Clark Frederickson

My team and I are dropped off at the bottom of San Cristobal El Bajo, ten minutes from our hotel. In the village the only ones awake and outside were us and the stray dogs. We walked from Francisco’s bus down the block to a big plaza. About ten dogs in and around the plaza are stretching, yawning, and soon begin barking greetings to each other. One barks a warning to us so we walk the other way. Most of the village buildings sit on a steep hill. As a group, we decided the only way was up. As we work up the winding and inclined streets we are surrounded by beauty. A view overlooking the valley, early morning sunlight, and two parrots nuzzling each other in someone's yard. But for the first time on the trip, I only felt fear. I knew very little about Guatemala prior to this trip. What I did know, I learned from a highschool spanish class. We had a unit about the Guatemalan civil war and watched a movie. In the movie there was a scene where the violence was brought to the doorsteps of a village that looked just like San Cristobal. The narrow, steep cobblestone-streets. The tightly packed houses. The stray dogs, at least 3 to a block, all mirrored that war torn setting I saw when I was younger. For the first time all trip, I walked with doubt. It wasn’t until we walked into a store to talk with the owner about water that I felt okay again. Even though it was early in the morning and a sensitive subject for him, he was very willing to talk with us and let us take pictures. People began to filter in and out of the store and each of them greeted us and went about their business.

Though I knew the civil war never really reached Antigua (and is long over obviously), I was still scared. This moment made me see myself and Guatemala differently. I think of myself as someone who can gauge danger well and who feels the appropriate amount of fear. Many people get overly cautious and fearful when they are in different countries. They don’t let themselves trust and be comfortable with the locals. They don’t let themselves explore. I’ve earned the nickname of “the wanderer” from the rest of the group. I think that sometimes you need to go slightly off of the trail or get away from the group to fully experience a place. I’ve traveled a lot with friends over the years and we almost always split up or wander from each other. So it bothered me a little that people would make such a big deal of it. But at that moment I very much wanted to stay in the safety of my group. That moment humbled me. If I hadn’t had my group excitedly pushing along ahead of me, I may have wanted to leave. It taught me that I can’t wander the world all by myself. It also reassured me how friendly of a place Guatemala is. In our pre-departure meetings, Nataly and the other partners always talked about how friendly Guatemalans are but I didn’t believe her. I didn’t think people would be mean, but I thought it was something they felt they had to say to make us feel comfortable. The storekeeper talking with us in the morning for nearly twenty minutes really showed me how friendly Guatemala is.