Mauled and Massacred by Marriage Minded Malicious Mayans!

[Sculpto]

Sculpto,

What you have described as your experience with the Mayans is not total immersion.  It is merely between the experiences of a hippie homestay and a Peace Corps volunteer program.  So why do you suggest that this has been a near transformation that has changed your view of life.  Somehow I feel that you are being condescending, believing that your view is now so enlightened that mere mortals could never comprehend it. 

All you have experienced is a community of poor people living off the land.  That is what most poor people around the world do – live off the land.  Laotian hill tribes do it, Darfur nomads do it, etc.

Yes, you are able to see the world from a perspective not grasped by the typical American tourist; however, that does mean that we should adopt it.  Some of us have “been there, done that” and we are not ready to purge our creature comforts.  There is a reason why there is a market for creature comforts.

Do not expect your “A” to identify with this lifestyle and the spiritual values it gave you .  Maybe she will, yet I doubt it.  The average RW comes from a state of comfort somewhere between village Mayans and Americans.  During difficult times, some have lived close to the Mayan lifestyle and few liked it.  RW do not want to live in poverty, no matter how pure in spirit and brief it is.

If you are indeed captured by the Mayan spirit and wish to adopt it as your own, I suggest that you marry a Mayan woman, give your money to A’s orphanage, and burn your passport.   

Maybe one day we will see a movie about your life a la Christopher McCandless.

Gator..
San Cris is a special place.  The townies.. the Mayans.. the foreigners who are attracted there.. its unique in a way that is very hard to describe.  Its part climate.. part the mountains and elevation.. part the Mayans.. part the townies and the Spanish history.. a large part because it was so isolated for so long and its own culture and world view evolved out of that.. its a lot of things and they are not simple to put a finger on.  That is exactly what makes it special.

I never said I was immersed in Mayan culture in the sense of living in a community out in the hills.  I did live for one year on the mountain on the west side of town.  Most of the neighbors were Mayans.  I got handmade tortillas delivered to my door every day.. buckets full of delicious wild mushrooms.. fresh wild rasberries when they were in season.. eggs still warm from the chicken.. and a lot more little things that I never expected when I moved in.  The second and third years I lived in town just a few blocks from the market.  I decided to move into town because I had been living without electricity for a year and got fed up with it, plus cooking on a fire everyday had gone from charming to a pain in the arse.  Got sick of cutting wood.

That was 20+ years ago.  At the time.. making an interenational call was something that had to be planned in advance and could take half a day.  I am sure many of the older FSU folks will remember how it was before there were cell phones everywhere.. go to the phone booth.. pay the money.. the person behind the desk dialed the number and you would go talk inside a little booth until the money ran out.  It was the same back in those days in SCLC.  There was one stop light in town and no traffic.. people came in every morning on horseback.

Today.. wow have things changed.. 1994 had a lot to do with it, plus, the massive increase in tourism.  Today there are atm machines all over the place.. the whole town is covered in wifi.. there is some traffic but I just read on scyscrapercity that later this year they are closing the center to vehicle traffic.  The electric company has buried all the lines in the historic district so there are no electric poles and wires cluttering the view.  The town came together and blocked the opening of Walmart.  Starbucks is trying to open a location but that will most likely be blocked also.. at least in the historic center.  On the exterior of houses int he center of town.. things look old and worn.. but go inside most of the houses and you will find a style not unlike Santa Fe with all the modern conveniences.  Satellite tv.. modern kitchens and bathrooms.. and a lot of colonial and rustic charm.  And people still come into town every day on horseback.

The impoverished families that live on the outskirts make up about 30% of the population.  I have talked about them in the immigration thread.  They are mostly religious refugees that were expelled from their original communities for converting to evangelical Christian churches.  That is what happened to my family.  They have since renounced Christianity and returned to the traditional belief system.  The Missionaries use penicillin to "prove" the word of Jesus.  When you send money to the "save the children fund" it actually goes to fund these Christian missions.  The societal divisions they cause is serious enough for an entire book on the subject.  

