A year in the life... (Part 1: Central America)

From the cloud forests of Guatemala to the vast deserts of the southwest; from the desperate poverty of Soyapango to the highballers of Venture North; from the rich traditions of the Tlingit First Nations to the avant-garde culture of radical self-expression at Burning Man; here is a brief over view of my year on the road.

It has been a wonderful and productive year. Thanks to everyone who offered me a ride, couch, floor, back yard, meal and a little inspiration. I appreciate all the gestures of genuine kindness and hope that I can someday give back to others what I’ve gained from these experiences. A very special thanks to everyone who contributed photos to this project. On that note …

Just me and my pack in southeast Utah. I stopped for a roadside break and attempted to learn the skill of self-photography. (Photo: me!)

Elections monitoring in El Salvador [January, March]

My year began with a trip to El Salvador to be an international observer for the municipal and presidential elections. It is a country in which the memories of civil war are still fresh in the minds of the people, who struggle everyday for some sense of peace and justice. Several thousand observers came from many different countries to show international support for a democratic elections process. Despite numerous documented cases of fraud and corruption, candidates Mauricio Funes and Salvador Sanchez Ceren won the race making it the first presidential victory for the FMLN (Frente Farabundo Marti para la Liberacion Nacional) since the creation of the party.

It was really beautiful to witness the joy of the people as they finally achieved what they had spent so much time fighting for. I got to meet and shake hands with some of the top-ranking politicians in the FMLN. I also went on a hike with a family of former guerrilla fighters who showed us one of the former base camps of the revolutionary movement, as well as the surrounding bomb craters and remains of houses.

However, my stay was not occupied solely by political causes. In between the elections, I went to visit Orlando and Alicia’s farm north of the capital. We shared lots of laughs as I learned how to milk a cow, make fresh cheese, defend myself from the ducks, and use a machete in the fields. They are a very generous and welcoming family and I had a great time with them.



A pre-election FMLN rally. (Photo: A.M.) President elect, Mauricio Funes fielding questions from reporters. (Photo: me)



The Salvadoran landscape during dry season. (Photo: A.M.) Enjoying a ride back to the house after an afternoon in the fields with Orlando. (Photo: me)

Guatemala [February - March]

Guatemala is another country which has been ravaged by civil war and is slowly on the path to recovery.

While in Guatemala, I got to tag along on a Canadian human rights delegation from the Breaking the Silence Network. We went to visit a small village where a Canadian mining company (Goldcorp) has been involved in human rights abuses while displaying utter neglect for environmental and health concerns. The locals gave various accounts of lies, tricks, bribery, as well as death threats that were used by company officials. Disappearances of local activists have been documented as well as severe contamination of the local water and soil. While this is only one mine, I think it’s important to examine the greater issue of where our resources come from. As Canadians, we like to think that we have a good international reputation, but there have been some terrible crimes committed by Canadian corporations overseas. “Between Midnight and the Roosters Crow” is an excellent documentary which examines similar issues with the oil company Encana in Ecuador (http://icarusfilms.com/new2005/bet.html). If you want to learn more about the subject, these Web sites can also help: (www.resistance-mining.org/)(http://www.miningwatch.ca/).

I also visited Santa Anita la Union, an organic coffee co-operative founded by ex-guerrillas. While the farmers get to work their own land, they are a struggling community in massive debt. With the way fair trade works, they don’t even make enough money on their exports to the U.S. to pay off the interest on this debt. There is an incredibly beautiful and free documentary on the Internet which explains their situation in greater detail (http://www.voiceofamountain.com/en/film).

While in Xela, I got sucked into the vortex known as Casa A. I met a wonderful group of friends who defined the rest of my Guatemala experience. Between delicious potlucks, hula hoop busking, and hikes to active volcanoes, we shared many good times together. While there were many worthwhile opportunities for me to volunteer or help out, I felt it was important to take some time for myself and enjoy the beauty around me.



Learning how to plant coffee beans at Santa Anita. (Photo: Nanna) Riding into town to see the first-ever performance of the Vagina Monologues in Colomba. (Photo: Nanna)




Sunrise over Atitlan: a Christmas present from my mom. (Photo: me) A group hike to watch the morning eruptions of Santa Maria. (Photo: me) Lindsay, my hooping partner in crime! (Photo: me)