SPECIAL NEWS - AOUT 2011 - HONDURAS

Une breve en français pour une fois ! Ce mois nous fêterons 3 anniversaires. Le 1er août, notre deuxieme anniversaire de mariage. Le 14 août, notre premiere annee sur la route et le 27, l'anniversaire d'Alain.

Pour info et sans contre-temps, nous projetons de rentrer au plat pays debut mai 2012 et repartirions debut-mi septembre pour l'Afrique et le continent asiatique du sud-est.

Nous vous souhaitons a tous d'excellentes vacances et pour ceux qui ne peuvent voyager, une meteo clemente.

Bons barbecues et bises chaleureuses a toutes et a tous,

Nath et Alain

Julio 2011 : El Salvador, un pais dolido

Let’s say that generally speaking, the vast majority of travelers purely and simply skip El Salvador on their way to central America. They usually pop out of Guatemala to get to Honduras.

Well, El Salvador has a very poor reputation as far as safety is concerned. It’s certainly due to the civil war that was ignited out of here in the seventies and really began in the early eighties to end up in 1992, so it lasted 12 long and awful years more or less.

So during the course of 12 years, an estimated 75,000 people were killed. The war roots were mostly economic and social. The vast majority of mineral resources (sugar cane and coffee plantations) belong to a few families. It’s though that 80 % of the national mineral resources belong to 20 % of its people.

Those farms (“Fincas”) used to exploit a very poor and harmless work force – “Los Mayas” who used to work very hard and got very low wages.

For ages and despite, that huge social left-wing work force, El Salvador used to be run by right-wing governments so it was supposed that there used to have lots of corruption in the polls!

Over the course of the seventies, landlessness, poverty and unemployment became serious problems and in government, the polarized left and right tangled up through coups and electoral fraud. Some electoral results were denied amid allegations of fraud and protests were getting on the rise on the left wings rows.

Slowly there were several left wing peasant uprisings that were reduced to silence by bloody government’s squads and thousands of Salvadorans were kidnapped, tortured and murdered.

The successful revolution in Nicaragua in 1979 encouraged many Salvadorans to demand – require – reforms. That situation began to worry the US Government who always supported the right wing government and the right wing companies by pumping up loads of money to help the right wing parties’ public campaigns.

It’s reported that the US Government gave a staggering US $ 6 billion to the Salvadoran government’s war effort. In 1981 the newly elected Reagan administration gave over $ 500 million in 1985 alone! In 1981 the US trained battalions exterminated 757 men, women, and children in the village of El Mozote while as many as 300,000 citizens fled the country.

So El Salvador got a recent long story of violence and trust me on that it’s not always easy to look as a “Gringo” out there. The violence does occur nowadays. It’s reported that El Salvador is amidst the most dangerous country in the world. El Salvador has still a high murder rate : about 10 violent deaths occur daily (the country is as big as Belgium) and don’t ask if the bodies (police and justice) are able to find the murderers. The papers have field days daily about crimes but amazingly there are very few lines about finding any murderers or gang members.  Of course, it’s said that the vast majority of perpetrators and crimes are gang –affiliated and that attacks on tourists are rare.

I would say that it’s only partly true. We read the papers daily (in Spanish) and I can tell you that on “La Routa de Flores” (a very scenic route liking several touristic draws) not less than 17 attacks on tourists were recorded in only 3 weeks. We crossed that area and stayed there 3 days.

Of course, the vast majority of attacks on tourists are robberies BUT crimes occur from time to time on tourists too.

I can tell you that we were up to our necks to see gun-armed police men everywhere and each men alongside the roads were walking with their “machetes” (really funny …).

I wouldn’t say that every Salvadorans were friendly.  Being a foreigner means being from North America here unfortunately. Those Salvadorans really couldn’t picture that you could come from another place than the US. We were hopeless at speaking Spanish because they immediately answered in English (lots of them fled out of their country to live in the US so they can speak English). I wouldn’t say that I have seen much love in their eyes as soon as you look apparently like a goddam North American.

I think that we could understand their feeling deeply.

Finally, this poor feeling is very very bad for the vast majority of people working in the tourist industry who do all they can reasonably to restore a good image of their country and we met fantastic and very friendly and helpful people from time to time and because of what we just explained we feel very sorry for them for all efforts they really do daily.

