Lago Atitlan

Pictures:
Aeja, Rachel, Sarah and I swimming in the lake after we all jumped off the cliff... have you seen something more beautiful?!
All of the pounds of sand we moved to the second floor of the building.
The last two buckets we had to carry... thats why we are smiling!
I'll post more pictures later!

Every weekend trip we’ve had so far has been amazing, and this one was no exception! Friday afternoon we headed to Lago Atitlan, known as one of the most beautiful places in Guatemala (estoy de acuerdo… I agree).

Friday was a busy day. Señora Patti had surgery Friday morning (it wasn’t too serious and everything is fine!). Marissa and I wanted to buy her a gift, so we convinced our teachers to go to the market with us during class to buy her flowers and bread from her favorite tienda. When we got back to the school, Diana (a friend in Somos Hermanos) had all the makings for sushi and was teaching people how to make it. Who would have thought that my first time making sushi would be in Guatemala?! A lot of the teachers at the school had never eaten sushi, and it was fun watching them eat it for the first time, facial expressions and verbal expressions. All of the teachers wanted to pick apart the sushi and eat the pieces separately, so we had to explain that sushi rolls are much better when taken in one bite. I also told my teacher that my favorite type of sushi is Salmon Roe and she was horrified that I would eat raw fish eggs and actually enjoy them.

School ended at 12:30, and we had to be ready to leave at 1:30. Naturally, I hadn’t packed. So, I ran home to take care of all that and finished with just enough time to make it to the meeting spot. It was a little tricky… we had to pack everything in one backpack because we used chicken buses and it is far too difficult to deal with multiple bags. But then again, we were only gone for two nights and two-ish days.

The chicken bus ride to the Lake was surprisingly calm, for Guatemalan standards… everyone got a seat and we were charged less than we thought. We were also dropped off right in front of our hotel. The drive itself was interesting, however. As we descended into the area surrounding the lake, the road turned into sharp, steep hairpin turns. The bus was too long to handle the turns, so the driver would turn the bus as much as possible, then slam on the brakes, turn the wheel, reverse up the mountain, and then put the bus in neutral and turn the wheel and we’d roll down the road until we hit the next turn. Because we took up the entire road, each time we approached a turn, the driver blasted his horn loud and long. It was really pretty freaky, seeing as the edge of the road was pretty much the edge of the mountain (the way back to Xela was maneuvered in the same manner, and I’m not sure if its better to watch yourself head straight towards the edge of the mountain or know that its happening behind you).

As a side note, I had an interesting conversation with Kate about the whole bus system. Most of the drivers are not educated past 6th grade, which initially makes you feel a little scared that your life is in their hands. Yet, they know everything about bus mechanics, etc. They understand the schedule system (which is literally impossible) and they can confidently maneuver roads such as the one I just described. In addition, there are men, usually in their 20s or 30s, that hang out the edge of the chicken bus and are responsible for helping to load people and cargo on the bus, yell out to people to let them know where the bus is going, check to make sure the bus isn’t going off the side of the road, and then running along with it to jump back on, sometimes riding on top of the bus to secure items… they are so skilled!

And as a second side note… anything and everything can get loaded on the bus. This weekend, we saw a basket of live chickens get thrown on the roof, a bed frame with a mattress and a dresser, millions of boxes of “Cup of Noodles,” baskets of fresh fruits and vegetables. One guy even tried to bring a mule on top. Unfortunately, that one didn’t work out.

We got to the hotel in San Pedro around 5:30ish. The hotel was nice compared to the beach. We had warm water and there was a curtain between the bathroom and the bedroom! There also weren’t bugs (but I still slept in my cocoon just to be safe, and stay warm)!

Friday night, right after we arrived, it downpoured for a good 45 minutes, so we hung out around the hotel. Around 7, once the rain calmed down a little, we headed out to search for dinner. Nobody really knew where we were going, so we wandered around using a little map, basically walking in circles. Then, the power went out, which helped us even more (it was so dark it was pretty impossible to see your hand in front of your face). I think after a good hour of wandering and asking for directions, and getting power back, we finally found the restaurant.

The restaurant was right on the lake and relaxing/tropical looking, although a little touristy. As we walked in, we were greeted (in English) by the waiter… clearly someone from California. He said that because of the power outage we would have to wait for a while because they were behind. At this point, we were all tired and starving and sick of walking around, so we said it was no problem (little did we know it would turn into a 3 hour ordeal).

We sit down to order and Marissa says “Voy a practicar mi Español” and proceeds to order in Spanish. The LA waiter looks at her and says “Please talk in English, I really don’t have time for this.” (We are in the middle of Guatemala… who says that?) Then, Diana asked for a liquado, which is basically a mix of water and fresh fruit in a blender, a really popular drink here. He told her that he didn’t have time to make those either. Talk about rude!

We ended up waiting a good two hours for our food. When it finally came, it was cold. But, I was starving so my shrimp and rice tasted somewhat good (although wasn’t much). That night, we went to a bar full of foreigners, most from California, Australia or Europe. What I learned about San Pedro is that it is pretty much a hippie haven. We talked to a lot of people who just got bored with their lives. They sold their businesses and began traveling around Latin America. When they ran out of money, they learned how to make jewelry and settled down in San Pedro. Most have no intention of returning home any time soon. Definitely interesting!

