Xela Trash Dump

This morning we went to the garbage dump in Xela. It was about the same as an American trash dump--except for one thing.

In Xela, people live in the trash dump.

The way they earn their living is by digging through garbage bags, looking for glass, plastic, paper, aluminum, and etc. that can be sold and recycled. They were all dirty, picking through the garbage with their bare hands, and with those same hands, little kids eating leftover food that they could salvage from the trash.

Right now I smell like burnt garbage. They burn garbage instead of burying it. (Not sure which one is better for the environment, but the burning has got to be terrible for the health of the people.)
Our guide told us that by being there for an hour, our lungs suffered as much as if we had smoked 40 cigarettes. My poor lungs.
On the bright side, we brought 50 pounds of rice and 50 pounds of beans and distributed them to the people of the dump. One old man who I gave a bag to said ¨Dios te bendiga, estrellita¨(God bless you, little star.)

It was definitely an experience like no other in my life.