Bonding by Drag: the Magic of Backpacker Friendships

Treating ourselves to a mini-vacation, my coworkers and I spent this past Saturday at the infamous Iguana Perdida hostel in Santa Cruz, a small Mayan town on Lake Atitlan. Santa Cruz is a charming town with a welcoming atmosphere and a stunning view of the lake and bordering volcanoes. However, the town’s real tourist draw is the Iguana. Located right on the edge of the lake, the hostel is the quintessential backpacker hotspot. Not only does it possess bohemian dormitories tucked into the jungle of banana, avocado, and palm trees, but the Iguana also provides diving lessons and certifications, a Mayan sauna, hammocks, Spanish classes, weaving instruction, pool tables, guided hikes, kayaks, a library, and a lounge complete with a fireplace and a huge flat screen, cable TV.

Every night, the hostel provides an all-you-can-eat, family-style dinner, in which hostel guests all sit at long dinner table and swap stories of their travels. My friends and I were fortunate to be at the hostel not only for BBQ night (I had been missing BBQ so much!), but also for the hostel’s notorious cross-dressing party that occurs each Saturday. Raiding the Iguana’s costume closet (yes the hostel has a costume closet), we quickly made friends with the other guests as we all helped each other to select the most ridiculous outfits possible. For example, while I sported a fuchsia business coat and a one piece floral jumper that could have possibly once been a bathing suit or maybe an adult diaper, Hudson donned a pink terry cloth dress, cowboy boots, and a sunhat. Lawyers and business men in the United States, thirty-year-old heterosexual men wore outdated prom dresses and sundresses, while two pairs of newlyweds sported tacky makeup and MC Hammer pants. By and large, the evening was a classy affair.

With all of us decked out in the “fancy dress” required for dinner, we ate our BBQ and tried to take each other seriously as we discussed travelling, life, and work. Following the meal, everyone began dancing and playing games like musical chairs, limbo, and other games commonly found at 4th grade birthday parties. The fun lasted well past midnight, until everyone went to bed, fearful of the blackmail photos that were sure to emerge from the earlier festivities.

For me, the evening at the Iguana perfectly embodied one of the reasons for my love of travelling. Throughout my life, I have been blessed to have backpacked in many countries, including the Dominican Republic, the majority of Western Europe, and Germany for the FIFA World Cup in 2006. I have most often travelled alone, but no matter the destination, I have always met fellow backpackers and have left the place with new friends and memories. Innumerable people have shared a similar experience. In hostels, it is very common and almost expected for strangers to meet and immediately make plans to grab dinner or go to a local bar. Somehow, making new friends is just easier when you are travelling.

I believe that these quickly established friendships are not just random phenomena or trivial occurrences, but that they are in fact the most magical parts of the backpacking experience and should not be underestimated or overlooked. Last Saturday, I helped strangers to cross-dress. I cannot say their favorite stores, their political opinions, or what cars they drive, but I can say that we now share a bond, a common memory that we will cherish for years to come. And thus is the magic of travelling. When you meet another backpacker in transit, the superficial facts about his life cease to matter. You both occupy a liminal space, that is to say that you both are living in transit and out of your comfort zones, and this mutual liminality creates profound bonds based on shared experiences rather than common interests or opinions. While the bonds between backpackers are in no way better than the friendships established at home, these connections are special and magical both in their depth and in the speed with which they are forged.

Perhaps the power of liminality applies to even more than friendships. Perhaps, not in the routines of daily life, but instead in the breaks from these routines can a person can best strengthen his self awareness and world perspectives. I do not know if this idea is true or not, however I do hope that everyone can and will seize the opportunity to travel and experience the magic of life outside of their comfort zones.

Peace
Ginny Savage

A Sunny Day for Guatemala

This week has marked a rare occurrence in the Guatemalan highlands. Throughout the past seven days, every afternoon has been sunny. Not only has it been sunny, but it has been warm and downright pleasant.

