Illegal for a few days

Who would think that crossing international boarders could be as easy as hopping in a skiff (small boat) or walking through a cow pasture? But that is exactly what two of my weekends in the past month have consisted of. Villagers here cross boarders nearly everyday, all they need are some good boots and a sturdy horse/donkey for packing all of their belongings on. They cross for a myriad of reasons, cheaper goods such as soap and farming materials. We cross for much less essential needs, Beer. Yes folks there is only one real beer in Belize, Belikin. And while you do have your choice between regular and stout, maybe throwing a Lighthouse or Guinness in to the mix every once in a while, Belikin is really your only option. So to taste some of the finer (sarcasm) Guatemalan delights we traverse boarders to get our hands on some tasty Gallo and Tecate. So beer is our reason (sometimes) for crossing but most of the time the beer is the last thing i remember from the trip. Here is an account of my last two boarder crossings and some reflections on them. enjoy and don't tell the Belizean or Guatemalan gov't, please!

Crossing one:
A volunteer passing through on her way across Central America in her recycled veggie oil truck (yes it was sweet!) Invited us on a trip out to the village to visit one of the many waterfalls that scatter the Toledo District. all four of my house mates and few of our friends took her up on her offer (its not common that we get a truck out the villages on a weekend for fun excursions). We suggested crossing over to Guatemala from Jalacte to chill for a little and get some beers to bring back to the falls. Everyone was game and so all 11 of us + one awesome dog got into veggie oil mobile and headed out. the boarder crossing from Jalacte to Santa Cruz Guatemala brings you through a creek, over a cow pasture, through some fences and finally you arrive in Guatemala. I felt like i was in the sound of music, fleeing the Austrian Nazi's on my way to Switzerland, only it was a tropical cow pasture and a muddy river instead of the Swiss alps and a bubbling brook. But you get the idea. There is no real marking of when one arrives in Guatemala, there is kind of a fence some people passing by started talking Spanish but nothing distinctly saying welcome to a new country. However i did know i was in Spanish/Central America when i got a whiff of that central American soap. Now if you have never traveled to Central America (well you're missing out and should get there asap, but that's another story) you will know the soap i;m talking about. it comes in a dish and is green supposedly smells like lime, but i don't really think so, its soft and mushy and sometimes gritty. Well it had a distinct smell and apparently it is only found in Spanish speaking countries in Central America. This was my tell tale sign i was in Guatemala. We got our beers traveled back to Belize hopped in the truck and went on our merry way. It was smooth and easy and one of those experiences where you say to yourself "really?! am i actually doing this right now?"

Crossing two: So this past weekend my roommate susannah and I went to Barranco with some friends for a weekend away. it was the first weekend of summer for most teachers and so we decided to make it an exciting one. Barranco is about an hour or so away on bus and is the only Garifuna village, all the rest are Mayan. (look up the names for details on the different cultures). one of our friends house sits a pretty sweet pad so we had a free place to stay and all we had to do was provide some food and get out there. We had not planned on a relaxing weekend by a pool, yes a pool, I don't think I've seen a pool in the last year let alone one right outside my bedroom, it was not what we were expecting and we were totally floored when we showed up! We were thinking of just going to the sea and getting a good summer tan maybe visiting some families we know that live there. But our friends Kevin and Rey decided it would be a great idea to go to Sarstoon, a small town on the Sarstoon river which divides Belize and Guatemala. So again i was preparing for a trip to Guatemala. We set out at 930 on a boat with our rasta tour guide to get some, yes again, Guatemalan beers and check out the scenery. Barranco is a fishing village right on the sea and so the trip to the mouth of the Sarstoon river was only about 20 mins. We pull into the river and our guide talks to the Guatemalan army men sitting in their thatch hut up on stilts over the water. In Spanish we explain we're only going to be here for a couple of mins. we name drop and are given the "ok". we pull up to another thatched dock with three men sitting in hammocks waving us over (apparently they knew our guide/friend). we get off the boat and as i walk off the dock to the little store what do i smell? that soap again, i know I'm in Central America once again!! my heart skips a beat and i feel immediately at home. I speak Spanish, watch football on TV, and just relax on the veranda for a little while. Before we head back to Belize, we take a small cruise up the Sarstoon river to this really sweet swimming hole just off the river. It's a break in the mangroves and covered by tall tall trees the water is deep and actually cold. It is the most refreshing water I've felt in Belize (or actually Guatemala). We swam for a while than again hopped in the boat and it was smooth sailing back to Barranco. again another one of those "Really, am i actually doing this right now?" moments.

Most of my College career was spent studying immigration, my thesis was on Mexican immigration i've heard hundreds of stories about illegal boarder crossings and the lengths people we go to to cross international boarders without detection. My recent experiences have made me think a lot about those past stories I've heard. They remind me of my privilege, one i definitely didn't ask for, but one that grants me experiences like these without much risk or fear or legal repercussion. While Belizeans cross these same boarders everyday. Boarder crossings are not as smooth for those going from Guatemala to Mexico and definitely not Mexico to the US. i however was able to cross freely into a different country with out so much as a question why let alone a passport stamp. I am grateful every day for the opportunities i am given in this experience as a JV. But i am also contently reminded of those who make these journeys and have these experiences out of necessity, and who experience much more turmoil and fear along the way.
So while most of these jouneys begin in pursuit of beer, they result in amazing experiences which give me a space to reflect and mostly to thank God for the amazingness of this life.

quote from this past weekend: "We are all COPE: Citizens Of Planet Earth, I am free!"