A World at War with Itself
The podcast will be for a year, where Julie Finch-Scally, writer and broadcaster can interview people about life and the current situation of the world. She will discuss how so many things have changed over the past 80 years since her birth, and what the world needs to change to improve and save the planet from ourselves.
A World at War with Itself
Travel
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Travelling anywhere in the world is an experience one never forgets. Meeting people from different backgrounds, and mixing with other cultures, is not only exciting, it helps one to look at this planet differently. Join Julie and the Charge d'Áffaire of Guatemala in Canberra, to learn about travelling.
Hello again, Julie Finchcalli with another episode of A World at War with Itself. Today I'm talking about travel, something that has grown more popular since larger planes have taken to the skies. I have in the studio with me Louis Molina, who is Chargé d'affaires of the Guatemala Embassy here in Canberra. Welcome, Lewis. I asked Lewis along because being involved with an embassy means one travels to many countries. And that is what I'm going to ask you all about. Can you count how many countries you have travelled to? Not necessarily with the embassy, but to visit as well as stay for a while.
SPEAKER_00Hi, Julie. Well, I think I'm up to twenty or twenty-two countries that I've been to. Just not that much, but it's a lot.
SPEAKER_01Were they all well-known countries like America or a European country, or were there lesser known places?
SPEAKER_00It's a mixture, I would say, because there are more known countries, well known, and some other there are less known. But it's a mixture, you would say.
SPEAKER_01What made you want to travel in the first place?
SPEAKER_00I wanted to travel to explore, to know a little bit more about culture, about its people, and to know how people live in this countries that I never had the opportunity to go before.
SPEAKER_01Do you think that travel broadens the mind and gives one a different perspective on the country being visited?
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah, of course. When you visit a new country, you get things that you would never imagine that they would be there. Probably the same stuff that goes on in our country, but it's probably different uh or slightly different with the other country that you're visiting, but still the same.
SPEAKER_01People are the same the worldwide over the type of thing.
SPEAKER_00It's just the same people. It's just different culture. It's the same human being. It's just we learn and we have different way of living and different way of seeing life. But it's not the same human being that you're talking to.
SPEAKER_01During my life I've travelled to many countries like you, but the one thing I have noticed in recent years is that the capital city of a nation has similarities to other capital cities. Tallish buildings, lots of traffic, lots of pollution. Can you think of any capital city that isn't the same?
SPEAKER_00The one that we are here now, Canberra. Why? Because Canberra doesn't have a lot of traffic. It doesn't have a lot of pollution, or we would say none, and it does have a lot of birds, trees. It's the bush capital. It's really, really pleasant, really nice compared to the busy roads, that busy buildings, as you mentioned before, of the other capitals of the world.
SPEAKER_01Coming from Guatemala, did anything stand out in the countries you visited as being completely different to your home?
SPEAKER_00Many things are different, the landscape, the people itself, but it's different in a very how to say, very nice way. Cause uh we are as I would say, we're d the same, but we're a slightly d different from one country to another. And I would say that the landscape you can have, let's say for instance, here in Australia, are gonna be the total opposite of what I have in Guatemala or in many countries of Latin America.
SPEAKER_01I have spoken with many travellers both here and in Australia and overseas, and the one thing they say with surprise is that everyone wherever they go is friendly. Have you always found that?
SPEAKER_00Yes. Many people when you're traveling in many countries are very friendly. Many people that I've met in this different countries have been more than welcoming and more than friendly with me over the years.
SPEAKER_01And many people when I've traveled want to know where I lived, as if they were trying to compare life in other places. Would you agree with that?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you have to remember that we also have our challenges back home, and the place that you're gonna go to see or to travel is gonna have the same challenging things. It's basically the same. Humans have the same common issues.
SPEAKER_01Did you compare your life in Guatemala with the countries you traveled to?
SPEAKER_00All the time. All the time. It's in my brain. I have to compare it. I compare the landscapes, I compare the people, I compare even the roads and here are much more nicer because in Canberra, as I mentioned before, I like the trees, I like the wildlife it has. It's something that I can always say I don't see in Guatemala City, all the birds and I compare it all the time.
SPEAKER_01And when you went to other countries, were there similarities to your home?
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, of course. We have, let's say, for instance, Latin American countries share history, we share language, we share people, we share food, we share a lot of common things that we have that are not unique of Guatemala.
SPEAKER_01Guatemala is considered to be a Latin American country, as you said. Why is this?
SPEAKER_00Because we are Spanish speaking countries, we are in Latin the region called Latin America, which is uh from Mexico down to Argentina, and we are in Central America, so that's the reason why we are Latin American.
