Coffeeeee

Out of all the tours I have taken, I think I have learned the most from this one. 

First our guía explained that the red beans are the ones that are actually ripe. A coffee plant produces for about 6-7 years. Then it is cut off at the base of the plant. In another 2 years, it will grow & produce more coffee beans.  

How the Coffee Operation Works: 

1. First they are sorted manually.  2. Then they are put through this first machine that takes off a shell. 

3. These are the coffee bean's shells which are used in the compost.    

Papa Co (es mi abuelo) front & center in this photo! He is in his late 60's, smokes half a pack a day, works at a variety of "nearby farms" and often brings coffee & other products to our family at a considerably reduced price.  

4. Here is the compost pile which they had on sight. We also learned that they have a huge farm about an hour away with only compost (I.E: dirt & worms) 

5. Then the coffee beans go to two separate troughs: one for organic & the other for regular. 25% of the coffee they produce goes to Germany/ Europe which is the organic. The other 75% which isn't organic goes to the U.S./ Canada. 

Fun Fact: Every pueblos around the lake produces cafe. San Pedro is the only one that has the official organic title. 

Depressing Fact: Very little stays in Guatemala because the locals cannot afford to buy/drink it.  

6. It goes through this machine which I think takes off another shell (I know that from start to finish two shells need to come off.) 

7. After this machine, it sits in water for a while. The beans that float are separated & not used because they aren't good. 

8. The ones that make it through this whole process dry on this court, or cancha, until they are packaged. 

There is a lot of love/ manual labor that goes into coffee production. Hopefully we can all enjoy our next cup with a bit more gratitude for our blessings in the future. 

ECCL: 2:24-25 "A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too I see is from the hand of God. For without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?"

Hot Springs & Wanderings

Next to my family/ friends, the thing I miss the most is a hot bubble bath. 

These are solar paneled baths. They last about an hour to an hour & 1/2. They are individually heated with all different size pools depending on how many people are in your fiesta.  

This is the vista (or view) from our bath 

The 2nd location is called Fuentes. It was a 45 minute drive outside of Xela. The water dripped down from the volcano like a leaky faucet & the closer you drifted to those rocks the hotter the water was. As I was situated in a nice nook between those rocks it felt like I was a queen on a throne. 

The 3rd place I explored was the hottest & most like an actual bath from home. It reminded me a lot of Hot Springs, Arkansas

Wanderings: 

El Lago Chicobal 

1. The earth is not man's man is of the earth.

                     We only have one. Take care of it!

This is a sacred Mayan volcanic crater lake that had Mayan altars connected to your horoscope all around it. There were flowers & other offerings at many of the alters. When I was there, there was even a service going on by woman dressed in traditional Mayan cortes. Fun Fact: I learned that in May this park is closed to the public to honor all the native locals who can have sacred time on the lake without extranjeros. 

This hike was called: "Caminata de la Muela" The hike of the molar. Looking up at these jagged rocks you can see where it got it's name.  

It felt like we all were birds in nests perched with the most beautiful view of the city. During my time in Xela, it did not take me long to realize what a thriving city it is. 

It obviously has a very different feel than San Pedro & the lake as a whole. When I returned back to San Pedro, one of the first questions the sisters asked me was did the women wear "cortes?" (i.e. the traditional Mayan clothing.) There is a distinct separation of the people who did & who didn't. There were definitely a lot more women who were not wearing the cortes in Xela. 

When I travel I am always drawn to the smaller cities for many reasons. I think because on some level I feel more connected to the people and usually the lifestyle is more tranquilo also. In Xela, I realized how lucky I was to have my family here in San Pedro. The other family was nice enough but were busy with their lives & never really engaged in conversations with me. As soon as I returned back to San Pedro my family lit up, whisked me to my room, braided my hair, and asked me all about my adventures. 

Who can resist KIM.KISSES?