I am now home home home. It has been a long and wonderful journey: January 2008 to October 2010 in Latin America. My time in Guatemala has started me down the path toward evolving into who I want to be. I have become very independent from living alone in a foreign country, and I have developed a more broad and respectful world view. I'm fluent in Spanish and have learned more than I ever wanted to know about ecotourism and trash management. And I think I know where I am headed next: I'm looking into Water Resources/Hydrology masters programs. After seeing how little access the rest of the world (and parts of our country, too) have to clean drinking water, and knowing how much worse it is going to get, I want to work toward solutions to this problem.
I will probably still make a few more posts to finish up telling about my travels (the last being trekking in Peru with my sister), to update about the progress of the bottle classroom that I left behind in Sija, and to tell funny tales of my reverse culture shock. So stay tuned!
18 October 2010
29 September 2010
Last leg of my journey
I spent the past week visiting my old host family in Ecuador (from study abroad '05), with the lovely company of Joy. I didn't do anything new, but I repeated some old favorites:
- Biking 61km from the mountains to the jungle (Baños to Puyo)
- Soaking in hot springs in Baños and in Papallacta
- Shopping at the Otavalo market
- Eating guinea pig
- Climbing well up into the clock tower of the Basilica church in Old Quito
And of course, eating lots of good food and spending quality time with my Ecuadorian family. They are fantastic and treat me like another daughter of theirs.
Tuesday I took an overnight bus to Guayaquil (not the capital, but the largest Ecuadorian city) to fly to Lima because it is so much cheaper. Being the worrier that I am, I barely slept for the 9 hours, preoccupied that we would be late. My chest literally tightened each time we stopped for no apparent reason. But of course, I arrived 4 hours before my flight left, sin problema.
I flew instead of bussed it to Peru because it is a 36 hour bus trip, plus the 22 hours that I'm doing tomorrow to Cuzco, that would be absolutely unreasonable. If I had more time before my ticket home (which I will one day, but preferably with a traveling partner), then I would take multiple days and travel by land stopping along the way. But by now, I am in a hurry to get home and see my dog! Oh yeah, my family and friends too :)
Today, after trying to catch a few ZZZs, I changed some dollars to the Nuevo Sol in the street (it was at 2.78 in the afternoon, and by the evening had fallen to 2.70!), then I went to the Museo de la Nacion. There I learned all about the internal war from 1980 - 2000. A Maoist faction began to gain strength and starting fighting the government/military. It was very gruesome, and sad. The battles weren't simply between the rebels and the military, and as it appears to me, neither side was "good". Both took turns massacaring the common people. Some 69,000 people died or were disappeared during the struggle. Is there a Latin American country that hasn't had an internal conflict in the last 50 years? (And how many of those were spurred by the U.S. CIA?)
Well, tomorrow after a run on the beach and a trip to Lima's ruins in the Miraflores area that I'm staying in, I'm off to Cuzco. Sunday my sister arrives to play for a week and a half! We're flying to San Francisco together on the 13th, then driving up to Springfield. I will be HOME on FRIDAY OCTOBER 15TH!!!!
p.s. I still need to share more about Colombia, which was amazing. I will post that when I get a chance. But note, you should NOT be afraid of Colombia. It is amazing. Just as any country (even the U.S.), you have to know where to go and where not to go.
- Biking 61km from the mountains to the jungle (Baños to Puyo)
- Soaking in hot springs in Baños and in Papallacta
- Shopping at the Otavalo market
- Eating guinea pig
- Climbing well up into the clock tower of the Basilica church in Old Quito
And of course, eating lots of good food and spending quality time with my Ecuadorian family. They are fantastic and treat me like another daughter of theirs.
Tuesday I took an overnight bus to Guayaquil (not the capital, but the largest Ecuadorian city) to fly to Lima because it is so much cheaper. Being the worrier that I am, I barely slept for the 9 hours, preoccupied that we would be late. My chest literally tightened each time we stopped for no apparent reason. But of course, I arrived 4 hours before my flight left, sin problema.
I flew instead of bussed it to Peru because it is a 36 hour bus trip, plus the 22 hours that I'm doing tomorrow to Cuzco, that would be absolutely unreasonable. If I had more time before my ticket home (which I will one day, but preferably with a traveling partner), then I would take multiple days and travel by land stopping along the way. But by now, I am in a hurry to get home and see my dog! Oh yeah, my family and friends too :)
Today, after trying to catch a few ZZZs, I changed some dollars to the Nuevo Sol in the street (it was at 2.78 in the afternoon, and by the evening had fallen to 2.70!), then I went to the Museo de la Nacion. There I learned all about the internal war from 1980 - 2000. A Maoist faction began to gain strength and starting fighting the government/military. It was very gruesome, and sad. The battles weren't simply between the rebels and the military, and as it appears to me, neither side was "good". Both took turns massacaring the common people. Some 69,000 people died or were disappeared during the struggle. Is there a Latin American country that hasn't had an internal conflict in the last 50 years? (And how many of those were spurred by the U.S. CIA?)