SPEAKER_01And how how many countries are of Latin American?
SPEAKER_00Oh we are thirty-three.
SPEAKER_01Thirty-three?
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_01Some smaller and some larger?
SPEAKER_00Yep, some smaller and some larger. Yeah, some small, some are as huge as Australia, like Brazil, for instance.
SPEAKER_01Is that a Latin American country? I never realized that was classified as Latin American country.
SPEAKER_00Yes, Brazil is Latin American country. It's as big as Australia, as I was saying. And they're small, like in the Caribbean, there's uh small islands.
SPEAKER_01I never realized all those people were part of that. Tourism has become a new way of life for some people, especially the older generation here in Australia. I am not sure whether that is the same in other countries. Do many people in Guatemala journey to other places as tourists?
SPEAKER_00Yes, they do. They travel to many places. They travel nearby in Latin America, or they go across Europe or even Asia or even here.
SPEAKER_01And are they the younger people or the older?
SPEAKER_00I would say that the younger people and it's a mixture. I would say that it could be combined young and and older people. Probably the older people would go very near nearby. The US, Mexico, or Central America. South America, and younger people would go everywhere, you name it. Every country.
SPEAKER_01And which sort of places were usually more popular? Just the Latin American countries? Like America or something like that?
SPEAKER_00The US, Canada, Europe, I would say, and Latin America and Central America, South America countries.
SPEAKER_01When it comes to tourism in Guatemala, is it popular or would Guatemala like to see more tourists?
SPEAKER_00We are a very uh well-known country for tourism because of the Maya civilization, and of course we would like to have more tourists t that go and visit us, that's for sure.
SPEAKER_01I have found out from the many places I have visited that everyone I speak to has the same needs and desires as people in other countries. That is, they all want a roof over their heads, money enough to feed themselves and their family, and an education for their children. Have you found that to be the case?
SPEAKER_00Yes, Julie. I think we're pretty much the same and we all want a roof, education, food in our table, and to be able to travel and and enjoy life.
SPEAKER_01Now I'm gonna ask you, what do you enjoy most about travelling?
SPEAKER_00Knowing around the places, uh having the opportunity to have a different meal from the place that where I'm going, to chat with the people that are there. The landscapes sometimes are amazing. And I would say that discovering new places that I would never imagine that would be a like that to me. It's the thing that I like the most.
SPEAKER_01How do you control all the different foods?
SPEAKER_00Okay. Food is something that you have to taste, you have to take the risk. Or the opposite way. So it's just take the risk. It's gonna be worth it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, when you go into all the embassies, I mean obviously they've have different ways of doing things and you're invited to a lot of em do you find the food is something that you could be a bit wary of?
SPEAKER_00Well, no, because since it's gonna be an event that is gonna be uh hosted for a certain uh amount of people, it could be large or small, uh, you have to offer because we have to do it also. Uh safe dish. It's something that it's not as risky as you could imagine, or it's mostly finger food. So you would say that this type of food is very, very well thought for this event.
SPEAKER_01And they're never putting on their national dish or anything like that.
SPEAKER_00Well, some countries do, but in a small, like I was saying, finger food size, you could have a bit of or what we try to do is to showcase a little bit of of our uh national food.
SPEAKER_01I mean there are some countries that don't serve alcohol or something, so you have to abide by those rules as well, I presume.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah. If the country doesn't serve uh alcohol, well, you just don't drink it that day.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you're a teetotaler one.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Look, I have one final question. How do you feel when you know you're on your way home?
SPEAKER_00Oh it's a mixture 'cause I like it. I like to go back. I like to go back 'cause every time when I go back to my country it's like I exploring again 'cause there are new things in my city that I haven't been able to visit. So to me is really, really nice to go back and enjoy uh Guatemala City.
SPEAKER_01Do you don't get a warmth in your heart as you're going home?
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah, of course, of course. It is uh how to say re warming 'cause you get to see family and friends, which is always the best thing.
SPEAKER_01How long are you usually away for?
SPEAKER_00Four years.
SPEAKER_01Right. And you don't get a chance to go back during that time.
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah, I do go back. I go back and I enjoy and I go on vacations to Watemal.
SPEAKER_01And all this time you just have a great time meeting people and finding out new things.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_01Well look, thank you, Lewis, for coming in today and talking to me about travel. You have given a completely different aspect to the subject. I have been speaking with Louis Molina, the charge d'affair of the Guatemalan Embassy here in Canberra. And this is the end of another episode of A World at War with Itself. Until next Wednesday, when I will bring you a further subject on the category of nations, this is Julie Finch Scaly wishing you happy travelling.