Flores y Tikal

Jessica´s second cousin of 24 years, Letia has grown extremely attached to Jessica. Being a young single mother whose social life appears to be revolving around her larger family, she had shown an eagerness to connect. Interestingly, even as she shown herself to take more of an interest in Jess than in me, Jessica was trying to get me to fall in love with her. It seems this more of a desire on her part to get me to be in a serious relationship with another woman than anything else. It was also easy for the two women to bond, not just because Letia was the only one who knew a lot of English, but because Jessica is always an extremely amiable person--unless you´re trying to make well laid advance plans. During our trip to downtown Guate they held hands which took time even for Jessica to get used to. When we headed out the door with Telma to the bus station, Letia emphasized to take care of my fearless friend.
Contrary to what was advised from my school, Telma suggested that we take the night bus to flores. The 8 and a half hour ride from Guate was long and comfy, about 20 persons to a most modern bus that holds 50. It almost broke down once, was stopped by the El Peten (the department, or state in which Flores and Tikal reside) security. The imagination really took flight. An attempt was made to create extended scenerios based on what little was seen in the stores and residencies along the highway.

At 31 years my first hostel experience. Good. There was definitely the sense of acclamation for some of the youthful things missed out on at an earlier time. The Hostel in Flores, ¨Los Amigos¨ had about 5-7 ¨dormitories¨, had excellent food, lots of comfortable seating, 3 lazy-assed dogs (something about this country that takes a plethora of fight from all dogs) and aside from the restaurant employees, a ton of foreigners.

After a wonderful day of walking through the shops, swimming in the lake and making conversation with un conductor de una lancha, Jessica and my person took ourselves to the cafe in Los Amigos and made friends with fellow travelers. Two from L.A. en Los Estados Unidos and a lot of Israelis.

Interestingly, most all of the Israelis were travelling individually and had only met each other or met up in Xela, clear on the other, southwest end of the country. We had a very good time getting to know them. But, even in my sworn abstaining from the consumption of non Latin American news, A curiosity crawled out of my speaking apparatus about their thoughts on the recent Israeli invasion of Gaza. It made them feel uncomfortable. One of them was quick to respond. ¨No one likes war¨, he said, possibly suggesting that he thought the invasion was necessary.

Later on at the cafe, all of us were extremely tired. Jessica, wanting to know very elementary basic things about the conflict, probed the only Israeli Girl in the group. She had just got off her obligatory 2 year stint in the army and has a boyfriend serving inside Gaza with the Israeli equivelant of the Navy Seals--the real dangerous stuff. It was obvious by her answers to Jessica´s questions that she felt a need to defend Israel even as she sounded a little unsure about the whole history. The decision was made to remove myself from the conversation. They know more about their own history than any of us. As much as my opinion of the Israel government is staunch (that they are committing appalling and in fact illegal acts by occupying West Bank, East Jeuruselum, slaughtering innocents, allowing Israeli settlers to remove indigenous Palestians off their lands, and submitting them to second class citizenship in those occupied territories;that to end the conflict with Hamas they should be serious about going back to their pre´1967 borders), not a best argument would not have been possible since it requires the revisiting of so many facts dating back to 1967 if not earlier.

So we managed to have good realtions. All of them were extremely smart, funny and courteous. Outside of that group we met even more Israelis. There´s a certain hostel that is popular with them in Xela. Even their flag is flying there. Guatemala appears to have embraced them. Interestingly enough the Israeli government sold lots of war toys to Guatemala´s military dictatorship through out the 80s.

Perhaps there is too much soggy democratic idealism inside of me to dwell on the historical irony; maybe it should not be assumed that the every youth traveling from another country feels any significant connection (not just responsibility) for what his or her government does.

Tikal was wonderful. One certainly could not smell the blood and fire behind the pyramids. Another Israeli connection entered when talking about the construction of the pyramids made of Limestone, the main material used in Israel. Props must be given to the tour guide. he was extremely informative and did not hesitate to combat the silly myths that lie in peoples heads about the Mayan empire. So many actual Mayan myths, it should be noted share so much in common with those from all over the ancient world (e.g. The gods appearing as white people, or a white person with a beard coming in on a boat). You begin to think in more anthropological rather that anthrotainment terms. But above all else there is the power of the architecture.