I am in no way suggesting that "A" and I go live like they do.  I like my comforts too, and more now than I did 20 years ago.  I like my amplified music and I am a furniture maker.. living with one rookety chair isn't going to cut it for me anymore than it would for "A".  What we do know is that Mexico is about to begin a major tourism marketing campaign in Russia.  They have loosened the visa rules and so now a visa can be obtained in only two days from the Moscow Embassy.  Last year there was a little over 10 thousand Russian tourists given visas.  This year has already passed that number, even with the flu.  They are expecting exponential growth in the Russian market.  San Cris is considered the "not to be missed" place in Mexico.  We will open a little Russian themed cafe marketed to both Russian tourists and especially to the locals.  The Italians, French, Germans and several other Euro nationalities have already done the same thing and it works.  By the time travelers get to SCLC they are ready for a little taste of home so on any given night the Italian cafe is half full of Italians and half full of locals who feel like eating some Italian food.. That is part of what makes the place so attractive.. on the one hand there are these amazing Mayan people who do live off the land and provide the food everyone eats.. on another hand there are the townies who have maintained a very Spanish colonial vibe and culture that evolved in islolation fro the rest of mexico for like 475 years.. and then the expats from 20+ different countries that have settled there.  The place has an amazing international yet truly Mexican vibe.  Its home for me.    On top of all that.. the UN just finished their evaluation for inclusion in the exclusive list of "Patrimonio de la Humanidad" and they will get the designation within a year or two, which means UN money for preservation and increased fame internationally as a destination.  its a good place to live.  With half the money I make here I can have a much better lifestyle than I do now.  Even today.. a walk down side streets and you will hear marimba being played in peoples homes.. fireworks going off all over town wherever there is a wedding or any other kind of party taking place.. and happy families walking around and greeting with smiles everyone who passes by.  

As far as the epiphany I spoke about a long time ago.. that happened one day in San Juan Chamula during the festival of San Juan.  I can't explain it.. if you ever have the chance to be there for that event.. walk into the church.. ten different bands playing the same ancient melody on different time with strange instruments.. thousands of candles.. the air thick from copal insense.. hundreds of people chanting and performing ritual cleansing ceremonies.. its intense and the most spiritual experience I ever had.  Somehow I lost 10 hours that day.. but, when I came out of the church at dusk and realized that an entire day had passed without even being aware of it.. i felt changed.. and I have never seen the world the same since.

[mies]

I asked her if she wanted me to tell her about the places we would be going in a lot of detail.  She declined and said she wanted to be surprised.

when i tell my husband or anybody else "I want to be surprised" it usually translates as
"I believe/assume you are a normal, adequate, not too extreme person, you respect the safety of your guests, you know my tastes and needs, and you will make sure that I like your surprise - otherwise I am sure you will not be showing it to me. You don't want to disappoint me with you surprise, so i trust you and let you surprise me."

just reminded of an old and extremely funny (at least to me and in its russian version) russian anecdote - about surprise.

60yo lady and her 4yo grandson are reading book together. Or rather a grandma is reading book for the boy. Boy looks like an angel - beautiful, blond curly hair, sky-blue eyes, pink cheeks, soft and gentle features, sweet and cute smile. A dream boy.
Suddenly, in the middle of the sentence - old lady get hiccups. (In russia people say if you get hiccups - someone has to surprise you or scare you). So old lady asks her grandson "dear, please - surprise your grandma".
Boy makes serious and angry face, looks straight into her eyes, than makes a foul gesture and tells her "here you are - old sl*t.

end of story: grandma stops hiccuping and gets heart attack.


The moral of this story is: nobody wants bad surprises. When somebody is asking for surprise - they only ask for a good surprise.

