Guatemala, I traveled light, hey why not come down and join me ?

Hello to all my wonderful readers.
I cannot believe the amount of readers I have and yes from all parts of this shrinking world.

After a long trip.... I space it out, I have arrived in Xela, Guatemala.

Hello as you know my name is Gavin.

But I am also known as Gavino... or Gabino as some locals in Guatemala call me.

Jokingly I am also called Gabino Herrera after the late Mexican revolutionary, which incidentally many B-western movies that where made in Mexico have featured. Gabino Herrera was a revolutionary during the Spanish mexican civil war and womanizer I am told, having had several wives in his colourful past. 

Now just because I have had several wives (actually three), wow...those rumours, well he bares little resemblance to me and my lifestyle.

I am not a revolutionary in any aspect of the word, choosing a more solemn life style. I would always fight with the pen and not the sword.

Yes, I have expressed political views from time to time and yes I even did that here and in this blog. But the real purpose of the blog is not for political demonstration or even financial gain. It is solely to inform you the reader what traveling to and staying in or even living in this beautiful country of Guatemala can be like.

Anyway I am here once again. This is my fifth trip to Guatemala and should last a duration of six months tops. The reasons are many. 

While living on Vancouver Island seems idyllic to most people with its mediterranean climate, it is that dampness I am experiencing now that is painfully aching to my older bones. Injuries of the past haunt me in this damp sea climate, so I have decided to wait out the winter out in Guatemala. Daytime temperatures where I will be staying will hover in the mid twenties celsius (the eighties in Fahrenheit).

I have also spent the past year and a half writing a book of fiction about a man who leads a double life. He is a nice family man and well respected on one hand but also a very secretive side to himself on the other hand. He is an assassin. The story takes place in England, Canada, the USA and in Guatemala. Being here now in Guatemala I will be able to do further research in certain parts of this country.
To make any fictional story believable one has to have facts that are correct. This process makes the characters in the story appear real.

While the present ailing Canadian dollar makes living in Guatemala a little more expensive now, it is still very affordable, certainly well within my means and perhaps yours. Perhaps with our new prime minister, the economy will improve in Canada.

As I have mentioned in other blog entries, one can live very well, yes very reasonable in Guatemala on less than $500 dollars a month. This is still very true and this amount includes accommodation, food, travel and of course some fun. Yes for $500.00 you are living upper middle class in Guatemala. The one thing you will not have is a vehicle, but since public transportation is so inexpensive, why would you need a vehicle of your own?

The costs I offer here are the ones you would experience in Quetzaltenango. Costs can vary in different parts of Guatemala, of course just like it can in different parts of the USA, or Canada or in other parts of the world. Soon my plans are to check out the lake as it is known. The lake refers to lago Atitlan and is about an hour and a half away by chicken bus. Parts of Lago Atitlan offer a cheaper way of life and a little warmer with lower elevations (1800 metres).
Not certain what centre In shall live in while at the lake... but I will et you know when I arrive.

Most of my journies to Guatemala have me staying in Quetzaltenango or as the locals call it Xela. 

Xela is a derivative of the k'iche Mayan word Xelaju. 
The actual wording is Xelaju noj, which translates to "below ten spiritual leaders." The city is surrounded by ten mountains, thus the spiritual leaders. There is one active volcano called Santiaguito also called the angry baby as it spits and fumes from time to time. It sits directly behind volcan Santa Maria. Santa Maria has been mostly dormant since 1902, when a huge eruption levelled the city of Xela.

Xela with a population of approximately 250,000 people it is the second largest city after the capitol in Guatemala. A good fifty percent are indigenous. 

It is also termed the "Cradle of Culture" because of its many (10) universities and several more (30) trade schools. Also within Xela are about thirty Spanish language schools and now some English language schools. 

I originally chose to travel to Xela back in 2010, because of the large indigenous population and for the fact that the people do not cater to English speaking tourists. 

Learn some Spanish or stay confused and disconnected. 

I also really like the elevation 2330 metres (7600 feet), which gives you warm sunny days, cool nights and yes no bugs. So (for me) perfect.

Yes I am going to be in Guatemala for several reasons. Since I am there and a part of my journey will be to examine where the main character of that book I mentioned I am writing about, and his experiences in Guatemala. 

His name is Jack and he spends time in Panajachel (Pana) on lago Atitlan which is about an hour and a half away by an exciting chicken bus ride away from Xela. So yes I shall also spend a quantitative part of my time in and around Pana and take lots of pictures while there that I will upload here to this blog. 

