EKOS Communications, Inc.

I just got back from an amazing 6 day trek through Guatemalan highlands with a company called Quetzaltrekkers. The guides are all volunteers and all proceeds go to a school for street kids in Quetzaltenanago. This the only organization of this kind that I have come across in my travels so far and I think it is really amazing. On the first day we travelled from Quetzaltenango to Nebaj which took three chicken buses (the rejected school buses from Canada and the US that are the common means of public transportation here) and nearly eight hours. Travelling on the bus in Guatemala is always an adventure, so sitting on the bus all day never really feels like wasted time. Over the next four days we hiked over through the mountains, passing through tiny villages that almost never see foreigners. Children were either really shy or would rush out to us and ask us to take their picture. Quetzaltrekkers tries to get pictures developed from previous trips to take back to these children the next time they pass through their town, and you wouldn´t believe the excitement when our guide passed out a few of these pictures. It is really amazing to see life happening here without the modern technology we are used to. Women wash clothes in the river, and can often be seen weaving in their yard. People are always carrying wood in slings with a strap over their forehead, and often carry many other strange and cumbersome loads balanced on their heads. (The strangest thing I have seen so far is a huge battery. Talk about contrasting cultures). The Mayan culture is very much alive in these places with women wearing traditional clothing and everyone speaking a Mayan dialect. We even encountered several people who don´t speak any Spanish. On the second to last day we stayed at the house of Jeronimo and his family of 11 children. I think that everyone vacated their beds for us and who knows where they all slept. Jeronimo is an amazing man who appreciates the income he gets from Quetzaltrekkers since it is very difficult for anyone to make a living here. He is amazing because he is eager to talk to us about the civil war that happened not so long ago. Many people don´t want to talk about it because the memories are too painful, or they are still afraid to voice any opinions. Jeronimo saw many friends and family members murdered, and he was almost killed himself the very night his second son was born. He witnessed the war between the Guerillas and the army, and sadly talks about how very little has changed since then. The Guerillas were fighting for social security, fair wages, education, etc, and Guatemala still has major problems with all of these things. This talk took place on a mountain top between his village and Todos Santos, our final destination. Todos Santos is unique because it is not only the women wearing traditional clothing, but also the men. They all wear red striped pants, purple striped shirts, and straw hats. It really is very strange but interesting. Todos Santos has a bit of an alcohol problem because many of the young men go to the States for a few years to work, then come back with a lot of money and a taste for alcohol. We were there on a Sunday morning and saw several men passed out on the street. Apparently this is a very common sight. I can´t even begin to think I understand the complex social problems of this country. All in all another amazing experience off the beaten track of Guatemala.