Saturday morning we were up early to go to breakfast at 7am. We went to this cheap but really delicious little restaurant. Korrin and I shared a veggie/cheese omelet and a huge bowl of fruit (best pineapple EVER) with Greek yogurt and granola. After breakfast, we headed (actually ran because we were really late) to the dock to take a small boat to Santiago, another community about 20 minutes across the lake (there are a total of 9 communities that surround Lago Atitlan).

In Santiago, we walked a good hour and a half looking for the hospital in which we were scheduled to volunteer. After gradually climbing a large mountain, we realized we were a little lost, so we turned around. Apparently, not one of us saw the huge sign that said “Hospitalito Atitlan” because we found it about 20 minutes after turning around.

The hospital was really interesting. If you want more information, check out the website: http://www.hospitalitoatitlan.org. We learned a lot about the history and watched a movie. The hospital was started in the mid 1900s but closed in the 60s during the Guerilla was because it was too dangerous to keep it open. After the war, the hospital was rebuilt. In 2005, just 6 months after re-opening, hurricane Stan swept through the area, causing a mudslide and destroying all of the hard work and the hospital. At a time when the area needed medical help the most, no facility was available. Area doctors began using a hostel to take care of people, and the hospital “spirit” stayed alive.

The hospital that now exists is in an entirely different location from the first. It serves the entire city of Santiago and the surrounding communities of Lago Aititlan. The closest hospital (aside from this location) is about 3 hours away. The hospital only has 16 beds, but it is really nice! I was surprised at how modern it seemed. In addition to providing health and Emergency care, it also focuses on education and provides classes for community members to learn about baby care, nutrition, and other helpful and applicable health topics. It sees about 1,000 patients a month, with most illnesses due to diabetes, birth complications and respiratory illnesses (the population is poor and constantly breathes in open wood fire from cooking). A really interesting fact I learned was that diabetes rates increased with the construction of a highway in Santiago about 10 years ago. The highway allows trucks to drive into the area more efficiently, which increased the availability of sugary drinks and snacks, and thereby further increased diabetes rates in the area. Talk about Public Health and Community Development!

We were under the impression that we would be helping inside the hospital, but our volunteer project involved some serious manual labor. There was a huge pile of sand/gravel in the front yard that we had to shovel into buckets, carry to the back of the building, up the stairs to the second level, and dump in a special location. The gravel is going to serve as the first layer of the floor, I think (the purpose of our work wasn’t really explained all that well). We spent 2 hours shoveling, carrying, lifting and dumping sand buckets. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to finish the enormous pile, although we did make a significant dent. The work was tiring, but we sang songs and told stories to make it easier. We sort of had an assembly line going, allowing people to switch jobs if they got tired, etc. After our work was finished, we were served lunch. I got the vegetarian version (rice, beans, eggs, avocado and tortillas). It was really good after all that work!

In the afternoon, we hung out around the hotel for a while and walked around the town of San Pedro looking at the tiendas with clothing, jewelry, etc. Around 6:30 we headed to dinner at an Israeli restaurant. It was really cool! All the tables were really close to the ground and there were pillows and cushions to sit on. We sat around for a while just talking and enjoying the atmosphere (and realizing that Guatemalan time isn’t the same as American time, aka when you order your food, expect to wait at least 45 minutes). For dinner, I had a sandwich on wheat bread with eggplant, tomatoes, pesto and fresh mozzarella cheese. It was a delicious choice and had such great flavor!

After dinner, a few of us headed to this “pool garden.” Basically, it is a secluded jungle-like yard full of pools filled with steaming hot water. You can rent a pool, bring your own drinks and music, and just hang out. The water is so hot that it is painful when you first get in, and it is difficult to stay in it for too long. But, it was really relaxing in a way! After about two hours of hopping in and out of the water, talking and enjoying the fact that we were sitting in a pool in the middle of a “jungle” we changed and headed back to the same bar we were at the night before.

When we got there, a live band was playing and we had a lot of fun dancing and practicing our Salsa moves. At 11, the band stopped playing. Apparently, there is a law in San Pero that bars must close at 11 (I don’t know why). The bar didn’t close, but they did stop playing music, close the shades, and dim the lights. Just a little sketchy!

The bar actually closed around 1, and we meandered back to our hotel. As we were walking, we heard some music coming from the other side of the neighborhood, so we decided to go check it out. Some sort of open concert was going on, and a ton of natives were dancing and singing. We decided to join in for a bit. There was also a brightly lit room at the corner of the patio, which we thought was a bar. We walked over to check it out, but in reality, it was some sort of death shrine. There was a picture of this old woman and all sorts of candles and flowers, and people were in the room praying. Really, really strange!

Sunday morning, we were up again at 6:30 and at breakfast at 7 (which was a little tough considering we didn’t go to bed until 3ish). We ate breakfast at the same place, and I ate the same delicious meal. Then, we headed out to kayak on the lake and jump off a 25-30 foot cliff into the water.

The kayaking was fun… the lake is so beautiful and the morning was sunny and the perfect temperature. We weren’t exactly sure where the jumping cliff was, so we headed in the general direction and about 45 minutes later, found it. The jump was such a thrill! I only did it once, but it was definitely a drop. Thanks to my awesome hardcore camera, I got some great pictures. We were all goofing around and swimming in the water when someone looked at a watch and realized it was 10:05. We were supposed to be on a bus out of San Pedro at 11. Seeing as it took us 45 minutes just to get to the cliff, we realized we were pretty screwed. We scrambled to get going, and the paddle back was tough. We reduced it to 30 minutes (mostly because we actually knew where we were going), but it was definitely a good workout. Even so, by the time everyone was back at the dock, we had 10 minutes to get back, change, and be on a bus. It wasn’t going to happen.

