Hi Ariel!
I’ve decided it’s too monumental of a task for me to describe in a single email every aspect of my time here, so I think I’m going to do it in installments. There is so much to write about, with only one computer shared by about 20 people so I can’t in good conscience take up the computer for three hours at a time. For right now I’ll write as much as I can about my observations of the town we’re in, then eventually move on to La Cambalacha, art and theatre, what I understand about the economic situation, and personal social and cultural adjustment.
San Marcos La Laguna
San Marcos is one of many towns situated on the border of Lake Atítlan here in Guatemala. It is a tiny little town with a mix of inhabitants. It is a haven for “hippies with a purpose” (so says my guidebook), and said hippies color much of the “downtown” area and especially near the lake. Much of the economy here is based around New-Agey tourist attractions: masseuses, alternative therapies, retreat centers, energy cleansings, hotels that cater to the youthful and the spiritually minded. At first this arrangement seems to make sense; the natural environment is extraordinarily beautiful, the weather warm and usually sunny, fruit trees, enormous colorful insects, the Mayan women wearing bright traditional dress, music usually being played somewhere, generally blissed-out looks on the faces of anyone who isn’t a local. If there is any place more condusive to embarking on a spiritual journey towards finding yourself / ultimate enlightenment, I don’t know where it is. The town is nestled in a valley at an altitude of 7,000 feet, surrounded by tropical forest, and around the lake rise three (active, I believe) volcanoes, the tops of which are always surrounded by clouds. At night the forests light up with thousands of fireflies, and the moment the sun goes down the churches erupt in (off-key, but well-intentioned) singing of evangelical American hymns translated into Spanish and sung with all the gusto of a Mayan chant (which is a good sound for Mayan chants but not necessarily for English hymns). The mornings greet us with a cacophony of tropical birds (and, more recently, the very loud construction of our French neighbor’s two-story bungalow). It’s a remarkably beautiful place to live and work. The inhabitants of San Marcos are extremely diverse and come from all over the world. There are the indigenous Mayans whose economic situations vary from poor, self-employed artisans (selling flutes, jewelry, bread, tablecloths) that cater to tourists, to fruit and produce sellers (the majority of whom are women), to small business owners (tiendas) to city employees who are paid a livable wage (although it varies month to month) such as policeman (all four of them), city administrators and secretaries, etc; to teachers, doctors and other professionals. My own existence here as a visitor (I consider myself a visitor rather than a tourist because I am actually working here, not going on three month meditation retreats, sunbathing all day and “finding my energy” in various hotel bars) puts me into contact most with the Mayans living in poverty – those on the street who petition me for money for all sorts of things. Gabriela Cordón, the director and founder of La Cambalacha, says that unfortunately there’s no avoiding the fact that, as outsiders and especially as Americans, we are viewed largely as big dollar signs. Part of the amazing thing about working at La Cambalacha is that it provides an opportunity, to some extent, to break down those barriers through daily contact with local kids and teenagers, teaching but also learning. They are very patient Spanish teachers.
All right, there are about four people waiting to use the computer (as it is Sunday and everybody’s day off), so I’ll send this off to you and hopefully be able to get the next installment to you soon!
Hope all is well and sunny in Olympia,
Blythe
