Gasoline Breath

Santiago Atitlan is a small village facing Panajachel. Between them is a giant lake and their neighbors are gigantic volcanos. In Santiago, you will find colorful pens with your name on 'em, red tricycle taxi cabs, a busy outdoor market, and don't forget the church - the village hotspot. Greasy old men in ranchero sombreros with wrinkled skin and thin mustaches pace with canes as women wearing rainbows balance baskets on their heads. Culture is on sale today tomorrow and the next. Beggars want your flesh and kids run in circles and circles and circles. Mother nature shines bright around such a strange city.

I've seen mountains in the water. Millions upon millions upon millions of mountains. I saw elephant skin in the sand and outlines of volcanoes when the waves washed in. Deep under all this water is a ball of fire.

A slimy old man asked me if I wanted San Pedro Cactus...only to learn San Pedro the nearest volcano only a canoe ride away from Santiago.

On the ride to Shella, we stopped at natural hot springs, high up in the mountains. Sulfur explodes in your nose as your skin begins to give in to the purifying elements. A million shades of green jungle trees surround you, and hot rocks heat the pools. Cleansing and relaxing. On the ride down, I could easily see hills of garbage dumped on several mountain slopes, looking like the tongues of horrifying giants. Guatemala has a serious trash problem.

After the springs, we made it to Shella in Quezaltenango where we met up with Reyna's friends: Lorena and Nedi who were extremely nice and hospitable. What was once the battlefield of the first war between the Espanolas and the Mayans - is a concrete jungle leaking with gasoline and electric wires. A quick story:

Before the Spanish came to Guatemala, Quezaltenango was a peaceful Mayan land with a small lake, river, field of grass, and tons of different animal species. When the Spanish, lead by Pedro de Alvarado, came to Quezaltenango, they brought guns, horses, armor, and hunger for gold. The Mayans, lead by their chief Tecun Human, were no match for the Spanish. According to legend, Tecun Human aimed and killed Pedro de Alvarado's horse with a spear. He had thought that the horse and man were one being - the Mayans had never seen a horse before. After the war, the Mayans became slaves for hundreds of years, brutally assaulted, raped, and murdered by their Spanish masters who created a "river of blood". Only 30-50 years ago did such major industrial change occur in Shella. It has recently become a big business center in Guatemala. I talked to people who remember when there was nothing major except for "lots of sheep."

The center of Shella has a beautiful park, and the surrounding stone buildings are of Spanish architecture. In the heart of the city center, bursting with light, and crying for attention with American pop music is a McDonalds. Imperialism never stops.

Back in Guatemala City now, and all I feel like doing is resting and reflecting on what the hell just happened. I think we are going to Coban tomorrow, but I don't know - go with the flow- lie low in the snow and send me an angel if your out of your cage in Michigan.

La-dee-dave