Guatemala City Garbage Dump

2 things happened today that were a bit eye-opening. The first was that this morning the maid here asked me which check was written for 60Q and which was written for 600Q, so that we could give the correct one to the trash pick up guy. This is because she cannot read or write (and she is a grandmother.) I knew that she couldn't read or write before this, but to not be able to read the difference between 60 and 600 is... scary. Unfathomable. I don't even know....

The second thing is that I visited the city dump with Bob. Actually, we visited the (beautiful) national cemetery where there is a lookout spot over the dump. Below and all around were thousands of vultures, some flying in circles, some perched on the trash, litterally filling the air of the vast canyon beyond us. And of course the smell of the inside of your driveway garbage bin permeated the air everywhere as well.

Far, far below - at least a couple hundred feet - was the actual garbage. Trucks came in on carved paths that made their way through hills sometimes taller than these near 18-wheelers to drop off their trash. And going through the trash were hundreds of people whose daily life consisted of sorting through all the garbage to try and find stuff to resell. Those who had been scouring the dump for the longest got "first dibs" on the trucks that came from the richer areas (and therefore had the better trash.) They claimed their territory by laying a hand on the back of a truck as it came in.

The people at Safe Passage, a non-profit organization, apparently said that people had gotten HIV before from cutting themselves on used syringes/ etc. while going through the trash.

Who can imagine living this way daily? I find it impossible to comprehend, and once again I am forced to count my blessings and humbly realize how fortunate I am.

Video on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10100370665325533&saved