A Week Among the Volcanoes

Day One:

We arrive in Guatemala City, some of us groggy from naps on the plane ride, but everyone shares a look of excitement as we take in the warm Guatemalan climate. As we loaded our luggage onto our van I couldn't help but notice that a tarp was placed on top. Little did we know that we had visited during the rainy season so that tarp was the only thing standing between our luggage and the flashes of rain. Thanks to our driver!  Finally our van begins whizzing through the streets and around the bases of volcanoes of Guatemala I started to realize that we were not in New Brunswick anymore and I can't wait to see what this beautiful country had in store for us.

(Our first view of Guatemala after getting off of the plane)

We eventually arrived and settled into our house and had an orientation with Jane Atkinson, Mindy Grantham, and Andy Feldman, the staff from De La Gente. De La Gente was created to help provide economic opportunity for farmers in the area and this trip we will be able to not only see where and how these farmers work and live their lives but we will be able to take part in the process.

(The doors to our home for the week)

The orientation provided us with some safety protocol, rules of the house, and just general tips on how to stay healthy and safe during our stay in San Miguel Escobar. Afterwards we took a tour of the town and the first things I noticed among the cobble stone street 1. There are dogs everywhere. Turns out because no one really has a yard in San Miguel Escobar, it is common practice to let your dog run along the streets and explore the town. 2. Everyone says hello. You turn the corner and there is always a nice smile and an hola! to greet you which is a pleasant change from being surrounded by students with their heads in their phones.  After our initial tour we were eager to explore the town more so a few of us went out in search for lemon juice to put in our hair. Though the language barrier is apparent as we try and vaguely describe lemon juice, we manage with hand gestures and broken Spanish. Hopefully as the week goes on we will all be able to pick up more phrases!

(The town of San Miguel Escobar is so colorful!)

(The view outside of our door)

Our first farmer/dinner host, Gustavo, came to pick us up and walk us to his home. We learned that his family lives with his father's family and his brother's family which is very common among the rest of the farmers. With more family members in the house it helps with watching children and doing work around the house. My first meal in Guatemala was an amazing dish of rice, meat, corn, sweet bread, corn tortillas, and spicy picante. After such a busy day learning about San Miguel Escobar we took the remainder of the night to reflect and share what we are looking forward to during the rest of the week.

(Dinner of rice, beef, corn, sweet bread, fresh corn tortillas and amazing picante.)

Day Two:

This morning we woke up to pineapple pancakes, honey, papaya, and the always present fresh pot of De La Gente coffee. Though not everyone in our group regularly drink coffee, it was nice to see that we all tried some while staying in the house. When else will we have the opportunity to drink coffee from bean grown locally?   We packed back into the van and headed to the town of Antigua, Guatemala.

(The town square in Antigua, the church, and a volcano in the distance.)

 Antigua has a noticeably different atmosphere compared to San Miguel Escobar. The city is bigger and has a very large tourism presence which could be guessed since every other person on the street is asking if you want to purchase a handmade flute, necklace, or scarf. Despite these distractions the center of the city is beautiful, complete with a park and fountain and we couldn't help but take time to snap pictures and explore. Our first task for the day was convert our U.S. dollars to quetzales. The first bank we entered was having technical issues with their computers so we walked down the street and soon I found myself at the front of a line with money in hand and not a clue what to say in Spanish. Luckily we have a couple of Spanish speakers in the group and a few others that took Spanish in high school. If you're wondering, one U.S. dollar comes out to be about 7.66 Guatemalan quetzales.

(The view of Fuego from Cerro de la Cruz. We were told that a cross was erected facing Antigua as a sign of respect for those Guatemalans lost in an earth quake but also to shame Fuego for causing the disaster.)

 With Jane and Mindy as our guides we begin the climb towards Volcan de Agua to visit Cerro de la Cruz, a beautiful spot on the volcano overlooking the city of Antigua. Though the hike was steep, it was well worth it (as seen by the view in the picture above). After our climb, we sat and learned about Guatemala's history full of Mayan culture, conquistadors, religion, natural disasters, fruit production, and Civil War. One aspect that really stood out to me was U.S. influence in the history and really gave me a different perspective to the tension. This conversation really made me more conscious of how our presence is perceived by the Guatemalan people and helped us all understand that one of the best things we can do during this trip is to listen and learn.

(Left: One of our guide's, Jane, walking into one of the tunnels created when an earthquake destroyed the monastery.

Right: A view of some of the colonial ruins) 

 Before lunch we stopped to explore some colonial ruins of a monastery. I couldn't help but feel like an explorer while we traveled through the stone arches and tunnels of the ruins. Many of the stops today demonstrate how large of an influence the Catholic religion has on the history and culture of Guatemala.