I also want to travel if time allows to El Mirador an architectural pre-columbian structure north of the El Peten area in northern Guatemala, Lastly I want to visit parts of Quiche. 

On my first trip to Guatemala in 2010 I met and discussed a project with some local professional business people in Xela. This is a project that would provide housing for people with no land or hope. While there are several organizations and groups that help people with building housing, the majority require that the people have free-hold land. This is usually to secure a bank loan to purchase building materials.

Along with some professional business people I personally know in Guatemala, I would like to help those with no land and no hope of ever having help. Who will help them? We want to.

We want to get this going, at least started. It will include the possible startup of an NGO to operate, plan and gain the funds they will need. As an NGO (non-government organization) has to consist of at least seven Guatemalans, so I will take a back seat to this group. It also needs a fixed address.

Then there is that needed dental work, um yes. Yes we all really do not like that dental experience. Mine is softened with a huge difference in costs. 

Did I mention that the cost of dental work is one tenth the cost of what it is in Canada... 1/10 the cost, imagine that!! ... with the same procedures and well trained dentist and surgeons.... That sure works for me. 

So if you need some dental work done, contact me as I can set you up with great professional dental services and along with that show you how to have a great holiday at a fraction of the costs of anywhere else. 

It is going to be a busy and exciting time...

I traveled light, so hey why not come down and join me?
 

Biting pests

Bed Bugs and Fleas have one purpose and that is to bite and drain you of your blood.

Yuck eh!!!

They look sort of similar, but there are differences.
They are both very very small, more tiny than small.
They both bite you.
Like all critters of the biting ilk, they both will bite you to provide for their eggs and new young critters they produce to bite you more...

Surprisingly most people that think they have been bitten by Bed Bugs have actually been bitten by Fleas. Meaning bed bugs have had a bad rap to some extent. Never-the-less they, both the Bed Bug and the Flea create a bad itchy experience for you. The itching is caused by the anticoagulant they put into you to prevent you from bleeding...

Bed bugs like fleas are attracted to body heat and carbon dioxide (that part of our breath air we breathe out). We are a natural feeding place for both of them.  But Bed Bugs and Fleas both attack us in very different ways.

Okay to begin, Bed bugs do not live in beds, period!! The will live near the host. They will live under the bed, in the cracks in walls, in electrical wall sockets or anywhere hidden, but not usually in the bed with you..

They are nocturnal and are incredible so tiny that they are very difficult to see. Then sometime before daylight about usually about two hours or actually just before it gets light they climb the walls to the ceilings above you and drop towards you. No parachute needed it's just a free-fall to their waiting feast (yes you).

They work their way into you, past blankets and night wear to reach their target and your skin, and then they gorge on your blood.

Fleas are not climbers at all, but jumpers and can easily jump from the floor onto your bed and you.
Once there they too work their way through blankets and bed clothes to their target and your skin to gorge on your blood. 
Nice eh!

So how do you know here as to whether you have been bitten by bedbugs or fleas. That is if you want to know.

Bed bugs bite in a loosely straight line pattern, while fleas have no pattern at all and will bite you all over the place. 

When I have been told by people that they have been bitten by bed bugs, I always ask about that pattern. Most people just say "I have a bite and it must be a bed bug bite. 

"Um really,"is my answer.

Well for one thing both Bed Bugs and Fleas just don't ever bite you once. You will be bitten at least 6 to 8 times by one bed bug or flea, and never just once. So if it is just one bite, it is most likely that you have been bitten by something else. Maybe a spider.

Bed bugs are everywhere and will travel with you wherever you travel to. 

People think that Bed Bugs live in dirty places and associate bed bugs with low class housing or yes less developed countries. 

NOT TRUE...

In both the USA and Canada it is well known that bed bugs hide out in movie houses and you can get bitten there. They have also been found in all sorts of high rise building and fancy hotels even.

There are all sorts of products and remedies for getting rid of Bedbugs or Fleas.

Coming up next:
How to prevent Bedbug and Flea bites.

Te amo Guatemala muchas

Love 

Love comes in many patterns, colours, ideals, strengths... 
interests even.

I love you...

How many times have you said that?
How many times have you heard it said to you?

I love your smile.
I love your attitude.
I love your clothes, your fragrance, your views on life, your interests...and..and so much more.

