Grüße aus Guatemala!

Greetings from Guatemala! I feel like I left my heart in Honduras, but whatever I had left is in Guatemala now. I started off on a service visit to a School for Special Education in Puerto Barrios. I acted as a translator with the group of students and SASers, with whom I worked. The teachers and students were all extremely friendly. And before 9am I began to profusely sweat. We constructed bracelets with the kids, took pictures (all the kids became instant photographers when they got a hold of our cameras), and went on a walk with them. They actually cut the walk/stroll a bit short because we (the SASers) were looking like we were going to pass out from heat stroke. (I’m not exaggerating about the heat at all.) Afterwards, they offered us water (packaged in plastic bags) and cookies that were similar to Oreos. We spent the morning with these kids, and despite a language barrier, they still interacted with us like we were long-lost friends. Children have a wonderful ability to see someone as a person and solely wish to play with them…sometimes it’s sad that we lose that judgement-free mentality as we age. The smiles and laughter at the school were very reminiscient of Special Olympics. And fortunately, my brain clicked with Spanish yesterday. In fact, one teacher invited me to come back, saying I could stay with her and volunteer at the school. I gave her my e-mail, so we’ll be in touch.

The school was the highlight of my time in Guatemala, although the rest of the experience was definitely meaningful. The group had expected the service visit to be over by noon, but we were informed when we arrived at the buses, that it was going to be from 8:30am to 5:30pm. I felt like there was a reason for me to spend the entire day doing this service visit, and I truly did enjoy the entire day, but it still put a bit of a damper in my original plans. That was a pretty major type-o on the part of SAS. We had lunch at a restaurant, which included a homemade rice-water drink and fajitas. I never really expected that I would like Hispanic food so much, and it hasn’t really been spicy like I had perceived it. We had almost a two hour block of time for lunch, but we moved on to an orphanage in Puerto Barrios. We had anticipated meeting about 23 children, but in the few months from when this visit was initially planned, 15 had been adopted. Through the Rule of Subtraction, the orphanage was down to 8 children, most of them with some sort of mental, physical, or behavioral disability. Our group of 25 was a bit overpowering, but we created a garden and planted seeds to help them grow vegetables such as cucumbers and peppers. I didn’t really participate in the garden project, except for the one piece of litter that I picked up. Rather, as one of the stronger Spanish speakers, I communicated with the children, all of who were in their teens. It was interesting to hear that some of them work instead of attending school, but the boys really took pride in playing soccer. The girls worked more on crafts, which included constructing a puppet set (dolls, stage, etc.), and the garden. Many tried to stay in the shade, since it still felt like 105º, plus humidity.

The reality of the orphanage was difficult to cope with. The living conditions were humble and even depressing, when you realize that they don’t have any or much family nor a support system. The building was deteriorating; the beds were in poor shape, and the place gave me a big feeling of vacancy and emptiness, like it had reached its pinnacle long before we arrived. The orphanage does not receive (much) funding, and the conditions were not the best. One woman has dedicated the last 25 years to this orphanage, while another volunteer helps run it but does not reside there. It was hard to think of these humans, these unique individuals, as unwanted. They are the children that no one wants to adopt. I felt helpless in the situation because what could I do in such a short period of time? I did what I thought I could do best (and avoid overheating)…talk and listen. It’s amazing to understand how different their world is. One boy had never heard of New York. I felt like it was a blessing for me to be able to understand them and to communicate because some many SASers wanted to but lack the Spanish background. In situations like this, I like to think of the song “For Good” from Wicked, when it says, “Because I knew you…I have been changed for the better.” Because I have spent time with these two groups of extraordinary individuals, I have a new appreciation for my opportunities in life, and I wish to do more for those that do not have such lucky circumstances.

Despite witnessing the poverty in Guatemala first-hand, they were the friendliest country that I have visited thus far. Considering Belize is the only country remaining, Guatemala is guaranteed to be in my top 2 for being the friendliest. Outside of the port, many people waved and greeted me or the group I was with. After the service visit, I walked through the town of St. Tomás de Castilla at night. The “downtown area” was extremely hectic, where the hustle and bustle (also referred to as hubbub and madness) reminded me on how I imagine India would be…to a lesser extent though. I got Coke at a kiosk, and as we walked through the town (now in a quieter area), Charu (an SASer from India) wanted to look inside a church (it was her first time entering a church). Still feeling thirsty, I then got a Pepsi. So after consuming approximately 854mL of soda in less than an hour, I was wired. Charu met some people in a restaurant (connected to the Kiosk where I purchased a Pepsi), who offered to teach the group the Merengue. This rush of sugar brought me to a laughing hysteria. I was very close to crying I was laughing so hard; I also lost my breath while dancing! Despite my failure to actually learn the Merengue, I did have a good time. On our way back to the ship, we stopped by a little restaurant…the ultimate “Mom and Pop place”! I got fried plantains. I didn’t realize that I had also accepted an offer to have some coffee, in case you didn’t know, I’m not a big coffee fan. The lady was a real sweetheart and offered us “Pan Dulce” which is a sweet bread. The meal was just cozy and enjoyable. I really felt like the locals had embraced our arrival, which made me feel very welcome, even walking through the town at night.