We figured Kate would be really upset with us, and as we walked back we started brainstorming ways to make it up to her. But, she was actually really chill about the situation. Luckily, there was another bus leaving at 12, so we were okay. The only difference was that this bus would not be direct. We got squished in the back of the first bus, which made all the bumps in the road slightly more painful on the bottom and back. It also didn’t help the stomach too much. When we reached the place to switch buses, it was literally a scramble for life to get off (the buses don’t stop for long, and getting 15 people off a bus takes a few minutes). At one point, the bus started driving away as two people were climbing off. They got off safely, but it was definitely a scary moment!

We crossed the huge highway and waited for the next bus to Xela. It arrived fairly quickly, but when it arrived, it was already jam packed. I looked at it and thought to myself, no way. But, we did it (because in Guatemala, there is always enough space!). We were literally stuffed like sardines, standing and holding on for dear life as the bus whipped around corners and sped down roads. Forget about personal space!

We were all pretty happy to arrive back in Xela and get on solid ground. Most of us looked pretty worn as we climbed off the bus. Luckily, Kate had called ahead and ordered 5 pizzas for us to share at a popular restaurant in Xela. When we got there, they were on the table and ready for us to eat. The perfect ending to yet another unique and amazing adventure.

And that ends my lengthy story. Each time we go somewhere, there is some new challenge or adventure, and I think to myself how lucky I am to be having these experiences! I can only imagine what our trip to Mexico will bring (we leave this Saturday).

Plan Colombia and Conference about Mine Exploitation

This week we watched the movie Plan Colombia, a movie created in 2004 that discusses the drug problem that exists in Colombia. The movie we watched was a newer version, and although it did an adequate job of explaining Military, ParaMilitary and Guerilla warforces, we found the information was provided in a somewhat choppy manner.

In a nutshell, Colombia serves as the number one producer of the drug cocaine (and as the #1 kidnapping country in the world). This crop is easy to produce and transport, and drug traffickers will pay a great deal of money for the product. As a result, many families produce the product just to stay afloat. This presents a difficult question that many in the world must face: As a parent, do you choose the immoral path that allows you to feed your family, or do you choose the moral path that leaves your family with no support?

Currently, the United States runs an incentive program to persuade farmers to discontinue producing drugs. This incentive program pays each family $950.00 a year for living. Unfortunately, essentially no family can support themselves on this amount of money, and therefore, in other words, no incentive exists.

A great analogy was presented. A professor from MIT, quoted in the movie, said: “If China were to come into North Carolina and start spraying pesticide, it wouldn’t be tolerated. But the US seems to think it has every right to fly its own planes through Colombian land, grasping control wherever it can.”

Many of the drugs travel to the United States for use, thereby giving US the “responsibility” to provide assistance, but it is not exactly what we are accomplishing. In addition, the drug trade feeds money into US banks and government (which makes me wonder, does the US government really want it to stop?). Although I am no expert, at a time like this, when US economy is struggling, it seems inevitable that the current drug problem will increase.

The movie discusses ways to fix the drug problems and other complications that currently exist as a result. One option, which the United States is currently practicing, involves spraying entire fields and natural lands in Central America with insecticide. The goal is to kill the drug plants. In reality, it doesn’t even touch the drug problem. Instead, it kills legal and viable crops that families require. The chemicals also cause harm to people and widespread environmental damage. Another option to help solve the problem would be to initiate drug rehabilitation programs in the United States and Latin America. But, this solution leaves an unknown end without instant gratification.

On a side discussion, we noted that when the United States is in economic trouble, social organizations are the first to lose income. Money is put towards military forces because this is the easiest way to gain more money. Unfortunately, this seems to just perpetuate the problem. It is possible that the drug problem in Latin America will increase as the United States deals with its current economic difficulties.

I also learned an interesting fact about American prison spots. The United States will use the current 5th grade reading level to predict how many jail cells will be needed in 10 years.

No country or group of people or idea is perfect. When looking at problems from a far, it often seems easy to figure out an answer (and sometimes not so easy). I hope that some day equilibrium will be reached in which safety increases, the dangerous illegal drug trade decreases, and innocent people and landscapes evade further harm.

Wednesday, August 17th, we had a conference with Jorge Mario, a man that has studied mines in Latin America for many years. We discussed the exploitation of natural resources of Latin America, namely gold and silver.

Mining has been occurring for 40+ years in Guatemala and other Latin American countries. In 1997, a law was created, and in 2001 it went into effect. This law essentially makes private company mining legal… in fact the Guatemalan government “invited” countries to come in and exploit resources. Each region was able to negotiate their own deals, and most chose to have private companies enter. The one exception was Sincapa, but the government found a way to change the minds of those in the community.

Jorge provided us with the names of the 5 largest and most influential international private mining companies in Latin America. They are from Canada and the United States:
Canada:
1) INCO, Ltd., Exmibal
2) Jaguar Niquel, Minera Mayamerica
3) Radius Exploration, Exploracionces Mineras de Guatemala, EXMINGUA
United States:
1) Glamis Gold, Entremares, Explorada Montana
2) ITH Chemicals, Minera Quetzal, Quimicos y Geominas

The Glamis Gold company from the United States is most active in Guatemala, especially in San Marcos. The current “rule” is that 1% of profits go to Guatemala, and 99% go to the private companies. Incredible (somehow, before the law was changed in 1997, 7% went to Guatemala)! In 3 years, 4 billion Quetzals have gone to private US companies and 44 million Quetzals have gone to Guatemala.