Well, tomorrow after a run on the beach and a trip to Lima's ruins in the Miraflores area that I'm staying in, I'm off to Cuzco. Sunday my sister arrives to play for a week and a half! We're flying to San Francisco together on the 13th, then driving up to Springfield. I will be HOME on FRIDAY OCTOBER 15TH!!!!
p.s. I still need to share more about Colombia, which was amazing. I will post that when I get a chance. But note, you should NOT be afraid of Colombia. It is amazing. Just as any country (even the U.S.), you have to know where to go and where not to go.
13 September 2010
One month left in the journey
On October 13th I fly back to the USA. Thus, I must take advantage of the month that remains which includes one more week in Colombia, one week in Ecuador and two weeks in Peru. My trip has been amazing thus far, but not without dreaming of home. But do you blame me? It has been since January 2008 since I've been living south of the border with only a few quick trips home.
So what have I done since my last post? I'll update you with the highlights:
- Went for a bike ride along the gorgeous Caribbean coast in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is not a misnomer.
- Walked across a train bridge to cross into Panamá.
- Saw the Panamá Canal in action. This was extra special for me because my paternal grandfather, while in the Merchant Marines in WWII, crossed through the canal. Because of his stories, I've always wanted to see it. Also, I discovered that George B. Squires received the Roosevelt Award for 2 years of service in its construction. Relation? Not sure, but it's possible! So, the concept of the canal is quite spectacular, as is the sight. The construction, which originally started in the late 19th century by the French but subsequently failed, was managed by the Americans in the beginning of the 20th century. The Americans also helped Panamá win its independence from Colombia in order to build the canal. Workers came from all around the world, but tens of thousands were lost (specifically the non-whites, as they were given tougher jobs and poorer living conditions) to the hard labor, accidents, and tropical diseases. The canal was inaugurated in 1914 and was run by the U.S. until 1999, when the ownership was transferred to the Panamanians. The canal works with a system of locks where gravity drops the water level in one in order to raise the level in its neighboring chamber so that the ship either rises or falls in order to continue its journey. Sadly, all the water used in this is fresh water, and it is all lost to the sea in the end. However, they are building new, larger locks where they will recycle the water and which will allow passage of a much larger percentage of the world's ships. I hope you enjoyed this small history lesson.
- Flew AIRES, which is the Colombian airline who recently had an accident. Yikes! But I was okay :)
- Discovered the colonial Caribbean city of Cartagena, Colombia where I took a mud bath inside of a volcano, went for a run on the fortress-like wall that was built to keep the pirates out, and rode a party bus called a chiva.
- Explored the paradise that is Parque Nacional Tayrona: a huge protected area in the Caribbean jungle of Colombia where the green jungle leads into snow-capped peaks. I hiked 2 hours in through the mud and on the beach to sleep in a hammock with an ocean view.
- Reunited with my Colombian friends from Yellowstone summer 2004.
And it must be said, Colombia is not the scary place that most Americans think it is. I have felt extremely safe here and the people have been wonderful. The media needs to stop picking on Colombia and actually see what it is really like. I recommend you visit!
So what have I done since my last post? I'll update you with the highlights:
- Went for a bike ride along the gorgeous Caribbean coast in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is not a misnomer.
- Walked across a train bridge to cross into Panamá.
- Saw the Panamá Canal in action. This was extra special for me because my paternal grandfather, while in the Merchant Marines in WWII, crossed through the canal. Because of his stories, I've always wanted to see it. Also, I discovered that George B. Squires received the Roosevelt Award for 2 years of service in its construction. Relation? Not sure, but it's possible! So, the concept of the canal is quite spectacular, as is the sight. The construction, which originally started in the late 19th century by the French but subsequently failed, was managed by the Americans in the beginning of the 20th century. The Americans also helped Panamá win its independence from Colombia in order to build the canal. Workers came from all around the world, but tens of thousands were lost (specifically the non-whites, as they were given tougher jobs and poorer living conditions) to the hard labor, accidents, and tropical diseases. The canal was inaugurated in 1914 and was run by the U.S. until 1999, when the ownership was transferred to the Panamanians. The canal works with a system of locks where gravity drops the water level in one in order to raise the level in its neighboring chamber so that the ship either rises or falls in order to continue its journey. Sadly, all the water used in this is fresh water, and it is all lost to the sea in the end. However, they are building new, larger locks where they will recycle the water and which will allow passage of a much larger percentage of the world's ships. I hope you enjoyed this small history lesson.
