TV, DVD, but no shoes

After my trip around Atitlan I got back to Martins home and heard my trip to Tikal with a localboy from Guatemala City wasn't happening. So here I was in Solala again, with my plan destoyed. Martin didn't worry, because he already had new plans for me. We were going on a "coast" trip, visit an old friend.

Wednesday we got on his motorbike, and drove to his friends house, 100 km south of Solala and 70 km from the pacific ocean. Martin warned my about "spartian sleeping", because his friend didn't have the comfort of living luxery as we western people have. Martin wanted to show me how 70% of the local Guatemala people live. And did he showed me...

After a 5 hour drive we arrived. Yeah, I have driven his motorbike for a long time, who needs a license? Just 2 km from a very very local town, was the house where we were going. A house? I mean 4 walls and a roof, made of old wood. If you would have something like that in your backgarden, and someone visited your place, they would say "break that old shack down, build a proper one". Or if that wasn't the case, the comminty would pay a visit and tell you it doesn't fit in the "street view". Anyway, it was small and could hardly be called a house.

We spend the night there, in the best bed, and the next day they made some tortillia's with beans for us. That was pretty nice, although I was wondering how they do that, since they don't have a kitchen. Nope, no kitchen. The husband gets up at 5 for work, that means the wife need to get up at 4 to gather wood, make a fire, and bake some torrtilia's for her husband. They did had a bedroom, one, for the 4 childeren and the parents self. So I guess they sleep pretty warm, sharing the 2 beds with 6 persons.

The livingroom, contained one table and one closet. All made by himself ofcourse, no money to buy things. No money to buy things, except the dvd and tv and stereo. I couldn't believe my eyes. They did not have water, gas, sewer, only electricity. No kitchen, no refridgerator, no bathroom, no toilet, no shower, only 1 pair of clothes, no shoes, nothing. We would consider them very poor. But they did have dvd, tv and a stereo. Why would somebody buy a tv, if you need shoes? What are you going todo with a dvd, if you can't pay to store food in a fridge? Ofcourse Martin called beforehand we would come on their cellphone...

So the toilet was this small shack (read: 4 unstable walls, no so far apart from falling apart), a hole in the ground. Boy was using the "bathroom" an experience there.

I would love to upload some new pictures, but this computer doesn't have a dvd-drive, on which all my pictures of this trip are right now. I burned my pics, because I was out of camera memory. Some 300 already, and probably lots to go.

alleen zwemmen in open zee of chloorzwembad: infecties!!!!
w.c.: remember dia's uzbekistan

I just LOVE your photos! Was a bit jealous when you left, but it's only getting worse.. Especially when I look out of my window.. (bo-ring!)

Returned to Holland; your appreciation for a normal toilet or fridge! And I totally agree.. who could live without a tv or stereo?!? :D

Hey linda, could you send me an e-mail, with the information I need, to keep my promise?

olaf!
check je mail :)

Hoi Olaf. Ook in Afrika liep iedereen met een mobil maar hadden nieteens te eten. Gelukkig groeien er vruchten an de bomen.

Zo zeg, typisch en door de tv willen ze juist weer meer gadgets. Net zo erg als dat arme zwervers eten nodig hebben en bier kopen.....hoewel ze hebben iig nog wat lekkers te drinken, en meestal ook schoenen. Als je terug komt (ALS) denk ik dat je anders in het leven staat. Dan ga je echt genieten als je bv op de WC zit:) of je bent dat leven zo gewend dat je in de tuin van je ma s....t. Sorry moest ff.