Another shocking fact is that private companies make “time negotiations.” In other words, an agreement is made in which allows a private company to mine for 25 years. In those 25 years, the company essentially takes all it can get. In addition, if it finds some new mineral or natural resource, it is not required to report it to the Guatemalan government, and can therefore “steal” it from Guatemala.

Jorge explained three major conflicts/problems:
1) The Guatemalan economy is not strong enough to put up a fight
2) Democratic decision and community consultants chose this path
3) Environment
a. Cyanide is used to separate the gold from the rock. Six tons of cyanide are used each day, and the leftover cyanide flows with the leftover rock into the natural landscape. This affects clean water sources and natural land and causes harm to innocent people.
b. In the process of mining, land is first completely cleared out. Then, holes are blown in the ground to loosen the rock and allow digging and mining to occur. The chemical that is mixed with dynamite to cause the explosion (Jorge couldn’t remember the name) also causes horrible destruction to the environment, crops, animals and people.
c. 250,000 liters of water are used per hour in mining. To put that into perspective, this same amount of water could support a family for 22 years.

Jorge explained that in Guatemala, there are two distinctive sides as to what should be done about this major exploitation. One side feels that negotiations should be made to provide more % to Guatemalan income. The other side wants to completely stop mining and the harm that it is causing to the environment. We asked Jorge what his opinion was, but he wouldn’t provide it because he said he was here to teach and not give opinions. I would like to “side” with the idea that all mining should be stopped in order to decrease environmental harm, but I also know that a lot of money and politics are involved with the trade and that would be easier said than done. I do wish that a healthier way to mine could be developed… a method that doesn’t use harmful chemicals that not only pollute the specific area but spread harmful effects across all of Latin America!

Zunil and Huehuetenango

**Pictures: The city of Zunil, the Iglesia, all of the handmade fabric used for weaving items, inside a chicken bus, a tourist picture of me at Las Ruinas just outside of HueHue.

Friday night, there was another blackout. This one lasted a long time. We hung around the bar for a little, but decided we needed music. As we got ready to leave, the lights and music came on! So, we stayed. We figured the lights across the whole city had come back, but when we left the bar, the entire city was black. It was pretty creepy walking back in the pitch black, and the lights didn’t come back on until the next morning. We also later heard that crime increases during blackouts, so I think we'll take a taxi next time.

I’ve heard that there are many earth trembles due to the fact that Guatemala sits on three volatile tectonic plates, but Saturday I felt my first one! At 6:30 in the morning, I was shocked to feel my bed shaking. Not exactly a normal feeling when waking up! It actually took me a few seconds to realize it… my initial thought was that there was an animal under my bed. The three plates (of which I do not know the names) are the reason that Guatemala has so many beautiful volcanoes. But, they are also the reason that so many cities have experienced destruction within Guatemalan history.

Saturday morning a few of us headed out to Iper and the Scandinavian gym. It is a pretty fancy gym… they’ve got a room full of bikes for spin classes, a whole floor of weight machines and free weights, and another room for aerobics classes, etc. The whole gym has windows for walls. When taking the spin class, you feel like you are biking outside (when in reality biking outside on the streets of Xela is practically a death wish). Rachel and I ran to the gym, about 3 miles away. Eating a breakfast of beans, eggs and tortillas 20 minutes before running was not exactly a fun added factor, but I didn’t really have a say in the time to eat (when its ready, Señora Patti calls my name and I come to a plate of food already prepared for me, sitting on the table… it has its positives and negatives).

In the afternoon, a group of 6 of us headed out on our first “solo” adventure outside of Xela. We all rode our first chicken bus, essentially an old school bus repainted (usually with some sentence about God), crowded, spewing black smog out the tail every time it accelerates and blasting random music, from Black Eyed Peas to 50 cent to Alicia Keyes.

The ride to Zunil was about 30 minutes, most of which was spent stuck in traffic in the middle of a narrow road. The bus dropped us off on the outskirts of the city, and we took a bridge into the quiet city, surrounding by towering and beautiful green mountains. Although it looked much like Xela, it was smaller, there were fewer cars and more people out walking the streets. We headed towards the Catholic Church, one of our destinations for the trip. The church was nothing like those I’ve seen in Europe, but it had its own little charm. I’ve posted some pictures, but other than that, there’s not much to say. Outside of the church there was a small market that was selling all sorts of vegetables and spices and even some meat.

We headed down a little hill (little by Guatemalan standards) to a Fabric Cooperative (Cooperativa Integral de Produccion Artensanal Santa Ana R. L.). There were many beautiful hand woven items, and we were able to speak with the women of the cooperative. We were handed information on a photocopied piece of paper, of course all in Spanish. While trying to read it, I realized that the paper has no punctuation or sentence structure. As if understanding something in Spanish isn’t hard enough! From what I did understand, the cooperative was formed in 1974 as a way to join together the women of Zunil, who were otherwise not allowed to leave the house or accomplish tasks other than house chores. With the products they made, they were able to sell and earn money for the poor community. Today, the products are sold all over Guatemala and Latin America.

We then walked to the statue of San Simon. San Simon represents a “saint” that arrived from Spain bringing medication and help for the people who lived in Zunil. While the help was appreciated, San Simon was still part of a group of people fighting to take over land that wasn’t theirs. He is thought of as a smoking, drinking deity capable of healing, causing bad fortune and bringing good luck. Many people bring to the statue candles, cigars and booze as offerings.