- Flew AIRES, which is the Colombian airline who recently had an accident. Yikes! But I was okay :)
- Discovered the colonial Caribbean city of Cartagena, Colombia where I took a mud bath inside of a volcano, went for a run on the fortress-like wall that was built to keep the pirates out, and rode a party bus called a chiva.
- Explored the paradise that is Parque Nacional Tayrona: a huge protected area in the Caribbean jungle of Colombia where the green jungle leads into snow-capped peaks. I hiked 2 hours in through the mud and on the beach to sleep in a hammock with an ocean view.
- Reunited with my Colombian friends from Yellowstone summer 2004.
And it must be said, Colombia is not the scary place that most Americans think it is. I have felt extremely safe here and the people have been wonderful. The media needs to stop picking on Colombia and actually see what it is really like. I recommend you visit!
26 August 2010
Nicaragua and Costa Rica
Just over a week ago, I left Guatemala de una vez, as we say (for good), at least for now. Since I'm still in Central America, it hasn't completely hit that I'm not going back to what I've called home for the past two and a half years, yet at the same time, it has, since it's been more than two months since I moved out of my house in Sija.
It feels good to be on the road. Ever since I knew I was heading to Guatemala nearly three years ago, I knew that I wanted to do this trip. Although at the same time, I am antsy to get home after such a long time away from friends and family and other things that I miss dearly, like not being stared at and feeling safe hiking and running alone. That doesn't mean, however, that I am not going to enjoy my current journey!
In Nicaragua my traveling partners, Laura and Meredith, and I visited Leon, which was the center of the Sandinista revolution against the evil Somoza government in the mid to late 20th century. We went to the Gallery of Heroes and Martyrs which was put together by the mothers of fallen revolutionaries. It was very inspiring to see these young faces that had fought for such an important cause. I won't give you a history lesson here, you can read up about it on your own, but basically it is a typical Central American story: Dictator has large tracts of land, treats peasants like shit, and the U.S. helps smash the revolt. The one thing that stands out about the Sandinistas in Nicaragua is that they briefly succeeded and produced lots of land reforms and pro-environmental policies, but then the U.S. CIA came in to kill that dream. The people are still very unified though, as we saw in a bar one night when everyone was singing along to revolution songs.
Also in Leon, we took a trip out to the volcano Cerro Negro where we went "volcano boarding" which is better described as volcano sledding. We hiked up to the top, then used sleds to get back down. I reached 37km per hour! (I'll post photos when I can.)
We briefly stopped by Granada (Nicaragua's version of Guatemala's Antigua -- i.e. very touristy) where we ate breakfast in a kiosk in the park: the tipico gallo pinto - rice and beans - with fried cheese. At the end of breakfast, a young boy came up to our table, took Laura's plate, and without a word finished her food!
Next we took a ferry on Lake Nicaragua to Isla (Island) de Ometepe, a beautiful island that was formed by the eruptions of two volcanoes. I would love to study the biogeography of this island to see how all of the species made their way across the lake (like the monkeys). Here we went hiking, swimming, horseback riding, and relaxing. My horse was very antsy to get home at the end of the ride and took off in a full canter, while my saddle was a bit loose. I was frightened that I would fall and be dragged. I was not. It was a good thing to try... once.
Then we headed across the border to Costa Rica. After a long delay in immigration (Laura and Meredith are traveling on their Peace Corps passports whereas I have gone back to my regular one; theirs have been causing many unexpected problems). Our first stop here in Costa Rica was the Monteverde Cloud Forest to go ziplining, or as it is commonly known in Central America, on a canopy tour.
Costa Rica is much more expensive, but it is also much nicer, so I suppose you pay for what you get. The canopy tour was very safe and organized. We did 11 ziplines and were also scared shitless on a rapel and a tarzan swing, where they just shoved us off the platform and let us free fall for a few seconds before the rope caught us!
All of this we've done in about a week's time! Now we are in San Jose, the capital, and are about to make our way to the Caribbean Coast at Punta Uva. There Meredith will make her way back to Guatemala, as she still has a year left in her service, and Laura and I will continue on to Bocas del Toro in Panama and then the Panama Canal. On September 1st we part ways, Laura will jump ahead to Panama, and I fly into Cartagena, Colombia. I'll be spending three weeks in Colombia, one in Ecuador and two in Peru. You will see my face back in the States in October!