So much love...

So 
I love the people of Guatemala.

Why?
Why you may ask?

Hmm yes why indeed? 
I just do.. but that is not an explanation or a complete thought.. not a feeling.. even, is it?

That is just me writing that down here words that say nothing really, for you (my ever growing readership) words to read.. 

yes just me saying that.

So what and why do I love these people?  What do I love about this land?

There is poverty and death associated with that... I do not love that.

To qualify what I am writing, I suppose I have to examine 
"what is love to me."

Well compared to my complex world, I am attracted to and yes love the simplicity amongst the people in Guatemala.

 They live a basic life.
They are poor, some well below the poverty level.

The first time I traveled to Guatemala, it was early, well actually is was in February of 2010. 

 I remember clearly the happy smiles, content with who they are, they live a simple life.

I remember the different boats on Lago Atitlan.

It is that very simplistic comparison of acceptance, being able to smile about it, that has grabbed my attention of these people. I see through and with them, the love they have. 

The love they openly give and share.
They will openly accept you (better if you have some espanol).

It is a different country to live in. But if you can accept the shortcomings, accept a simple life in Guatemala, you will have a wonderful experience. 

I remember friends made

Not everything works in Guatemala as it does in more developed countries.

I used to shake my head at what I saw in how things worked.
The plumbing for instance, or the electrical wiring. Both scared me at first but also made me think in awe of how they made things work. So for just the ways things are done and for all its (to my thinking) shortcomings.. well it works here and it works really very well.

I also love the loud lavish garish colours, that innocent brashness of loudness and wild contrasts, the excitement of life.

Loud music? Is there any other kind? Loud music is everywhere. When people don't seem to listen, the answer to that is simple. Just turn the volume up.

I love the way they depicted history.

I love the smiles and happy faces.
I love the children with their beautiful eyes.
I love their innocence. 

I love the cerveza (beer) here and yes the scotch that I buy for one half the price of the same thing in Canada.

I love the fact that my rent is extremely cheap and that I can rent a (simple) house for around a $100.00 a month.

I love that I am close to the centre of the city of Xela.

I love the fact that there are three street markets all within walking distance and that I can buy fresh vegetable and fruits and meat all so very close to me...

I love the fact that Xela (unlike other centres such as Antigua) does not cater to English speaking tourists or travelers.

I love the fact that even though Monsanto exists here, most farmers cannot afford their pesticides. So I love the fact that most the I buy is more natural.

I love the simplicity of life here.

I also love how easily it is to help people here. I do that through this blog and in other ways.

Yes,
I love Guatemala.


PS...
I love my readers and the fun you allow me to have, writing this blog for you.

Guatemala...will you travel First Class? Yikes!!

Traveling to Guatemala or on any other multi-plane flight program you need to be comfortable. If you are like me and cannot afford to fly first class, you need to make the most of that crammed in area at the back of the plane. 

Note Here... 
I did fly first class once and not because my budget allowed that (my book sales hit a high point), but because my seat was needed in the back of the plane to keep a family together. Who was I to keep a family apart and so I obligingly agreed to suffer the extra roomy seats and excellent service that first class does offer. 

Would I squander extra cash for that kind of treatment if I could afford it (more book sales please) ? The answer is an unequivocally and an resounding yes, of course I would.

Anyway getting back to the basics of travel here.
I usually wear comfortable clothing. There is a contradiction of 
argument here. Because if weight allowances are that issue, one always wears the heavier clothing just to save on weight stored below. Never the less why travel with any clothing that is not comfortable to travel with?

Footwear.
Sandals have low heals and slide off easier. This can also be easier if you have to remove your shoes as you must when going through some airport security check points.

Warmth.
I also take along with me a light weight fleece sweater. It can get cold on some flights and blankets are sometimes not available for everyone. First class get better ones. 

But aside from comfortable clothes, there are three items I will not fly without.

1/ An inflatable neck pillow. 
I choose the inflatable variety of neck pillow because when you no longer need it, you let the air out and neatly fold and pack it away out of site. Inflatable neck pillows take very little space when not in use you are not encumbered with this huge stuffed half ring. You already probably have enough to carry and worry about, without that as well.

2/ Ear plugs.
Whether they are the ones that are tied together with a plastic string or just plain foam plugs these little things are worth their weight in gold to help block out all the noise.

3/ An eye mask.
I never ever thought I would ever be seen anywhere wearing an eye mask, but now I am a complete convert. It allows you to control your surroundings and block out all that glaring light.