Having said all this - I would not mind living a week or two in the conditions described by Sculpto. Many rural people live in similar conditions in Russia and Ukraine. They don't normally cut wood for cooking (though some do), but the gas for the stove is used from the cylinder. Each cylinder lasts for about a month. If new is not bought on time - people do cook on wood or coal. Bake bread. To arrange a phonecall to another city - you need to order it in advance - sometimes few days in advance. When there is a storm - there is no electricity, no radio, and no TV - sometimes for days/weeks. People wake up at 4am- before sunrise and go to sleep after sunset - around 9pm. My grandparents lived like this in remote Ukrainian village. I staid with them 2 weeks of every summer during my childhood. I was collecting warm eggs from under the hens to make omelets. I was helping my grandma to milk the cow and milked goats myself, and then drank warm fresh milk. The toilet was outside and you had to walk about 2 min from the main house. In winters when it was much snow - it was quite inconvenient arrangement, especially during nights. I was there only once in winter - when my granddad died. I was collecting all berries and apples fresh from the huge orchard of my grandparents. In the local shops it was possible to buy few things: bread (not always available - few days a week accordingly to schedule), vodka, mineral water, salt. Sometimes (not always) sugar and sausages. Very very rarely - sweets/candies.  All food was grown/produced locally. And I must say - for 2 weeks - it was a wonderful life. Full access to domestic animals and orchard, free library in the neighborhood with many nice books, lots of adventures with friends. Fishing on weekends, picking mushrooms in the forest - it was indeed great. All water for household needs was carried from the well across the road. If there was a line for that well - then we had to walk about 1/4 mile to another well. These were the two options for the neighborhood of 15-20 houses. Each adult took 2x10 liter buckets. I had my little bucket to help my grandparents. 4 buckets of water usually lasted for a day. This water was used for all needs - to wash hands, to cook for people and animals, for drinking by animals and people etc. In the winter they were burning wood or coal to keep the house warm. In summer there was no artificial ventilation - but it was always cool and nice in the house. I loved reading books inside during hot summer days.
 These days I would love to live in basic conditions - but only for a short time - as an adventure and escape from civilization.

Sculpto, if you are so much liking simple lifestyle - try going to Russian village  :-) these people also have history to share. Let "A" assist you in this adventure. You've already been in Mexico - why not trying rural Russia? :-)

[GQBlues]

LOL. Funny titling...good job!

Boo-hoo to the worry warts. I think when Sculpto arrives in Mejico, he ought to excuse himself and dress right down to those thongs, run 10 paces ahead of 'A', stop and look up to the sky, raise his arms to a 'T', and cry 'screaming' these words...

I am Sculpto Paw, second cousin to Jaguar, the hunter, owner of the forest! Give us some fresh tortillas!

(just kidding you S)

How will you ever write your T/R from the bowels of the jungles?

[Sculpto]

LOL. Funny titling...good job!

Boo-hoo to the worry warts. I think when Sculpto arrives in Mejico, he ought to excuse himself and dress right down to those thongs, run 10 paces ahead of 'A', stop and look up to the sky, raise his arms to a 'T', and cry 'screaming' these words...

I am Sculpto Paw, second cousin to Jaguar, the hunter, owner of the forest! Give us some fresh tortillas!

(just kidding you S)

How will you ever write your T/R from the bowels of the jungles?

LOL!!!!  Exactamente!  Southern Mex is not Tijuana!  If you want to try and compare it to someplace in the US.. you could say its a bit like Santa Fe but a hell of a lot more chaotic and genuine. 

TR will be easy.. at the beach.. condo has free wifi..
in SCLC the entire town has free wifi..
in the jungle I don't know.. there are internet cafes all over in town.. but the neither of the jungle lodges ever responded.. I had to make a reservation at a fancy place for her visa.. but things are still a bit backwards it seems in Palenque... which is fine with me.

She is bringing her laptop.. and I might pick up one of those little web books if I can get a good deal on one.. I don't really need it but might be a cool tool to have.

However.. if I am writing a lot during this trip.. someone kick me..

[Daveman]

I am Sculpto Paw, second cousin to Jaguar, the hunter, owner of the forest! Give us some fresh tortillas!

 

that has got to be the best line ever...


Sorry Sculpto Paw, second cousin to Jaguar, the hunter, owner of the forest, consumer extraordinaire of fresh tortillas,

I didn't get the correct mental image of what you were describing.  You're talking Wi-fi, etc.. I thought you were indicating serious hikes into the back wilderness to some isolated population where you are the only white man they ever saw (exaggeration.. but not by much).

[Sculpto]

that has got to be the best line ever...


