The perfectly cone shaped volcanic mountains, the magnificent ruins of the Mayan civilization and one of the poorest economies in the region are like catnip to North Americans and Europeans whose dollars go a long way here. Hotels ranging from basic and dirt cheap all the way to posh cater to their whims and for those unwilling to trust their tummies to the local food, there is the familiar McDonalds, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. They are runaways and throwaways. They don't go to school, they don't eat three well balanced meals a day and they don't get tucked into comfortable beds at night by loving parents. Their beds are the concrete of the streets and their pillows are each other.
Blankets are a rarity.
The lucky ones might have a piece of cardboard but for most street kids, the only warmth at night comes from the cluster of their bodies pressed closely together. Food comes from garbage or what they can steal or purchase with money they beg. But more important than spending what little money they acquire on food is using it to buy glue which is usually manufactured in the United States. The glue, inhaled from a plastic bag, transports them to an oblivion where the hunger and the daily misery of their lives no longer exists - at least for a few hours. Many in Guatemala City have little compassion or concern for the street children.