Where to sit?
An isle seat will get you a few centimeters of extra room. But you will be constantly bothered by people wanting to visit the washroom. 

The window seat is smaller (the curved plane wall remember) is sometimes cooler because of the window and for you to get to the washroom you will have to disturb people.

The dreaded middle seat. Sitting in the middle you must be assertive. By that I mean claim both arm rest as yours or you will have none and be jostled and squished and bothered and you will have nothing to lean on.

Since in all my many many flights I still get a real kick out of take offs and landings (in that order) and I also do not wish to be bothered by anyone, my seat of choice (first class not counting) is the window seat. Here I can still feel the thrill of take off and landings and in between hide with my fleece jacket to keep me warm, my inflatable pillow, ear plugs and wonderful eye mask.
Shucks, now I just want to fly again and yes soon... 

Um I wonder if I can do that first class again?

SEX & LOVE & MARRIAGE

SEX & LOVE & MARRIAGE

All of this happens pretty much the same as it does elsewhere in the world.

There is always that old stereotype thinking (for example) that if a man marries a woman in Guatemala, well you marry the family. 

Well in some cases this is very true and only because of the tight and close ties a family has for its members. The concept of family is perhaps considered more sacred in Guatemala than in more developed countries. Part of this has to do with the strong religious connection the people have especially with indigenous people.

The Roman Catholic Church has always had a strong presence with prevailing family beliefs. But this influence is now being under mined from an ever continuance of the growth from the evangelical sector. Saying all of that primarily the Maya people of Guatemala have always had a strong spiritual connection and it is not uncommon to see them worship the many archaeological monuments with their own form of religious and spiritual beliefs.

Okay let’s get back to Sex and Love and Marriage or the birds and the bees of attraction and what that can lead to.

 If you are going to get lucky in Guatemala (man or woman) you need two things, well let’s make that number actually three things. You need the language, or some of it. You need to be able to dance (the salsa). You need to be available.

This happens very differently for men and very differently for women.

Part of that difference is again is within the culture. The machismo effect is in full swing in Guatemala. Men control that meeting arrangement (or think they do) and women are stubborn (they are). So in all, it becomes a perfect balance.

It is not uncommon to see young Guatemalan males with girlfriends usually (blond and white skinned) happily walking about arm in arm. More and more are seen with European and North America men. Most of these women are either close to the mans age or well are yes older than the guy is. While this behavour does not happen very much in the reverse, it does happen. 

I was once chatting with this Mayan family. They told me that they had only three children, one a boy and two girls. The norm is that most people have several up to ten children. 
The father had retired and no longer needed work. In the hierarchy of the Maya people, he was able through money or connections to live an easier life. His wife was admiring my hat. Jokingly she even offered me the daughter that was standing beside me for my hat. In actuality if I was considered a good man and that they could see I had money. having a very young wife is very possible.

The age difference of couples where the man is of European or North American origin and a Guatemalan woman is a lot younger is more pronounced. Some women are half or less the age of a man.

Guatemalan women seem to get more serious the older they get, or is that because they are more desperate. If you can believe this, but many are still virgins well into their thirties. In fact it is their belief that if you do not have a fiance or husband by the time you reach thirty, no one will ever want you. If you are an unmarried woman with a child, it is almost a certainty that no man will ever want or touch you.
Even though a woman in her thirties is considered a prime age in Europe or North America. 

Some Guatemalan woman that have the money or the means to go to university, do so for one purpose. They are searching for a promising partner for marriage. A partner that has good family connections, money and a future career that will provide her with an easy life.   

Sex...... 
Sex, oh yes sex.... well of course that can be easily had, for a man by just visiting a brothel. 

Brothels are legal in Guatemala. They are heavily guarded and fortified buildings.

From the outside none of these brothels, can be distinguishable from any other building, except for the armed guard(s) with their automatic rifle or shotgun standing by the entrance doorway. Don't even think for one moment that the guard has that gun for show. He will use it.

Inside everything is different. Inside these places they look like any nightclub. Drinks are more expensive, of course. 

The customers are (mostly) men. Some men for whatever 
reason will bring a woman to a brothel. My imagination runs wild and over time as to why?

There is a heavy presence of armed guards. Some brothels have a centre stage, or a stage at the end of a large room. The girls take their turn dancing like in any strip club. Girls in these clubs are usually not from Guatemala but neighbouring countries like either Honduras or El Salvador.

