I was just in Panajachel this last summer. Lago Atitlan is an amazing place, and the cultural heritage of the area is amazing. For a country that only found peace to civil war less than 10 years ago, this is truly sad.

I received this email from someone in Panajachel 3 days ago. It is very moving. The first one is the original, and the second one is a translation from Google's Language Tools .


------------------------Spanish----------------------------------


> Subject: Desde Panajachel
>
>
>
>
> Amigos y amigas del mundo:
>
> En estos momentos mi comunidad est atravesando un dursimo
> momento a consecuencia de la tormenta tropical que nos azot desde el
> 3 de octubre recin pasado y que contina con una amenazante llovizna.
> Muchsimas personas han perdido el esfuerzo material de toda su vida.
> Otras, a sus ms queridos seres y las ganas de seguir adelante.
> El dolor que nos embarga es inmenso. La angustia, la incertidumbre y
> la desesperacin se ahondan mientras la lluvia contina cayendo.
> Mientras por momentos me detengo a observar el drama, mis ojos
> inevitablemente se inundan de lgrimas. Lgrimas de dolor, lagrimas de
> rabia.
> Sin embargo detrs de todo este sufrimiento y luto, hay una pequea
> luz al final del largsimo tnel, es la luz de la solidaridad, de
> quienes fueron afectados en menor grado, de ese pueblo que a pesar de
> todo no abandona su condicin humana. Esto lo veo cuando observo a los
> y las jvenes corriendo de un lado a otro, a las seoras cocinando lo
> que est a su alcance, a los hombres evacuando gente a los albergues;
> todos ofreciendo su invaluable ayuda, la que pocos sabremos valorar en
> su real magnitud pues sus rostros y nombres nunca aparecern en
> televisin vanaglorindose de lo justamente mereceran.
> La gente en Panajachel hemos sobrellevado el desastre gracias a esta
> solidaridad popular, la ayuda gubernamental de momento es
> insignificante. Como muestra de lo anterior basta relatar que de los
> cuatro helicpteros que nos han visitado, nicamente uno trajo algunas
> cajas con provisiones. Los otros tres nos vinieron a recordar nuestra
> condicin de ciudadanos de tercera categora.
> A pesar de toda la tristeza que ahora nos acompaa, estamos seguros
> que saldremos adelante, juntos, que solo el pueblo salva al pueblo.
> Es por eso que apelamos urgentemente a su espritu solidario para
> reconstruir nuestra comunidad, nuestra esperanza, nuestra confianza en
> la especie humana.
> Agradeceremos infinitamente sus donativos de ropa, frazadas,
> colchonetas, comida, pachas, leche, paales, medicinas bsicas, agua
> envasada, enseres de limpieza y otros que puede dirigir directamente
> al municipio a travs de la municipalidad, iglesias, emisoras locales
> y directamente a los distintos albergues habilitados.
> Panajachel tambin est herido, pero no de muerte!
> Juntos, todos saldremos adelante!
>
> Para colaborar comunquese con:
>
> Radio Magia 106.7 Radio Pana
> Stereo
> Tel: 77622216. 77622090.
>
> Albergue "El Capuln" (Gimnasio municipal)
> Tel: 59378286 55768390.
>
>
> danielsantos 55768390
> Panajachel - Guatemala.
>
>

------------------------English----------------------------------


Subject: From Panajachel
>
>
>
>
Friends and friends of the world:
>
At the moment my community is crossing a hardest moment as a result of the tropical storm that whipped to us from the 3 of October just last and that continues with a threatening drizzle. Very many people are lost the material effort of all their life. Others, to his more beloveds beings and the desire to follow ahead. The pain that it obstructs to us is immense. The anguish, the uncertainty and the desperation go deep while rain continues falling. While per moments I stop to observe the drama, my eyes inevitably are flooded of tears. Tears of pain, tears of rage.

Nevertheless behind all this suffering and mourning, tunnel is a small light at the end of largsimo, is the light of the solidarity, of those who were affected in smaller degree, of that town that in spite of everything does not leave its human condition. This I see when I observe and the young people running from a side to another one, the ladies cooking what is to its reach, to the men evacuating people it to the shelters; all offering their invaluable aid, the one that few we will know to never value in its real magnitude then its faces and names will appear in television boasting of exactly would deserve. People in Panajachel we have borne the disaster thanks to this popular solidarity, the governmental aid at the moment is insignificant. As it shows of previous the coarse thing to relate that of the four helicopters that have visited to us, one brought some boxes with provisions solely. The other three came to us to remember our condition of citizens of third category.

In spite of all the sadness that now accompanies to us, we are sure that we will come out ahead, together, that single the safe town to the town. It is why we appealed urgently to its shared in common spirit to reconstruct our community, our hope, our confidence in the human species. We will thank for infinitely its donativos of clothes, frazadas, long cushions, food, pachas, basic milk, diapers, medicines, packaged water, equipment of cleaning and other that can direct directly to the municipality through the municipality, churches, transmitters local and directly to the different qualified shelters.

Panajachel also is wounded, but not of death!
Together, all we will come out ahead!
>
to collaborate comunquese with:
>
Radio Magic 106,7 Radio Velveteen Stereo
Tel: 77622216. 77622090.
>
Albergue "the Capuln" (municipal Gymnasium)
Tel: 59378286 - 55768390.
>
>
danielsantos 55768390
Panajachel - Guatemala.
>
>