Sorry Sculpto Paw, second cousin to Jaguar, the hunter, owner of the forest, consumer extraordinaire of fresh tortillas,

I didn't get the correct mental image of what you were describing.  You're talking Wi-fi, etc.. I thought you were indicating serious hikes into the back wilderness to some isolated population where you are the only white man they ever saw (exaggeration.. but not by much).

lol.. the back country is certainly available.. if we are going to visit a rebel community it will be exactly that.. but all that is going to depend on her.. after she gets a taste of some easy access stuff if she wants to get off the beaten path it is doable.  But that requires planning and even with all my experience I would not do it without a seasoned local guide.. I know many and how to find them.  But doing that stuff isn't like going rock climbing in Yosemite.. there is no med evac in case of emergencies.. there are rebels with guns.. soldiers with guns and possibly wild animal poachers and or drug smugglers as well.  While SCLC is very civilized and peaceful it IS the frontier and anything that qualifies under the heading of "expedition" literally must be treated as if you are going into the old fashioned wild west.. no law except that of the gun.  I have done it before.. will do it again.. but, always with lots of planning and a local guide.  I never had a problem.. but.. I do recall getting stung by an Africanized bee that caused some concern for a couple of days.  I got stung on my ankle and my whole leg swelled up alarmingly.. but.. the third day the swelling went down and all was good.. but.. I have to say being a 12 hour hike from help was scary.  if bad had turned to worse the guide would have hiked out and come back with a horse to carry me out.  Anyway.. if you want to see pink dolfins or giant river otters or wild scarlet macaw there is only one way and that is to go deep into the jungle where there are no roads.

[ladyR]

just reminded of an old and extremely funny (at least to me and in its russian version) russian anecdote - about surprise.

 
Very good anecdote - I've never heard it before - thank you!

Sculpto, if you are so much liking simple lifestyle - try going to Russian village  :-) these people also have history to share. Let "A" assist you in this adventure. You've already been in Mexico - why not trying rural Russia? :-)

We have a house in the village (400 km. from Moscow). At first I was planning to take my former fiance there, but after I briefly told him a few details about it he politely said: "Thank you, maybe next time " 

[mies]

We have a house in the village (400 km. from Moscow). At first I was planning to take my former fiance there, but after I briefly told him a few details about it he politely said: "Thank you, maybe next time " 

"а говорил - романтик"

[Sculpto]

Mies.. I missed your post yesterday about your time at your grandparents place.  That sounds wonderful!  But, like you said, for two weeks!

I am a city boy.. my girl.. she is a city girl..

That is what is so attractive to me about SCLC.. on the one hand it is a small but international city, but, on the other hand.. it is right next to and surrounded by incredible nature and the simple life.  So, it makes it easy to access but without actually having to make the sacrifices required to live a rural lifestyle. 

I would love to try village life in Russia.  "A" and I have talked a lot about planning an adventure in the Altai region and maybe trying to do a home stay with a family there..  She is not against it at all, at some point in the future. 

As far as surprises.. as I mentioned in an earlier post.. she has seen photos of my family and the conditions they live in.  She knows they are incredibly poor.  She also knows they are very important to me and that she will see some things she wont like.  She knows I don't like those things and that is why i continue to give support to this family, besides the love they have shared with me over a long time.  We will visit with them 2 or 3 times during the week we are in SCLC.  The rest of the time we will be in museums, old churches, visiting other friends, day tripping to waterfalls, hot springs, caves, canyons and other villages to buy ceramics, wood carvings, weavings and anything else that she likes and going to cafes, hearing live music, walking around town.. drinking warm "ponche" with or without some moonshine.. there is a lot to do besides hang around in a smokey kitchen with a dirt floor.

Nevertheless, it is important to me to see how she reacts to something that is not beautiful or perfect on the surface.  I remember the first time I was invited into that kitchen.. the smoke really got to me.  We were all sitting on little stools huddling around the fire.  During the winter months it can get VERY cold at night at that elevation.  The Mom was making chocolate to drink, from cacao beans they had harvested from their cacao tree, dried on the roof and toasted on the comal that day and she ground them by hand.. all the kids took turns too.. they used cows milk from the cow in the yard.. all the little kids were so excited to have that chocolate.. there was only enough to do it a few times... and it was precisely when the chocolate was being served.. and the family was enjoying this special treat.. and the Father, on one of his rare home visits, broke out the guitar and started singing old Mayan songs.. that I understood, the smoke, and the dirt floor, were completely irrelevant because this family was united and for those few minutes drinking that delicious chocolate, they were the richest family in the world.

That is what I want her to experience and I hope she takes away the same lesson fro it that I did.  If I wasn't really sure that she will, I wouldn't be bringing her there.