much alive.
Yes, of course there are scoundrals and thieves among them, as there are among us. And there are those who desert their families, get drunk regularly, and cannot be counted on. There are also neighbourhoods that are unsafe to walk in, gangs that use violence, corruption in government and the police, etc. The elected government represents only a small minority of the population who also have the money and own the property. And demonstrations and protests are sometimes, as was the case recently with the building of the Glamis gold mine despite the objections of the local people, violently repressed by the authorities. There are also vigilantes who have given up on police protection and shoot suspected offenders on sight. And there is vicious condemnation of one religious group by another, even inside the Christian circle. Basic things such as pensions, health care and education are not available to the poor in any consistent way. In fact, those with vested interests in the status quo deliberately sabotage efforts to education the poor because educated people are not content to be the economic slaves of the rich.
Yes, I enjoyed it, most of the time. And it gave me a very different perspective on life. I am trying harder to eat healthy and get exercise that I have been in recent years. I found I could function quite comfortably on much less food than I was accustomed to consuming, and my diet did not include greasy burgers. In fact, at the first home I stayed in I drank a vitamin rich soy beverage for breakfast and in both homes ate far less meat than I was eating here in Canada. And I walked 20 to 40 minutes each way to get places, instead of jumping in a vehicle and riding three or four blocks. The physical and intellectual stimulation was very healthy for me. It reminded me of what is important and what is not. I was forced to challenge old assumptions and consider new ideas, not only about Central America but about the world (since I was constantly spending time with students from Europe and Asia as well as North America).
I did not become an expert on life in Central America in six weeks. But I do have a number of observations as well as pictures that I am eager to share with others. I have had a rare priviledge to spend time with a people in a very different place, thanks to my church. And I thank all of you who have encouraged me, as well as those of you who have taken the time to read these messages and occasionally to respond with thoughts of your own. I understand some of you were deterred from doing the latter by a message that appeared on your computer screen saying not to respond to my messages. I don't know why that message appeared, and was not aware of it, so if you do see it please ignore it. I welcome your reactions to anything I have written, and your thoughts on how we as Canadians might relate to Central America in the years ahead. I am very interested in organizing another trip to that part of the world in a couple of years and invite your suggestions. When we went to Nicaragua seven eyars ago, ther were persons of many faith groups including one agnostic, and people from 18-75 years of age. There were students, retired folks, and many of us in between. If you have reasonable health, you could do it. And travelling with a group is considerably safer than travelling on your own. And aside from the airfare, the costs of travel and accomodation there are minimal by our standards. You can stay at a very nice bed and breakfast in Guatemala City for under $20 a night. I understand that Mexico and Costa Rica may be more expensive but I am sure that in Guatemala and Nicaragua you can find decent accomodation for around $10 a night or maybe less. So how about skipping that 10 day trip to a beach which is a tourist trap, and get to know the people and live of people with whom our lvies are intertwined: whose juices, coffee and cocoa we drink, and whose fruits and vegetables we eat. You just might also be wearing clothing made there. And you can bet that your financial institution as well as your pension fund has investments in that part of the world. Maybe it's time to learn a bit more about it?
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June Crawford
non-member comment
Thank you
Thank you for sharing your experience. I have enjoyed reading your blog - will miss now that you are home. I do hope to see you soon. I am in Edmonton home May 2.