Nothing to see? (written in Guatemala, Mar 2018)

Why do visitors care about only ancient civilizations — not present ones?

Take Guatemala. Everyone is here to see the Mayan ruin at Tikal; everyone's gathered at the old capital of Antigua. You find almost no foreigner in the country's current capital, the City of Guatemala — "Guate" as locals call it, which tells me the story of their current civilization better than anywhere else. And it's fascinating if you look closely and experience alongside the people. Take their crowded transmetro, eat their spiced street fruits, and talk to them.

Do most visitors think they already understand the current state of countries around the world? Visitors five hundred years into the future may well look back at 21st-century civilizations. Why not try to understand something when it's still alive? Anyone else sees the absurdity in all this?

"There's nothing to see in the City of Guatemala," says many foreigners (those who do research — others ignore the city's existence altogether).

Nothing to see? That's because you're not looking.