The statue itself is located deep within the city streets, in a dark smoky room. It’s essentially a human sized plastic/wood doll, dressed in a strange mismatched outfit with sunglasses and a hat, and an open hole for a mouth. The people who take care of the statue wash him every day and change his clothes, maintain his smoking habit and provide him with alcohol.

People come to the statue to ask for good luck or wish bad luck upon others. While there, we were able to watch a ceremony. As we walked in, there was a native woman sleeping in the left corner, catching flies. To the right, there were two young girls wearing sparkle shirts and playing with a cat. In the middle of the room, there was a platform with a ton of candles burning. And behind it was San Simon.

A couple with a bottle of Quetzalteco (rum produced in Xela) stood before the statue as the “caregiver” poured the alcohol into a special flask. The “caregiver” then handed the girl the flask and tilted back the statue. As he did so, the girl poured the alcohol into the mouth of the statue. You could see the alcohol going straight through the head of the doll and into a pot below. She served San Simon the entire bottle, and when she was done, regressed back in front to whisper a prayer. It was definitely a strange sight to see and I wonder what the woman was praying! The group of us struggled not to laugh at the situation. I wish I could have taken a picture, but it was another Q10 to do so and I figured it wasn’t really worth it, seeing as pictures never do capture moments like these all that well.

Sunday we left for Huehuetenango at 7:30 AM. We took our second chicken bus adventure, leaving from a different area in Xela (and ended up riding in 6 different buses during the day). The bus ride was long, about 2:30 hours, and of course packed the whole time. We arrived in HueHue about 11, and decided to have some lunch. Marissa had a tourbook that suggested many restaurants, but most of them were closed due to that fact that it was Sunday. So, we found a restaurant close to the central park area that was actually a nice place to relax. The restaurant didn’t have much food in terms of vegetarian, so I ended up having eggs, beans, cheese, plantains and tortillas for lunch… not exactly adventurous food.

The city of HueHue is very much like Xela, except we found almost no tourists or other Gringos. Also, the people seemed to be very nice and helpful when we asked questions about where the buses to the ruins were, etc. At one point, after asking someone about a bus to the ruins, the six of us ran down a street to catch a bus (just imagine a group of gringos running down the street calling out to a bus). We ended up missing the bus and a native woman shouted out from her car, in great English, “he will return to the same place.” As surprised as we were, this made us feel better, although we did have to wait around for another 20 minutes.

The ruins were interesting. The cost was Q5 for natives and Q50 for foreigners. I wasn’t too happy about the difference, but I figured after all the travel, it was worth it (plus, once you do the math it was really only $7.50). Aeja and I were the only two that decided to pay, though, so everyone else waited outside while we were exploring. There was a museum inside the “park” where there were artifacts from the ruins. Aeja and I made friends with the museum owner, and he gave us a little tour of the museum. We also weren’t supposed to take pictures, but he said that since he liked us, he would let us take them. That’s how I got the picture of the skeleton. In Mayan civilization, when people died, they were buried in pots with their knees bent to their chest and their head pointed south, the same as people enter the world. I think that’s pretty cool!

I also saw my first public trash can, and absolute first recycling bin in Guatemala, so I had to take a picture!

This week starts the sixth week of being in Xela. This weekend we travel to Lake Atitlan, and the following weekend we head to Oaxaca, Mexico. After Mexico, we have one more week of classes, and then a free week where I will be going on great adventures with mom and dad. Then, we begin our volunteer work. I’m not yet sure what I’ll be doing, but I’m nervous/excited for practicing Spanish and working in the community.

Los Acuerdos de Paz

Two weeks ago, on August 3^rd, we had a conference with a professor from San Carlos public university at PEILE (Proyecto Educativo Integral Libertad Ensenanza). Basically, it is a nonprofit organization that works with men, women, children and volunteers to build schools, health centers, etc. The funding for the organization comes mostly from the US, Switzerland and Denmark. Their philosophy is to change social injustices and provide opportunities for all to improve life. There are 13 programs in total, and we have the opportunity to work with the organization when we begin our volunteer work. We can teach a class, and I think I might try to teach a ballet class to women and children once a week, but I need to look into the details. If you want to know more about the organization, check out their website at http://www.peile.org/

But back to the Peace Accords lecture… The professor was extremely passionate about his subject, and talked for 3 hours straight about his work and studies. His introduction alone was an hour long. The lecture was translated for us by Erica.

After 36 years of revolutionary war, the Peace Accords were written. The professor explained 7 causes for the war:

1. Exploitation of work to the Spanish
2. Political exclusion and no participation from general population
3. Bad distribution and destruction of land
4. Lack of work and possibilities to produce
5. Discrimination of Mayans and the Indigenous people
6. Lack of education and health
7. Violations of human rights

He explained that the peace accords occurred in three major phases. The first phase (1991 in Mexico) began with the meeting of three groups, the URNG, government and civil society representatives. A mediator of the accords was to be designated, and the designation jumped around because certain people were not happy with the decisions. In the end, a man named Oscar was chosen. During this first phase, the first accord was written, essentially a framework for a way to discuss future accords.

The second phase began in 1994, with the involvement of the United Nations. During this phase, there were many talks between the government and army about those displaced during the war, and what should be done to bring them back to Guatemala. During this phase, accords 2 and 3 were written.

