05-19-06 San Juan Bautista house 3

Today Tom, Raul, Andy and I traveled to San Juan Bautista where we have been building three homes that were destroyed during Stan. It is HOT there but this particular day was overcast so instead of being super hot it was just hot and very humid. As you can see the space available to build was small. we had a fun time sharing both tools and space. Raul put together the high efficiency wood cooking stove and was showing the people how to use it. It was placed outside for the families to share. Initially we thought they wanted it outside for fear of smoke inside but really it was because they didn't want to add any heat to the homes. We definately understood that!

Near the end of the day the thunder started to crackle but we only had two walls left to construct. We decided to build one wall before the rain would come and then go home. Well, after that wall was done there still was no rain so we started the last wall. just after we started the wall it also started to rain. We worked a little faster and then the rain came down harder. This cycle kept spiraling until we were working furiously while being equally punished by the falling rain. By the time we went home we were thoroughly beat. Andy tipped his hand in the car showing exactly how tired he really was.

05-18-06 Soil Conservation step 1

Today in Tabacal I took the role of teacher. (Tabacal is on the side of a mountain and only has a few inches of good soil before becoming nasty clay and once the topsoil is washed away the land becomes virtually unusable. Our first priority is learning how to guard the soil that currently exists and then how to create more topsoil through composting). I had a meeting with 5 of the leaders of the community to talk about how to keep Tabacal producing crops in the future. Unfortunately I was teaching information that I myself had just learned so I admitted to the men that we would be learning together. We all had a good laugh and then I started.

Surprisingly enough they actually had a whiteboard and marker?! I was curious how I would teach effectively on only a legal sized pad of paper (cargo is limited when your means of travel is a motocross bike). The lesson of the day was Soil Conservation through Planting Techniques. Using a constructed level to know when you need to plant in contours on a hillside to filter water as it flowed downhill and when terraces are needed. So I drew and explained with all of them listening and noding as if to say I understand (if you look carefully in the first picture you can see my wonderful stick figures). Don Tomas was nodding too but his nods said more "I'm really tired" than "I am following what you are saying" luckily he got up to speed when we had hands on projects and practice.

After an explanation of what the level is and why we need it we started to build one (it was the first one I would build also). Luckily it turned out great. It is composed of tying two bamboo poles about 2m long along the sides with a stick across the middle making a large capital A. Then a rock dangles from a string tied to the peak of the bamboo to show a line on the cross stick in the middle. We calibrated the level to find the exact position of the string for perfectly level and then by swiveling one leg uphill or downhill, another position exactly level can be found. By getting a string to measure the distance between the two legs and folding it a certain number of times and then lifting one of the legs that height and marking the cross stick again we delineated when no specific measures need to be followed, when contour planting is needed, and when terraces are needed. We also marked a specific small slope to let water escape when building terraces as well as how to build terraces. It was a lot to understand and soak in for the men.

We practiced marking a new level and using the level to determine the needs of different pieces of land. We also practiced pivoting the level on a hillside to "walk" the level at the same elevation to show a line where they can plant and then where the next row goes as well as other erosion prevention techniques. All this to say that we had a fun time laughing at our attempts to learn a new thing.

I will be going back to Tabacal next week to review the system. We have about 2 months to get the training done because in two months the chili crop will be finished and it will be time to plant something new. Hopefully then we can implement these techniques. Unfortunately the rainy season has come early this year and they are antsy to plant. Within the past two weeks they have planted corn all over town. The reason this is unfortunate is that they all are planted in areas that need contour planting but are planted in normal rows. I had asked if there would be any more areas to plant but they said that all the areas had already been planted in the past two weeks and no more would be done. I think it may have been to new and difficult for them to follow these techniques so soon anyway but it is a shame to see the missed opportunity. Hopefully I can talk with the agro engineer once more to see if there are any measures we can implement in existing areas to save as much soil as we can.

