The Banging Drum

Today is day number 34 of my travels and as expected, time has fooled me into thinking it is moving faster than perhaps it really is... or is it?

Yesterday I said so long to two very dear and special friends I had made along my way, and I think I have now forgotten how to be alone here in Guatemala. Then again, even when traveling alone, you are never really alone (inspiration--or at least comfort--for anybody wanting to fly solo in a foreign place). I have met so many amazing people in such a short amount of time, people who have done incredible things with their lives and who come from all parts of the world (okay, mostly Europe)... Germany, Bahamas, Canada, Quebec (since the French Canadians seem to be more from their own country than Canada, correct me if I´m wrong Rachel!), Ireland, Australia, Hungary, Israel, Czech Republic, Wales, Spain, Belgium, England, Norway... and then there´s other exotic places like Iowa, Colorado, L.A., Long Island and Dallas. But really, the interactions one has and relationships one establishes with other travelers while traveling is indescribable, whether they last one minute, two hours, or three weeks. Upon first meeting, the common bond you share creates an instant connection, everybody is curious about everybody else, and everybody--and I mean everybody--is so incredibly genuine. You feel like you have already known these strangers for months, or years; you feel comfortable with them; and, you feel completely free to be yourself.

Staying here in the same place, San Marcos, for over a week now, I am beginning to feel like I am part of a small community. You learn who the permanent (or at least semi-permanent) residents are (like the Belgian couple who sell their jewelry along the sidewalks, the German yoga teacher who totes around her adorable blonde toddler, or the infamous hippie French Canadian, Papillon, who befriends everybody with his friendliness and ability to carry on conversation for long, long periods of time). You learn who is just traveling through, but is in no rush to leave this place and is here long enough (like myself) to learn names and end up having a meal or two together. Then of course, there are always a few new faces throughout the day.

Last Friday night is a good example of the joyful camaraderie that ensues when finding oneself in certain situations while traveling around with strangers. Rachel, Ciaran and myself met up with a group of folks for dinner who were all staying (somewhat ironically, although this is a small town) in the place Rachel and I first met Ciaran. Here we are, all twelve or so of us traveling by ourselves, two from Dublin but the remainder of individuals each from a different country (there are very few Americans here in San Marcos). Papillon, the French Canadian I mentioned above, was throwing a bonfire party at his new abode and we were all to head up that way after dinner. Since none of us knew where he actually lived, this wonderfully strange man was to retrieve us from the restaurant around 8pm and lead the way. A fantastic dinner it was, as I sat next to and shared a bottle of wine with an Irish woman named Paula, a German gal named Cecelia and an interesting Norwegian named Metta... along with Ciaran and Rachel. Just as we´re finishing our meals around 9pm, Papillon shows up, but he is on the search for wood for the fire (isn´t this usually taken care of before the guests arrive?). He disappears for a while, and then returns just in time to gather all of us, who are standing in slight confusion in front of the restaurant, and informs us that we´re all chipping in some cash to buy the wood and our empty hands to carry it. Okay fine, I am happy to contribute my muscles and money to a communal event. So, begins Papillon to pile firewood into our arms. Mind you, none of us are yet aware of where we are going and we haven´t exactly known each other for long, but there was no lack of laughter at our given situation. Once we´re set to go, we follow this man through the streets toward his house, heading further and further away from the main part of San Marcos, picking up a few random folks and a dog along the way to join in on the fun. The best part of this march through San Marcos at 10pm was that, rather than carrying wood, Papillon was instead banging on a drum as the large group of us followed him through the streets like little lemmings. When away from the tourist part of town and walking through where the locals reside, everybody was standing at their front doors or peering over their fences to see what all of the commotion was about. We even picked up some more firewood from some random house. We move on, now heading off of the main street onto dirt paths heading uphill, crowded by massive corn stalks. Not everybody has a flashlight, and not everybody has a free hand, so it´s a team effort as we stumble together through the trees and over the rocks. The trail gets tougher, and we continue to ask ourselves where the hell we´re going... whether this is some sort of crazy joke. But, everyone remains in good spirits, as this part of the adventure is in and of itself worth wherever we end up. The grand finale occurs after we´ve been treading for about 15-20 minutes in complete darkness (but the stars were amazing!) and come to what sounds like a rushing river. We are to cross the river. WHAT?!?! Three turn back toward town. The rest of us decide to just continue going with the flow... why not? The river didn´t end up being too bad. It just sounded far worse, but crossing in a rush of freezing cold water at about 3-5 inches deep was still no easy task. I think the best part of this was that good ol´Papillon was standing at the other side banging on that drum to help encourage us across. Again, the question of where on earth we were and what on earth we were doing there lingered in the air. Fortunately, the house was only a minute´s walk from the river and we all arrived dry and in one piece, making ourselves comfortable in front of the fire.

I have had no lack of adventures here, and hope to be able to share them and many more soon.

Peace and love to all!