Marco: An eclectic man of intrigue
Marco is an artist in the true sense of the word. He can perform feats that many people would never even try. He is a circus performer; a clown, a juggler, a spinner of fire and probably most impressive to me is that he is proficient on the trapeze. Besides his circus acts he is also an amazing jewelry maker and that is how Josh and I met Marcos. We became mesmerized with his amazing ability to carve wood and combine wood and stones into knotted bracelets and necklaces. Josh and I complimented him on his artistic ability and he greeted us with a hug and traditional kiss on the cheek. Soon after meeting Marco he invited us to a concert by a band called, “Margin De Error.” Sound familiar? This is the same concert where I first witnessed Margot dancing.
Marco is a free spirit with a deep joy for life and people. At the concert he was singing and dancing all around the room. The day after we went to find Marco on the street to buy a CD of the band. Josh also admired and bought this hand carved tree necklace made out of wood and coconut. We stood there talking for a while and before it started raining he asked if I would come back later in the week so that we could hang out and he could work on my dreads. This is the moment that I realized that my dreads were starting to weave people together and unravel stories to be told. 
Later that week I found Marco on the street and as he twisted and rolled my hair he shared how refreshing it is to meet people that appreciate his work and actually treat him like a human being. He told us that it is sometimes difficult to sell your art on the street because tourists and locals alike just ignore you, or treat you with disrespect and a sense that they are above talking to you. He has a different mentality and began to pour his heart out about the importance of a simple smile and the difference it makes. He said, “It is the little things you do everyday that will change the world.” “Great insight,” I thought. And, he really believed and lived that statement. Marco was always looking for ways to teach children, to build community and invite people to share a meal at his house.
Josh and I spent many days seated on the sidewalk of Santander Street talking with Marco and watching the passers by. Every time we hung out with him he would invite us to come eat Argentinean BBQ on Sunday at his house with his family. His family was made up of friends from all over the world who all had a diverse mix of artistic talents. For some reason or another our schedule would never allow for the Sunday night feast, but on the last week we were in Guatemala we were invited once again to come to his home but this time for some homemade empanadas.
The day of the dinner we went to pick up some jewelry we had Marco custom make for our friends and family back home and find out what time to come for dinner and get directions to his home. During our conversation I noticed that he had just completed a beautiful new piece of jewelry. It was a butterfly carved into wood with specks of turquoise and other stones. I complimented him on his work and he exclaimed, “I can’t wait to meet the owner of this piece!” You see Marco puts so much of himself into each individual piece of jewelry he creates. He thinks about the person who will wear it and very patiently creates it for that individual in his imagination. He is not a pushy salesman because he believes the owner is destined to find the work of art that was designed with them in mind. Later that day Stephanie Fisk, who had just recently arrived in Pana, went walking on the streets with Shanda and fell in love with that same necklace not knowing the salesman was Marco the same person I had been telling her about. He invited them to dinner as well and the four of us trekked in the dark to find his welcoming home.
We soon arrived to the smell of sizzling empanadas and sat on the stoop watching him roll the homemade dough with a huge beer bottle. He then proceeded to add toppings such as tomatoes, mozzarella, mushrooms, garlic, onions and then delicately pinch them together. Soon we were biting into the yummy work of art as hot oil dripped down our fingers and mouth. It was by far one of my favorite meals thus far on the race. After dinner was just as incredible as Marco’s friend, Gustavo started playing the guitar and singing in multiple languages. He had a hypnotizing and beautiful voice as the rest of us made music with sticks, shakers, a chair, and a water jug. Then the rain came and added it’s own soundtrack and ambience. It was such a wonderful evening and we all walked home thinking to ourselves, “Is this for real? Is this really our life?”
On Wednesday that week we had to say goodbye, or as he would say “until we meet again,” to our new friend Marco. We took him to a very fitting place for dinner, Circus Bar. We shared pizzas and then walked one last time down Santander with him and he hugged and kissed us goodbye. Before we parted ways he said, “You know your whole group is really different. You really have something figured out. You’re not like everyone else who I meet and I am so glad that I met all of you.” Going back to his wise and insightful words in the beginning, that small and simple acts are what change the world, I have seen that our smiles and interactions have made an impact on this one person. It is a small seed that has been planted, one that has left him pondering, “What makes them so different?” Not only did we have a small impact on him, but he has had an impact on us as well. We all definitely took a piece of him with us (we are all wearing his jewelry and I have some dreads rolled with love). Cheers to Marco!
