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The Maya |
Welcome to the Rio Dulce in Guatemala and to learning about a few of the things you may see or do here! I know it is possible to be here a lifetime and learn or see something you have never come across every day. This website is a testimonial to that fact.
This web site is designed to teach visitors to the Lake Izabal area of Guatemala about the historical culture, the various places to go and the wildlife you may see exploring around here then, how I can help you find and identify them. While navigating this site, each picture leads to another link or a better picture, so take your time!
After being living in Central America for some time now, I have seen and done many incredible things. There are many amazing places to visit here and many of them are not yet in tour books. In no way economically, but this country is rich in many other ways, you learn to love the wonder and beauty while studying the flora and fauna you can't help but appreciate the culture and history that has made it what it is today. As well as the rainforest that houses these people, much of their heritage is vanishing too. I believe that forgetting history is an enormous mistake, therefore where the history applies here and I find the links with the past it is included accordingly.
Similar to the Native American Indians, the Mayan people were considered to be caregivers of the Earth as their culture and spirituality was blended with Nature. They were a highly evolved culture whose demise is still in question. There are over 120 unexcavated mayan ruins around the Lago Izabal area alone, so it is only logical to include more information about these people. While browsing this site, you will come across various plants, animals or topics that were in fact mentioned in the mythology of these controversial but amazing people so you can perhaps gain a new understanding and appreciation yourself.
Keep in mind that there are thousands of varieties of plants, animals, insects and other fascinating marvels in this area, it will take years to encompass all of it because there are 100's of 1,000's of most species, and subspecies for each of those. When studying you realize that there are latin names, common names, families, species, genus, and that goes on and on. As I see something new I will add it and when I can get enough information about it to be informative. Much of the information needed to identify and categorize the things here is hard to get because rural areas of Guatemala do not have the public libraries that other countries do.
This area is growing fast, and without more global awareness what is left now could soon be gone. Education is going to be the best salvation for this habitat. Outside corporations still come here to feed off of this land of abundance and within this lifetime, we may see it all disappear.
After you have explored this site and would like to do your part to preserve this necessary wonder of the world, there are a few easy things you can do. One thing is to get over the myth that this is a third world nation and that labor and materials are not worth anything. Foreigners are usually under the impression that items for sale here (although items are normally far below a fair wage cost) can always be bought for less. As a rule this is true, any money is better than none to feed a family, so by adopting that mentality we in turn encourage slave and child labor to accomodate our miserly folley and a meke survival for the indigenous with little or no chance to rise above poverty.
To us what may not seem like much money, here can feed a family and send a child to school. Education for the children, it is not only helpful for their quality of life, but imperative for our global future. Hopefully you understand this and you take the initiative to help a child learn enough to rise above the poverty and causes for rainforest devastation. They never had the "Don't be a litterbug" campaign, and they can not see bacteria, so they don't understand the importance of hygene. The problem for many here is that they just do not know any better and they do what they know to survive. They can't see a germ so they think nothing about them until they are infected or sick. Think about it, have fun and hope to see or hear from you soon!
One thing that has become evident from much experience is that the traditional Mayan people are not in any manner materialistic as western civilization is. They pray and make offerings for what they use from the land. This is why when they see us in fancy clothes, expensive cameras and lifestyles that include all the modern conveniences, flaunting money and buying souveniers at the lowest price they can haggle, they see us all as selfish and rich and you can not convince them otherwise. Therefore, tourists, politicians, police, archeologists and those who solely consume from the land and people, to them are seen as theives and it is not wrong for you to "share" with them willingly or not. However, foreign ranchers, hotel owners and people who take the time to learn and respect by giving back for what they take are tolerated and can earn respect and be accepted. So as you would in any inner city around the world, use common sense while traveling and respect those you come in contact with and you should have no problems.