The scantily clad girls will linger about the club. Some will be sitting in a row of chairs within arms reach of you, but a strong warning here, do not touch any of them. 

The girls will try to catch your attention looking at you. So if you are interested, the next step is that you can take any you like and invite her to a small table away from everyone else. 

At this point practicing espanol is really not necessary.
Here you will buy them an expensive drink that might be watered down. Beyond the small talk and yes the next step, is to go to a small room with a bed in it for sex with her.

Twenty minutes will cost you about $15.00. An hour will run you three times that. What you do in there is up to you, just do not harm a girl or one of those tough looking heavily armed guards will get you taken care of

.  

What does getting you taken care of mean?
Um well....it could be a beating or it could mean getting you shot or killed. No one will help you, not even the police.

It is certainly very easy in Guatemala to have someone taken care of and this practice is not uncommon in any country that is poor. Corruption is everywhere, but that corruption is out in the open. Corruption in developed countries happens just the same way but it is hidden.

Yet in all my time in Guatemala I find it a safe country to visit, to learn some Spanish in, to travel in and yes to live in. 

So for sex, love and marriage...
Mi Gusta Guatemala.

DENTAL great and INEXPENSIVE !!!

Dental Tourism

So what exactly is Dental Tourism?

Dental Tourism is basically traveling to another country and having your dental procedures done and yes being able to afford having a free luxury holiday to pamper you in the process.

Many years ago I was told by my dentist... .. 

"Go to Mexico, you can't afford me."

He was right of course, I couldn't afford him. 
I couldn't afford him because as a retired Canadian gentleman, that lived on a fixed income, I just plain did not have the added cash needed to fix my teeth in Canada. 

Hello I would like to introduce you to the many benefits of getting all your dental work done at incredible savings in Guatemala and yes also having that dream holiday.

Today in Canada if you do not have a good dental plan, well the cost of getting your teeth fixed or having an improved look (cosmetic surgery) well the costs are out of this world. Prohibitive for a lot of people.

Let me tell you a story (it won't be be too long). 

Well a couple of years ago I was in Guatemala learning some Spanish. I went there to Guatemala to learn Spanish because it is a lot cheaper and yes a lot easier to learn Spanish in Guatemala than in any other Latin American country. Believe me I checked every other country in Central America and even in Mexico which is part of North America.

I was at the time staying in a city called Quetzaltenango or Xela (shay-la) as the locals call it. Xela is located in the western highlands. Situated at an elevation of 2330 metres (7600 ft) well it is high enough that most bugs cannot exist. The weather there is probable the most perfect anywhere in the world. High elevation means no humidity just nice dry air.  

Then one day I had this horrible excruciating pain in my mouth... didn't I?"

I needed a dentist and I needed a dentist fast, didn't I? 

Getting remedies to fix pain is easy. You just visit a local pharmacy and tell them what you want (in Spanish) and you can get all sorts of painkillers and anti-inflammatory pills.

But of course that is just a quick fix and I needed to know what was wrong and what could be done to fix it properly.  

What I did not know at the time is that I needed a root canal done. Canada was way too far away to fly back for that and Canada was also far too expensive for me to afford that in Canada anyway.

So what could I do? What did I do? 

Well I painfully, that toothache remember, searched the city I was staying in for a dentist. Yes, found an excellent dental service and close to where I lived right in Xela. 

Now comes that part that shocked me.

Cost of the consultation - $18.00 and that included x rays.

Cost of the root canal - $ 100.00
(and he brought in a specialist to do the root itself).

I was first Xrayed with the results happening digitally right there on a laptop for me to see right before my eyes. It was explained to me in detail (the dentist spoke perfect English) what was going to happen next.

He first gave me a series of strong antibiotics to get the inflammation down and lessen the pain. Arrangements were made for me to visit in a few days. The total time for the whole procedure just took two visits and a final one later to check if everything was alright . 

During this period of time when I was having the dental work done, I was in contact with a friend of mine in Canada. My friend wanted to know much implants and a new set of dentures would be for her.

Get this unbelievable amount...yes...

Cost of four implants and an appliance $2700.00

Can you believe that, amazing  eh!!! It would cost at the minimum ten times that amount in Canada or in the USA. At least $25,000.

This is all done with state of the art equipment and materials and procedures. 

