Value of Life

A loud crrrrrrraaaaaaaaaacck as we were eating dinner last night in Papaya Lounge in El Tunco. Everyone jumped. What was THAT?

I thought it was a firecracker. Then a few others said it was a gunshot. Panic set in. The cops came running in through the door. They opened the door to fellow Wisconsonite James’ room only to find an El Salvadorean man wet and sandy and wearing only his underwear. A random drunk man who was apparently already being chased, fell through the roof as he was walking above, directly onto James’ bed, which fortunately for James, was empty.

They immediately grabbed him, forced him to the back of the hostel and smacked him in the head with what looked like a broom handle. Unconscious and bleeding down his back, they cuffed him after checking his pulse, and then literally dragged him down the rocky road, with his feet dangling.

Another man attempted to rape a young woman, but was caught, and was beaten nearly to death.

Life is cheap in other countries. We don’t realize how pampered we are in the US. A ‘civil’ society apparently means one that is allowed to sue over hot coffee. Not in Central America. Your life is your own, your liberty is – or may/may not be, your choice. If you mess up, you mess up. There is more freedom here with regards to how you choose to live your life – be it drugs, the way you drive, whatever – it’s up to you. If you don’t value your life and your decisions, nobody else will and you will pay for whatever your crime…. unless your family has enough money to get you out of trouble… but that’s another story.