The third phase began in 1995 and included many advances as churches, Mayans, public colleges, the UN, political parties and Guatemalan workers became involved. During this phase the 13 accords were finished. Here they are:

1. January 1994, Mexico: Framework for the following discussions
2. March 29, 1994, Mexico: Discussed human rights, and the right to life. This subject was widely discussed because the army knew that they were responsible for a lot of the pain and destruction the people of Guatemala had experienced. This accord focused on strengthening human rights institutions.
3. June 17, 1994, Norway: This accord discussed the return of those displaced and the establishment of new territories, healthcare, education and work. In addition, a calendar was put together to outline the steps that were to be taken throughout the peace accords process.
4. June 23, 1994: A truth commission was created to figure out those responsible for mass killings. People existed on both the Army and Guerilla side.
5. March 31, 1995, Mexico: This accord was dedicated to the rights of indigenous identity. Our professor was personally involved with this accord, and he felt it was one of the most important. This accord recognized the many Mayan cultures within Guatemala and provided them representation in the government. This was not successful as he had hoped, and he feels that unfortunately, Guatemala hasn’t advanced much in 15 years.
6. May 6, 1990: This accord focused on socioeconomic reforms. A fiscal pact was formed to make rich people pay their taxes, and land was redistributed to peasants. This was not entirely fair, however, because the poor were forced to buy the land they had been working on for centuries, land they called their own. If they were unable to pay, the government took it away and sold it to others. In addition, the best land was expensive, and many farmers were relocated to new land where they could not grow the same products to which they were accustomed.
7. (The professor stopped giving exact dates at this point) This accord dealt with civil society and strengthening, organizing and encouraging participation in Guatemalan affairs. The accord served two functions: to protect national sovereignty and control narco-trafficking (many ex-army members are now leaders of narco-trafficking, violence groups active today). The goal was to reduce the size of the army, and the size was reduced by 30%, but only the lower class members of the army were dismissed, leaving those with the most influence and power at the top. (Our professor said that if he had the option, he would get rid of the army completely and promote education)
8. This accord served to silence the weapons of the army. In explaining this accord, our professor gave us some frightening facts. Unfortunately, this accord was not well accomplished, and drug-trafficking fills the country with violence. In Guatemala, during the war, the average was 11 deaths per day. Now, the average is 21 deaths per day.
9. This accord focused on constitutional reforms, but unfortunately it was voted that the constitution should not be changed. Our professor felt that votes were bought, and the results of this vote were not productive.
10. In Spain, 1996, the URNG was incorporated. Guerilla fighters were reincorporated back into Guatemalan civilization to act as normal citizens. Unfortunately, our professor feels that many ex-Guerilla members who have joined the government today are giving a bad name to the “left” side of politics, but I am not sure of his exact reason for saying this.
11. This accord provided a clear timeline of when each accord should be implemented.
12. December 29, 1996, everlasting peace was declared.
13. There are 13, but he only explained 12…. So I’m not really sure what the last one was!

It was explained that although good in theory, the peace accords are not very functional in practice. Some of the reasons for this include but are not limited to: lack of governmental support, corruption of funding from other countries, lack of URNG support, little help from social institutions, no transparency, reduction of money sent to health programs, and inept people put in charge of carrying out the accords.

This lecture was interesting and I did learn about both the accords and the many problems that Guatemala still faces. It is interesting to be here during the time of the election, and to hear the opinions of natives and others. Most of what I hear is not positive. The corruption is incredible. Candidates buy their position by heading out to rural areas and providing poor with bags of food or wads of cash. They say “vote for me and we will continue to bring you gifts.” Because most of the Guatemalan population is uneducated, it is easy to gain these votes. But in reality, change will not come with these corrupt leaders.

Educated people that I have spoken with are only voting for the “least worst” candidate. Not one person I have talked to believes that change will come, and they say it is hard to have hope when large companies and the rich are so corrupt.

Learning part of the puzzle of Guatemala’s history through this lecture was interesting, and I look forward to continue learning. As I have said before, I would like to hear the other side of the story, but I think I might have to search that out on my own.

Comadrona

Wednesday, August 10^th we had a conference with a comadrona, or a midwife.

The woman, whose name I could not understand, has been doing this type of work for 26 years. A soft spoken woman, she is part of a group of 60 other women who are also midwives. The women are not educated (simply know how to read and write) but their customs have been passed down through the years. She said that everything can be done by the hands and eyes, and that in reality each day of work is school.

The work of a comadrona begins when young women have problems with beginning menstruation. Whether they are early or late, people in the community will come to her to ask why and see if there is a problem they can fix. When women miss a cycle, they come to her to see if they are pregnant. She described certain signs that demonstrate to her that a woman is in fact pregnant.

A comadrona will stay in touch with a pregnant women as she develops, but the real work begins at 7 months. At this time, the position of the baby is determined. If the head is not facing downward, the comadronas have methods for repositioning the baby. If repositioning cannot occur, the woman must go to the hospital in order to ensure a safe birth (about 80% of births occur in the community with comadrones, the other 20% at the closest hospital).

The woman brought numerous plants to show us the sorts of teas that are made to cure various problems such as urinary infections, hemorrhage, morning sickness, etc. One tea, made of the plant Pinpinella, is used to determine if a woman has begun labor. If pains are felt, the woman will be served this tea. If pain decreases after drinking the tea, the woman has not begun labor. If pain remains the same, labor has started.

After birth, there are customs for both the mother and the baby. The mother receives a special bath to help them relax and produce milk. The bath water is made in advance, with a mixture of around 10 different plants and extremely hot water. There is also a special soap made of ashes, plants and grease (she passed the soap around, and it had a funny look and taste, not exactly something I would run all over my body). The lady demonstrated the massage on Geoff, of all people. It was quite hilarious, especially since the woman and Geoff kept entirely serious faces the entire time.

