A window to the past

by Ricardo Resendiz (Mexico)

I didn't expect to find Mexico

The fist time I went to Guatemala I was at Petén. The majestic scenery, the jungle covering ancient pyramids of the Maya people, was something I expected from many books I read while studying anthropology and history. While amazed by the beauty of nature and the complexity of the ruins, the sensation was as if the place was familiar to me. The heat, the colors, even the sounds of the jungle, were kind of familiar. Probably because of the holidays I used to spend with my family at Cancún. Back to Mexico City, I could not wait for another chance to go back to Guate. So familiar, yet so different. Even after going a couple of times to Europe, two amazing experiences waiting to be written, crossing again our southern border was a project I was going to fulfill in due time. Finally, a couple of years later, and having finished my bachelor in ethnohistory, me and a friend decided to go to Guatemala. We flew from Mexico City to Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the capital city of Chiapas State. After a brief flight, we took a van directly to San Cristobal de las Casas. Just as we arrive, a sign caught our attention “600 pesos to Lago Atitlán”. After discussing the idea with a couple of beers, we decided to wait no longer. We took the van early at the hostel, and after picking up other fellow travelers across town, we headed southbound to the border. Different from the time before, the landscape was way more familiar. The forest, the mountains, the area was very similar to the one surrounding Mexico City. As we ventured deep into the highlands of central Guatemala, I started to get excited on what was ahead. As soon as people were telling us about Lake Atitlan, the volcanoes, the town along the shore, my imagination blew my top off. After a couple of hours on a mountain highway, I finally got a glance of this amazing place. Behind a curtain of pines, the golden glow of the lake made a strong contrast with the shadow shape of the three volcanoes around it. Obviously, a blue cloudless afternoon sky only boosted the power of such marvelous image! As we were going downhill to the docks to take our boat to San Pedro La Laguna, my historic memory came to play. I was beholding an historical landscape, the lake and the volcanoes were helping my to reshape the landscape of my own city before the Aztecs and the Spaniards dried the Texcoco Lake to prevent floods in Tenochtitlán, later Mexico City. Every time, as we were on a kayak at the lake, or hiking in the mountains, at every step I was rebuilding the historical landscape of my own birthplace. Even it seemed as if nature itself was helping me to fully understand the importance of how societies decide to interact with their surroundings. At the middle of a hike, just as we were resting in a small log, an earthquake took place, even our guide was shocked. The following days, me and my friend discovered an amazing vibe at a hostel committed to promote bonds between travelers and the town. From policies such as no WiFi at the bar, or a benefit football tournament, those kind of actions reminded me of the importance of travel. To experience living culture, with all it historical background as a mirror to understand yourself! After that experience, we went to Antigua, and finally to Guatemala City. The parties, the food, and mostly the friendly people we met on those cities made a round experience before flying back to Mexico. By the way, another unforgettable moment was watching Brazil - Germany at San Marcos La Laguna, both fans were boosting at a small pub, as the scoreboard got higher, the screams, the laughs and the drinking grew. Unfortunately, that story is yet to be written...