It feels good to be on the road. Ever since I knew I was heading to Guatemala nearly three years ago, I knew that I wanted to do this trip. Although at the same time, I am antsy to get home after such a long time away from friends and family and other things that I miss dearly, like not being stared at and feeling safe hiking and running alone. That doesn't mean, however, that I am not going to enjoy my current journey!
In Nicaragua my traveling partners, Laura and Meredith, and I visited Leon, which was the center of the Sandinista revolution against the evil Somoza government in the mid to late 20th century. We went to the Gallery of Heroes and Martyrs which was put together by the mothers of fallen revolutionaries. It was very inspiring to see these young faces that had fought for such an important cause. I won't give you a history lesson here, you can read up about it on your own, but basically it is a typical Central American story: Dictator has large tracts of land, treats peasants like shit, and the U.S. helps smash the revolt. The one thing that stands out about the Sandinistas in Nicaragua is that they briefly succeeded and produced lots of land reforms and pro-environmental policies, but then the U.S. CIA came in to kill that dream. The people are still very unified though, as we saw in a bar one night when everyone was singing along to revolution songs.
Also in Leon, we took a trip out to the volcano Cerro Negro where we went "volcano boarding" which is better described as volcano sledding. We hiked up to the top, then used sleds to get back down. I reached 37km per hour! (I'll post photos when I can.)
We briefly stopped by Granada (Nicaragua's version of Guatemala's Antigua -- i.e. very touristy) where we ate breakfast in a kiosk in the park: the tipico gallo pinto - rice and beans - with fried cheese. At the end of breakfast, a young boy came up to our table, took Laura's plate, and without a word finished her food!
Next we took a ferry on Lake Nicaragua to Isla (Island) de Ometepe, a beautiful island that was formed by the eruptions of two volcanoes. I would love to study the biogeography of this island to see how all of the species made their way across the lake (like the monkeys). Here we went hiking, swimming, horseback riding, and relaxing. My horse was very antsy to get home at the end of the ride and took off in a full canter, while my saddle was a bit loose. I was frightened that I would fall and be dragged. I was not. It was a good thing to try... once.
Then we headed across the border to Costa Rica. After a long delay in immigration (Laura and Meredith are traveling on their Peace Corps passports whereas I have gone back to my regular one; theirs have been causing many unexpected problems). Our first stop here in Costa Rica was the Monteverde Cloud Forest to go ziplining, or as it is commonly known in Central America, on a canopy tour.
Costa Rica is much more expensive, but it is also much nicer, so I suppose you pay for what you get. The canopy tour was very safe and organized. We did 11 ziplines and were also scared shitless on a rapel and a tarzan swing, where they just shoved us off the platform and let us free fall for a few seconds before the rope caught us!
All of this we've done in about a week's time! Now we are in San Jose, the capital, and are about to make our way to the Caribbean Coast at Punta Uva. There Meredith will make her way back to Guatemala, as she still has a year left in her service, and Laura and I will continue on to Bocas del Toro in Panama and then the Panama Canal. On September 1st we part ways, Laura will jump ahead to Panama, and I fly into Cartagena, Colombia. I'll be spending three weeks in Colombia, one in Ecuador and two in Peru. You will see my face back in the States in October!
17 August 2010
An Unexpected Secondary Project
Building a classroom out of trash, starting a girls’ basketball club, painting murals – these are secondary projects that I never imagined taking on before I arrived in Guatemala, but how much did I really envision correctly before beginning the Peace Corps? In the end, as an ecotourism volunteer and a woman in Guatemala, these projects made sense. What I never could have imagined, but what became my most time-consuming secondary project, yet perhaps my most profound impact, was sending a rapist to jail.
Ten months into my service in Chahal, Alta Verapaz, after having consistently run long distances on the local, admittedly intermittently isolated, roads without problem, I was attacked. It was an out-and-back run which allowed my attacker to await my return. At about 41 minutes out, I turned around and in the distance saw two figures heading into the brush on the side of the road. I assumed they were two young boys who had just yelled “adios gringa!” at me when I past a nearby house.
As I approached where they had hidden themselves and saw no one, I became a little nervous and thought, “That’s strange.” I should’ve trusted my instincts, because in that moment, one jumped out. Always too trusting, I said, “hola,” thinking he was friendly. The shirt pulled over his head should’ve been a dead give away. When he started yelling at me in Q’eqchi’ (the local indigenous language) and approached me even when I said, “no tengo dinero” and waved my hands, I was scared. I knew then that he wanted me; it wasn’t a simple robbery.