For those of you who are not familiar with the climate of the Guatemala, the highlands do not boast the balmy, tropical weather that is associated with the rest of Central America. On the contrary, the Guatemalan highlands and Sololá, located 6500 feet above sea level, normally host temperatures ranging from 60°F to the low 70’s. The region has only two seasons of the year: the rainy season and the dry season. Currently in Sololá, we are approaching the end of the rainy season which lasts from May until November, yet sometimes I feel that “rainy” is an understatement. Like clockwork, every day begins with a beautiful sunny morning, and then at 2:00pm, the skies open and rain dominates the remainder of the day and evening. The street next to our house becomes a river, we cannot see out of the windows, and all motivation to venture outside ceases.

Nevertheless, the past week has been gorgeous and sunny. Between drying our clothes outside, opening the windows, and sunbathing on the roof, my fellow PD’s and I have been taking full advantage of the UV and overall pleasantness.

Coinciding with the beautiful weather was Guatemalan’s 189th Independence Day, celebrated annually on September 15th to commemorate the country’s freedom from Spanish colonial rule. Throughout the country, the numerous cities, aldeas (villages), and even schools all celebrate the holiday with their own unique fiesta that begins on the night of September 14th and continues all through the following day.

Absorbing ourselves in the holiday spirit, my group and I celebrated Independence Day with the Primaria Central in Chaquijyá and the event was quite the fiesta. What an amazing experience of the local culture! The festivities began on the afternoon of the 14th with the annual running of the torch. To give you a mental picture of this episode, let me paint you a verbal image. Imagine: 250 primary school children. All of them are running several kilometers around the community, even on the Inter-American Highway next to speeding semi-trucks and motorcycles. All of them are carrying jerry-rigged torches made from recycled tin cans that are strapped to measuring sticks, and that contain burning, gasoline-soaked paper. Imagine further: six awkwardly tall gringos who were not forewarned about the event, trying desperately with their skirts and heavy purses to catch up to the crowd of racing children. Sporting inappropriate footwear for running, two of the girls (myself included) cannot reach the rest of the group. Lacking options, they must accept the kind offer of an old Mayan gentleman, and hitch a ride to the school in the bed of his pickup truck. And so was the story of my Tuesday night. Though full of unexpected occurrences, I loved every minute of it.

Following our jaunt through Chaquijyá, we joined the school’s teachers for a traditional dinner of eggs, beans, and tortillas, and then sat ourselves in the basketball court-turned-auditorium to watch several performances enacted by the students. These performances continued throughout the evening and all through the next day, and it seemed as though the whole community came out to watch. Hundreds of parents, siblings, and friends laughed and cheered as the students performed traditional and modern dances, poetry readings, and popular Guatemalan songs. Personally, my favorite act was a country-western dance to the Spanish rendition of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (“Eclipse Total del Amor”) performed by five first-grade boys wearing blue jeans, cowboy hats, and boots. No other word comes to mind but this: priceless. Overall, the days’ events were both fun and eye-opening, and I feel so honored that the community would invite my group and me to participate.



Despite all the fun, throughout the festivities, I could not help but wonder why Guatemalans celebrate this Independence Day with such enthusiasm. Once again, the holiday honors the day in which Guatemala gained independence from Spanish colonial rule in 1821, yet this date hardly marked the beginning of the people’s real freedom. Following its autonomy from Spain, Guatemala was controlled by a Mexican regime and subsequently by numerous dictators, military juntas, and corrupt presidents until the recent conclusion of the devastating Civil War in 1996. So why does Guatemala celebrate its independence from Spain? Why not celebrate its independence from Mexico or a dictator, or even the end of the civil war?



I believe that the independence from Spain is special because it represents the beginning of modern Guatemalan history. Before 1821, Guatemala’s past consisted of the Maya history and the Spanish history. Though the two histories frequently interacted, or more accurately conflicted, they were separate and could not be unified from a single narrative perspective. It seems to me that Guatemala’s independence from Spain marked the melding of the two histories into a single story. Whether they originated from Spanish or Maya descent and cultures, residents of Guatemala became Guatemalan in 1821 and their lives became inseparably linked. Therefore, although the country would experience both authoritative and civil oppression throughout the following two centuries, every trial and every success still became a part of a history unique not to Spain or to the Maya, but to Guatemala. Every event has shaped Guatemala into the mystifying and complex country that it is today, and thus the beginning of this history is duly celebrated.



