Adventures in Yucatan, Mexico

  The End and the Beginning Each one of our students developed a final project in their area of interest in different communities around the peninsula. The topics were as diverse as they were extraordinary, from endemic honeybees to dance, education, arte, environment, plants, life and animals on the coast, and more. Some of their written work included how to tag crocodiles in the mangroves without losing a limb in the process, how to create an artistic message to help keep the beaches pristine, how to interact with fisherman as a foreigner without them seeing you as a tourist who is only on the coast to work on their tan, or how to learn to dance with a body that doesn’t feel very flexible. Presented all together, it made for an incredible show.  Without a doubt, seeing and hearing our students talk about their experiences is always a pleasant and gratifying experience, since much of what they have learned, even through the most difficult moments, is showcased.  We have...

In the last few days our students have taken up their Spanish and culture classes again, as well as enjoying a nighttime tour through the community’s mangrove canals. Along the way, we observed different species of fish, amphibians, birds and reptiles. We even got to see baby crocodiles! Our students let themselves be immersed in the sounds of the night and the stories of those who take care of the mangroves, and the trip wouldn’t be complete without a dip in the cenote! In the center of town and feeling the rhythm of the ocean breeze, students, their host families, and members of the community had fun dancing merengue, bachata and salsa taught by Gary, the founder of the Salselegance dance school based in Merida.  Without a doubt, each part of Yucatan is beautiful, and it is clear that each person we encounter during this immersion program is willing to open not only the doors of their home, but share their history and small joys with our students, too. 

Right now, about half of our student group has tested positive for COVID-19. However, the symptoms are mild and the spirits are high, and you couldn't ask for a better location to spend quarantine than a Yucatan beach! The students with COVID are still able to have their weekly evaluations and feedback sessions as well as distanced outdoor workshops, such as Archeoastronomy, which explores how the Mayan pyramids were built in accordance to the movements of the heavens. They are isolated in beachside cabanas where they have three delicious meals a day dropped off, and they are being tested every 5 days.  The rest of the group that tested negative continue their program with their host families and classes. Soon their peers will be cleared to re-join them!

Another week filled with learning! From practicing the steps of the traditional dance of Yucatan, la jarana , which includes balancing a glass bottle on your head while your feet move to the driving rhythm of the music as your heart beats with excitement and nerves... our students progressed to the point of showing off their skills at a community festival! They also enjoyed movie nights in the town square, surrounded by family, friends and neighbors. Our students also learned how to make a ka’anche’ , a raised garden bed that sits about 4 feet above the ground. It was constructed from wood, earth and leaves that most families in rural communities have in their backyards. This raised bed is used to plant a variety of herbs and small vegetables like chives, epazote (an important flavoring for black beans), radishes, cilantro and more. It’s height keeps the small garden from being dug up by the backyard chickens, turkeys, pigs and dogs. Don Francisco and Don Natividad, our same experts f...

We’ve been busy the past few weeks!  Our students have participated in various activities during their time with their host families and other members of the community.  They were able to visit a milpa , or a traditional agricultural plot, where Don Francisco and Don Natividad, our wise guides, explained the long term rotational process of the milpa as well as the challenges this traditional form of agriculture faces today.  The effort and hard work that it takes to care for and harvest the milpa was clear to us, as was the reward of being able to enjoy the benefits of such work, like having hot tortillas on the table, pozole (a thick beverage made from dissolving fresh ground corn masa into water, shown below) to recoup energy after working under the strong sun and atole to give you a good start in the mornings.  We were also able to learn some Mayan epigraphy along with kids and young adults in the community. We learned about the different forms of organization i...