He grabbed me by my upper arms and tried to drag me into the bushes. During this I saw a pick-up in the distance, which felt like a mirage – I would be dragged off and raped before it saw me. I was afraid for my life. I squirmed and fought enough that I was able to bite his right forearm and break free momentarily. I ran a few strides then felt him grab the back of my shorts and try to pull me back, but I kept on running and escaped.
I sprinted to the car without looking back. I guess he saw the car and spooked, escaping into the brush before he could be identified. Luckily, the driver was the ex-mayor with whom I was friends and trusted. “Tranquila seño” (calm miss) he told me when he left me to wait in his truck while he searched the fields to no avail. After dropping the cow off that he was selling, he took me home to my roommate and dog where they convinced me to press charges.
I didn’t call Peace Corps until the next day when the tears subsided. I also waited because I was afraid this would constitute a site change. But really, how could I have stayed? A quick move across the country took me months to overcome, but I did and, in the end, excelled in my new site.
After the fact, co-workers in Chahal said to me, “Oh yeah, I meant to tell you not to run there; there are rapists.” It would’ve been nice to know beforehand; I’d like to believe I would’ve listened to them.
That brings me to the aftermath – learning that this kid (18 years old, leader of a gang) had succeeded in raping girls from his village and other passers-by, but that they were too afraid to come forward (and rightfully so), I sought justice for their sake and to send a message to the men in the community. Hopefully the message was not interpreted as, you can’t attack gringas and get away with it, but rather that they need to show a higher level of respect for all women.
The court process was like most things in Guatemala – slow and corrupt. It is currently spanning 20 months. It began with statements and identifications and culminated in a six week trial. Days in court were far too short – we were only given a few hours at a time every 10 days, thus dragging out the process.
Peace Corps has been unconditionally supportive throughout this whole process, which included accompanying me on about ten different trips across the country to Cobán, providing an excellent lawyer and a Policia Nacional Civil bodyguard for the trial.
I never actually saw the perpetrator until the trial, but I positively identified him through photos that showed his six gold crowns. He was arrested but let out on bail, which allowed him and his gang to continue assaulting buses in order to pay his lawyer fees. When I finally saw him at the trial, I was not afraid to face him, while in previous months I would’ve been. I was seated in the courtroom when he entered and said “Buenos días” to the room. While not afraid, I still couldn’t bring myself to return the greeting.
He was on trial for attempted rape – we had to prove to the three judges (there is no jury in order to avoid bribes, intimidations and killings) that it was him and that his intentions were rape; the defense had to create doubt in that. We had a solid line-up of witnesses: me, the man who saved me, two psychologists, and the PNC investigator. Despite that the judge president was dozing off, and that I had to translate myself for my English-Spanish translator, I did well, although I couldn’t squeeze out any tears.
The defendant’s witnesses were his father, brother, mother and two brothers-in-law. They held no weight, being all family. The story was that the defendant was at the community soccer game from 3-6 pm (attack happened at 5pm). Since when do soccer games last three hours? They all had the same outline but differed on key details. His mom didn’t even know what day she was talking about. His brother-in-law said, “I just want Efraín to be free.”
Finally, on the fifth day of the trial, we gave our closing statements. I made a plea that the judges do their job and bring justice, not for me, because I was able to leave to safety, but for the women of Chahal who cannot. Waiting for the verdict, we were nervous that the judges would be misogynistic and/or side with their countryman. But when we returned to the courtroom, we were pleasantly surprised by a unanimous guilty verdict and the maximum sentence of eight years. It was the first ever conviction for attempted rape in the department (state) Alta Verapaz since it’s so hard to prove, and because most people blame the women.
I didn’t turn to look at his reaction, but I’m sure it was one of shock. I was expecting them to cuff him and haul him off to jail right away, but he was given ten days to file an appeal. Supposedly, if they had hauled him off then, it would’ve been a violation of his human rights, which in this country only protect the criminals. What about the human rights of the women in his community?
He filed the appeal (and probably held up another bus to pay the lawyer) and is still sitting at home waiting to see if they overturn the case (it has now been three months since he was convicted). I am (obviously) hoping that he loses the appeal. If he wins, I will have to return to Guatemala for a retrial. I want to return to this country that I love, but under different circumstances. I would love to, one day, return to my beloved Chahal. I have not been able to since I left in January 2009. Despite the negative experience that I suffered there, it is still full of so many wonderful people and good friends of mine; I just hope that one day it will be safe enough for me to return.
