Guatemala Paperboy

Guatemala Paperboy
They walk around the streets of Panajachel, Guatemala in the early morning saying,
“Prensa.”

This word means the “Press” in the Spanish language. There are many of these young boys selling the news of the country and it makes me feel good, I was a paperboy when I was young.

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Panajachel, Guatemala
Monday, December 22, 2008
Travel Journal --- Hostels and Hotels --- Travel Bag Survey
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I believe the paper cost about five Quetzals, not cheap, about 75 cents USA. I am always happy when I see poorer countries like Guatemala reading the newspaper. I read the newspaper in my hotel and always consider a hotel better when there is a newspaper provided for free.

Literacy is a good for people, it helps remove superstitious behaviors and gossip that is dangerous to people. Primitive cultures have some strange ideas, lack of education and awareness of the world can lead to tribal misdeeds.

This picture was taken in Solola, Guatemala; I am learning to like this city more than Panajachel, it more real, more like people and less like a tourist trap. Panajachel, San Pedro, and San Marcos the more popular tourist cities on Lago, Atitlan are tourist traps.

I was sad to hear Jack say that he does not read the newspapers in the USA. I have slowly realized the many USA people have stopped reading the paper and only watch television or the internet. I personally feel the internet is about 90 percent misrepresentation of the news and the television is 80 percent. The newspaper is still about 50/50, so in my mind still the best source for half-truths on the planet.

I find it difficult to not be cynical about the world press, I have seen the planet and I know they misrepresent and twist the truth the majority of the time.

Guatemala Paperboy

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For what it's worth, when some people say they get their news from the internet they mean they read the electronic versions of their local paper. I read the local paper on the internet. I spend too much time on other stuff, so don't have much time to read the paper, and find almost everything i would spend my time reading in the paper version is on-line.

Of course, I spend too much of my life wandering around the Mis-Information Net as well.

Bob L

Hola Andy,

I thought what I said was that I no longer get the local paper delivered to me at home. I read the New York Times front page and whatever is interesting in their op ed pages. Review the Washington Post to look for politics. Read the St. Pete Times for local news and sports..etc. And of course I use the RSS on Google News. But like you said they in total are just half truths. Hope all is well for you. I got back in the States last night. Spend some time in Guate city and the Zoo and and lots of quite time. It was nice. Guate Friends was good..

I will call you on SKYPE I met some interesting people in Guate for the project. Good to be home.

Jack

Maybe my wording was wrong, it is sad to me that people do not read the PAPER versions of newspapers. I do not see how a person can scan the newspapers as fast as I can speed read a PAPER newspaper. Plus the advertisments are educations, it helps people to be aware of the cost of the world.

I miss paper newspapers, the online stuff is costing me in my level of knowledge curve, I am positive I am less aware of the world since I started traveling and cannot read the newspaper with paper.

I agree, it is much better to read the paper versions of a paper. Easier to scan and filter etc. But for many of us, we have so many interests and sources for news etc, that we tend to leave ourselves little time to do things like read the paper. Sad. And of course, the whole paper is not on-line and you only get to read what they decided to put up on the web.

Bob L

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