Thank you so much for your support and I will have more to come next week!

Peace
Ginny

Living in the Land of Natural Disasters

As most of you know, throughout all of last week, Guatemala was afflicted by torrential rainfall, which in turn caused widespread landslides and flooding, and also forced several people to evacuate from their homes. I am so grateful and happy to report that everyone in my group and in Chaquijyá is fine and that our house is still standing, but I cannot say that we were not affected. Although none of our personal experiences were life-threatening, most of us encountered some aspect of the national crisis firsthand, in particular the landslides. Let me start from the beginning:

This past weekend, both Hudson and Dana had returned to the States to celebrate Labor Day with friends and family, and so Kat, Jared, Karen, and I remained at home. Per usual the sensible member of the group, Karen stayed at home in order to relax and prepare for her own upcoming trip to America. However, unexcited by the prospect of remaining in the house all weekend during the rainstorms, Jared, Kat, and I decided to spend our weekends exploring other areas of Guatemala. While Kat chose to visit Guatemala City with a local friend from Peace Corps, Jared and I made up our minds to travel to Xela, Guatemala’s second largest city and backpacker hotspot. All of us greatly enjoyed our trips, but the journeys to our destinations were somewhat of a different story.



Primarily, during her trip to Guatemala City, Kat’s chicken bus was forced to stop because of a landslide that had not yet been cleared from the road. Reluctant to wait for several hours until the bus could pass, Kat and her friend instead followed numerous other passengers and traversed the landslide on foot to where other buses were stationed on the other side. Little did they know, this landslide was the very same slide in the news that had crushed a bus and killed several passengers. While walking through the debris, Kat not only saw the crushed bus, but she also witnessed the removal of bodies from the vehicle. Powerless to help or even avoid the situation, Kat and her friend just continued their walk and tried to be grateful for their own safety.



Likewise, about an hour and a half through Jared and my journey to Xela (which is normally a two hour trip), our chicken bus also was stopped because of a landslide blocking the road. Having befriended two very sociable Guatemalan women, Jared and I followed our new friends and also decided to walk through the slide to the other side. Well, the “one” landslide that we needed to cross was actually four different landslides. After several kilometers of arduous walking, we finally arrived at the end of the wreckage and reached our destination in one piece, yet upon arrival, we learned that we had been even closer to disaster than we had realized. As it turns out, later that day, additional rocks and mud slid down the mountain and buried several men that had been clearing one of the landslides over which Jared and I had walked earlier. Only missing further tragedy by a few hours, I cannot help but feel as though something or someone must have been looking out for us.



As I ponder the past week’s events, I realize that death is an omnipresent factor in the lives of Guatemalans. Not only has the country recently emerged from a brutal Civil War, but the U.S. State Department lists Guatemala as one of the most dangerous countries in Latin America, with more than 25 murders committed every week in the capital city alone. Additionally, between the torrential rain, landslides, earthquakes, and volcanoes (there are 33 of them in Guatemala, 3 active) that frequently afflict the country, Guatemala truly seems to be the “Land of Natural Disasters.” I often wonder: how do these people cope with so many tragedies? How can Guatemalans retain their famous friendliness and optimism in the face of natural disasters and violence?



I believe that this resilience is the product of the common perceptions of life and death. Unlike in the United States where most people cope with the fear of their own mortality either by ignoring death or by overexposing it in video games, movies, or other media, Guatemalans accept and embrace death as a natural component of life. Instead of dismissing death, Guatemalans openly acknowledge their mortality and give thanks for the lives they have led. Instead of allowing fear to dictate their work schedule and personal lifestyles, Guatemalans continue with their lives despite rain or violence. Instead of paying thousands of dollars to spend their final days in the sterile and unfamiliar rooms of a hospital, most Guatemalans prefer to die at home, surrounded by family and friends. In fact, as they lay on their death bed, many Guatemalans even keep their coffin in the room with them. Yes, death is tragic and should be mourned, but it is the final destination of all humans. Perhaps, by only by accepting death, can a person truly live. As my time with MPI passes, I have come to admire this shared outlook, and I realize how much I can learn from the Guatemalans with whom I work.



To end this very lengthy blog on a humorous note (thank you for bearing with me), I experienced my own mini-adventure during my trek through the landslides. In the first slide, I stepped from the road onto the wreckage, and immediately sank up to my waist in thick mud. Luckily, Jared was able to pull me out, but I did lose both of my sandals that I had been wearing. And let me tell you, crossing landslides is one thing, crossing landslides barefoot is a different matter. Apparently, between my lack of shoes and the thick layer of grime covering my lower half, I was quite amusing to numerous members of the road team, who laughed and pointed at me throughout the whole trek. When we finally arrived in Xela three hours later, my shoe-less self and Jared had to negotiate the city until we could find a store in which I could buy another pair. How to make a good impression in a new country 101.

Once again, thank you so much for your support! I can’t wait to give you more updates next week! ¡Hasta pronto!

Peace
Ginny

Keep on Chugging

Hola! ¿Qué tal? Life and work here in Sololá are more action-packed than ever. Now that we have become more adjusted in our positions as English teachers, my fellow Program Directors and I are diving headfirst into the process of starting new programs, a process both grueling and rewarding. Last week, we met altogether to devise a list of potential programs to investigate, and we came up with several ideas that not only represent our group’s numerous interests, but also address Chaquijyá’s needs and strengths as expressed by various community members. For example, Karen, Kat, and I all are interested in health. Having researched various health organizations and programs online, the three of us are currently working with local health workers and community leaders to form maternal health, general nutrition, and child sponsorship programs. A former Green Psychology major (you just have to ask her), Dana is working with our partner organization Asoatitlan and other environmental groups to start recycling, composting, and trash disposal projects. Likewise, Jared is looking into water sanitation projects, and Hudson is researching potential microfinance and sports programs.

Some of the Kids at Recess

The more we continue our research and meetings, the more I feel grateful to be working for an organization that encourages its Program Directors to pursue their own particular areas of interest. To be honest, this position has given me the most responsibility that I have ever had in my life, and while that responsibility may be intimidating at times, I know that this experience will be so beneficial both for me and the community.

The Entrance to Chaquijya

Additionally, as each of us pursues projects in various topics, I find it so interesting how the different areas connect. Trash disposal affects water sanitation which affects health, which affects all areas of life like education and business. Sometimes, I almost wonder how we could focus on just one aspect of this chain. I believe that I am finally beginning to understand that community development term that is so often misused: holistic development.

Hard at Work Lesson Planning

An unexpected turn of fate, I am also now spearheading our most time-sensitive programs, a camp for the local children and youths in Chaquijyá, and also an ESL program for the teachers of la Primaria Central. Both programs must be up and running by mid-October, and while these tasks are slightly intimidating, I am so thrilled for the opportunities. Primarily, for me, teaching English to the teachers seems to embody MPI’s emphasis on sustainable development. Not only does the program meet a practical need expressed by the community, but it also builds off of the teachers’ pre-existing assets, teaching skills and experience, so that English classes will continue and remain effective in the future without Manna’s help. How interesting is it to be living and working with a concept that I have studied so much! Also, having spent seven wonderful summers at a sleep-away camp, I could not be more excited to create my own program. Camp provides children with a space in which they can both learn and have fun, and I believe that there is always a place for fun even in dire circumstances, among the explicitly helpful programs, such water sanitation and maternal health. Currently, I am meeting with various community leaders to discuss potential locations for a summer camp program, and also camps that have previously existed in Chaquijyá. Hopefully, I will have much more to write in the coming weeks.

More to come soon about the landslides that have been so destructive in Guatemala. Until then, ¡hasta luego y muchas gracias por su apoyo!