The baby is given a similar bath, although the water is less hot. Then, the baby is wrapped in a special manner. A blanket is wrapped around the body and over the head, and then crossed in the middle of the chest. This serves to strengthen the neck and back of the baby so that he or she will be able to work well in the future. Another blanket is then wrapped around the body and double folded at the bottom. For girls, this serves as protection so that when she grows, she will have a healthy reproductive system. For males, it serves as a symbol for the baby to grow well and always return home.

After the baby is dressed, there are a couple of other customs. A pen is put in the hand of the baby to pass on successful learning. A piece of money is placed in the other hand to give the baby success and the ability to make money in the future. For women, a weaving object is placed in the hand as well to give the girl the ability to successfully weave clothing. Lastly, a mix of chile powder and salt is placed on the baby’s tongue to keep them from saying bad words as they grow. For some, the baby will be wrapped in a third blanket with the arms pinned next to the body. The idea behind this is that when the children grow into the “terrible twos,” they will not reach for everything.

The conference was really interesting, and I enjoyed learning about the traditions (which are much different than any hospital). But, I think I’ll stick to having any future children in a hospital.

Vamos a La Playa Tilapita!

This beach vacation was not exactly the same as the one I experienced a month ago, but it was just as enjoyable in its own way! We left for the beach around 2:30 Friday afternoon. We rode in the same bus we took to get here from Guatemala City, except this time we didn’t have massive amounts of luggage. Compared to the other forms of transportation that we have since experienced, this bus ride was luxury. It took us about 3 hours to get to the shore. Once we arrived, we unloaded off the bus and onto a “Lancha,” a small wooden boat powered and steered by a little motor at the back. The ride to our hotel took us though a mangrove forest. We saw a ton of Pelicans and crabs, and unfortunately trash.

When we arrived on the island, we were taken through the “streets” of the community. Everything was sand and totally secluded… definitely not your tourist location. The walk across the island was not long, and we arrived at our hotel quickly.

Although it was called a hotel, the accommodations were not anything like a United States hotel. The hallways were outdoors and the rooms were very simple. Each room had a toilet and a sink, but there wasn’t really a door to the bathroom, which was initially a shocker but not a huge problem. Each room fit 2 people, and I stayed with Marissa, my friend that I live with in Xela. Considering all we did was sleep in our rooms, it didn’t really matter what they looked like (although I did have a little fear of the cockroaches, spiders and weird worm looking thing that greeted us as we walked in).

That evening, we walked around the beach for a while. The beach is on the Pacific side, and the sand was black. The waves were also huge, I’d say about 10 feet (nothing like the Gulf of Mexico). Dinner that night was awesome! I got grilled fish… and talk about fresh fish! These fish were literally taken out of the water hours before being cooked and eaten. I have to admit I was a little shocked when I first opened the foil wrapping and saw a whole fish… skin, tail, flippers, head, etc. But, I had fun eating it! With a little bit of fresh squeezed lime and salt, the taste was amazing. I have absolutely no idea what kind of fish it was, but it was good and a new flavor.

That night we hung out just drinking and talking. There was a so called “self serve” bar. It was basically a refrigerator that was full of sodas, beer and water. It worked on an honor system, so each time you took something from the fridge, you wrote it down on your “tab.” It was very convenient and surprisingly the prices were very inexpensive (5Q for a soda, 10Q for a beer). We also walked out to the beach. Some who were very under the influence decided to go skinny dipping in the water (I’m not included in that group!). The sky was so clear that night and there was essentially no artificial light, which led to an amazing view of the moon, the stars and the Milky Way. I have never seen so many stars in my life and it was so beautiful! I tried to take pictures but they obviously didn’t turn out.

We spent Saturday day just relaxing at the beach and the pool. I woke up around 7 am and took a nice swim (by swim, I mean getting thrown around in large waves) in the water and walk on the beach before eating breakfast, which was eggs, beans and tortillas. We were warned that the bugs would be horrible, but they weren’t too bad, although I did spend the weekend layered in sunscreen and bugspray with a nice helping of sweat and sand (lovely, I know). I also used my little OFF! bug spray fan thing, which was fairly effective (I slept with that on and next to me which gave me a little more comfort from my little critter roommates, seeing as it was too hot to sleep in my protective cocoon).

We were told that lunch would be a fruit parfait, so we were all assuming an overly sweet mix of fruit and sugar. Instead, it was an amazingly large bowl of fresh fruit… oranges, bananas, watermelon, pineapple, apples. So exciting!

Later in the afternoon we took a ride in the Lancha through the surrounding mangroves. We were told we would see a lot of wildlife, but all we saw was two egrets. Oh well, it was still fun and beautiful! Before dinner, we took a walk on the beach. As we were walking we look ahead and see a group of 3 hogs just strolling along the beach. Who says hogs can’t take their family to the beach for a vacation too?!

That night dinner was the same. After dinner, we were told to head out to the beach, where there was a surprise bonfire and makings for s’mores. It was a lot of fun to hang out around the fire, look up at the stars, and hear the ocean. I’ve always wanted to have a bonfire on the beach!

