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June 13, 2007
Every day is different
This weekend held quite a few new experiences with ICA excursions. On Saturday morning we traveled with a group from school to visit a coffee plantation and then continue west toward the black sand beach at Champerico. Enrique, ICA's director, led the tour through the coffee plantation, explaining the process from the beginning stages grafting together different plants for a stronger coffee harvest to the end where the coffee is dried and examined for exporting. The process is clearly hard work and the history of how workers have been exploited was difficult to hear, but probably the most sobering was visiting the galera where temporary workers and their families will stay during the harvesting months. A "5-star" galera compared to some other companies, this living space had two light bulbs, walls and a concrete floor, but it would still be hard to see the floor filled with around 30 families sleeping side-by-side under the hot metal roof during the summer. A convincing lesson in buying fair trade coffee.
From there we went out for lunch by the beach in Champerico. Rebekah and I enjoyed collecting some sea shells. The waves were a little big and undertoe a little strong to want to spend much time in the water though.
On Sunday morning we took advangtage of the opportunity to go with a group up Santa Maria 12,375 ft, the volcano that dominates the horizon outside of Xela (around 7,200 ft). Looking at the mountain from the city, I was convinced that the mountain must have a ton of switchbacks for as steep as the angles were on the mountain (a math prof here estimated it at at least 35 degrees :)), but the trail had nothing of the sort. The hike was an exilarating 4 hour pull straight up the mountain. Fortunately there was an amazing view behind us every time we would take a break to look back (which we needed to do rather frequently).
We were a pretty sore yesterday and today, but this afternoon ICA had a timely event to help restore us. A small group of us rode up to the beautiful Fuentes Georginas, an amazing hot spring off the Zunil Volcano. It was an absolutely incredible mix between the mountanous scenery, the tropical vegetation and the relaxing water. Unfortantely we forgot our camera, so we'll either need to borrow some digital pictures from others, or, maybe, go back again :)
Classes are going well for Rebekah; she chose to stay with the same teacher this week since they seem to get along. I've been helping in the tree nursery in the mornings which feels good to be outside (although I've learned to take greater precautions for sun) and its interesting to learn a little about what some people go through to earn $6 or $7 a day. Today we counted out and sold 750 white pine and 750 alder trees to some folks working for local government in a nearby town who plan to plant them in and around an existing forest.
Posted by Derrick at June 13, 2007 12:07 AM