Ten months into my service in Chahal, Alta Verapaz, after having consistently run long distances on the local, admittedly intermittently isolated, roads without problem, I was attacked. It was an out-and-back run which allowed my attacker to await my return. At about 41 minutes out, I turned around and in the distance saw two figures heading into the brush on the side of the road. I assumed they were two young boys who had just yelled “adios gringa!” at me when I past a nearby house.
As I approached where they had hidden themselves and saw no one, I became a little nervous and thought, “That’s strange.” I should’ve trusted my instincts, because in that moment, one jumped out. Always too trusting, I said, “hola,” thinking he was friendly. The shirt pulled over his head should’ve been a dead give away. When he started yelling at me in Q’eqchi’ (the local indigenous language) and approached me even when I said, “no tengo dinero” and waved my hands, I was scared. I knew then that he wanted me; it wasn’t a simple robbery.
He grabbed me by my upper arms and tried to drag me into the bushes. During this I saw a pick-up in the distance, which felt like a mirage – I would be dragged off and raped before it saw me. I was afraid for my life. I squirmed and fought enough that I was able to bite his right forearm and break free momentarily. I ran a few strides then felt him grab the back of my shorts and try to pull me back, but I kept on running and escaped.
I sprinted to the car without looking back. I guess he saw the car and spooked, escaping into the brush before he could be identified. Luckily, the driver was the ex-mayor with whom I was friends and trusted. “Tranquila seño” (calm miss) he told me when he left me to wait in his truck while he searched the fields to no avail. After dropping the cow off that he was selling, he took me home to my roommate and dog where they convinced me to press charges.
I didn’t call Peace Corps until the next day when the tears subsided. I also waited because I was afraid this would constitute a site change. But really, how could I have stayed? A quick move across the country took me months to overcome, but I did and, in the end, excelled in my new site.
After the fact, co-workers in Chahal said to me, “Oh yeah, I meant to tell you not to run there; there are rapists.” It would’ve been nice to know beforehand; I’d like to believe I would’ve listened to them.
That brings me to the aftermath – learning that this kid (18 years old, leader of a gang) had succeeded in raping girls from his village and other passers-by, but that they were too afraid to come forward (and rightfully so), I sought justice for their sake and to send a message to the men in the community. Hopefully the message was not interpreted as, you can’t attack gringas and get away with it, but rather that they need to show a higher level of respect for all women.
The court process was like most things in Guatemala – slow and corrupt. It is currently spanning 20 months. It began with statements and identifications and culminated in a six week trial. Days in court were far too short – we were only given a few hours at a time every 10 days, thus dragging out the process.
Peace Corps has been unconditionally supportive throughout this whole process, which included accompanying me on about ten different trips across the country to Cobán, providing an excellent lawyer and a Policia Nacional Civil bodyguard for the trial.
I never actually saw the perpetrator until the trial, but I positively identified him through photos that showed his six gold crowns. He was arrested but let out on bail, which allowed him and his gang to continue assaulting buses in order to pay his lawyer fees. When I finally saw him at the trial, I was not afraid to face him, while in previous months I would’ve been. I was seated in the courtroom when he entered and said “Buenos días” to the room. While not afraid, I still couldn’t bring myself to return the greeting.
He was on trial for attempted rape – we had to prove to the three judges (there is no jury in order to avoid bribes, intimidations and killings) that it was him and that his intentions were rape; the defense had to create doubt in that. We had a solid line-up of witnesses: me, the man who saved me, two psychologists, and the PNC investigator. Despite that the judge president was dozing off, and that I had to translate myself for my English-Spanish translator, I did well, although I couldn’t squeeze out any tears.
The defendant’s witnesses were his father, brother, mother and two brothers-in-law. They held no weight, being all family. The story was that the defendant was at the community soccer game from 3-6 pm (attack happened at 5pm). Since when do soccer games last three hours? They all had the same outline but differed on key details. His mom didn’t even know what day she was talking about. His brother-in-law said, “I just want Efraín to be free.”
Finally, on the fifth day of the trial, we gave our closing statements. I made a plea that the judges do their job and bring justice, not for me, because I was able to leave to safety, but for the women of Chahal who cannot. Waiting for the verdict, we were nervous that the judges would be misogynistic and/or side with their countryman. But when we returned to the courtroom, we were pleasantly surprised by a unanimous guilty verdict and the maximum sentence of eight years. It was the first ever conviction for attempted rape in the department (state) Alta Verapaz since it’s so hard to prove, and because most people blame the women.
I didn’t turn to look at his reaction, but I’m sure it was one of shock. I was expecting them to cuff him and haul him off to jail right away, but he was given ten days to file an appeal. Supposedly, if they had hauled him off then, it would’ve been a violation of his human rights, which in this country only protect the criminals. What about the human rights of the women in his community?