Visiting or not El Salvador: that’s the question. We did it and we don’t regret it at all.

We saw very beautiful things there (we stayed 12 days).

Definitively, we’d recommend the region of Santa Anna (and we have a very very good address there - la Casa Frolaz – perhaps the best guesthouse we had ever till now! Waive Bruno for us – a so gentle guy working there)).

There we spend a day crossing around the lake Coatepeque (6 hours walking) – an amazingly lovely lake – the views were lovely and the people harmless and friendly. We have never seen so many wonderful butterflies – a butterfly’s heaven! Really fantastic.

Another day, we climbed (we joined an organized tour) the Volcano Santa Anna: 5 hours of an exhausting but rewarding walk. It was the first time that Nath could see a Volcano and she really loved the view. It’s was lovely too.

We hanged around the “Routa de Flores” and saw a lovely cascade and walked through some coffee plantations. We visited some nice villages despite the fact that it’s reported tricky. Take care if you go this way. It worth visiting the area but take the usual precautions which means to make it short: go out without your valuables. Take only a few bucks to buy a bottle of water and don’t bring any bags even a small because robbers could easely picture that it filled with valuable things so go out almost naked guys and don’t go out the beaten tracks – take it easy and come back at your guest home gently around 4 PM and enjoy a beer (you’re still alive).

We visited the lovely town of Suchitoto. It’s a wonderful and peaceful village surrounded by a beautiful valley and an amazing lake. It’s really wonderful and that visit justifies our trip in El Salvador on its own. We saw another enchanting cascade.

Afterwards, we went to La palma, without any interest – and get to the Honduran Border.

Que tal de la comida local ?

La especialidad del pais es la « Pupusa » la que es como una tortilla con diferentes tipos de comida adentra : queso, pollo, ect…

No voy a decir que la comida local es muy variada. Creo que fui cuasi enformo tan hemos comido « Pupusas ».  A mi es seguro, no puedo ver otra pupusa por unos años ! Los primeros dias fueron divertidos de comer « pupusas » pero despues fue como una pecadilla.

Al fin, estamos muy allegros de estar venido a Al Salvador por que creo realmente que poco de viajeros pueden decir que ellos conocen el pais un poco. Es un pais con una naturaleza magnifica y con una gente que podria ser muy afable

El problema es la lucha contra los narco-traficantes y tambien la corrupcion de las instituciones.

Aqui como en otro pais del centro America, parece que los dineros de la droga va a afectar a las institiciones del pais. No es facil de decir que pense aqui si solamente le quiere quedarse en vida.

Al final, deseamos buena suerte a este pais por que los derechos de los que son los mas pobres podrian ser reconocidos un dia y que el pais podria vivir en securidad y tranquilidad.

Cuidado compañeros !

June 13 – 2011 : An insight of Guatemala

Holla Compañeros,

Entering to Guatemala, I’d say that we entered into another world and apparently a far much poorer world. Indeed, the contrast was big between Mexico, Belize and even Cuba; this later seemed even wealthier than Guatemala.

Immediately we saw bumpy, run down and dirty roads and a kind of “human jungle” running everywhere through some market stalls full of tasty food, vegetables, fruits and all kind of clothes and so on…

A little after having crossed the border separating this new country from Belize, we took a “minibus” – they called it “chicken bus “ -  and we were immediately dived into Guatemalan’s reality. Its just amazing the number of people they are able to stuck into a small bus. We were squeezed into each other and we are really glad carrying such small backpacks. I really wonder how the guys carrying big ones can do. Here carrying a small bag is really a question of comfort and serenity. My bag is no bigger than the one you could use to go to your gym or the swimming pool at the corner of your house and I really wouldn’t be carrying that big stuff that lots of guys believe irreplaceable….

On the other hand we could spot through the window that the country was unspoiled, wild, filled with stunning wildlife and lively people, colorfully dressed and still living their rural way. We really love all those women carrying their little chicks on their back made out of a kind of colorful scarf. Here, we are plunged into the Maya world which is really more impressive than the one in Mexico just because they are still living their traditions. Actually, the Maya’s women are mostly dressed in their traditional outfits which are very beautiful and so are the kids. Those people are very engaging, gentle, helpful, friendly, smiling and lowly. They are always kicked to help you and to answer any requests you might have.

