After church, I was captivated by the neighborhood. With a beautiful day and a love for villages, I was ready to explore it.
What does Explore mean for an Average tourist?
It means go in with a guide, stop with the group to talk to a couple people living in the village, take photos, talk to people in the group, take more photos, and after an hour-leave.
What does Explore mean for Priscilla?
It means to use all five senses to fully take in the environment. This means to examine, analyze, observe with your nose, eyes, ears, and touch. The fruits, the plants, the trees, the grass, the housing, the animals, the front yards, the sky, the sounds-fully immerse yourself into what's in front of you. Put down the electronic device or limit your use.
When you are walking through the village, let your body take you somewhere else in time. Let yourself wonder about how this village came about. What was it like 100 years ago? It's a time to use your imagination and creativity and this happens the most when you're alone.
When you're alone, you are more likely to meet locals and talk with people about their customs and life traditions. It may feel outside of your comfort zone, but once you get past the fear it's a wonderful feeling. Instead of feeling afraid of being in an unknown place or working off false stereotypes-give people a chance and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Some people truly do not feel comfortable and prefer to explore with the group-this is okay.
Although, there are many who have the desire and need to truly explore and they just don't properly utilize it.
After I realized that the tourists are given tours through these villages. My own tour was much more pleasurable, educational, and interesting. For example, I spoke with a beautiful women and her son about her turkey farm. How many turkeys does she have? What do the turkeys eat? What's her family life like and is she happy living in this village?
I walked around the village utilizing all my senses-petting the horse, smelling flowers, eating a fresh mango, and learning children's play games. I helped a lady carry her enormous jug of water, which she said they use for everything including bathing, cooking, cleaning etc.
While the label of poverty would be mainly associated with these shacks, I do not focus on the label. It's a matter of the person, their lifestyle, and happiness. These people in this "touristic" village were content with their lives. They had the church, support from the Mayan center, a few local made restaurants, and plenty of nature and livestock. It was not a village to feel bad for rather it was one to feel proud for in a real way. Again, religion was sliding these people down a rainbow into a happier tomorrow. And the best part was that you can see God's presence amongst this divine setting.
What does Explore mean for an Average tourist?
It means go in with a guide, stop with the group to talk to a couple people living in the village, take photos, talk to people in the group, take more photos, and after an hour-leave.
What does Explore mean for Priscilla?
It means to use all five senses to fully take in the environment. This means to examine, analyze, observe with your nose, eyes, ears, and touch. The fruits, the plants, the trees, the grass, the housing, the animals, the front yards, the sky, the sounds-fully immerse yourself into what's in front of you. Put down the electronic device or limit your use.
When you are walking through the village, let your body take you somewhere else in time. Let yourself wonder about how this village came about. What was it like 100 years ago? It's a time to use your imagination and creativity and this happens the most when you're alone.
When you're alone, you are more likely to meet locals and talk with people about their customs and life traditions. It may feel outside of your comfort zone, but once you get past the fear it's a wonderful feeling. Instead of feeling afraid of being in an unknown place or working off false stereotypes-give people a chance and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Some people truly do not feel comfortable and prefer to explore with the group-this is okay.
Although, there are many who have the desire and need to truly explore and they just don't properly utilize it.
After I realized that the tourists are given tours through these villages. My own tour was much more pleasurable, educational, and interesting. For example, I spoke with a beautiful women and her son about her turkey farm. How many turkeys does she have? What do the turkeys eat? What's her family life like and is she happy living in this village?
I walked around the village utilizing all my senses-petting the horse, smelling flowers, eating a fresh mango, and learning children's play games. I helped a lady carry her enormous jug of water, which she said they use for everything including bathing, cooking, cleaning etc.
A couple men were pulling weeds and I smiled at them, but they were not interested in the tourist-fair game-can't win them all. Baby chicks were following me straight into a coconut tree in the middle of a farm. The sun shined down in between the clouds alternating between
.bright sun and clouds
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