Still in Antigua

Yesterday I went with Mike, Adam and Todd to another village which needs an irrigation system. It was, as before, a really educational outing. This village seemed even more remote than villages I have seen before: the people didn't speak Spanish but their native Kachikel - one of the indigenous languages still in use. We were treated to lunch after the measurments needed for tanks and pipes were made. It consisted of the usual chicken soup (or rather hen soup, hen being as hard as a shoe sole) tortillas, rice and spicy sauce. I didn't have much appetite for meat before I started my trip but in South and Central America I lost craving for it totally. It is not sold here as clean-cut stakes and shapless mass of muscle but entire parts of animals hang on hooks in market stalls and carnicerias and people buy pieces and then cut them at home. The sight is groosome and I think whoever is not a vegetiarian can become one seeing it... But I usually have a few pieces of the hen (when we visit villages and we are offered lunch in gratitute for PAVA's projects) so as not to hurt the feelings of the people who cooked it for us (I am invited even though I am just a guest of Mike's - people's hospitality here is enormous and to refuse is not acceptable...) and the rest I give to skin-and-bone dogs, under the table also so as not to hurt people's feelings... Dogs in northern Peru and the entire Central America look really pitifull. I know people's lifes are hard in this part of the world and I don't want to judge them... but some of these dogs walk around with open wounds and so skinny that I think I would rather kill them than see them suffer so... Dogs are the untachables here. They have been tamed millenia ago and they can't survive on their own. They can't hunt, other then hunting for food in people's garbage. They are totally dependent on humans and humans are really cruel to them. In the Polish countryside there was, or maybe still is, a custom of drowning little puppies right after they were born. When I learned about this I thought it was cruel but now I think that it is better to eliminate the puppies nobody wants than to let them live only so they can die of starvation a little later... Well, that's the fate of dogs here. It's really sad. Sometimes I see dogs which according to the laws of physical survival have no right to life and they still live... I feel that whatever happens to men, however cruel it may be, he can rationalize it and can ask for help fellow humans. I know this is not always true... but there's always some possibility of salvation...

Salvation is what we have been talking about at Mike's house because Todd is from New Orleans and is biting his nails over the fate of his friends, not knowing if they survived the hurricane the floading (his family is fine). He was supposed to go back to New Orleans yesterday but him and his family thought it would be better for him to reschedule his flight to next week. The devastation is huge there... However man wants to control nature it remains uncontrolable and it strikes as if to remaind humans that they are subject to its laws whether they want it or not... The comforting thought is that the US being such a power and wealthy country is skilled at dealing with natural diseasters and is going to do whatever is possible to help those who need help... and fast... which does not happen in countries such as countries of Central America. Even with international help the devastation caused by hurricanes, earthquakes (and, of course, civil wars) of many years ago is still clearly visible...

I have been reading a really great book about the civil wars in Central America entitled "Sweet Waist of America." It was written by Mike's friend Anthony Daniels and is about his travels in Central America in the 80s. It's one of the best books on political issues that I have read, mostly because it shows that all is gray, not black and white but gray. He talks about the autocratic governments, gorrillas, aristocratic classes and peasants, and tells the story of people's different point of view, and how it is shaped from where they stand and where they belong; how easily they can be manipulated by governments, by visionaries, revolutionaries, evangelicals and even aid workers and journalist gossip. The book questions everybody and everything. Mike tells me it's out of print and I wonder if maybe someone could reissue it since it's just an absolute gem. Maybe I can ask Paul Elie? Which brings me to FSG and the book I just got from Ann Cameron - the book on Roger W. Straus. I was reading it yesterday and looked at the pictures (also the one in the back with the 11th floor crowd and me in it, wondering how I became such a tiger from the tiny little gray mouse I was 8 years ago?) and it brought such good memories of FSG and everyone there! I will be forever proud that I was part of FSG. I often saw FSG books, originals and translations, in good bookstores in all the countries I visited and whenever I meet someone who knows FSG books and ooohs and aaahs about them I can say, well yes, I was a tiny little part of it for some time... and I feel proud, people! I do! I also feel proud of being part of REBIS and being Tomek's first assistant. My chest is totally expanding with pride and admiration for these two great places.

I checked the ticket situation and the only place in which I have enough frequent flyer points to fly from to Poland is Mexico City so I am going to head there in a few days. I want to go to San Christobal and Oaxaca and visit some of the Maya ruins there. I think I will get to Poland in a month the latest. Dear friends in Poland: I am so happy I will see you soon! Friends in the US and everywhere else: I hope you can visit me wherever I will end up and sooner or later I will visit you, but in any case - I always think about all of you. You are all on my mind because the connection of the minds is the strongest of all possible connections and it is... for... ever...