Latin America: You (Don’t) Have Mail!
Action
Since Renate and I will be away from North America for a full year, we’ve been trying to keep in touch with you all as much as possible. Besides this blog, we’ve been known to send rambling emails, cryptic postcards, and even some care packages with special treats collected on our journeys.
Alas, our attempts at multi-modal communication are becoming more difficult. Starting in Mexico, the price of mail has been soaring higher and higher. In Oaxaca, we sent our last round of gift packages, at a cost of $40. Since then, we’ve only sent a few mixed packages back to ourselves, with the intent of distributing the loot when we return. As we make our way further south, however, even these packages are migrating out of our price range. In Ecuador, to send only a small package with half of our extra stuff would have cost $20. In Peru, it cost $5 just to send a couple postcards.
Reflection
Growing up in the land of 20 cent postcards and $3 media mail packages, postal mail has always seemed rather accessible. If a friend or family member is in a different city and I want to send them something, no problem.
Not so down here. To start, it’s rather difficult and inconvenient to send mail. Only the biggest cities have more than one post office, and mailboxes are almost as rare. Many post offices aren’t equipped for sending packages. In Guatemala, you could only send packages over 2 kg (a small box) from the central post office in the capital.
Even when postal services are accessible, they’re out of the price range of most people. A $1.30 postcard might seem pricey by US standards, but in Peru it’s the price of a basic meal. Sending a package can cost as much as food for a week.
Question
Have you received any mail from us? If so, did it bring tears to your eyes? Or would you have preferred a week’s supply of Peruvian food?
Digression
We still have some extra postcards looking for recipients… anyone who posts a comment may just get one.
Since Renate and I will be away from North America for a full year, we’ve been trying to keep in touch with you all as much as possible. Besides this blog, we’ve been known to send rambling emails, cryptic postcards, and even some care packages with special treats collected on our journeys.
Alas, our attempts at multi-modal communication are becoming more difficult. Starting in Mexico, the price of mail has been soaring higher and higher. In Oaxaca, we sent our last round of gift packages, at a cost of $40. Since then, we’ve only sent a few mixed packages back to ourselves, with the intent of distributing the loot when we return. As we make our way further south, however, even these packages are migrating out of our price range. In Ecuador, to send only a small package with half of our extra stuff would have cost $20. In Peru, it cost $5 just to send a couple postcards.
Reflection
Growing up in the land of 20 cent postcards and $3 media mail packages, postal mail has always seemed rather accessible. If a friend or family member is in a different city and I want to send them something, no problem.
Not so down here. To start, it’s rather difficult and inconvenient to send mail. Only the biggest cities have more than one post office, and mailboxes are almost as rare. Many post offices aren’t equipped for sending packages. In Guatemala, you could only send packages over 2 kg (a small box) from the central post office in the capital.
Even when postal services are accessible, they’re out of the price range of most people. A $1.30 postcard might seem pricey by US standards, but in Peru it’s the price of a basic meal. Sending a package can cost as much as food for a week.
Question
Have you received any mail from us? If so, did it bring tears to your eyes? Or would you have preferred a week’s supply of Peruvian food?
Digression
We still have some extra postcards looking for recipients… anyone who posts a comment may just get one.
3 Comments:
At 12:55 PM, Jen said…
But will we receive it before you get back to the US? :)
I haven't received anything, but if I did, it would make me weep with joy :)
I guess I can't complain about the cost of shipping stuff, really. I thought it hurt to ship my Christmas gifts up to Maryland this year - but it's not like it cost me a week's pay . . .
But don't you think that's part of the fun of traveling in such a remote place - that you are a little more inaccessible?
At 1:17 PM, sara m said…
I'm a sucker for snail mail, esp. the outrageously extravagant kind with the pictures on one side and the writing on the other. The only personalized mail I'm getting these days is wedding invitations (yikes!). Be well in your travels. Love, sara
At 9:16 AM, lernerm said…
as someone who grew up with postcards rather than emails, I'm surprised to find that although I really do enjoy getting the occasional written piece of mail, I feel that the pictures and blog are in some ways even better, since you don't have to squeeze all of your comments on a small postcard. Perhaps you might want to consider (if it's technically feasible) in the future sending back streaming videos on the web - I'd be glad to spring for the video camera. You might even be able to sell your production to Hollywood. Well, I can dream, can't I? I have enjoyed the mole by the way. If you find a stable address, and would like me to send you a care package of some sort, please let me know. As an aside, I'm sure you're finding many things that we take for granted (soft toilet paper, central heating, etc) are in fact just not available in large parts of the world. What's sad is that for the price of a war or two the entire world could have enough food, fresh water, etc. I find this particularly sad in light of how so many Americans nowadays are focused on the tsunami tragedy, and the millions being spent on relief, while at the same time, billions (somehow most people don't seem to understand the difference between millions and billions) are being spent to kill people. On the other hand, I can't say that some of the governments in the countries you're in wouldn't do the same if they had the money and power. Oh well.
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