Advertisement
Published: February 9th 2010
Edit Blog Post
market on the way to the bus
on the taxi ride to the bus station we passed a market selling flowers Saturday morning we had a leasurely breakfast and then off to the ruins at Tak Alik Ab Ah. The bus ride was about an hour and a half but well worth it. We arrived just before opening at 10AM and were able to book a guide to take us about the area. David and Heidi between them were able to translate for the group and that was a real bonus. The ruins were first discovered in the late 1800 and are being excavated by a group from Berkley University in California. It happened to be New Year on the Mayan Calandar so we were able to see the cerimonies first hand at the temples. Many were dressed in western style clothing as well as the traditional clothing, it was quite the site to see. We walked down ancient avenues and saw old statues which had been originally carved by the Olmecs and others by the Maya. The area was much more humid than the dry area we have been building stoves in and the jungle was alive with cicadas. There was a small zoo where we saw monkeys, and other animals native to the area. We had a picnic lunch together
little boy on the bus
The local transportation called Chicken buses are used by everyone and baggage is thrown on the roof to save space inside. this little boy was facinated by the large white people at the back of the bus. under a thatched roof and then set off for the Casa around 2:30 arriving back around 4. relaxed on the patio for a bit and then dinner just off the main square down town, an early night as Jim and I were off early in the morning for Comitancillo with Liz and Kieth.
Breakfast down town on Sunday morning and then a cab to the bus station to catch a Chicken bus - the local transportation - to San Marcos to meet Ruben. The bus ride was colourful and fun, lots of activity, after about 1 1/2 hours we were met by Ruben who took us in his pick up truck over the mountain to Comitancillo. The Stove Project has been working with the group AMMID for about 2 years building stove around the town of Comitancillo. AMMID has a wholistic approach and the women who receive stoves also make a commitment to learning nutrition and cleanliness which adds a lot to their lives.
Upon arrival in Comitancillo we unloaded the bags at the hotel (the only one in town) and had to walk through the streets to the restaurant for dinner as it was market day and the street
restaurant kitchen
this stove is similar to the ones built by the Stove Project and was in the kitchen of the restaurant we had dinner in. was closed for vendors. It was a very busy place with lots of open stalls selling everything from shoes to dried fish, grains and peanuts. We then visited the AMMID cooperative store and I purchased a bag to take home. Jim, Liz and I walked up to the cemetary which was very colourful and interesting. Perched on the hill top you could see the entire town and surrounding communities. We then had an early night as we were exhasted from the travel. Quite the night, dogs barking constantly and then the roosters began crowing early in the morning just as the dogs became quiet.
Monday morning we headed back up the hill to the restaurant for breakfast of beans and scrambled eggs, very typical breakfast here. We met Ruben at the AMMID office and were off to visit two of the communities which had received stoves from the project. Charles an american Peace Corp worker was also along to assist with translations as Ruben could speak Mam and Spanish but not english. The first community was very thankful for their stoves and kept telling us as we went along. The homes of the women were much cleaner than what we
market
grains for sale in the market have been used to seeing, this is due to the whole approach of AMMID with the stove being a part of the overall well being of the family. We first gathered at the DoƱas home where we were welcomed with many speeches of great length and then fed - atol was offered as a drink a thick kind of porridge mixture from corn and ginger. After this we visited a number of the homes to see the stoves and gardens of the familys. Many had a few animals, chickens mainly and some had cows, but each family had a wonderful garden and were growing food to sustain themselves.
In the afternoon we travelled out to the other side of Comitancillo, well up into the mountians along a dusty road which we understand will soon be paved. We had a wonderful lunch at the home of a carpenter who is the head of the village and then again we saw the homes of the members who had received stoves. We walked up and down paths which I dont know how the local people do it day after day, they live very high up in the mountains and walk these paths to
do anything. they again have gardens and a few animals. After we had walked up and down for a few hours we went back to the initial carpenters home where the Stove Project was presented with a woven thankyou for the stoves which had been built. Again there were speeches and thankyous all around. It was a good feeling to be part of this change for the people in these villages, to know that they were being helped to help themselves and future generations. Tomorrow we are off to see a school and a stove that was built there.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.524s; Tpl: 0.023s; cc: 5; qc: 44; dbt: 0.4607s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb