Los Viajes pt. 2
My wondering through Central America continued. From Flores i headed south to a place called Lanquin and ended up in a resort-like hostel that came highly recommended by every I’d talked to who’d been through Guatemala. Its called El Retiro (the retirement) and is set on a family’s piece of land in the valley of the luscious, green mountains that surround it. I had mixed feelings about it, which I’ll get into after the jump
The place was beautifully put together. Thatch huts spotted the property that was inhabited by a collective of chickens and roosters, a fact that brought a comforting connection to the nights that chicken was served in the dinner buffet that happened every night. There was a definite sense of family-like hospitality that was reflected in the workers there but that was starkly contrasted with the rude, and somewhat obnoxious characters that ended up staying there. I know it’s silly of me to complain about the other travellers that were sharing this incredible experience with me, but when you’re in such a secluded place like this, peoples’ nuances can really stick out and annoy you. I found it hard to reconcile the juxtaposition of the loudmouthed overpriveledged foreigners with the humble, hardworking locals and the disconnect that it created. For me this trip was more than just an escape or vacation, it was about exploring the culture and reality of central america. The whole trip seemed to be a bit of a reality check on how things actually work down there. Beautiful places, inhabited by humble cultures attract tourists and eventually the tourism industry. This creates a strong base for the local economy so that eventhough the culture and the land are being exploited in a way, it’s tolerated by the locals because it’s their bread an butter. I can’t necessarily exclude myself from the exploiting bunch seeing as how i chose to stay there, but still, it bothered me.
Despite that, i did manage to run into these three Colombian guys there who really impressed me. I loved running into Latin Americans throughout out my travels for two main reasons: 1) because it’s a rare thing for a Latin American to be travelling, especially to the places i ended up at along the gringo trail, and 2) because I’m always so facinated and curious to hear about the history, culture, and current situations of their countries. In the case of these guys, i was thoroughly educated on Columbia. One of them is a Constitutional Lawyer who works for the Colombian supreme court. He gave me a good crash course on the social and political realities facing Colombia. For instance, he told me about the civil war that had been going on for some fourty odd years fueled by the disgusting amount of inequality (second worse in all of Latin America; Bolivia holds the worse GINI coefficient number) Some striking information considering the fact that most people only know Colombia for it’s infamous history involving the cocaine boom of the 70’s,80’s and 90’s. I found a good article on it all if you’re interested written in 2006: more reasons not to try/do cocaine . These guys were a very welcome relief to the typical, travelling-for-self-discovery-with-no-real-direction-type backpackers i’d been encountering all along up until this point. I’ll get off my soapbox and continue with the rest of the trip
- Toured these cave at a place called Semuc Champey where an underground river runs through and you’re only guide is candlelight. The water is tourquoise, but pretty cold, especially when the sun doesn’t come out all day :(
- spent the next day recuperting/heading towards Lake Atitlan, which some Guatemalans who I met in Chiapas, and just about everyone else i talked to, told me was an amazingly beautiful sight that i had to see. They were right
The view from the roof of La Casa Rafael, the place I stayed in Santa Cruz la Laguna just uphill from where all the fancy eco-lodges that sit right on the water are located. It was an experience and a half and the first time I felt like I’d really evaded the traps of the gringo trail. I found out why touristy hotels and attractions are so popular: they’re comfortable. The door to my room had no lock and the outside handle consisted of fishing line strung through the door and tired onto the inside handle. Regardless, I enjoyed my time there. The place is owned by an old man who lives down the street and it’s run by his extended family whose kids run around the place yelling at each other in Kaqchiquel, the language spoken by most locals. It was strange to be in a place where people spoke worse spanish than I did, but it added to the character of the place.
- The next day I took a boat, then rode in the back of a truck, and then took a couple of chicken buses (old refurbished and custom painted school buses) to another city called Santa Cruz, the capitol of the department Quiche. I spent the night here and then made my way towards the border to be back in San Cristobal de las Casas, where I planned on taking a night bus to Huatulco to meet up with my friend Caroline and her family to spend christmas eve and day on the beaches of Oaxaca. The buses were all sold out so i had to wait until the following day (chirstmas eve) at 4:30pm to make the trek which put me on the beach at about 3 o’clock chrismas morning. I slept on a hammock and watched the sunrise over the Pacific. Took a christmas morning swim and went to work on my winter tan :)
- Christmas evening we all got together to watch the sunset and then pumped out a delicious dinner including freshly caught fish, lots of fruit and, potatoes
- Spent a few more days on the beach sleeping in a hammock at a hostel that didn’t provide the most sleep-friendly atmosphere, but i made some new friends
- ran into a girl from Seattle that I had met at the beginning of my trip at Monte Alban in Oaxaca, Shanna, as she was walking along the beach i was hanging out on (another one of those lovely coincidences that have graced my travels)
- ended up travelling together back to Puebla and discovered how nice it is to have a great travelling buddy
- got stuck in Huatulco on the way because we didn’t hear the announcement for our bus’s departure and ended up staying a night there
- turned out awesome because we rented scooters the next day and spen 4 hours exploring Huatulco, it’s bays and the long stretches of road inbetween
- Made it back to Puebla in one piece and with an extra bag due to all of the gifts I couldn’t help but buy in the markets of all the different places i’d been.
- now it’s time to prepare myself for the transition back home as i get ready to say goodbye to the country(ies) i’ve been lucky enough to get to know over the last five months.
