One Road. Two Worlds.

There's a road outside the city leading to a kind of shanty town where a Mayan community lives. If you've travelled to third world countries, you've seen it all. But when you're right in front of the reality, it comes as a shock.

hanging around

Just down the road from the shanty town there's a lovely hotel, Hotel San Lucas. The restaurant is beautifully presented and the grounds spectacular. Because my guide (whom I'd like to reintroduce later) and I visited the shantytown first, these are the photos I'm starting with.

outdoor cuisine

The children attend school in the morning. But apparently the teacher is drunk most of the time. So I suppose it would be difficult for the kids to learn much from a half conscious instructor.

The houses in the pueblo are made of adobe bricks, which as my guide explained, cost nothing. The expense comes in the wood and metal for the roof construction and the windows. So often a house will be under construction for a long time.

kids caring for each other

making adobe bricks

poorer roofs are made of straw

house under construction

poorer roofs are made of straw

The poverty is real among these people. But some of them also make poor decisions with their money, such as purchasing large televisions when they scarcely have enough food to feed the family. Drinking is a big problem too.

Many young girls sell dolls on the streets. This is the type of enterprise along with weaving that organizations from various countries help women and girls to set up.

wood for roof construction

 

 

 

 

The reality is that money given to men ends up in drunkenness and empty stomachs in the family. It is the men who want the television sets as well. What needs to happen here is less machismo, an improved education system, hope and a vision among the people.

More later. Forgive the software issues. I was using Blogpress, then Blogger and now Blogsy. Blogsy is the best. But as you can see, photo placement is an issue. Patience, por favor.

Last night we had a tremendous thunderstorm that lasted two hours. The roof here is metal and so the rain sounded like horses galloping on the rooftop. As at home in Caledon, the power went off and so we spent the evening by candlelight. I got my clothes in from the line just in time.

I move to another house today.

Hasta pronto.

 

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