Going to the city for your shopping,
something banal and everyday for most However, on rainy days in Guatemala,
this is not the case. Marta and Alberto's village
is 30 kilometers away. It's not far, but it takes a long time, especially if you'reholding on by a finger The windscreen wipers
work temperamentally, but that's not the only problem
that they face. Alberto is at least reassured
by something. With the rain,
there's no risk of starting a fire. The fuel is diluted, however the downpour of water is worrying. On the roads in Guatemala. It's not unusual to see men
practicing a strange type of dance. Strange, but important. They do it to balance the
weight so that the wheels become more stable in the mud. This bus is in a bad state. The brakes are burning white hot. The slope is not so steep,
but ten tons on an ice rink will surely give you chills. Alberto will have to
keep spinning his wheels if he wants to reach the top of the hill. Not very reassuring,
as Guatemala is a country of mountains. There are many ravines. According to Alberto,
there's much more to fear with the police. Alberto and his sister pick up
all those who can't afford a bus ticket, but there's still a cold sweat surcharge. The passengers fight fear with a
remedy that doesn't cost them much. Guatemalans are used
to saying tranquilo, tranquilo Translation:
No need to rush.We'll get there. In this Central American country,
there is a solution for everything. If there's no more space on a bus,
it's not a problem. There's always space
on the bumpers and in the aisles at their own risk and peril however. Too much merchandise is never a problem. As long as it's in place.
Everything is fine. For the riders and their horses
who drink too much before a race however. It's still not a problem,
even if they can't stand up anymore. The shaman gives
them protection with a little alcohol, but it's best
not to rely on the spell working. Some horses return alone. For the drivers who get stuck,
there's always help along the way. And sometimes even a pickup truck. But success is not always guaranteed. And then the smile can disappear. The angry man is soon
comforted with a tranquilo. When one of the three active
volcanoes in Guatemala spits lava on the surrounding villages,
the Guatemalans still have a solution an offering to Maximo. Slip him a
cigarette and give him a glass of alcohol. And this nationally known saint
will make your wishes come true. In Guatemala,
they face every problem with a smile. Getting from one point to another
without asking for protection is a bit like driving
without brakes, according to Jose. A wise precaution as return
is not always guaranteed. Jose left at 3 a.m. He goes to refuel at the grocery store
in a small village 120 kilometres away. But 120 kilometres of mountains and
tracks is a minimum of 18 hours of travel. The rainy season lasts until December.
The floods can be devastating. It doesn't look like it,
but this is a national track. One with a cruising speed
between ten and 20 kilometers per hour. Everyone progresses at their own pace,
depending on the state of the road. Help between drivers
is a matter of courtesy. But help from
anywhere else comes at a price. This traffic jam means
that Jose will have to pay if he gets stuck here. If there aren't enough helping hands,
the inhabitants of the neighboring village pay
for the services of their bulldozer. There is even an operations supervisor. Strangely enough, the bulldozer
never levels out the quagmire. It's just there to take the trucks out. And with these three tons of cargo,
Jose has little chance of passing through. Five euros.
The standard price for peace and quiet. Troubles have only
just begun for Jose. It's not an easy road ahead of him. The color of the buses
is not simply for decoration. They indicate the destination. This is necessary as 25 percent
of the population cannot read or write. These old American school buses
are essential to the country's economy. As in the countryside,
very few people own a car. So if Rudy can't fix his engine,
he may encounter some angry passengers. The locals call them chicken buses
because they pile themselves onto them like caged chickens. Who can know if these frozen
goods will reach their final destination? Rudy serves Guatemalas
most remote village, Carmelita, 80 kilometres
into the very heart of the jungle. In Guatemala,
the bus drivers transport many who cannot afford to travel. They are long distance transporters,
postmen and even gas station attendants. This is a street vendor
either very good at balancing objects or enjoys the
taste of risk with a getup like this. But it appears to hold up okay. Leaving Flores
is already a challenge in itself. Rudy has dozens of other orders
to collect before going into the jungle. Five euros per trip is not cheap,
especially since in Guatemala the average salary is around 430 euros. Rudy speeds for the first 20 kilometres. Indeed,
the truck might have a difficult time over the remaining 60 kilometers. It may shake a little or even a lot. Jose, the truck driver is attempting
to get his truck out of a ditch. He's paid five euros to use the farmers
backhoe and loader, but the rope is broken He's resorted to digging, alone. The price did not include
the extra help and shovels. Fortunately for Jose,
a driver has lent him his chain A form of extortion in disguise. Keeping the ditches and holes there has become somewhat of
a Guatemalan national sport. Why fill them up when they can make money? Improvising as a road mender is a
matter of survival for some families. It's hard to know if this
family is digging or filling the holes. It ensures food on the table. Tips are their only income. According to a UN report,
for every 14 million people, 83 percent live in
poverty and extreme poverty. The descendants of the Mayans
are the first to be affected, hunted and disliked
since the Spanish conquest. They've taken refuge in the countryside. The mixed race white people control
the administrations and large farms. As aresult of being
abandoned by the state school is often
not a priority for the Mayans. Their primary concern
is to find something to eat. Every day women and children travel
through the forestin search of firewood. Three hours later, everyone has their
own bundle of wood. Even the youngest. At ten years old,
the intensity of this work is already taking
its toll on Pablo's back. It will take him 2 hours
to reach his village, but he will walk there without complaint. But this is the least of his problems. At the top of this mountain,
at an altitude of 2500 meters, his nightmare awaits. This is the Pacaya volcano, a monster capable of projecting
its ashes as high as 1500 meters. Its last eruption date
was the 6th of June 2018. This volcano never sleeps. Its lava flows often reach the
homes of surrounding villages. To counter the volcano's rage.
