Another Hot Day in the Jungle

Michelle writes:

      Another hot day in the jungle; the cicadas are whirring their night song in this heat, at times piercing my ears like a school fire drill. My body is sticky with sweat. I haven’t made it to the river yet to bathe; it was a busy day with the jewelry women here. 

      Twenty-six women came by with their handicrafts: necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and Catholic rosaries. They range from  simple to exquisite. The beads are local seeds--grays, browns, black, and orange-red to a vivid red--varying in size from a nail head to half-dollar. I selected three pieces from each woman to take to the US and sell to my family and friends. All of the money from these sales will go directly to the artisans. They were disappointed I couldn’t take more, as this is their means of income, aside from their seasonal jobs hand picking cardamom in the jungle.

      Not many means of income in this remote village. They grow their own food and live very simply. Kathy has opened new possibilities for these women with this source of income (making jewelry). One woman bought a sewing machine, another a cell phone, one is buying land; on and on the stories go as the women are empowered to improve their lives. They are very grateful for the bridge to the rest of the world that visitors provide. Most don’t travel beyond this village, so when visitors come to carry the products to foreign lands, it is very exciting for them to dream of the possibilities that income can offer.

      Community is the backbone of the village. This morning as I was finishing my yoga at 6:30, the neighbor boy came by with fresh hot tortillas for our breakfast. Breakfast also included eggs that were a gift from last night’s dinner guests. Another woman and her twin sons stopped by with four chicken tamales and atol. When the women began to arrive around 9 a.m., we received more eggs, a bouquet of flowers, plantain, bananas, and squash.

      Every day people stop by to visit. We make a concentrate of hibiscus/lemongrass tea in the mornings to later dilute as we serve the hot, thirsty guests. Coconut milk is another common refreshing beverage. Today I used the machete to whack the end off two coconuts. I successfully accomplished my goal, pouring the milk into a glass and then splitting the coconut in two to scrape the moist meat: pure, satisfying enjoyment in the shade.

Dona Rosa, the Mayan Matriarch

Tonight, two of the neighbors, Dona Rosa and Rosa with her son Pedro,  joined us for a dinner of hierba blanca soup. This traditional vegetable, similar to chard, was a gift from Pedro Alvarado as he was returning from his farm this evening. Tomatoes and onions were added for flavoring. Over dinner, Dona Rosa shared with us that this meal was a staple 30 years ago before access to any processed foods. When she was in her 20s, she said that various hierbas were vital to their diet as they didn’t have maize available to accompany the variety of beans that was their primary food.