As we were hanging out around the fire, a couple of little Guatemalan boys approached our group and asked us if we wanted to catch ocean crabs. A couple of us joined them and it was crazy the skill they had! We had a flashlight, but they didn’t even need it. They somehow saw the shiny eyes of the crabs and would just run after them with a stick. Amazingly, they pinned the crabs just perfectly so they wouldn’t die but get stunned. Then, the boy picked up the crab and just ripped out the pinchers so it was no longer dangerous. I held it in my hand and it was a really strange feeling… sort of slimy but at the same time prickly. Then, the boy took it back to our fire, stabbed a stick into it and stuck it over the fire. Soon, there was fresh crab meat to eat. I didn’t eat any of it, but others of our group tried it and they said it was a little gritty from the sand but otherwise tasty.

Sunday morning Rachel and I went on a nice run on the beach and we jumped in the water for a little bit once we were finished. At 9am, we had breakfast (the same beans and eggs and tortillas) and then we set out for our trip back to Xela. Once arriving, we were taken to a bakery for lunch where we had vegetarian sandwiches on whole grain bread, fresh squeezed fruit juice and watermelon. It was fantastic!

Overall, the trip was a great experience. Although not as crazy as the finca trip and not as luxurious as a Florida beach resort, it was full of moments where I just thought to myself… how cool is this?! I’m really excited to be having these experiences and seeing the land not separated from it, but really living in the culture.

Here is a link to the hotel: http://playatilapa.com/hotelrooms.htm

Fin De Semana Libre, Numero Dos

This weekend was our second free weekend of the trip, and it was very relaxing!

Friday night we went out to eat pizza at this Italian restaurant. It was actually really good! We enjoyed eating food that did not contain beans, eggs or corn.

Saturday we learned how to make chocolate from cacao beans. It was an interesting process. You can buy the beans in the market, already dried for 10 days in the sun. Once you have the beans, you separate them into large, middle and small sized beans. Then, you toast each pile separately in a frying pan without oil or water. The beans are ready when you hear popping, sort of like the sound of popcorn, and when the color of the beans turns a deep café color. After this, you let them cool until you can crack the beans and take the shells off (the shells make great fertilizer). Once all of the beans are collected, you send them through a machine called a “Molina.” Large chocolate companies etc. have electricity powered ones, but we used a hand crank machine. It was hard work!

The first time the beans go through, they get squished into a grainy paste. The paste gets sent through the machine a second time, and turns into a smooth paste. As the beans are grinded, the natural oils in the chocolate are released to make it smooth. That paste is then mixed with sugar. For every pound of chocolate, you add a pound of sugar. However, it is common that vendors and companies use 3 pounds of sugar for every one pound of chocolate. This is done because sugar is cheaper then chocolate.

After mixing in the sugar, we sent the sugar/cacao mix through the machine another time. This made an ever thicker yet smooth paste. I think we had about 4 pounds of chocolate, plus the 4 pounds of sugar, so it took a while to hand grind. Once the third process of grinding is completed, the mixture is placed in a plastic bag on the counter. It is important to smack the bag with the palm of your hand for a few minutes in order to further release oils. Once this is done, it is time to make shapes with the chocolate.

Once the chocolate is dry (depending on the climate it takes 1-3 hours), the chocolate is ready to make hot chocolate. All that needs to be done is mix hot water with the chocolate and then add a bit of milk. I’ve actually been just eating the chocolate. It is very strong, but I prefer dark chocolate.

Saturday afternoon I headed to Iper, the Xela mall, with a bunch of girls to go see HP7.2. It was really interesting to see the movie in Spanish. The dubbing was done well. The movie was pretty action filled, and I know the story, so I was able to follow along. It got a little difficult during the speaking and philosophical parts, but I remembered what was said in the book. I will definitely have to see it in English when I return.

The mall in Xela feels a lot like a mall in the US. There is a WalMart and other stores that were familiar. They also had a froyo place! But I was freezing so I decided to pass. We did go into a very will known bakery called San Martin. The place smells amazing! You walk in and grab a basket and tongs and then pick out all the items you want to buy from shelves. The have all different types of breads and mini cakes and pastries.

Sunday, I hiked Cerro Que Mado, a mountain that was challenging but totally worth it! The whole hike took about 6 hours and we climbed 2,000 feet in total. The path was totally empty aside from our small group, and it was so peaceful! It was also nice to breath clean air (our joke here is that we are going to return to the states with smokers lungs and diabetes because the air in Xela is so dirty and every food item is full of sugar). Parts of the trail were very rocky and required thinking prior to moving, but we enjoyed the challenge. At the end, there was a cave that we had to maneuver ourselves through.

Kate gave us directions to the trail head and Geoff, a member of our group, wrote them down. The directions are pretty hilarious. They said things like “turn right at the yellow school,” “when you see three really cute dogs, go left,” “when the trees change type, keep going straight,” “when you see a triangular rock, walk around it and you will see the trailhead.” They were functional though! Aside from one little mistake that took us 5 minutes off the path, we didn’t get lost once!

I’ve attached some links to pictures of the views on the mountain... they are from a photobucket site so I hope they work! I did not bring my camera to the chocolate making class, but as soon as I get others pictures, I will post them!

http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i330/SomosHermanos2011/Cerro%20Que%20Mado/IMG_0618.jpg

http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i330/SomosHermanos2011/Cerro%20Que%20Mado/IMG_0608.jpg

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http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i330/SomosHermanos2011/Cerro%20Que%20Mado/IMG_0613.jpg

http://s1088.photobucket.com/albums/i330/SomosHermanos2011/Cerro%20Que%20Mado/?action=view&current=IMG_0618.jpg

http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i330/SomosHermanos2011/Cerro%20Que%20Mado/IMG_0599.jpg