A few days have passed here
in Guatemala since we arrived. They have been very hectic but I have loved
every minute of it! My self and 14 others arrived in Guatemala City on Monday
at various times, we were all pretty wiped from traveling so we just relaxed
once we got there; since then though we have been on the go non-stop. We only
spent one night there and part of Tuesday afternoon. We spent one night in
Antigua (the old colonial capital) and finally made the 4 and a half hour trek
up the mountains to Quetzaltenango or Xela as the locals refer to it
(pronounced Shayla). Xela will be home for the next 5 weeks. Currently we are
living in a hostel, but on Sunday night we move in with our host families that
are located around the city. We have only been in Xela for two days but it
seems to be a vibrant city, with a great deal of hustle bustle, restaurants,
coffee houses and bars on every street corner. There is a good mix of the native
people and tourists here; there are a few restaurants that cater to us “gringas”
as they call us here.
Though our classes
technically do not begin until Monday, we have had guest speakers come talk to
us about Guatemala’s bumpy history with its recent civil war, and the affects
that are still very much a part of daily life in Guatemala. Guatemala had a new
president take office on January 14th, this man happens to be an ex-general of
the Guatemalan Military. A military that is infamous as being one of the most
brutal militias in Latin America. This man is openly known to have carried out
multiple massacres throughout different communities during the war. As one
could imagine this presents an interesting dynamic for many people of the
country. As one of the speakers said
peace accords were signed in this country 15 years ago to stop the civil war
that was ragging; yet nothing seems to have really changed fundamentally. He
said, “They may not kill us with bullets anymore but they kill us politically
and economically”. I cannot even begin
to touch upon on or understand all the affects that this is going to have on
the people of Guatemala. Guatemala has seen such turmoil and chaos in its
years, yet its people are some of the most beautiful, resilient people I have
ever met. As we travel and learn, the problems that are daunting this region
seem almost impossible to solve. I hope however that I am able to reflect upon
what I see as the flaws here, and return to my own country with a more critical
eye for not only foreign policy but the flaws within my own country. A famous quote keeps ringing in my ear:
“I am only one, but still I
am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I
cannot do everything, I refuse to do the something that I can do.”
--Edward
Everett
Until we meet again!
