The Guatemala Diaries : Part 1

As a Spanish speaker, I find it surprising to admit that Guatemala was my first incursion into Central America. Falsely assuming that I was stepping into a culture reflecting that of its northern neighbours in Mexico, I was pleasantly surprised to find it was in fact more a leisurely retreat from Mexico’s comparatively frenetic tempo.

The short, yet well-built Guatemalan farm labourer, sporting the ubiquitous wide-brimmed ranch hat was the common sight on the unpaved rural backroads. I was making the awkward border crossing at the Usumacinta River, deep inside the expansive jungle covering the Mexican-Guatemalan border region. A small shack in the rural hinterland constituted the remote border outpost where I was greeted with the manic Guatemalan grin that I soon became accustomed to as the national manner of greeting foreigners. Little else occupied the area, aside from the intermittent passing of ragged units of the Guatemalan army, severely under-equipped to counter the drug-cartel war which has rapidly spread south from Mexico, even incorporating ex-special forces operators who, having sold out, now work freelance carrying out mass executions and preserving the balance of the regional power struggle.

  

I was heading to Flores, a small island village at the western end of Lake Petén Itzá, a miniature urban paradise with the convenience of beautiful fresh-water swimming to offset the searing dry heat which hung over the region just prior to the arrival of the summer rains in June. Flores provided an excellent base from which to make the journey into the Guatemalan jungle to access Tikal, the classical Mayan capital which held influence over the area stretching north through Belize and Mexico. By fortunate coincidence, I met a Slovenian fellow solo-traveller cum philosopher who pointed out that we were visiting the archaeological remains on a full-moon, a spiritually significant event within Mayan cosmology as well as the perfect opportunity for some moonlight photography.

Inspired by the British/Norwegian couple Simon and Kristine and encouraged by a few travellers heading the opposite direction, we made arrangements to financially incentivise the guards so we might be allowed to stay in the park, sleeping in the Grand Plaza after official closing hours, surrounded by some of the most impressive remaining structures in the Mayan world.

I struck a fair deal with the local guard and we were led in to watch the sun-set and moonrise from atop of Tikal’s Temple IV, towering 200 feet above the jungle floor. Taking time to sincerely contemplate this seemingly routine event served to remind the true insignificance of the human species relative to the size and majesty of the cosmos. As well as further impressing upon me the vastly superior universal understanding of the Mayan elite, guided by their astrologers who were producing theory which far surpassed Western thought for nearly a thousand years.

We spent the following hours enjoying the moonlit plaza before being abruptly confronted by a cohort of park guards. It transpired that following a disagreement at the drinking table regarding the amount of money that had changed hands, a discontent warden had informed the boss, ensuring our abrupt dismissal from the park. The departing impression of Tikal was that of a wealth of indigenous knowledge which had been lost alongside this civilisation and later expunged by over-zealous Catholicism, civilizing populations on behalf of the Spanish crown. The reality of contemporary Central America however, is that this indigenous understanding of the art of living still exists in rural pockets of the country which will continue to outlast the era of the nation of Guatemala as we currently know it.

Mexican madness

Mexico, in a few words, is similar to a massive slap in the face. It leaves you initially stunned but with your senses heightened you begin to experience more clearly the magic of this country.


I'll admit, my opinion of Mexico has traditionally been quite unclear. Having woken up many a morning clutching my stomach has somewhat permanently etched in my memory the origins and consequences of Uncle Tequila. But antics aside, I am guilty for having generally considered Mexico as the poorer, younger brother to the USA. Little did I know! This country has been the adventure-a-day type of place. Los Mejicanos are as loco as their agave homebrew, el Mescal, whilst Las Mejicanas are as fiery as the chilli in your taco. It's good to be back in the Hispanic world.

Will you take a scorpion with your Mescal, sir?

Mexico, in recent years, has been subject to international fear mongering engineered by the media and government foreign departments. Admittedly the US's volatile war on drugs have pushed many cartels and the associated violence further North, through varying Central American nations and the northern border-states of Mexico. And we are greeted with familiar images of police and military figures dressed anonymously so not to risk the reprisals of the dominant cartels as well as the chilling recitation of the most recent body count. But here in the South, the party still continues.



Mid-April I arrived in Mexico City, DF (Distrito Federal) as it's known to it's locals. Slap in the face number one. 30 million people living in one urban centre is a megalopolis rather than a city. Upon flying in the city extends further than the eye can see. Yet the life of the city mimics that of many others across the globe, businesses function, individuals go about pursuing their own interests. Less interested in the similarities inherent in most large cities, I determined to move further South, initially to the colonial capital of Oaxaca. As I have continued to find through my travels, that real adventure start when you remove yourself from the chaos.

Oaxaca was an initial step backwards into Mexican history. As a colonial city, founded in 1521 by a Spanish expeditionary force led by Francisco de Orozco, it typifies hispanic influence in the region. The opulence of the church of Santo Domingo was illustrative of the extreme wealth and power of the Catholic church and its socio-politcal role alongside the conquering Spanish forces.



















However Mexico, never one to completely conform, to this day lacks strict adherence to the Catholic faith, Despite the 300 year foreign rule and atrocities committed against indigenous populations in the name of the church, native pre-hispanic culture has evidently survived. As my journey extended further South into the hills, it became markedly apparent how central indigenous spiritualism remains within contemporary society. The healing practice Temezcal, pursues a holistic approach to healing. Resembling a north-american sweatlodge, over an hour is spent inhaling herbally infused vapours known to cleanse the body. The technique makes recourse to the four elements fire, earth, wind and water, releasing highly energized minerals trapped in the rock for several hundred years.  The experience left me feeling completely centred for a considerable period of time without the series of distractions that typify the daily wanderings of the mind.



Moving further towards the Guatemalan border and deeper into the jungle, the experience of the ancient Mayan civilizations echos how distinct this indigenous culture is from our modern urban societies. And begs the question whether we have lost some of our more intuitive sensibilities on the journey towards more developed societies.

Spongebob's going to get it real good

However, regional Mexico may well have been able to reconcile the diverse nature of their heritage.
The trip so far has found me not only accepting invitations to impromptu birthday parties amongst rural Oaxacans, complete with real Spongebob piañta, as well as being heartedly welcomed amongst locals and long-term foreigners alike in the Mescalería's of San Cristobal. The privilege of experiencing several aspects of regional life here has opened my mind to the breadth of Mexican contemporary culture.

Currently arrived in Guatemala where the pace of live has abruptly stepped a notch down