Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Guatemala, Part IV

Things had been going too well on this trip to continue! Yesterday we hired "un barco privado" (a private boat) to take us around Lake Atitlan, said to be the most beautiful lake in the world. Though not entirely clear, the day was beautiful. I think on a clear day the lake would be amazing, surrounded by three volcanoes and steep shorelines lined with villages. In the midst and haze it was beautiful. The boat took us to several villages along the shoreline. Given the early hour, a weekday, and the rainy season, we were generally one of only five or six tourists in each of the villages. We were greeted at the shoreline by children and women in traditional dress selling us handcrafts or pictures for a quetzal or two. From there we would hike up the main street to the small catholic churches overlooking the lake. In San Antonio Palopo, we climbed a cobblestone path through houses, tiendas, a weaving center, and a small outlet for local ceramics. Along the street parallel to the church the local market was in full swing and we spent a few minutes just watching life in this little village. In Santa Catarina Palopo, we watched a parade of the local school children, most of the girls in bright blue traditional dress, some with red head coverings.

It was a different experience to observe these villages as a total outsider after spending a few days with a family in Santa Apolonia. I always feel a bit awkward taking pictures and watching as people go about their normal lives. It feels like I have somehow turned them into objects rather than living human beings to relate with as fellow children of God. Feminist and other theories of research challenge whether one should consider those being researched as objects of study to consider objectively as a supposedly neutral outsider or wheter they should be considered fellow subjects in the process, defining their own truths and particpating in the analysis of their own lives and situations. In the past, much damage has been done to those considered less than the researcher... women, children, those of different races, those of lower classes, those of different cultures.

Having said all of that, I am grateful that Cathy has little fear and takes wonderful pictures of the people in these villages. I will post some later. She has a natural love for people that I am lacking and it shows in her photographs. Rather than treating these people as objects, her pictures are expressions of her love for people all over the world and her honoring of their beauty.
After our day on the lake, we returned to the city of Antigua, former colonial capital of Guatemala. Much of the city was destroyed by an earthquake in the 1700's and the ruins of the old churches and monasteries are visible on almost every cobblestone street. The adobe and plaster houses are a mirade of pastels and other bright colors with rich wood doors and accents. Our hotel, Posada Lazos Fuertas, is just beautiful! The service has been fantastic and all the proceeds benefit a local children's organization.

When we returned last night, we hit the first snags of the trip. A traffic jam in Chimeltenango. A downpour in Antigua that left us soaking wet and ducking for cover at the sound of the thunder and lightning. We were up and waiting at 6:00 am for our tour of the Pacaya vocano, but they never arrived. Once we are over our disappointment, we'll enjoy a relaxing day in Antigua and dinner in Guatemala City with Dan and Libby Englehorn, alumni from North Park. Tomorrow, Tikal!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

some of your thoughts here express my hesitancy to take youth on mission trips to other cultures...