Every single day, we're hit by a big bunch of new impressions. We do travel slowly, we don't follow the "work hard, play hard (or travel hard)" philosophy, but still every single day brings something new, and sometimes it really too overwhelming to digest it all.
The blog actually helps a bit with that. It makes me pause, sort all the images (the ones on my computer as well as the ones in my head), and put them down in some kind of (sort of) coherent narrative. It helps to fix the memories in my head, refreshes some thoughts that otherwise might be lost, and allows me to sort, file, and categorize a bit the things we've experienced.
(At this point, you could interject: Dude, what are you talking about? You write about a bunch of awesome landscapes, not spiritual relevations. I would reply, using the words of our Spanish teacher: "Si, y no. I don't write everything, and for me, there are a lot more memories stored between the lines of text that obviously only I can read.")
If I would have to draw a conclusion today, it would definitely include two themes that we can observe practically every single day:
First, how terrible the political systems are in the countries we are travelling. It's still (mostly) safe to travel and live here(1), but that is pretty much the only positive thing to say about the governments around here. (Okay, at least that's my resumee for Mexico and Guatemala. Cuba is a bit more complex than that.)
Secondly, how (amazingly well) the people here cope with the situation. Local people so far have been polite in the worst case, and welcoming, curious, open-minded, warm-hearted and inviting in the best case. And we have seen a lot more best than worst cases until now.
Of course, I try to translate both to situations in Europe. I can't help it, it still is "home" and my mind's reference point.
Concerning the goverment situations, one might be tempted to say "Thank goodness our governments aren't as bad as around here."
Hell, no! Instead, I will continue to bitch about the situation in Europe, and add: "We bloody well have to take care that "our" political systems don't slide down the slippery slope they are currently on, and become something even worse than here.. Worse, because in Europe, they wield a lot more power than around here."
When it comes to people, I'm even more tempted to start screaming. Back home we have a situation where an overwhelming percentage of the population is living is something that would be considered by many people around here as "utter bliss." (I know, I generalize, and there are a lot of things going horribly wrong back home as well, but still.. Admit it, you wouldn't want to swap.)
And yet, in almost all European countries, the general feeling seems to drift more and more towards rightwing xenophobic sentiment, and blame the decline we're on on the people who do the bone-crushing jobs in construction, care for our elders, or sell us Kebabs or Shawarma (or whatever imported delicacy you want)! Bloody friggin' hell!
We are currently staying in San Pedro La Laguna, a medium-sized village with an estimated "foreigner" percentage of.. let's say, 30%. Maybe a bit less, maybe more.. Sometimes it even feels like 80%.
What do people do here? Run around scared, sh***ing their pants because they are afaid that they might lose their culture because of all the nasty people from abroad? Hell, no! They stand proud and tall(2), and welcome everyone who likes to come, with open arms and open hearts, and SHARE. They seem to to realize intuitively that "culture" is one of the resources that doesn't decrease, but instead grows, when you share it with others.
Okay, enough ranting. I do realize that only the wrong people will read this, in the sense that I expect my highly revered audience to be just what I want everyone in Europe to be: Tolerant, open-minded, inviting..
The blog actually helps a bit with that. It makes me pause, sort all the images (the ones on my computer as well as the ones in my head), and put them down in some kind of (sort of) coherent narrative. It helps to fix the memories in my head, refreshes some thoughts that otherwise might be lost, and allows me to sort, file, and categorize a bit the things we've experienced.
(At this point, you could interject: Dude, what are you talking about? You write about a bunch of awesome landscapes, not spiritual relevations. I would reply, using the words of our Spanish teacher: "Si, y no. I don't write everything, and for me, there are a lot more memories stored between the lines of text that obviously only I can read.")
If I would have to draw a conclusion today, it would definitely include two themes that we can observe practically every single day:
First, how terrible the political systems are in the countries we are travelling. It's still (mostly) safe to travel and live here(1), but that is pretty much the only positive thing to say about the governments around here. (Okay, at least that's my resumee for Mexico and Guatemala. Cuba is a bit more complex than that.)
Secondly, how (amazingly well) the people here cope with the situation. Local people so far have been polite in the worst case, and welcoming, curious, open-minded, warm-hearted and inviting in the best case. And we have seen a lot more best than worst cases until now.
Of course, I try to translate both to situations in Europe. I can't help it, it still is "home" and my mind's reference point.
Concerning the goverment situations, one might be tempted to say "Thank goodness our governments aren't as bad as around here."
Hell, no! Instead, I will continue to bitch about the situation in Europe, and add: "We bloody well have to take care that "our" political systems don't slide down the slippery slope they are currently on, and become something even worse than here.. Worse, because in Europe, they wield a lot more power than around here."
When it comes to people, I'm even more tempted to start screaming. Back home we have a situation where an overwhelming percentage of the population is living is something that would be considered by many people around here as "utter bliss." (I know, I generalize, and there are a lot of things going horribly wrong back home as well, but still.. Admit it, you wouldn't want to swap.)
And yet, in almost all European countries, the general feeling seems to drift more and more towards rightwing xenophobic sentiment, and blame the decline we're on on the people who do the bone-crushing jobs in construction, care for our elders, or sell us Kebabs or Shawarma (or whatever imported delicacy you want)! Bloody friggin' hell!
We are currently staying in San Pedro La Laguna, a medium-sized village with an estimated "foreigner" percentage of.. let's say, 30%. Maybe a bit less, maybe more.. Sometimes it even feels like 80%.
What do people do here? Run around scared, sh***ing their pants because they are afaid that they might lose their culture because of all the nasty people from abroad? Hell, no! They stand proud and tall(2), and welcome everyone who likes to come, with open arms and open hearts, and SHARE. They seem to to realize intuitively that "culture" is one of the resources that doesn't decrease, but instead grows, when you share it with others.
Okay, enough ranting. I do realize that only the wrong people will read this, in the sense that I expect my highly revered audience to be just what I want everyone in Europe to be: Tolerant, open-minded, inviting..
(1) I'm only talking about the parts in Mexico we have visited, not some regions like Guerrero.
(2) Haha, yes, the average size around here is about one head shorter than me. But still, people sometimes appear much taller around here than at home. If you know what I mean.
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