Food Production & Campesino Protestors

To elaborate on my previous post, I talked with my Spanish teacher today about Guatemala's export-based agricultural economy, and it seems like the U.S. does not play a great role in importing produce from Guatemala because of its relatively strict quality standards and demand for organic produce. That was not something I expected to hear since U.S. as well as German multinationals supply the bulk of chemical inputs (read: pesticides) and GMO food crops to Guatemala. Morever, most of exported produce is distributed to other Central American countries since they (from my teacher's perspective) have lower quality standards. I feel these claims need to be further reviewed when I am not busy studying Spanish. More to come later.

Another point in need of clarification is that the campesinos who are suffering the most from the drought are located in the corredor seco or the eastern highlands near the Pacific where the landscape is rocky and the soil so poor it is barely arable to begin with. Currently, the type of aid the government is giving consists of weekly packages of basic rations (eg. beans, rice). Despite the relative agricultural prosperity in other parts of the country, people in the west aren't getting local produce because they cannot afford it (and apparently neither can the government). No wonder there is talk of unrest. As we found out today, in anticipation of the protests, organizers of the cycling tour decided to change the route so that the cyclists wouldn't have to ride through an area of potential dissent. And so there we have it. Hopefully, the international aid that should have arrived today will help stave off malnutrition and starvation in that region for the time being. Ironically again, it is currently raining in Xela for the second night in a row.

Switching to our northerly neighbor, during "smoko" (aka mid-morning snack and tea time), we also read in today's paper that Obama has decided to dedicate significant funds to support renewable energy. Finally, some good news.

Second day in Xela

Tonight concludes my second full day in Xela, the indigenous and more commonly used name for Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. When I arrived Sunday night, I was tired from a six-hour flight followed by a four-hour long ride on an old, dinged up coach bus that had no air conditioning. Not that I was expecting such luxury, but the heat was a heavy reminder of how thirsty I had become. At the time, I couldn't pronounce agua correctly so not even the flight attendants knew what I was asking for until I resigned myself to saying "water." Then, they would go, "Ohh, water." Right. So I tried not to focus on how dry my mouth had become and let the heat lull me to sleep. When I woke up, it was night, and the winding road we were driving down into the valley had no street lights. Completely pitched in the dark, our bus sped around sharp turns rather quickly, but not as quickly as sleeper buses in China or the popular camionetas, old school buses from the States painted and driven outrageously like souped up race cars. Several camionetas, or "chicken buses," had passed us throughout the course of the ride since they are the cheapest and main way of getting from town to town.

With that said, I didn't really get to see Xela that first night. My language school director quickly ushered me to my host family's house where my host mom gave me a warm welcome and dinner consisting of the traditional huevos, frijoles, y pan. The next day, from 8am-1pm, I went to class and began my struggle to say more than just si. I think I'm learning rather quickly, but it still feels incredibly isolating not being able to hold a real conservation with anyone yet. Por suerte, my host parents know a little bit of English, so we are able to communicate with one another in 'Spanglish', but needless to say, our conversation is extremely limited.

Nevertheless, I am quite fond of what I have seen of Xela. Each block usually consists of one large building subdivided into small shops that are differentiated by their variegating, brilliant colors. Every street, all made of variously sized cobblestone, is also one way which makes walking off the fairly narrow, elevated sidewalk easier if you know which way traffic is going. The only downside I have found so far is not being able to go out for a stroll alone at night for safety reasons.

This afternoon, my school and I went to see the home stretch of Guatemala's national cycling tour (vuelta de Guatemala) which is a huge deal here. Each segment of the tour takes place in a different part of the country; this morning, the cyclists started riding from the coast and finished in Xela, an elevation gain of over 2,000 meters. Intense, to say the least. Because this competition is so popular, there were rumours of a farmers' protest that threatened to interfere with the race in order to garner publicity. Guatemala has suffered from a particularly severe drought this year, especially in other regions of the country (Xela is fortunate not to have suffered as much), and so people, mainly in rural areas, do not have enough food to eat. Apparently, government aid has not been sufficient, and so farmers want higher subsidies. Although Guatemala has a president and congress, citizens actually do not have much sway over their elected (and sometimes appointed) officials, therefore, they rely on protests and the news to express their opinions. However, no protest took place today which leaves me wondering what happened.