Changing the subject, I nearly hit a puppy on my way TO Tabacal. He ran into the road and I locked both wheels as he turned and bumped into the side of my front tire. Luckily he ran off into the bushes terrified at the brush with death but unscathed. On my way FROM Tabacal I went to explore a beautiful rock outcropping nearby. On my way there I ran over a 6' long green snake! I couldn't believe it so I turned around and went back. He had slithered off the road and into the grass where he was perfectly camouflaged but his tail was still sticking out about 8" into the gutter of the road. With my heart pounding out of my chest I finally worked up enough courage to grab him by the tail and fling him back out into the road. Needless to say he was less than thrilled about my jerking him through the air back into the road. I just wanted to see him better. After making it clear to me that he did not want to be disturbed, he slithered back into the grass on the side of the road. Due to either my stubbornness or insatiable curiosity, I grabbed him again and flicked him once more into the road but my adrenaline was pumping so I actually flicked him across the road and into the grass on the other side. This would not work so for the third time I grabbed him and, this time with more control and precision, I placed him directly in the middle of the road. Unfortunately a bus was passing by and, just as with my motorcycle. The poor snake positioned himself in the precise position of the back tires of the bus.
For a moment I felt terrible but then remembered it was a snake and now I could get a good look at it. I stretched it out to find that it was a little more than 6' long. Though it was barely alive it still wanted to bite me as seen in the picture (though I do not blame him one bit).

I continued on to the rocks and passed over a bridge that had no base across it except pieces of boards and rubble to walk on. I carefully and quickly rode over it on my bike. It was very beautiful. Another one of those places in Guatemala that pictures do no justice and words just are not enough. God is good!

On a final note, while riding on the main road back home I was thinking, "I almost ran over a dog this morning and then a snake this afternoon..." before I finished my thought a big yellow bird flew across the road and came less than a meter from my head, "A dog then a snake and now a bird. What is going on with the animals today!" I would like to say that was the end of the adventures of the day but I ran out of gas on the way home... but this post is already too long. Lets just say the Guatemala is a great place to experience LIFE!

5-10-06 Happy Guatemalan Mother's day!

These people have corn on the brain...

Roberto (and environmental engineer) and Randy(eMi engineer who has worked with a different community) joined me in my visit to Tabacal.
The setup of Tabacal is like the old west where there is the main "town" area where all the houses are together and then the fields are further out. The rainy season has started early this year so the people of Tabacal have already started planting corn. They know they shouldn't cut down more trees and further fields have not been cleared so they are planinting corn in their small plots in town where their houses are. Small plants speckle the entire town with just walkways inbetween. For Tabacal it was a good day because I had brought an agricultural engineer, (Roberto) who trains Peace Corp volunteers, to see the site and look at the fields to give us some suggestions. The bad news was that the chili plants had a virus from a "white fly" and they were also burned from putting too much pesticide on them and the soil inbewteen the rows was cluttered with other growth instead of having "clean" dirt bewteen the plants so the crop was a low quality that would have to be sold in the local markets for a much lower price instead of exporting them to the US.
The good news was that "we were doing everything wrong". This is good news because we are just starting and there is time to correct everything. The chili fields will be done within 2 months and then we can start over planting the fields correctly with the right crops and the right techniques. Roberto gave some broad strokes to Manuel as to how planting should be done there. He spoke of contour planting and terracing to keep the good topsoil present. the plants are currently planted in rows down the hill. He let us know that during rain, it is so steep that the rainwater will concentrate inbetween the rows and flow lik mini rivers to the bottom carrying the topsoil with it. He proceeded to explain how to plant along the contours and create live barriers and ditches to preserve the precious topsoil. The topsoil there is only a few inches deep and then it gets to a very nasty clay so if we did not have this information, within 2 years the soil would have been completely barren and unplantable. He explained terracing and what it does. I hope to be able to bring some of the leaders to a town that has made the mistakes of chopping down trees and not following soil conservation techniques to see what can happen. So far the only community I have contact with that are in this situation is about 3 hours away so we may just present some pictures of the area and talk about the consequences. Roberto told me that we must make a very concerted effort right now because culturally "these people have corn on the brain, they only think of corn and the corn they have planted in town is not getting enough sun and as soon as it starts to yellow they will continue cutting down trees." Cutting down trees removes the protective covering over the land. The trees guard the humidity low to the ground and keeps the sun from sucking the water out of the ground. Without the trees, not only is there erosion problems but it will also dry up our groundwater and thus our spring for a water source!
To answer their need to plant corn I will return after getting further info from Roberto and train the people in the soil conservation techniques. in 2 months, when it is time to replant, we will create terraces and contour planting and we will plant 3 rows of corn and then 5 rows of black beans and then repeat. After this crop is in then we will switch and plant the beans where the corn was and vice-versa. The third crop will be in winter again and we can try a cash crop of Okra. "Okra! how nasty! I've never seen anyone here eat okra." was my comment to Roberto. Apparently okra is a great export crop for the US. It is hearty and does not require the delicate attention of many different chemicals that the chili requires.
on the way back from the field we came across another lower dam and small pond below. Randy mentioned the possibility of a trout project there as he had heard of in Costa Rica to provide protein. I am looking into the possibilities and "where in the world do I find a trout hatchery in Guatemala!" The interesting problems and quests never cease here!