Today was the fourth consecutive morning, where I had to be up before 7:30am. In terms of a college student, that is like asking a farmer to wake up at midnight. I went on an SAS excursion to the Afro-Caribbean village of Livingston. This village is unique in Guatemala, because it is only accessible by boat. I found the water taxi to be a fun ride, both heading to and from Livingston. Although I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect, Livingston was not at all what I thought it would be. I imagined a more indigenous-looking village. Instead it was much more modern than I thought. We got a bland tour that went on to explain the interesting history of the village. However, the village did not seem any different other than it’s water-only accessibility. It was quite hilly with colorful shops, homes and stands. The tour concluded with a native, tribal dance. The music was great, but it felt like the performance wasn’t so heartfelt. I imagine they commonly have to perform for tourists that are uncertain how to react to this unique form of music. For the last song, I was pulled up to dance, so I was glad that someone pulled me out of my comfort zone, because that made the experience worth it.

We got some free time to roam the village of Livingston. A highlight for me came as I was looking at some stuff for sale. The person responsible for the stand was talking with a familiar accent. After asking where he was from, I was ELATED to hear “Germany” as his response! Who needs a German Shepherd, when I’m around, to find the German in the crowd?! We conversed in German, but after he complimented my German (thanks to Barbara, Claude, Marie-Claire, and Domi), I instinctively responded with “gracias.” I guess my Spanish is trying/starting to dominate my German although I anticipate that will still take a while. I walked around Livingston with my fellower SASer, Carly.  The people appeared very similar like another other Central American village…some buildings in better condition than others; many people walking and gathering outside. Guatemala is especially notable for bikes and mopeds. I have never seen so many in my life, and they weave effortlessly through the labyrinth of people walking all over. I was almost hit a few times. (Please make a note of the word “ALMOST” in the previous sentence.)

This time, we arrived back to the ship at the anticipated time. I had lunch on the ship. And after a little bit of air conditioning, I ventured out with a group to explore St. Tomás de Castilla. It looked completely different in the daylight. We returned to the little restaurant that we had encountered last night. The lady was excited to see us and vice versa. She reminded me a lot of Chepita, for being so kind and hospitable. This time I tried a Fresco, which is a homemade drink with a miscellaneous fruit (I had never heard of the fruit that she used, but it was delicioso!) After stopping there, we continued along the same path (that we took last night) and paid a visit to the local market. Today I got quite good at bartering, a skill I wish I acquired/improved a bit sooner on the trip. I’m glad I was able to acquire a few “goodies/souveniors.” And even though, the town looked completely different in the daytime, it was still full of hubbub and madness. Today felt even hotter than yesterday. I don’t feel like I’m exaggerating in saying that I sweated around four pounds of water weight. The town of St. Tomás de Castilla gave me a good impression of what I feel is a typical Guatemalan town, since it was not a major city. The people were, again, very friendly and willing to stop and chat with us or answer our questions.

I was back on the ship around 5pm. A local music and dance group came to wave us off. The played music and performed traditional dances as we boarded the ship. My SAS family had a formal dinner tonight. My SAS parents treated us (all 6 of their kids) to a five-course dinner, and each course was better than the previous. The dinner had a few trade-offs, I missed the conversation circle and the Crew’s Talent Show performances, but it was worth it. It’s always heart-warming to feel the sense of belonging to a group. And I’m very excited to feel like our SAS family took it a step further and genuinely took an interest in each member during this voyage. We’ll probably be having only one more meal together on the ship before we head our separate ways in less than a week. It’s a blessing to have had the opportunity to meet such extraordinary people, both on and off the ship.

Honestly, I did not know what to expect from Guatemala, but I was blown away by the kind, warm-hearted people. They do not seem to have much, but they are very grateful for the little that they do have. The people, with whom I spoke, were genuinely interested and eager to speak (as well explain things to me) in Spanish. I felt confident in speaking with them, and it was a pleasure to interact with people of all ages, especially the students at the school. I know I said how I had enjoyed Honduras a lot. Well, multiply that by 100 and that might help give you an idea of how well I feel like I had connected with the Guatemalans of the Puerto Barrios and St. Tomás de Castilla communities. Their country has a diverse history with proud, gentle people of the Mayan and Spanish cultures, which has currently been overpowered by the recent drug-related murders, including the Petén Massacre. These unfortunate events are evident in virtually any country. It is our choice, whether we choose to focus on the negative or positive aspects of a society.

On another note, I just received the notice about the final exam schedule. That’s right…finals! We have one more country: Belize, before the disembarckment in Nassau. It’s mind-boggling that I have been fortunate to experience so much in what has now been three weeks; it feels like it’s been much longer. Tomorrow is the last day of class, and our projects for Engineering a New Tomorrow are due. It’s hard to fathom that this voyage is nearing completion; overall, the (good and bad) experiences have made this trip completely worth it. Elijah and I are rocking out to Andrea Bocelli’s smash hit, “Con Te Partiro.” I’ll be going to bed soon. I’m looking to sleeping in after four intense days in two ports. I just took my last malaria pill on the voyage, so I guess I’ll be quite chatty tonight…we’ll see in which language, Elijah will report to me sometime tomorrow.

Have a great Friday and weekend! Enjoy Prom, Brian!
Matt