Most dentists that practice in Guatemala take local training in Guatemala which is excellent apparently and then additional training in either Mexico, Cuba or The United States. So the very best dentists in Guatemala are all really well trained.

So the reason I am sharing this with you is that I want you to experience what Guatemala can offer you. Inexpensive dental procedures. Beautiful exotic scenery and a kind and loving people. 

First off let's get show a few facts. Guatemala is safe. They had a civil war here yes, instigated and perpetuated by the CIA and the government of the USA, but that all ended in 1996. So travel to Guatemala and in Guatemala is just as safe there as anywhere else. 

The facts speak for themselves as there is more crime in the city of Los Angeles in the USA than in all of Mexico and Guatemala put together. And does anyone say do not go to Los Angeles as it is not safe there? No never!

Guatemala is truly amazing. And I want you to experience the best and most incredible savings you can ever have, by choosing a fully trained dental surgeon in Guatemala.

I have been traveling to Guatemala several times now, so know my way around. While I should be fluent in speaking espanol, I am not... but yes I do speak enough to get buy with, to ask directions, to book a room, to move about easily... a little bit of helps a lot. More importantly though what I have and can also offer you are some really great, reliable contacts in transportation and accommodation and in excellent dental clinics in Guatemala.

What I can offer you is the chance for you to save thousands of dollars ($$$) while getting your smile back and your teeth done with professionally trained dentists, and in the process having a nice place to live, where to eat and to play and so much more for you to experience. Xela while cool at night is (great for sleeping) and has a wonderfully warm temperature during the day. 

I want you to share with you all the fantastic cost savings for you...

Have you save money ($$$).

Getting dental work done in Guatemala could never be easier. 

Imagine getting needed dental procedures or cosmetic work done at a fraction of the cost of what is would cost in Canada or the USA. 

Yes that's right. 
In Guatemala the cost of dental work is 10 % of the comparable cost in Canada or the USA. 

I do not know about you (the reader) but I never want to spend my years looking like someone who cannot afford dental work done. 

I do not want to walk about with a sagging and gaping smile... with huge spaces or worse still with no teeth at all in my mouth. 
I enjoy eating too much... so no teeth would be a yuck (gummy) situation! 

******************************

Dental Tourism

Lets just imagine you need some dental work done on your teeth.

For argument sake lets say the cost in Canada or the United States is going to be $40,000.00.

Well that same cost, for the same work done, for the same qualified dentists and the same appliances is going to be a mere, yes just 10 percent of that same quality work and yes only $4,000.00. A huge difference of $36,000 dollar saving for you.

I bet you can have a great holiday anywhere for a lot less than the saving of $36,000.

****************

So just Imagine 

The return flight from anywhere in Canada or the USA to Guatemala city... 
All ground transportation while in Guatemala..
All your accommodation...
Great food and dining out... (after your teeth are fixed)
Being pampered and having fun ...
Plus a few days holiday in one of the many towns that surround Lago Atitlan...
A must visit to the beautiful city of Antigua... 

All for Free

Yes that's basically right as all of this is basically free when you consider the cost difference in savings of having your teeth fixed for so very little...

$40,000 minus $4000, minus the trip costs (approx $3000 to $4000).

What a saving... and I can help you get that.
Yes and I can help you save thousand of $$$.

What are you waiting for?
Lets get that smile back.

Want to know more contact me....<gavjonessm@gmail.com> 
  

Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a disease that not only affects those with the craving to drink alcohol, but everyone an alcoholic touches. It is rampant here with violence and abuse of women and children, taking its toil on the innocent.

Then you have that tourist alcoholic or those that choose to live here on a more permanent basis. 

For most people from the United States or Canada or Europe, Guatemala is an inexpensive place to be an alcoholic. You can drink till your liver sings and swells and eats away at you.. You can drink cheaply till it kills you.

Depression another disease is what feeds the alcoholic. A poor local man with perhaps too many children, or no work, or possibilities and starvation in his family will hide the effects of his life in drink. If he cannot afford alcohol, gasoline or sniffing glue will suffice. His intolerance places blame on everyone but himself, the result are battered women, sheltered in secret places. 

The perpetual alcoholic tourist, continues his/her eroding journey coupled with 90 day border rides to get another visa stamp and 90 more days of cheap alcoholism. They live from bottle to bottle. Lost souls from lost generations of life, forgetting some past, or pain, or family in their wake.

Alcoholism kills everyone not brave enough to face the truth.