On a side note Heather has been ill so Guatemalan mother's day was kinda dull. Nothing seemed to mark it out except the roses I brought (which cost only $2.70 for 6 which is double than normal). Sunday (American Mother's Day) was much better. She was still sick but we celebrated with going to lunch, cards, and going to see Mission Impossible 3.

05-05-06 Food from Heritage Church

This week I brought 4200 lbs of food to Tabacal with the money provided by Heritage church. The townspeople were very excited as the previous supply had run out and they were in need again. There was a certain anticipation in the air as we unloaded the truck. once the food was organized under the roof at the main meeting area Manuel (one of the 5 leaders of the community) organized the people in a line in order of family number (each family has a number from 1-40) in order to divide the food. I had calculated the amount of food to be given to each family based on the age and number of people in a family so each person would get their just share.

Once everything was in place the main even started. There was the murmuring of the people waiting in line. the hustle and bustle of those dividing the food and those packing the food and those transporting it back to their homes. The sounds told it all. Manuel would call out the number and name of the next family and then the poundage of cornmeal and then black beans and then rice and then sugar and then bottles of oil. "Familia 12, Juan Tomas Xon, 32 maseca, 24, 24, 4 de asucar y 3 botellas" then the assembly line rushed and roared mike a great machine. The cornmeal team scouped the flour into a plastic bag with their hands making a whoosh whoosh sound. The black bean team poured dry beans into a 5 gallon pointers bucket with the sound of a great rain, while the rice team did the same but with a higher pitched sound as the rice banged around in the bucket. Manuel (the other Manuel), because he was in the far back of the assembly line, called back the numbers for oil and sugar to make sure they were correct and then silently got the bags of sugar and bottles of oil. Then all of us from the assembly line took turns weighing our buckets on the only hanging scale we have (really it is a 50 lb luggage scale my parents brought down and left for the people of Tabacal).

Nearly without exception the representative from each family was the woman because the men were working out in the field or had taken a bus to look for work in Escuintla. The women gathered their sacks (remaining cornmeal, bean, and rice sacks from previous deliveries) to receive their share. Then they heaved their loads on their head and on the backs of their children and began their walk up or down the mountain to their champa (a small hut made from bamboo or sticks with a tin roof). All day it took to divide the food but as we were finishing at 4pm I was reminded that rainy season was on its way. It was not raining yet but the sky was filled with lighting and thunder both threatening and promising rain. The townspeople had tried planting crops earlier but they all failed. They then decided on chili because it requires little water and could be sold to someone they know to export to the US. They had cleared and burned 2 fields and 3 months ago I had helped them plant the seedlings and we had been waiting hopefully ever since.

The chili was just about ready to harvest and I was anxious to see the fields. While we were walking through the jungle to the fields they told me that harvesting of chili would start next week. Upon arrival Juana began walking through the field picking some chili’s. They presented them to me as a gift of the first fruits. It was cause for celebration but the thunder interrupted with a reminder that my curfew had passed and it was time for me to go home because I still had to cross 4 rivers on my way home and once the rain finds its way into the rivers flow they do not like to be crossed.

I said my "thank you"s and "good bye"s and mounted the hero for my rush home (the manufacturer of my motorcycle is Asia Hero Motors so my bike has been nicknamed "the hero"). Luckily, I only encountered light showers while on the dirt road and crossing the rivers but once I reached the pavement the rain released its fury. It didn't rain, it POURED like it only can in central america! The wrath of the sky lasted to Alotenango (about halfway home). By the time I had reached home I was blown dry or at least damp until I stepped off my bike and the water that had puddled in my boots came squirting out making my boots and pantlegs wet once more.

What a Day!

P.S. Carl and I also gave blood (something which I have not done in a long time because it always makes me sick). There is a 5 year old girl here that needed heart surgury and for some reason for her surgury she needed to bring the blood needed for the operation with her or she couldn't have the operation. I received a bracelet that said, "Salvé una vida, doné sangre" which means "I saved a life, I donated blood" and her name is Beverly! And yes I did get sick, a pale green, barf in the trash, give me a coke while I lay here tingling sick.