“The old west with internet” is the way I described Guatemala to someone the other day when they asked me what I thought of it. (I was talking to an American who’s been living here for years.)

You can go into a hardware store and buy dynamite, you can use the dynamite at will in the street, but you can only have one person riding on a motorcycle. I’ve been told that people have each other killed for about $60 US. Anyone who can afford a gun can carry one. And most crimes go unsolved. Corruption is rampant, and goes from the lowest levels to the highest. Bribery isn’t just the fastest way to get things done, it’s really the only way.

These are the things I have to deal with when trying to get things done here. Hopefully I wont make any enemies, and hopefully I’ll be able to help the people.

This week I’ll be starting to help with a building project in one of the villages around town. I haven’t been there yet, so I don’t know what all is needed, and won’t really till I get there.