"I don't know what chapter I'm on. I only know where I am."
-Timothee Chalamet
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As new homes go, I suppose this place isn't half bad. If only it wasn’t the beginning of the rainy season. If only we could leave our camp for more than a bag of groceries. If only the bugs weren’t eating us alive. And, if only we weren’t being held captive here, in a foreign country, in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. Ok, that’s a little dramatic, but still…
If you've missed our recent update about our last month in Panajachel, Guatemala, catch up with the story from the blog below. Otherwise, continue reading for news on our current state of affairs.
Blog Post (April 20, 2020):
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Panajachel, Guatemala: Day 50
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We've been sitting here now for 50 days, just shy of two months. I think back to the day we decided to drive here, the sense of urgency to leave Mexico, but not to head north, but instead, south.
Yes! We knew about the virus. But, in the words of our great leader, “
It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”
We didn’t have anything to worry about. We’d hide out in Guatemala, a place untouched by the virus, and enjoy all the beautiful landscapes and cities; we’d experience Semana Santa, “Easter,” with the locals of Antigua; we’d hike the many volcanoes, learn Spanish and then head back North when the virus “miraculously goes away.”
Then, one local man decided to fly back home to Guatemala from Europe, and our protective bubble burst. Guatemala had its first case, with more to follow. The United States began deporting Guatemalan citizens back into their country, many of whom unknowingly carried the virus. News articles reported people getting off flights and scattering. Often, the reasons many locals flee Guatemala is for fear for their safety, and once being tossed back into their country, many became targets again. They can’t simply go home, so they just go somewhere. And the virus spread throughout the country.
Everything shut down. The president was quick to act, banning travel between cities, closing lakes and beaches, implementing a curfew and requiring every citizen wear a mask in public, or face jail time. And as a result, the numbers, in comparison, remain lower than many other places around the world.
Originally, we embraced our situation. Watching numbers rise quickly in the US made us feel safer here, where everyone was following the rules. In the US, masks were a mere suggestion. People were still swarming hiking trails and having secret get togethers. Toilet paper was running out.
But now, 50 days later…we’d like to come home. We promise to bring our own toilet paper!
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Here’s the good news!
The ban on travel between most cities in Guatemala has now been lifted, so we are free to travel to the border. The Mexico border is also open, so we can legally enter the country, and therefore drive through to the United States.
If only it were that easy…
Now the bad news!
The government of Mexico, the police, and the locals, do not play by the same rules as our country. So, I guess you can say the travel policies above are more like guidelines, ones they simply choose not to follow. Many of the local populations surrounding the borders believe the foreigners, the tourists…aka, us, are the ones that brought and carry the virus. To put it simply, they will not let us pass.
The Guatemala borders will let us out, and the Mexico borders may very well let us in, but there is an area between the two, sometimes a stretch of up to 5 miles, that must be traveled to reach the other side. It’s an area referred to as
“No-Mans-Land.”
You are no longer in Guatemala, and not yet in Mexico. You are between countries. And herein lies our biggest obstacle.
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I do not want to paint a negative picture of the Mexican people. If anything, I’d like to express the opposite. In the 6 months we traveled through Mexico, we had nothing but positive experiences with the country and all of the locals. They welcomed us with open arms and went out of their way to help us, when needed.
But, during times of crisis, like this pandemic, things become dire very quickly, especially in the outlying villages and border towns. People who were barely getting by are now cut off from any means of income, with no savings to fall back on, and no stimulous check arriving in the mail. If they can get their crops to market, they'll be met with far fewer customers to buy them. People are losing everything!
Yes, I understand, the United State has it's own problems, with some areas hit far worse than others. But without access to daily news and information on their smart phones and tablets, people make their own assumptions on what is happening, and when they see a government continuing to allow people into their towns, they quickly stand their ground to protect themselves. And they do it with ropes for road blocks and machetes to get their point across.
We understand their position. And yet, we’d still like to get home.
To our knowledge, Mexico still hasn’t reached its peak of the virus, which means things will most likely get worse there before they get better. And that means we may be here awhile longer. The ony question is, how long?
Our visas and vehicle permits will eventually expire, at which point we become illegal. And when we do make it out, we'll face fines for each day we overstayed. We’ve reached out to the American Embassy in Mexico, requesting information and assistance for safe passage, but their response was less than helpful. We received a form letter in response, reiterating thier website message, which states "non-essential travel through the country is prohibited." Thanks USA! I guess we're no longer BFF's!
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So, for now, the only thing left to do is wait! Above all, we are safe here, which says a lot in these circumstances. The community around us seems happy we are here, and we’re doing our part to help support them in every way we can. We're even doing our best to help the stray dogs around town and camp, a cause close to my heart.
Noah is feeding our group of four camp dogs each day, and they rarely leave our sides, even coming with us on our morning walks up and down the hill. It's become quite the sight with Quito, Zappa, and the camp pack all tagging along just a few feet behind.
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We've found a future home for Pana, the puppy in the pack, and her mom is currently up for adoption as well. We worked to get them spayed, and know their lives will be much better from here on out. The two males in the pack are perfectly happy living on their own, and now that they are well fed and stronger, they've been traveling to town each morning to help themselves to the breakfast buffet...the piles of dog food distributed by the other amazing locals.
Read the full story here:
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Bella and her pup Pana, on their way to the doctor.
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What is Noah Doing These Days?
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Noah is still attending the Jakoby RV School of Hard Knocks and petitioning daily for less math and language arts, and more time for Minecraft. I can't help but laugh at our original plan of "no video games" for the entire year! Who did we think we were? The Brady Bunch? The child is living alone...with his parents...in Guatemala...in an RV. Give the kid his computer!
I’m not saying I’m happy that kids are no longer in school for the remainder of the school year, but I'd by lying if I said I wasn't just a tad relieved that we’re now no longer the only parents playing teacher. Now, if any of our kids fall behind, we can all just blame it on Corona!
Besides school, tons of reading, and playing "King of the paddle board" with our French friends (Morgane and Maxime), Noah is also keeping up with his Boy Scout Troop back home. He's been participating in Zoom pack meetings, and working toward achieving his “Adventure” pins. Besides lighting fires with no matches and fixing things around the RV, he's also required to create an exercise program for the family to follow for the next month, which leaves me both excited and outright scared! I haven't exactly been a Beach Body role model these days!
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Noah, Maxime and Morgan, & Chester (the cat)- The night before our French friends flew back to France
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Admit it! There is a part of you that has enjoyed a little "required" time at home. I'm not saying it's good to be out of work, or thrown into a new hoomeschool routine...or forced to spend time with your spouse. I'm merely suggesting the extra time (and maybe a little boredom) has spurred something inside you.
Maybe you've decided to learn something new, or spend time re-visiting an old passion. Maybe now that you are not free to travel, you've committed yourself to that trip you always dreamed of. Whatever it is, this time we have been given, like it or not, is an opportunity. Question is, what will we do with it?
If what I said above means nothing to you, and you're finding quarantine quite boring, feel free to check out the following post for some ideas that can help you pass the time:
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Many of us have had to celebrate special occasions "in isolation" during this crazy time. Gregg will be turning 50 on the 4th, and had hoped to be hiking a volcano or doing something "epic" for this milestone. That said, I'm pretty sure he'll always remember where he was on this day!
Happy Birthday to the LOVE of my life!
Thank you for being our captain of La Tortuga, my travel partner through life, the best dad Noah could ever have, and for being there for all our needs...like emptying the black tanks in the RV!
We love you!
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