Today was a good day. We left Chichicastenango early this morning (7:30am) and drove and drove. We drove for about 4 to 4 1/2 hours and wound up at plantation and community. 
We arrived a little earlier than they were ready for us, so we got some free time to explore the area. We all kind of took off. I went off by myself. I walked around in a basically jungle. It was so awesome to follow tiny dirt paths through lush, green areas with some of the coolest plants I've ever seen. I didn't get very far before I had to turn around, though. We met for lunch, which was delicious (the community fed us) and then we went for a walk with one of the women and her daughter. They took us through the plantation and showed us how the coffee is grown.
They brought us to the overlook that had breath taking views of the mountains and a waterfall. 
There we learned about the woman's story. She was a guerilla member during the war and got a pretty high rank. Sometime during the war she had to flee to Mexico. When she, among some 40,000 other refugees, returned to Guatemala she couldn't go home; the government wouldn't let her. The government threw a bunch of people from several different Mayan cultures- four actually- onto this plantation. The people are still trying to buy the land, but they started growing and harvesting the coffee here. They had to learn how to live in community. They are pretty much self-sufficient here, they even have a school for the kids. After learning from her, we walked back to the main village and talked to another guy whose story was very similar. It really is incredible what these people have been through, and are still so happy and full of life. 
After his talk, we bought coffee from them, and actually wanted more than they had, so a few people got less then they asked for. The guy was so happy, but also a little sad to be giving back money. Then, it was time for dinner, which was also served by the community. It was great food. After dinner we had a reflection. Tonight's question was what we had learned and would bring back with us from Guatemala. Personally, I've learned a lot on this trip. I talked about learning about life. How all life is precious and beautiful and fragile and precise. I have learned, more than ever, that life is not just some random course of action, but is set out, and everything happens for a reason. Things happen the way they are supposed to and we learn and grow from them. I really felt this today. The guy told us that during 2005, Hurricane Stan came through here and wiped out a bunch of the crops. They are still recovering, and are only producing about 65% of what they produced before the hurricane. But, they learned something new about coffee plants 
and are now taking precautions from something like that happening again. I am realizing that my life is not random, that the things that happen are supposed to, that everything has a purpose. Well, I'm tired! ¡Buenos noches! Bon nuit!
We arrived a little earlier than they were ready for us, so we got some free time to explore the area. We all kind of took off. I went off by myself. I walked around in a basically jungle. It was so awesome to follow tiny dirt paths through lush, green areas with some of the coolest plants I've ever seen. I didn't get very far before I had to turn around, though. We met for lunch, which was delicious (the community fed us) and then we went for a walk with one of the women and her daughter. They took us through the plantation and showed us how the coffee is grown.
They brought us to the overlook that had breath taking views of the mountains and a waterfall. 
There we learned about the woman's story. She was a guerilla member during the war and got a pretty high rank. Sometime during the war she had to flee to Mexico. When she, among some 40,000 other refugees, returned to Guatemala she couldn't go home; the government wouldn't let her. The government threw a bunch of people from several different Mayan cultures- four actually- onto this plantation. The people are still trying to buy the land, but they started growing and harvesting the coffee here. They had to learn how to live in community. They are pretty much self-sufficient here, they even have a school for the kids. After learning from her, we walked back to the main village and talked to another guy whose story was very similar. It really is incredible what these people have been through, and are still so happy and full of life. 
After his talk, we bought coffee from them, and actually wanted more than they had, so a few people got less then they asked for. The guy was so happy, but also a little sad to be giving back money. Then, it was time for dinner, which was also served by the community. It was great food. After dinner we had a reflection. Tonight's question was what we had learned and would bring back with us from Guatemala. Personally, I've learned a lot on this trip. I talked about learning about life. How all life is precious and beautiful and fragile and precise. I have learned, more than ever, that life is not just some random course of action, but is set out, and everything happens for a reason. Things happen the way they are supposed to and we learn and grow from them. I really felt this today. The guy told us that during 2005, Hurricane Stan came through here and wiped out a bunch of the crops. They are still recovering, and are only producing about 65% of what they produced before the hurricane. But, they learned something new about coffee plants 
and are now taking precautions from something like that happening again. I am realizing that my life is not random, that the things that happen are supposed to, that everything has a purpose. Well, I'm tired! ¡Buenos noches! Bon nuit!
No comments:
Post a Comment