(The view of the ruins during lunch)

 Afterwards, we stopped by a few more places in Antigua including a chocolate museum and some souvenir vendors. One of the most invigorating moments was when I had my first experience haggling for some bracelets for my friends. It was so interesting to see that the few English phrases that the shop owners did know were strategic in helping to sell a product.  When we returned to the house and participated in an educational activity in which we learned more about the coffee industry, all the participants from farmers to retailers, and what percent each one receives from profits. The biggest issue we learned was that despite the labor that farmers put into their harvest, they receive a very small portion of coffee profits which leads to issues with finances, health, and educational opportunities. Luckily the cooperative in addition to De La Gente allow the farmers to receive almost 100% of the profits. Overall this activity made us all grow more conscious not only of the coffee industry but also other products that we buy. How much effort goes into making it? Who has helped with making it and how much are they making? All these questions are what can make us be more aware of what we buy and how we can benefit hard working people like the farmers in San Miguel Escobar.
Right before bed, a group of us enjoy sitting on the roof patio to look at the stars and reflect upon our experiences. On this particular night we were fortunate enough to see some lava erupt fromVolcan de Fuego in the distance.

Day Three:

We all woke up early and met Timoteo, the very animated coffee farmer, and Gregorio, the cool and collected farmer; together they will be leading our group up the side of the volcano to the coffee fields. I thought as a Rutgers student that I would be fine making the climb, I mean I walk everywhere during the school year so this will be a piece of cake. Little did I know that the air would be thinner and that I would need to take a break every 5 minutes or so. Nonetheless, the whole hike was completely worth it because once we reached the top we were able to see the farms and learn more about coffee farming and harvesting. According to Timoteo, the farmers in the San Miguel Escobar Cooperative are experimenting with a new method of fermenting coffee fruit before the beans need to be roasted. After this talk we grabbed our hoes and started to weed around the coffee plants to reduce competition with other plants for water and nutrients. As we weeded we also formed a half moon shape out of the soil to use gravity to trap the rain water. How innovative!

(Left: Timoteo in the straw hat, some of the group, and volcanoes in the distance!

Right: Beans that farmers plant among the coffee plants since they provide support for the bean vines.)

After dinner we learned more about the best time to pick coffee and how to remove the fruity pulp from around the coffee beans. Turns out the farmers use a "de-pulper" which is made form a bicycle attached to a grinder. We even got to go for a spin! Afterwards we sat down with Andy Feldman who answered our questions about how De La Gente and the cooperative work together and ways we can help back at home.

(Parth taking the "de-pulper" for a spin)

(A coffee been before roasting but after fermentation)

We spent the night at another farmer's home, but this particular night we had to do some rearranging because there was a surprise rain storm that threatened to soak our tortillas. We moved dinner into the kitchen which made things a little more intimate and made conversation flow easily. Though I have learned many new phrases in Spanish, I was still found myself nervous about engaging with the family. At one point, one of the little girls was very interested in the braids in the hair of some of our group. Before I knew it, I was being summoned to recreate the braids and I was eager to impress. As I sit there braiding one of the granddaughter's hair, I started to think; maybe language isn't always as big of a barrier as we think it can me. Maybe people can communicate and connect with one another with hair braiding or sharing food.

Day Four:

Today Timoteo lead us first to his home (to grab tools) and then to a construction site where we would be helping to lay cement blocks down for a wall. The building we will help to construct is meant to provide more space for the cooperative so that they can have bigger machinery and work with larger quantities of coffee. I believe that little to none of the group had any experience with construction work but Timoteo was quick to teach us and help us along. I helped with laying down the cement and blocks. As we were working we each made sure to put the effort to do our best because after all, this was going to the the foundation for the cooperatives future...literally!

(Left: Members of the group help Timoteo with construction. 

Right: The finished portion of wall we worked on today. 

Bottom: Members of the group help to mix cement and displace soil with just the use of shovels and wheelbarrows. ) 

(Construction site fashion)

Once part of the wall was complete and the piles of soil were moved we headed back to the house where we had a unique opportunity to attend a coffee cupping. A coffee cupping is when a taster observes the characteristics of a coffee. We were comparing the traditionally prepared coffee bean and the "honey" coffee which uses the new process we learned about the day before. Each type of coffee was presented twice to combat any irregularities in the coffee samples. In order to identify the subtle differences in flavor and aroma, we were provided with flavor wheels which ranged from hints of savory flavors to nutty or sweet flavors. The process begins by first smelling the dry coffee, then adding water and cracking the crush that forms, and finally slurping the coffee. According to Mindy, the more air in your slurp, the easier it is to taste the coffee. The difference between the two coffees was noticeable since the "honey" coffee was sweeter and not as harsh. Overall it was a great learning experience and demonstrated the complexity of coffee!