Ironically enough, after the race, I walked through an impressively large farmers' market brimming with fresh produce. Completely lining the streets were Mayan women sitting by their large wicker baskets which overflowed with fruits and vegetables. These, I was told, were the leftovers of produce not exported to the U.S. for whatever reasons. Kind of like locally grown coffee, the finest ground is sent to the States while Guatemalans drink commercially produced, instant coffee at home; local, high quality coffee is simply beyond the means of the people who produce it.

Sedentary? Not for much longer.

I anticipate being on the move again. Call this the gap year I never took. Looking back upon my last year of school, I wonder if I really got anything out of it. During my brief visit back a few weeks ago, I garnered much more advice from professors and clarity on what could unfurl, on what my future could hold, than I ever got when I was still a student. Such is life I suppose. So many people go through university without much direction or passion; perhaps it is the rigidity of class structures (the ever prevailing lecture style form of education) that brutally suppresses one's inner drive through the demoralizing feeling of seemingly being unable to learn the material. Whatever the case may be, I am taking the time, right now, to figure out exactly what I am interested in doing for a good long time. Who knows, maybe I won't have to go back to school at all. I am beginning to realize that the structured, linear path and the spontaneous, unpredictable path do not have to be and probably never are (despite people's delicate, detailed planning and the family's neverending concerns) mutually exclusive.

Starting Over

Now that I'm sedentary, I'm going to turn this blog into a booklist/showcase for some art whether it's mine or just stuff I find inspiring.

Back in the World by Tobias Wolff

This is a collection of short stories by Wolff which detail anecdotes from a whole array of characters. I have not yet read every short story in this book, but so far, I have been really impressed by what I have read. Wolff has a concise, compelling way of framing even the most plain dialogue and action into something more complex. Take for example, a six-page story where racism is brought up between a married couple while doing the dishes together. The woman tests her husband by asking if he would marry her, given she was black (it is assumed they are both white). After a number of times asking, he finally says yes. But, that is not enough. Or perhaps by the time he says yes, it is already too late.

PS. While I was looking for a photo of the book, I found the website of a couple who has done a pan-American bike tour as well as a small circuit around Asia: http://www.backintheworld.com/

As the deadline approaches...

...I get more and more stressed out.

Friends, imagine if you were doing a DR and then had to switch topics midway but still had to do the same amount of fieldwork. That is my situation where I switched organizations midway through since the first one gave me an over a week-long vacation to do nothing. My previous supervisors did not seem interested one bit in helping me develop my studies, so after waiting for them to return to the office (2-3 days after they said they would), I packed up my bags and left. Thankfully, another organization has taken me under their wing and are much more enthusiastic about helping. This, unfortunately, does not change my deadline.

My only solace is going to a cafe, a 4-yuan drive away, and sitting down amongst my thoughts and constant searching for useful articles.

---

Edit: OK, finally got out of my own world to address the earthquake that just happened. I guess I just feel relieved that my classmates and I are all OK. The organization I am working with is organizing a relief effort amongst ten universities in our province. Hopefully, I will be able to assist with the relief effort in any way I can. Condolences go out to anyone injured by the disaster or those who know people who have been.

End.

虎跳峡 - Tiger Leaping Gorge

I'm really glad I didn't have to wear these shoes when I went hiking. They died a while ago and the duct tape only lasted so long when the right sole is about to split in half. RIP Chacos.


Pictures from Tiger Leaping Gorge...(really quickly edited, sorry no time!)

The Yangze River


This one was sunbathing before I surprised it. Someone ID please?


View of the sunset from the guesthouse

Random mountain goats the next morning


Found this skinker while climbing back up the mountain after taking the wrong path. ID?


Local woman and her horses

All and all, TLG was worth the two-day hike. The 28 Bends (aka switchbacks) were a pain but offered great views of the gorge and the Yangze River. The first day was the hardest, a 6-hour hike mostly uphill on gravel road and dirt trails. The next day I accidentally took the wrong path down the mountain and had to go up again, adding two extra hours to the normally 3-4 hour traverse and then downhill. Could've been my poor map-reading skills or the lack of signs. Still worth it.

Next post - Meili Snow Mountain.

So clearly...

...it's not a good idea to drink before acclimating to a higher elevation. Unfortunately, I was too tired yesterday to be intelligible after a hard morning hike where I took the wrong path down a mountain and had to go up again. Well, after all that and a three-hour bus ride, I thought I well-deserved a cold beer. Later last night, I regretted it.

I spent all day recovering from a hard hike with I'm pretty sure 30lbs. I don't know why my backpack is that heavy. I will drop off some stuff before doing my next hike. Will post pictures soon. Hurray for Labor Day week off.

And if anyone's curious how my project is going, it's not!