He filed the appeal (and probably held up another bus to pay the lawyer) and is still sitting at home waiting to see if they overturn the case (it has now been three months since he was convicted). I am (obviously) hoping that he loses the appeal. If he wins, I will have to return to Guatemala for a retrial. I want to return to this country that I love, but under different circumstances. I would love to, one day, return to my beloved Chahal. I have not been able to since I left in January 2009. Despite the negative experience that I suffered there, it is still full of so many wonderful people and good friends of mine; I just hope that one day it will be safe enough for me to return.
Travel photos
You can keep track of me through my photos at:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2053668&id=27500355&l=1373bafc6c
This album currently has Guatemala, El Salvador and Belize. Tomorrow I leave for Nicaragua and over the next 2 months will work my way through Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. I will do my best to keep you updated!!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2053668&id=27500355&l=1373bafc6c
This album currently has Guatemala, El Salvador and Belize. Tomorrow I leave for Nicaragua and over the next 2 months will work my way through Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. I will do my best to keep you updated!!
31 July 2010
Adventure
As you probably know, I finished Peace Corps last month (June 22nd to be exact). So you may be wondering why the hell I'm not back in the U.S. yet. You make a point, but ever since I knew I was headed to Guatemala almost 3 years ago, I knew I wanted to take advantage of my southern location and travel before I was stuck back in the States again. Thus, I am on the road. And here is my story.
My college running friend Carly met me at the beginning of July to discover Guatemala and neighboring countries. To start the adventure, after much too much debate over the safety of the safety of climbing a volcano in Guatemala, we determined that we were okay in a group of five (3 women, 2 men, 1 being Guatemalan). And we were okay, except for getting lost for about 45 minutes. After 5 hours, we found the peak at 3722 meters, along with some cows and some clouds. Then we hurried on down, showered, and hopped on a 3 hour bus ride to Lago de Atitlan to take in some beautiful vistas and watch the World Cup final.
The next leg of the trip was in El Salvador. Rumored to have better beaches than Guatemala and to be a great place to learn to surf, that was the plan. However, it seemed that the recent tropical storms had strewn rock all over the beaches. So after one night at the beach, we packed up and headed to the mountain town of Juayua, where we scaled waterfalls and ate pupusas. We only spent four days in El Salvador, and despite being an extremely small country, it warranted much more time. El Salvador is very clean and friendly. I will definitely return one day.
At the end of that week, we took quite a long bus trip through unpaved mountain roads to the Honduras border and headed to the Mayan ruins at Copan.
After having been to various Mayan sites, I assumed I could do it without a guide. However, once I was in there, I realized it would be a wasted journey to this remote location to just stare at some temples and statues and not understand what was behind them. Thus we returned to the gate and paid the guide fee and re-entered the park. In the end, it was well worth the money and the time to use a guide. We learned about the Altar Q, which is where the most important animal sacrifices took place (15 jaguars and 2 scarlet macaws together). What I also found quite interesting was that they had painted all their temples red and had placed a white stucco floor throughout the grounds. Anyway, it was a very interesting place that was worth the long side trip.
From there we traveled to the port town of Puerto Cortes to catch a boat to Belize. Yes, it was a very short stay in Honduras, but as I look at it, it gave us a chance to learn what to come back for.
The boat was an adventure in itself. Dodging logs in the bay of Honduras nearly caused us to flip, but eventually we arrived in Placencia, Belize safe and dry. That was nearly two weeks ago, and I am still in Belize! Carly got a short taste of the country, since she flew out last Friday, but I'm pretty sure she still enjoyed it. We were in the sleepy ex-pat beach town of Placencia, then headed to Hopkins, a Garifuna village (black Caribs), but on the way had to wait for 5 hours for a bridge to unflood! In Hopkins we got to see local drumming and try to dance the punta. To end Carly's adventure, we took a boat out to the island of Caye Caulker, rented bikes and ate cinnamon rolls.
It was fantastic having a traveling partner as great as Carly! And now I am "on my own," but not really. Last Saturday, my first day sola, I did a full day snorkeling trip where I met a new friend, Hannah, and for the rest of the weekend (meals, runs and a fishing trip), I hung out with her and her friend Jennifer. Snorkeling was incredible, swimming with manatees, sting rays, nurse sharks, various fish, lobster and octopus. Then fishing, we landed some delicious silk snapper and baracuda, and even attempted spear fishing! Quite the adventure!
