Al Mirador

Survived Tajumulco

 

Last weekend one of the most exiting hikes ever took place: walking up the volcano Tajumulcu!
As i wrote already- we got up very early and hiked 1.700 meters altitude- it was insane, exhausting and just awesome! When we reached the spot basis camp- a few hundred meters underneath the top it started immediately to rain. After becoming completely wet, freezing the entire night and wondering why I needed to participate in such a stupid adventure we got up at 4 am and hikes the steep last hundred meters- in complete darkness- only with our flashlights...But then..

...Then I saw the MOST MAGICAL SUNRISE I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!!!!

All up on the highest spot of Central-America- hiked all by myself the sun surged between the clouds and enlighten the volcano and all the valleys, rivers and mountains surrounding. The clouds where so close that I thought I can touch them and the lightening of the sky seemed as if an angel inflamed it.
-If you should ever consider to visit Guatemala you have to do the hike!

Readjustment a la Montaña

The mountain school is one of the most pretties places I have encountered in Guatemala so far!
The school building consits of several sleeping dorms, 3 bathrooms and a huge kitchen. The classes taking place in little huts outside the building in the garden, in the afternoon accompanied by heavy rain showers and thunderstorms which makes the entire atmosphere cozy and tropical.

The communities the school is attached to is called Santa Domingo and Fatima. They where created in the aftermath of the Guatemalam Coffee Crisis in the 90ies. Since many workers lost their work, homes and livelihoods a major social crisis developed for in particular rural communities in Guatemala.

In order to deal with 1000s of families being forced evicted and destitute artificial communities where build, mostly by supported by funds from international organization, e.g. the Red Cross Spain.

Even tho I have studied a lot and thought I understood the life of rural communities- to participate in the everyday life of the families is sooo different: Three times a day I go to a designated host family to share the meals with them. In average 12 people living in one household, the original parents, their kids and the kids of the kids. Being 16 and being mother for the second time is not a rarity here since abortion is prohibited, the catholic and protestant churches oppose intensively the use of protection and sex ed is not taking place in school. For each member of a family the budget is 5 Q (0.50€) from which the family has to eat, school fees, clothing and transportation. Since there is no labour available in the communities the men are day laborer in bigger cities around, the transportation costs are already 16-20Q round trip. Costs for health care are not even considered...

I think I never really understood it, but when talking about the 1st. and 3rd. world we are not talking about different geographical contexts, we are talking about 2 different planets in which different rules, habits and possibilities exist. -Slowly, but deep down from the bottom of my heart, I start to deeply understand the outcomes of capitalism and neoliberalism.

I mean not knowing- I mean REALLY understanding!