y tambien. . . .and also. . . Saturday we had the opportunity to learn more about Guatemala{s people, culture and heritage. We spent the morning with Don Filiberto and his family. They live in San Miguel Escobar, just beyond San Pedro las Huertas. The story is that the town was once flooded by waters that overflowed from the top of Volcan Agua and then was reestablished by a rich man whose name was Miguel Escobar---and to honor him after his death, the villagers used his name. Officially, the community is a zone of Cuidad Vieja.
We arrived at Filiberto{s home where we were greeted by him, his wife and five of their eleven children. They served us hot chocolate--a traditional drink served on holidays or when special guests arrive. We climbed with them up the volcano to their cornfield. Occasionally we{d stop along the way for explanation of the fields through which we were walking. Jocote grows as a fruit from which liquor or jam can be made. Beans (friolijes) are planted between corn stalks where they can climb. Coffee is grown under taller trees because they need the shade. We saw avocado and quave trees.
Occasionally we just stopped to catch our breath and/or survey the beauty of the scenery. The climb was strenuous and the altitude got to some of us--but we all made it to the cornfield. There Filiberto told us about his family{s life during the years 1990-1992 when 14 guerrillas took up residence in his field. He and his neighbors were required to feed them and bring them water against orders from the army. Like many others, he and his family only wanted to live their lives peacefully and were caught in the middle of the conflict.
Maria Elena, his wife, made tortillas for us while his three sons mixed up fresh guacamole. Alex perfected his skill at making small tortillas and helped! We ate until we were full and then headed down the trail. We spent some time at Filiberto{s home, purchasing aprons made by one of the daughters and then saying goodbye to Felix, of Common Hope{s construction crew. Felix was delivering coffee he had promised some of us. And then there were ducks, chickens and other household animals to entertain us as well. Filiberto{s family is affiliated with Common Hope--what an example of the way a family works together. The eleven children range in age from 24 to 9--one of the older is now a teacher and another is a bilingual secretary.
We came back to Common Hope for quick showers and clean up and went into Antigua for lunch at Condesa Cafe--great soups and sandwiches on the menu, breakfast served all day, and yummy desserts. Then it was back into a van for the trip to Santiago Zamora (25 minutes from Antigua). In Santiago Zamora, a Ketchiquil community, the women formed a weaving cooperative. Money they raise has made it possible for them to send their children to school and to start a medical clinic in the village. In addition to selling textiles, they welcome visitors with demonstrations of their work and traditional Guatemalan food. So we ate again--chicken pepian, tortillas, lemonade or jicama drink.
The rains came while we were at Santiage Zamora--for about 20 minutes it poured and the rain on the tin roof made it impossible to hear our hostess{ story, but in typical Guatemala style, our hostesses waited patiently until the uproar ceased and then resumed their presentations.
Back to Common Hope--then Morgan and Deb, Nan, Stacey, Joanie, Sarah, and Bridget went out to dinner at La Pena de Sol Latino--good food, slow service. Katie, Claire, and Alex decided they were worn out from the day{s activities, so they stayed at Common Hope and relaxed while Charlotte and Abbie, our Common Hope hospitality person, finished up some work.
Today we head home--we{ll leave Antigua about 11:00, fly through Houston, and get back to Minneapolis about midnight. It{s been a full week, rich in all sorts of experiences. It{s been a great group--folks worked together well, took care of each other, and learned a lot. It{s been fun to share our week via this blog. Common Hope{s web site isn{t quite up to date, but check back next week--we are leaving pictures behind which they will post. Among our group we are sponsoring 7 Common Hope children--so the relationships we{ve made here in Guatemala are likely to continue.
Take care.
No comments:
Post a Comment