Travellers / Volunteers / Film Makers

As I Mentioned under the New Frontiers Section of the Visitor Info Pages, I have been making some little “Side Trips” into the “Hinterlands” of Highland Guatemala. Within Certain Reasonable Limits, I would like to Extend an Invitation to the More Adventurous Souls “Out There”.

Costs and Exposure to Dangerous Influences will be Minimised through Strategy and Planning, and We will ALWAYS Function as an Autonomous Conensus Group; or that is to Say : that All Decisions to Proceed or Diverge from the Planned Route or Itinerary will be based Entirely Upon Current Information as it becomes Available Following Discussion and Complete Agreement by All Parties Present.

Since this will NOT be My Primary Source of Income, [I Plan to be Fire Fighting in the SW US during the Following Several Summers] I can offer to Participate in Excursions of Mutual Interest for Costs and Expenses, depending Largely upon Attitude. Of Course, Demanding Individuals [and Chronic Victims] will be Placed in the Nearest 5 Star Tourist Hotel and Abandoned to Their Fate.

Interior Locations

Interior Locations can be Approached only with Great Care and Lengthy Diplomacy, since what You will In Effect be Doing, is Repairing the Damage Caused by the Sins of “Commission and Omission” of Former, perhaps “Kinder and Gentler” Administrative Policies.

I have Personally Found it Useful to Make a Series of Mtn Bike Trips along a reasonably Well Travelled Road, thereby permitting the Residents Time to Discuss and Question the Motives of the “New Comer”. Then, with Luck and a Bit of Discrete and Indirect Agression, a Verbal Contact can be Initiated; possibly through Simple Purchases of Basic Need at the Local General Store.

My Guiding Theory on Relations with Rural Maya is Simple, Direct and to the Point : [á la Will Rogers] If You LIKE the Places and People You are Visiting, Your Pleasure will Show Itself in Your Manner, Your Tone of Voice and Your Ability to Smile and Enjoy the Interaction. As a Direct Result, the People You are Visiting will Feel More at Ease, and React More Comfortably and Pleasantly as a Result of Reduced Tensions : They will Smile More and in effect, “Act” More Natural.

The US Peace Corps’ Attitude of Condescension has Resulted in Stiff Relations and Chilly Receptions coupled with a Prevailing “Gimme” Attitude of Locals and the Near Total Isolation of Volunteers from Community Cultural Activities. [though, Who Knows ? this MIGHT just be the Result of a Carefully Considered US Foreign Policy ???] [I don’t wanna know about it !]

Hub Communities

When Introducing a Program within a New Region, it will become Necessary to Establish a Base Station within a Community that is not Hyper-Sensitized to “Foreigners”; that is to Say, Reasonable Friendly yet Honest. These Locations are usually to be Found in Departmental and Municipal Centers, since Administrative Personnel usually are Somewhat more Demanding than Your Average First World Traveller / Film Maker / Volunteer and By Contrast, Your Needs and Interests will Appear Quite the Refreshing Alternative.

Housing with Families is usually the Best Bet, for Cost, Community Contacts and Safety, and Renting a House Apart is not recommended, since it will Inevitably Lead to Suspicion and Theft, along with Frequent “Curiousity” Visits from All and Sundry. However, it is Necessary to Exercise Caution when Selecting a Family that They do not Restrict Your Interaction with the Community by Accusing Everyone Outside of the Immediate Household of being “Thieves, Atheists and Illiterates”.

Family / Community Support / Home Stay

This is just an All Around GOOD Idea, since Your Host Family, [if chosen carefully] will act as a Buffer Zone between You and the Immediate Community. With Luck, Your Family can Increase Your Prestige, Acceptance and Widen Your Base of Contacts. But to Reserve Your Advantage until Needed, AWAYS Contract by the Month : You can Move Onwards [and Upwards] using Friendly Contacts Developed within this Grace Period, without Offending Your First Friends. [Friendly Invitations to Visit Families at Home should ALWAYS be Accepted, even at the Cost of Eating some Rather Strange Food Preparations. You Never Kno Who You are Talking to, Until Later hwne Someone Say : “Oh, Yes, They are Our Cousins !”]

Jungle / Mountain / Border Region

This is a Region hiterto the Exclusive Domain of Archaeologists, Undocumented Immigrants En Route to the Golden Land and Drug Smugglers, also Bound for the US. Even Today, with More Illicit Air Strips in this Region than in the Entire Country of Guatemala, Intensive Involvement and Demonstrations of Interest can be Somewhat Risky and Detrimental to a Traveller's Plans. But a Clearly Defined and Well Stated Travel Motive can Smooth the Road and Remove Doubts from Those Who might Otherwise Suspect Ulteriorities.

There are, However, Some Excellent Reasons for Wishing to Visit This Region, especially as it is Relatively Unknown to Travellers : New Excavations of Exciting Maya City / Temple Complexes are Underway, the Jungle is Rapidly Undergoing Development and is Daily being Ravaged for Exotic Woods and Petroleum, [to Feed a World Starving for Artificial Colors and Flavors] and there are quite a Number of Unexcavated Places still Robed in the Pristine Verdure of PreAntiquity. Your Average Ethnic Guatemalan Tourist Guide from the Central Cutural Region [Guate / Antigua / Chichi & Pana] rarely Understand Delicate InterCultural Relations and Rely Instead on Bribing or Bullying the Locals, or Their Clients.