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Written by Abel Buickerood
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Monday, 03 July 2006 |
hola amigos!
we were sad to leave xela after two weeks of kids, art, school, family, and community. although our lungs were quite ready for some cleaner air! yikes, too many vehiculos. hopefully we can continue some of our xela past times, like soccer once a week. abel and i visited an amazing organic coffee farm. we learned all about medicinal and edible plants from our 13 year old tour guide named elfido. he was so funny. he would climb up into the trees and bomb us with the guagua fruits. the cooperative of 40 some families that are working the macademia and coffee farm are amazing. they are also extracting the oil from another fruit to make biodeisel. so all of the machinery in their coffee factory is operating on biofuel, it is so awesome! i might want to move here. we learned so much about the struggles and dedication of the community. and i learned more about the process of the bean i adore. check out their website www.comunidadnuevaalianza.org.
while in xela i took a weaving class for 10 hours during my last week. the organization is a cooperative of women and 95% of the profits go directly to the workers. so my teacher was not even being payed for her work. my first 6 hours of class were spent balling up the hilo, or thread and organizing it into a pattern. when i actually began weaving on day 2, so many little mayan families passing on the street would stop and stare in amazement. they would come in and observe my work. they would shake my hand and wish me well. one family just giggled though, it must have been quite funny to see this little foreign girl weaving. it is quite tedious work i tell ya. i took my project to go, and now have all the tools to complete it. so in a few days i should have a hand made belt. but one of the highlights of my weaving extravaganza was a little boy named emanuel alex. he was five and had a high pitched voice and huge inquisitive eyes. he entertained me all day while i worked. he ran up to me with a little laso of string encircling his lips, and i exclaimed, oh you have a beard! he thought this was so funny that he continued to surprise me with beards of every color of thread, and the whole while he was giggling. this lasted for about an hour. later he offered me two cheese puffs from his yellow hands. i was so grateful.
be well,
trisha
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Just wanted to let you know that we already miss you here in Xela! Thanks for giving me the address to your website... ill be excited to hear about your future travels. take care, and have a safe trip!