We are here now at a project on Lake Atitlan called IMAP. It is a 10 year old permaculture installation and educational center right on the south side of the lake. They are working with local Mayan people to learn and share practices from both the mayan culture and permaculture. The shore land all around the lake is mostly owned by rich people from Guatemala City and elsewhere so there is vary little access to the lake by the local population. IMAP has made their shore front open to all as well as access to prime growing land in exchange for some of the seed each year. Much of the land around us is in coffee production but right close by there is an organic avocado orchard.
Our trip in was interesting. We rode a tourist chicken bus (supposed to be a direct route to the lake from Antigua but we did pick up quite a few local passengers too) through the mountains for about 2 ½ hours. While it was a bit brisk and cramped at times, I was glad for the very new road we were on as the cliffs down one side were steep! It is still in construction and we viewed some fairly large machinery at work. This is a sign that this area of Guatemala anyway is doing better. We arrived at Panajachel (big tourist town on the lake) to be instantly pressed on all sides to buy various wares. We made the mistake of talking to a fellow who wanted to know if we needed a boat anywhere. As we were not sure about how to get to IMAP – though we knew it was at a different port on the lake – and asked him some questions. He stuck with us as we walked through town and it was hard to shake him. After regrouping over a liquado (fruit smoothie) and talking with our contact at IMAP on the phone we made our plans and took a public water ferry across the lake to Santiago. It was a beautiful ride with the volcanos all around us on this highland lake.
Once in Santiago we grabbed a “pick-up” which is more or less what that sounds like. Pickup trucks with open beds and a bar down the middle for holding on to, drive through towns and pick people up along the way. It was a gorgeous ride along the side of the mountains along the lake through coffee plantations and forest. The coffee groves look much like a open forest and one wouldn’t know they were a production area if not for the people picking coffee and waiting at the side of the roads with their sacks full for the coffee purchaser to come. Otherwise the canopy is varied and gives visual description to what “shade grown coffee” means.
We had a very nice tour of the project from Goyo and Stephanie. Goyo is a local person, lives nearby and works here. He spoke in Spanish and Stephanie translated. She is here on a 7 month stay as part of an education sharing project from Canada. This group formed to stand witness to the civil war in the 70’s and 80’s and continue to do human rights work here. Stephanie and others like her go to learn at projects around Guatemala, and monitor and report on human rights issues. They bring all this back to share with others.
Today I am laying low with a headache. Forest was droopy and had a fever last night so I guess it is my turn. He is fine today to I hope to be up and at it tomorrow at the latest.
.....a few days later. We have been out of internet range for nearly a week and assume we will be so again so the blog posts may be spotty. In town for a short stop now so picture uploads will have to be later.
The bird life and plant life has been amazing. There is an office space that looks out into the canopy and there are more birds there than we have identified yet. It has been fun looking them up and learning some new and extraordinary names! The view of the lake and volcanos is just amazing and we do not get tired of sitting and looking out. We have been working with the folks here on the forest garden on the volcanic slope. Citrus, Papaya, avocado, a fruiting cactus and other edible plant. Peaceful and beautiful as it is, we are getting ready to move on to visit Tikal and then the lowland jungle to the east near the caribbean coast. At half-time on our trip it is starting to feel like not enough time to get to all the places we want. I keep saying to my self that we should just enjoy what we do get to experience and forgot the rest.
Love to all.
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