The People of San Marcos

Trying to describe the people of San Marcos is both fascinating and challenging.  There are two distinct groups and some definitive sub-divides within them.


The most obvious divide is between the Indigenous and the 'Gringos' (used loosely to describe all the foreigners), demonstrated both through the geographical division and the underlying tension evident if one engages either in any length of conversation about living here (and with each other).  Amongst the Gringos themselves, there are the microcosms.  The long-term residents, the newer residents, longevity still to be determined and, of course, the tourists.

Geographically, there are essentially two towns here - the Indigenous town at the top of the hill, and the gringo town area down towards the lake.  The gringo town is essentially one great big square, more or less surrounding the Pyramids in the middle.  Most of gringo life here takes place on one main path.  This path contains Restaurant Fe, where I work, Blue Lili Coffee house where I often hang out, a little Tienda (convenience store), an Italian Tapas place (our direct competition) and a little clothing, jewellery and kitch store.  Littered along the path are fresh fruit and veg vendors, jewellery vendors, and an indigenous home / storefront where they sell avocados and empanadas.  (3 for 10Q . . . that's lunch for just over $1.)  

The gringo population here is probably about 300 (give or take) . . . .not including tourists, but it's a hard count to take, because even the 'residents' here are so transient.  People come for a week, and stay for months. . . . . and become part of the community . . . and then leave.   Really, I am one of those 'residents' right now . . . and yet I've only been here 3 months, and plan to leave again in another 2 or less.  So it's a hard count to take .  . . and makes for an interesting community dynamic. There are some who have been here for several years, and always new settlers who figure they will stay for a long time.  Only time will tell.  It's also common for folks to spend part of each year here, and go back to somewhere in North America the rest of the year.

I have no idea what the population of the Indigenous part of town is.  Larger and certainly more stable than the gringo part.  The cultural divide there is huge and visible.  From the money they earn, to the clothes they wear, to the lifestyle they lead. Most of the men dress in the usual gringo style jeans and a shirt, although there are still some who wear the traditional clothing.  By contrast, the women almost entirely wear the customary costumes - beautiful coloured shirts and long skirts . . . a ton of fabric gathered at the waist in a snug wide belt.  (I'll have to post pictures on these)  A friend of mine has one of those skirts and wore it one night to sing . . . said she'll never do it again.  I'm not sure how they move with such agility in those skirts.

What amazes me the most though is what these people carry.   The men carry hundreds of pounds - wood, concrete . . . building materials . . . on their back in a strap that they wrap around the front of their head - really using their forehead to carry that weight.  The old man who delivers wood to the restaurant where I work looks like he's in his 70's or older.  (Frankly, he looks about 105, but I'm assuming he's not really that old.)  The women (from young to old) carry everything on top of their heads.  They walk around with baskets of breads, produce . . .whatever.  One of them comes into my yard once a week to sell me fresh vegetables, and I've helped her put the basket back up afterward (NO idea how she'd do it herself!!!  That basket must way well over 50 lbs.  I still can't get over what these women carry up there . . . or how they balance it all, seemingly effortlessly!!!



Although the travel books mention that the indigenous have other languages – there are language schools here where you can learn K’ech Kel as well as Spanish, that is but one of the 12 dialects that make up the lake area alone.  And what no one really mentions is that for all of the indigenous, Spanish is a hard-learned second language . . . not their first, and not one that most of them were born into.  It is only in the last 10 or so years that they have been obliged to learn Spanish to accommodate the tourist trade that has become so much a part of their lives. Now they are being told they should learn English as well.  As far as I can tell, overall, theirs is a much simpler existence . . . except where we have arrogantly come in and impacted their world.

It is both fascinating and sometimes painful to witness the impact of our (foreigners) presence on the local population, and concurrently to watch the impact on the gringo population, both of being here in Guatemala amongst the indigenous, and of living in the bubble that is this community.  Like many small towns, drama and gossip are endemic to the size and proximity of the community members.  Given the one-square-path geography here, you can imagine that the bubble is that much more intense.  The nature of San Marcos, on a sacred lake, and directly over ley lines, amplifies the intensity.

I can't tell you what draws indigenous and other Guatemalans (not born here) to settle here , but the foreigners come from far and wide for a variety of personal reasons, but the themes are consistent.  San Marcos is a mecca for healing - physical, spiritual, emotional.  People come specifically to study at the Pyramids, or more generally for the yoga, meditation and body work that are so widely available here.  As noted previously, people often come for a day or two, and stay for weeks, soaking up the energy, the services, the lake and the vibe. 

Like many healing-focused communities, the paradox is powerful.  It is those most in need of healing that often come and settle in healing places . . . and so, among the gringo community, the drama and dysfunction here are as readily available as the healing services.  Having said that, there is also a wealth of welcoming, community, love and laughter.  Making a place for oneself here is as simple, really, as just doing so.  Creating what you want . . . and then sharing it.  I am frequently surprised by how easy it is here just to start a business idea and make it go, or to make friendly acquaintances.



A quick aside: I've used the term 'friendly acquaintances' but I'm not certain it's quite the right one.  Friends would be over-stating, but acquaintances feels too fleeting.  True friendships take time to develop . .. . and I'm never sure what to call those new 'friends' that might with time become true friends, but also might not. Similarly, what do you call those casual 'friends' that you hang out with, see regularly, like . . . but aren't those deep friendships you really, really rely on???  We are missing some key words in the English language to describe layers of friendship) 

I'm certain I have more observations about the people here, but lest it drift into another 2 weeks of thinking and composition . . . I'll leave it here, and add another entry when I'm ready.