nature, magic, and an old man.

guatemala is a fantastic end to this trip! i spent a couple of nights in antigua and now i am in xela. the western highlands offer so much magical charm - in both their landscape and the local culture. it is easy to see why a belief in nature permeates the social structure. it is also a refreshing contrast to the catholicism further south. many of the altars in churches are also adorned with animals and corn and other symbols of fertility, in addition to the statuary typically found in churches. worlds collide all over the place!

i have mostly been walking around markets, sitting in plazas, and talking short day trips to beautiful places and landscapes (volcanos, hot springs, lakes...). oh the luxury of travel! i have also had a number of great encounters with people that inspire me to be open to whatever may unfold. for instance, in antigua, i was sitting in the central plaza watching people when an older gentleman came and sat next to me. he started asking me the standard questions, what country are you from? is this your first time here? after learning that i was a medical student and asking for some health advice, we wound up talking for three hours. i missed my bus to the volcano, but the inspiration i gained from his wisdom was well worth it. he told me about his life growing up, tearing up when he told me about his mother, who he still misses everyday, about raising his children in michigan and adapting to the american work ethic. he told me that he doesn't believe in any religion, but he believes in nature, and that each full moon he baths naked in the light and asks the moon for the vitality and health he needs. the whole time he said that he didn't know why he was telling me all of this. regardless i was capitvated by the poetic and heart-felt nature of his tales, so i soaked in every word and piece of advice he gave me. at the end of our conversation, he told me that it was necessary. i looked quizzically at him when he said it at first, until i realized that somehow it was necessary. for both of us.

the beauty of the landscape, the colors of the mayan weavings and clothes, the crisp mountain air...delightful! there is so much more depth here than i will be come close to discovering in the time i have left. but i am grateful for the exposure that i am getting despite its brevity.