Day Five:

We woke up early to split up into our artisan workshops: wood-working, iron-working, or textiles. I decided to challenge myself and went with the iron-working group. We drove out to a neighboring town where we met Carlos. Upon entering Carlos's home we noticed a couple of things: 1. he loves animals and has many pets, 2. his workshop was right at home in his backyard! Carlos explained to us that he had been doing iron-work for 27 years now, learned from his father and helps to build de-pulping machines for the coffee farmers. He makes animal sculptures, wall art, and home decorations and sells them. A great deal of his inspiration comes for nature, which we could see with his many insect inspired pieces. He let us choose our shapes for our wall decorations and our group decided upon dragonflies, an owl, a cross,  a lizard, and a turtle. The first step in the process was to cut our sheets of metal into our desired shapes. This step requires using large metal sheers, putting all your body weight into it, and knowing how to bend and form the metal to cut smoothly. We could tell right away that we had our work cut out for us but we all gave it our best try! Afterwards we did some detailing by creating lines and grooves in the metal with a hammer and a chisel and finally we brought our animals to life by curving the metal to make it look 3D. As we were working we were able to meet Carlos's wife and daughter and a few of their dogs who loved to run around the workshop. Carlos explained to us that he enjoys opportunities to be creative which is why he likes this trade. His wife also showed off some of his weightlifting trophies to us. Turns out that Carlos competed in weightlifting championships for about 4 years before he had to stop due to injury. No wonder he could bend the metal so easily! To finish off our pieces and prevent rusting we added paint with a special coating to help keep the metal from corroding. I have to say, this workshop was another example of how physically intense many of the jobs we saw in Guatemala ended up being. This experience has definitely made me more respectful of handmade products.

(Master Iron-worker Carlos helping to weld a hanger onto one of our wall decorations)

 We returned to one of the artisan's homes for lunch and we all enjoyed sharing what we had created. The wood-working group created serving trays lined with recycled bits of traditional Guatemalan clothing, and the textile group designed and helped to sew backpacks out of the same recycled clothing. Back at the house we took some time to rest but soon we found ourselves boarding a chicken bus (don't ask, to this day no one knows where the name came from) and headed to the market in Antigua. The goal of our trip is to collect supplies for dinner and desert. One team was in charge of guacamole, another had smoothie ingredients, and my team had to find ingredients for nachos. Our list included peppers, tomatoes, refried beans, queso fresco, and tortilla chips. I didn't expect the market to be so busy, tight, and confusing but we were able to navigate our way through the food, clothing, and miscellaneous objects. Later we took some time to do some personal souvenir shopping and some haggling once again! Back at the house we took turns preparing the food and reflected upon the day's work. The food was delicious and everything was so fresh!

Day Six:

Only a little more than 24 hours until we have to leave this beautiful country. Some of the group is tired but the energy changes quickly when we meet with Timoteo. We head back to the construction site and begin to mix concrete and lay down our cement blocks. Since we had learned the techniques a couple of days earlier everyone started to get into the groove of work quite easily. I was working with Parth to help prepare the fermentation tanks for tile laying. This process included a great deal of hammering cement to make groves for the grout to hold on well, washing of the tanks, mixing of the grout, and laying the tiles. Timoteo showed me how to space the tiles and how much grout to put down but before we knew it, rain clouds moved in and we were stuck in a downpour. While everyone crowded under the little bit of roofing that existed I couldn't help but look out and see all the work we had done. We helped to complete a large portion of wall, put together a scaffolding, moved a pile of soil that was blocking the wall, and helped to start tile the fermentation tanks. Just because our work was cut short by the rain, it does not take away from the hard work and we put in to help Timoteo and the other farmers in the cooperative.

(Photo credit to Larry McAllister: Our view of the construction site as we take shelter from the rain)

When the rain eased up we helped to clean up and headed back to Timoteo's house to drop off the tools. Before parting ways he thanked us for our work but most of all he asked if he could give each of us a hug. Throughout the days we had spent with him I believe we were all able to get to know Timoteo on a more personal level and though this was goodbye, we will never forget his powerful story, strong machete, winning smile, and vibrant passion as we share this experience with our friends and families.

We went to the house to shower and pack before our last night out with the De La Gente staff. We shared stories and learned that apparently Timoteo rarely hugs which made the day all the more special. The night wound down with a long session of reflections and soon eyes grew weary from the week's work. We witnessed a final goodbye as Volcan de Fuego quietly erupted one last time before we headed off to bed.

Day Seven:

The day started the same way our first morning did, the smell of pineapple pancakes, honey, and San Miguel Escobar coffee to get us through the day. We concluded our trip with a bit of reflection with Jane and Mindy, shopping in the De La Gente shop, and loading our bags on top of the van once more. We quickly posed in front of the office and snapped a pick with the staff to help us remember them bye and pass on their stories.

(Photo Credit to Parth Thakkar: The whole group plus Jane in the middle outside the De La Gente office)

On the plane ride back home I recalled the first night we saw Volcan de Fuego erupt slightly in the darkness. As I watched the lava cool and fade in the distance I couldn't help but think that in their own way, the people of San Miguel Escobar were also volcanoes. From a distance they may seem dormant, some going through difficult times and stuck in a cycle of poverty, but the farmers from this week really showed us that deep inside, the people of Guatemala are thriving with passion, innovation, and strength; it just takes the skilled eyes of an observer to see their signs of life. In the end, I am so thankful that I was able to witness it all and live among these amazing people, even if it was just for a moment. 

(Blog entry by Carmela Buono)