Now I am assisting with jaguar research. I met the professor who is doing the research at a population dynamics conference my senior year and have stayed in touch. Now I'm helping her hike out to check the cameras that she uses for camera trapping, but also, I get to take breaks with her, which entails heading up to the Mountain Pine Ridge, which is famous for rich white people and resorts. She has friends here that help fund her research and also offer room and board when needed, and well, right now it is needed! :)
At the end of the week, after being back in the field and being devoured by mosquitoes and mud, I will head back to Guatemala to say my final goodbyes and to meet up with my next traveling partner, Laura, and head south to Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Then she leaves, and I will meet up with my Colombian friends, my Ecuadorian family, and then my (real) sister in Peru. I finally have my ticket home de una vez (for good, as we say down here) for October 13th. Do you think I can handle the US/the US can handle me?
My college running friend Carly met me at the beginning of July to discover Guatemala and neighboring countries. To start the adventure, after much too much debate over the safety of the safety of climbing a volcano in Guatemala, we determined that we were okay in a group of five (3 women, 2 men, 1 being Guatemalan). And we were okay, except for getting lost for about 45 minutes. After 5 hours, we found the peak at 3722 meters, along with some cows and some clouds. Then we hurried on down, showered, and hopped on a 3 hour bus ride to Lago de Atitlan to take in some beautiful vistas and watch the World Cup final.
The next leg of the trip was in El Salvador. Rumored to have better beaches than Guatemala and to be a great place to learn to surf, that was the plan. However, it seemed that the recent tropical storms had strewn rock all over the beaches. So after one night at the beach, we packed up and headed to the mountain town of Juayua, where we scaled waterfalls and ate pupusas. We only spent four days in El Salvador, and despite being an extremely small country, it warranted much more time. El Salvador is very clean and friendly. I will definitely return one day.
At the end of that week, we took quite a long bus trip through unpaved mountain roads to the Honduras border and headed to the Mayan ruins at Copan.
After having been to various Mayan sites, I assumed I could do it without a guide. However, once I was in there, I realized it would be a wasted journey to this remote location to just stare at some temples and statues and not understand what was behind them. Thus we returned to the gate and paid the guide fee and re-entered the park. In the end, it was well worth the money and the time to use a guide. We learned about the Altar Q, which is where the most important animal sacrifices took place (15 jaguars and 2 scarlet macaws together). What I also found quite interesting was that they had painted all their temples red and had placed a white stucco floor throughout the grounds. Anyway, it was a very interesting place that was worth the long side trip.
From there we traveled to the port town of Puerto Cortes to catch a boat to Belize. Yes, it was a very short stay in Honduras, but as I look at it, it gave us a chance to learn what to come back for.
The boat was an adventure in itself. Dodging logs in the bay of Honduras nearly caused us to flip, but eventually we arrived in Placencia, Belize safe and dry. That was nearly two weeks ago, and I am still in Belize! Carly got a short taste of the country, since she flew out last Friday, but I'm pretty sure she still enjoyed it. We were in the sleepy ex-pat beach town of Placencia, then headed to Hopkins, a Garifuna village (black Caribs), but on the way had to wait for 5 hours for a bridge to unflood! In Hopkins we got to see local drumming and try to dance the punta. To end Carly's adventure, we took a boat out to the island of Caye Caulker, rented bikes and ate cinnamon rolls.
It was fantastic having a traveling partner as great as Carly! And now I am "on my own," but not really. Last Saturday, my first day sola, I did a full day snorkeling trip where I met a new friend, Hannah, and for the rest of the weekend (meals, runs and a fishing trip), I hung out with her and her friend Jennifer. Snorkeling was incredible, swimming with manatees, sting rays, nurse sharks, various fish, lobster and octopus. Then fishing, we landed some delicious silk snapper and baracuda, and even attempted spear fishing! Quite the adventure!
Now I am assisting with jaguar research. I met the professor who is doing the research at a population dynamics conference my senior year and have stayed in touch. Now I'm helping her hike out to check the cameras that she uses for camera trapping, but also, I get to take breaks with her, which entails heading up to the Mountain Pine Ridge, which is famous for rich white people and resorts. She has friends here that help fund her research and also offer room and board when needed, and well, right now it is needed! :)
At the end of the week, after being back in the field and being devoured by mosquitoes and mud, I will head back to Guatemala to say my final goodbyes and to meet up with my next traveling partner, Laura, and head south to Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Then she leaves, and I will meet up with my Colombian friends, my Ecuadorian family, and then my (real) sister in Peru. I finally have my ticket home de una vez (for good, as we say down here) for October 13th. Do you think I can handle the US/the US can handle me?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