So we visited a few towns and a few draws. A few kilometers from the border (63 kms to be precise) we hit the turn off of El Remache. The driver dropped us there and we went on walking to get to El Remache which is a stunning village settled alongside the lake Peten (in the province where were beheaded 27 farmers a month ago by some narcos). The lake was enchanting and the views out of our hostel were lovely. We spent a few hours walking alongside the lake spotting some lovely horses and some kids boating the lake onto their little gondolas. The place is really wonderful. Perhaps the most beautiful we saw in Guatemala. We were hosted by Erwin, a very nice guy, who knew a lot about the country history and told us a lot about the civil war and the corruption that is still spoiling the country. He was our guide to visit the day after the amazing Maya site of Tikal. Got up at 4.30 AM to spot the lively and stunning wildlife(mainly monkeys), we saw the jungle getting awake through the old awe Maya’s temples. Some of them are 50 meter high and out there the view on the canopy and the noise resulting from the wildlife are amazing. Those Mayas were really living with and in the middle of the nature. It’d have been really impressing to see those cities at that time. Tikal is really huge. It took us 6 hours just to walk through a small part of it. We met there two nice travelers Petra and Tamara from Austria, two doctors trying to find another way of living in a different kind of society.

After we left El Remache, we visited the small island of Flores on the other side of the Lake Peten. It’s was a lovely stop. We could spot the lake out of our hostel and we even swam into the lake with some kids. The weather was still warm out here.

After a couple of days we grabbed a bus to get to Chemuc Champey. It took us almost 10 hours in a small bus to get there because the place is so far away of everything. The road to get there was simply unbelievable : kind of downhill (during 2 hours) you ‘d never have done with your own car or even with a rented car so it was steep and filled with big stones (One hours to drive 8 kms). Guys, when it’s raining here, it’s a kind of nightmare for a driver or a kind of heaven for the local people.  Everything here is typical and it’s really refreshing to see that there are still people that can live here. It’s really another life and all the locals were simply gentle. We took a kind of hostel there (with no electricity between 9.00 PM and 11 AM and only the rain water to have your shower). Here is Guatemala living through the jungle, the steep mountains, and the corn fields and experiencing heavy showers we can even picture). In the middle of the jungle and after having walked alongside a steep path climbing and hauling down something crazy, we hit the heavenly cascades of Chemuc Champey. We could swim through natural pools filled with  deep rain water. We have never seen so lovely pools ever. We could swim through it climbing and getting down as if we were rafting alongside the river. A wonderful place.

After having ridden another 10 hours through a winding road we hit the famous city of Antigua (where I’m writing right now). The country ancient capital (hence its name). Actually the old city is a colonial one and its streets are filled with old cobblestones. It’s the typical Guatemalan city filled with churches overlooking the valley and surrounded by a couple of amazing volcanoes. Everything here is pure beauty. Actually the city is worldwide famous for her innumerous Spanish schools (filled with open-minded “Norteamericanos” or “stiking gringos” trying to articulate some Spanish words (like “gracias “or “de nadaww”). They are really speaking like Spanish cows, guys, with such an American accent that we could never guessed where they are from – ok, I’m kidding guys…Not too lost so far from your buggers buddy ?).

Although we have decided to take up a Spanish course, we moved out of here to find a less touristy place to study (because here they just speak English all the time…). We took a another rows of “chicken bus”, squeezed as ever and after another 5 hours ridding (I really thought that Nath ‘d puke), we hit Panajachel alongside the Atitlan lake. A wonder surrounded by three majestic volcanoes. We took a small boat to cross over the lake and hit our final destination - San Marcos la Laguna – a lost place in the middle of the jungle alongside the lake. We took a “cabane” in a lovely Hostel and we stayed there in the middle of “small visitors” like bugs, spiders, small lizards and so on …and waiting endlessly for the end of some heavy showers we could not picture). We are in the middle of the rainy season and it’s raining A LOT out here !  However, nice place with wonderful views on the lake and some nice hikes and trails. We meet there some lovely travelers and had some endless chats about the world and politics (specially the awful role of US in Central America). We meet Michelle and Ruri two lovely and nice Irish travelers and we formed a friendship swapping some travelers advices which is always nice and very useful.