Some people turn to the church. However, others appeal
to something a little more unusual. Marta is a shaman. She goes to the market to buy ingredients
necessary for her incantations. This shop would have made
Merlyn the Enchanter very proud. You can find love-elixirs,
good luck potions and even curses
for those who believe in them. Like Marta. The shamanprices have spells
according to each person's income. Marta calls upon
an extraordinary character known as Maximon. He's represented by this mannequin. Maximon is the son of a
Christian saint and a mayan god. He represents the spirit of the world. He will solve your problems in exchange
for cigarettes and alcohol. But, he has nothing
to do with local folklore. He is, in fact, revered
throughout the whole of Guatemala. Everyone hopes that Maximon will
be able to convince the Pacaya volcano to stay dormant for years to come. Rudy's bus travels year in and
year out in the sweaty heat of the jungle. The sun is beating on the sheet
metal and it's 35 degrees in the cabin. For three hours now, everyone has
been subjected to the constant shaking. Rudy himself deals with the
rocking of the bus all year round. Not only does driving
require a lot of concentration, it's also physically exhausting. And to pump it, Rudy
must constantly disengage the engine to slow it down, shift gears again,
accelerate and slow down. His bus is on its last legs. It's taken much longer
than the expected 5 hours to reach the
most remote village of Guatemala. Fatigue has set in,
but Rudy stays on course. In the distant villages of the jungle,
life flows slowly. People value their time differently. The bus ride once a week
is their only link to the outside world. And many other unusual things. Apart from these goods,
there's no other reason to travel here. There's no time to lose. Everyone wants to
get home as soon as possible. Discontent against the government
is rising as they do nothing to improve the lives of the citizens. Why does the state
leave them abandoned? Most of the
jungle's inhabitants are Mayans, and due to the lack of resources,
the government doesn't care about it even though they are
the first inhabitants of this land. Hundreds of Mayan descendents
can be found all over the country. A few months ago,
a huge city was discovered again, its pyramid reaching a height of 30 meters Every year,
the village of Todos Santos celebrates All Saints Day,
their revolt against Spanish invaders. They play the marimbas
all day and all night. They go at full speed for two days. All the inhabitants of the village
wear a symbolic costume. The red represents the
blood spilled by their ancestors, and the blue and white of the shirts
evoke the spirits of the sky. All the tailors
of Todos Santos are hard at work. There are so many costumes to cut that many inhabitants
have become fashion designers. The most courageous ,and there are few,
decide to take a ride on this Ferris wheel operated by a man with a wrench. It's spinning a little fast,
but it seems to be holding up. But here is the main
attraction of this November, the first celebration, horse racing. But this is no ordinary horse race. Tradition states that the riders
and their horses get drunk for two days before competing
on an improvised race course. The alcohol, the dancing
and the loud music of the marimbas gradually sends the riders into a trance. The musicians follow them,
but the dancers remain on the dance floor. The fireworks
do not mark the end of the evening. Quite the contrary. The next morning. The musicians are
still performing, but the riders, however, are a little worse for wear. Not sure he's up for the race. One last small sip
of alcohol is offered to the riders. But this time,
if it is spit out by the shaman, it provides them with protection. So why all this drinking before the race? According to urban legend,
a village drunk had reportedly stole a conquistadors horse and wreaked havoc. He taunted the Spaniards for
hours by galloping around the city. Although the circular
track is 200 meters, the riders will loop it
without a break for 8 hours. The race kills two people every year, but accordingto the inhabitants
of Todos Santos, death is synonymous with an abundant harvest. This year, there were only injuries. The last rider who stays in his saddle
will earn his part of the legend. On the tracks.
There is someone else who's also drunk. But, unlike the inhabitants of
Todos Santos, Jose is drunk from fatigue. He's been driving for 18 hours straight. And he has to
dodge obstacles along the way. The last rock that fell,
took with it an entire truck wagon. One moment of distraction,
and Jose would find himself in a ravine or in the same state as the truck. The driver drove into a hole
that broke his rear axle right off. The good attitude doesn't work every time. They still got stuck for
two days in the middle of the track. After 20 hours of driving, Jose
finally arrives at his destination. Without a moment's rest.
Jose is back on the road. The driver cannot afford to miss an order.
Another load is waiting for him. In the jungle.
Rudy also fights against fatigue. The passengers started to feel better. The driver has been driving
for seven hours now. That's two more than expected. Only in the jungle
do the hours start to feel much longer. So now when he can,
he follows one delivery after another without even stopping the bus. Even though he works
in the family business, this way of life
is starting to take its toll on him. Eight hours later,
he finally hands over to another driver. The journey is far from over. His father is here,
to make sure everything is okay. Rudy's brother, Julio,
gets into the driver's seat, even though he's only 17 years old. Well, in the middle of the night,
in the heart of the jungle, Julio has little chance
of running into the police. The bus has taken
10 hours to run only 80 kilometers. No matter how hard it
gets or how much trouble the Guatemalans are in,
they're not discouraged. Their credo is to never get angry
and keep saying the magic word tranquilo. There will always be a solution.
