I’ve been really frustrated with the land workers lately, especially the contractor. The other workers just follow his lead. He has a macho attitude and only listens to BF, yet wants to be treated like one of us, which creates awkward situations. While BF was away for a few weeks, I had to supervise the contractor. He did fine in the first week, but in the second week, he put all six workers and himself to clear the land with machetes. I suggested splitting the workers into two teams: one for cleaning and one for fixing the road, which had been damaged by rain and needed a proper drainage solution. He disagreed, saying people were more motivated when cleaning together. It felt like he wasn’t taking my suggestions seriously.
The next day, I restated my request, but he ignored it again. On the third day, I laid off all seven workers, giving them their checks and telling them they were dismissed until further notice. The contractor had a skilled builder and himself doing basic cleaning work, for which I was paying them much more than the regular workers. It didn’t make sense.
I suspected he was stalling the work to ensure he and his friends stayed employed longer. This became evident when he came for his check. Every Saturday for the past eight months, he had been meticulously collecting checks, cashing them, and paying the workers. However, on that day, he came to work without his ID, which he needed for the bank. So, he wasted an hour going back home, retrieving his ID, and coming back. It seemed unnecessarily complicated.
While talking to him, he kept saying, “next week, we’ll do this,” and “next week, we’ll do that.” I took satisfaction in telling him there would be no work next week, watching his face change when I said it. Yes, it might seem harsh since the workers need their jobs to eat, but it’s necessary for them to understand that they need to do the work required, not just what they feel like doing. I also informed him that as long as the council didn’t approve our permits, there would be no more work, and suggested they talk to the mayor if they wanted their jobs back.
We also faced a bureaucratic process this week with the land registry visit for our waterfront plot. Each plot should have a cadaster number and clear boundaries. But here, every time you buy land, someone must come to verify the GPS data. This process is in place to prevent corruption and boundary disputes. After eight months, it took the official that long just to visit and could take another eight months to confirm our land. Meanwhile, we had to display a huge banner in front of our house announcing our claim, even though we have lived there for months without any issues. It’s exhausting dealing with bureaucrats.
On a brighter note, I had a friend visiting this week, and we decided to explore some Mayan ruins near the Belizean border. We took his bike, and thanks to the relaxed rules in Guatemala, we were allowed to ride it through the jungle. It was quite an adventure. My friend is an exceptionally skilled driver, possibly the best I know. Despite the rangers warning that the road was in terrible condition, we decided to give it a go. The terrain was challenging, especially after the rain, and navigating it with a heavy bike was tough.
At one point, a fallen tree blocked our path. My friend managed to jump over it with the bike, which was quite impressive, but we eventually got stuck on another. As we ventured deeper, the path became even more precarious—steep and slippery. We fell twice, but thankfully, the falls were minor and slow. Although we didn’t find the ruins we were initially seeking due to vague directions, we ended the day at Yaxhá, which was incredible. The site, set in the beautiful Mayan biosphere canopy, allowed us to climb and explore freely, offering stunning views without the restrictive barriers you’d find in Europe. It was a bargain at just $5 for locals.
Afterward, we enjoyed fish by the lake and had one of the nicest swims of the month. It was pure bliss to cool off in the water after being in the hot, humid jungle, dealing with mosquitoes. The experience was amazing and made the week much more enjoyable.