Then we took another bus to get to Quetzaltenango (Xela to be short). We went there to take up a Spanish course in one of the innumerous Spanish schools We took a one week formation (5 hours a day face-to-face with a personal teacher, from 8.00 AM to 1.00 PM ). We worked a lot and we certainly improved our level. According to the teachers we are “intermediate level students”. The city and the surrounding where nice but the weather was so rainy that we spent almost our after afternoon classes in our hostels.

Nous y avons rencontré trois sympathiques voyageurs français (Celia, Grégory et Balthazar) avec qui nous avons partagé quelques discussions interminables au sujet de ma passion immodérée pour Cuba et de sa chevauchée historique unique au sein  d’une région du monde où la corruption organisée par et pour le gouvernement des EU règne en maître.

Para terminar esta historia pequeña de nustro viaje a Guatemala, debo decir que la problematico mas grande del pais es, por supuesto, la corrupcion de los politicos y la calidad miu pobre de éstos.

Con la mayor parte de la poblacion viviendo en una pobreza miu grande, hay que preguntarse como es possible que son bastante los partidos de derecha que dirigen el pais. Aparentemente el pais es dirigido por unas familias que tienen mucho dinero y aqui hay que hacer la politica con sus dineros.

Las proximas elleccions seran en septiembre y entre los cinco aspirantes mas importante a la presidencia del pais, ningunos es opuesto a el envio de tropas de Norte America par luchar contra el narco-traffico…Efectivamente despues los asasinos de 27 campesinos en la provincia de Peten en el mayo passado (por algunos miembros de groupos de narco trafficantes) , los Estados Unidos han decidido de enviar unas troupas de soldados para luchar contra el traffico. Es certamente una lastima por que la grande parte del cusomo y uso de las droguas son realmenteen el territorio de los Estados Unidos y aqui no.

La verdad es que esta nueva intervencion de los Estados Unidos en la vida politica del Guatemala non es un acto generoso sin cargo. Para cada dollares que van a invertir los Estados Unidos aqui, Guatemala va a tener que reembolsar 3 dollares.

Creemos que la intervencion de los Estados Unidos aqui es un grande lastina y que eyos no van a poder hacer algo contra este traffico. Es solamente una manera para los Estados Unidos de encontrar un medio par finanziar su  actual colosal deficit al detrimento de Guatemala.

Sin embrago este situacion difficil, ningunos de los aspirantes son contra el intervencion norte americana. Sin embargo es una grande lastima para la soberania del pais y para su finanzas publicas ;

Creemos que finalamente,  el intervencionismo de los norte americanos es como un pesadilla que esta continuendo siempre hasta hora pero si nungonos de los aspirantes son contra esta entrada de las tropas norte americanas es por que aqui no puede hacer politica sin el « apoyo » de los Norte Americanos.

Ademas, la justicia parace corrompida tambien. Segun las ultimas  estadisticas 95 % de los crimines no encontran una solucion a Guatemala. Dedse hace 5 dias el poeta y cantante argentino Facundo Cabral fue asasinado en uno bulevar de la cuidad de Guatemala para sus ideas de paz. El poeta tenia 73 años !  La repugnancia y la ira son general en todo LatinoAmerica y compartimos la dolor del pueblo de Argentina.

Esperamos que el gobierno Guatemaltaco  va a encontrar los sicarios que son responsables de este crimen y va a entender para quien estos hombres fueron trabahando.

Podemos soñar un poco, verdad ?

Mañana vamos a salir para llegar a El Salvador,  a la cuidad de Santa Anna.

Cuida.

Hasta lluego, amigos

Bienvenue sur notre blog

"Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace "

John Lenon

                 Avec nos amis de Panama City...

Dear Parents and friends from wherever you are,

We warmly welcome you on board of our website. This website will be the easiest link between you and us and surely the best way to keep posted, so make sure you get used to it. You know one need their relatives and friends as much as they are far.

Let us introduce ourself quickly : Nath is 29 year old. She's a degree in  Psychology from UCL (Belgium) and is currently working for BOC (Brothers of Charity) in Jambes (Belgium). Alan is almost 42 year old. He's a degree in Law from the same University and was admitted as a lawyer to the Bar of Brussels.

Nathalie and Alain