We recently took a group trip to rural areas of Quintana Roo and had some incredible experiences! We saw a beautiful cenote, learned about the caste war from the people whose fathers and mothers lived it, witnessed a musical tradition, made tortillas, had our "bad winds" removed, saw how gum is made and met so many amazing people! Here's a look at how we spent our time...
First stop! A small pueblo in the southern part of the state of Yucatan that started their community ecotourism project a year ago.
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| Our guide Santos setting up rappel equipment |
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| Molly was the first to try it out! |
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| waiting their turn |
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| Here goes Lea! |
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| and Megan... |
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| Hey, this is kind of fun |
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| Making it down to the end of the man-made chute, the well opens up into a beautiful, cavernous cenote! |
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| Heading down, down, down |
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| Waving to the fruit bats on the way |
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| after the descent we were able to take a dip in the clear, fresh water of the cenote |
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| The way out was simpler, thanks to an elaborate wooden staircase and an opening in the limestone |
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| The next order of business was a bike-tour through the surrounding woods. Kitt discovered achiote, a bright red seed used to color and spice most of the traditional food in Yucatan. |
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| Heading out |
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| The first stop: an old structure used by the Spanish as a check-point to try to keep Mayans from sending secret messages across the border. |
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| Taking a closer look |
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| We found a medicinal plant along the way! |
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| Used for stomach pains |
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| Our next stop was a small apiary |
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| Mateo taking a closer look |
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After a delicious lunch, we say thank you to our hosts and guides and head off!
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| The students headed off with their host families to get a good rest for the next morning's activities! |
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| The next morning we met in the central park to start an exploration of the pueblo. Each student went off on their own to see what they could find! |
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| We met up with Kitt working with some men while chatting |
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We met up to talk about what the students found out. We talked about the schools, churches, cemetery, healthcare facilities and life in the individual host families and how the pueblo differs from the city.
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| Next we were treated to a musical demonstration of Maya Pax, a genre of traditional music that has stayed consistent for many years and is normally played in festivals. Now the groups are invited all over Mexico and around the world to play. |
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| Grace's host dad happens to know how to dance to Maya Pax, he showed us how it's done! |
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| After listening to a few songs, we had the chance to ask some questions. Traditionally all three instruments are handmade, now, however, the violin is typically bought. Often these groups accompany prayer. The songs don't have notes, the violin carries the musical phrase and the two drums beat out a rhythm, the melodies are passed on by listening and repeating. |
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| Our group with "Ox Maya," or the Three Mayans. One member of the group has been playing for 30 years, since he was 10 years old! |
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| After the music we were invited to stay for a novena, the last in a set of 9 days of prayer dedicated to the three wise men. |
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| The altar was set with figurines, each of which had a plate of food set before them, and candles. |
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| Part of the novena is always food! We lent a hand making tortillas |
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| Anna becoming a master tortilla maker |
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| In the evening we listened to a talk by our guide and translator, Don Gregorio, about the Caste War that began in the 1840's when the indigenous people rebelled against the Spanish hacendados that enslaved many Mayans to cultivate crops of the fibrous henequen plant. |
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| A captive audience |
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| The next day we headed to a nearby community known for it's chicleros, the men who harvest resin from the chico zapote to make chewing gum |
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| Victor shows us the techniques for harvesting resin |
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| He cuts the tree in a way that does the least damage and so that the resin will collect into a single stream |
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| To get the maximum harvest, the chicleros have to climb up the tree using a length of rope. During the chicle season, the men can harvest 8 to 10 trees in a single day. |
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After being cut, the tree will need to rest for 7 to 8 years to recuperate enough to be able to harvest again. The tree that we saw had been cut multiple times before, and Victor was careful to not reopen old wounds.
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| A chiclero's equipment: foot braces with sharp spikes to help climb up the trees, a length of rope, a sharp machete, collection bags, and a large pot to heat and solidify the resin. |
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| Victor's father drew a map of the property, highlighting the tree we saw, a cenote, and the typical flora and fauna |
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| The finished product! A block of unflavored chewing gum |
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| This family sells their gum to a cooperative based in Quintana Roo that exports their organic product to Europe and Asia |
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| Thanks for sharing your knowledge and trade with us! |
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| In the afternoon we headed to another small community to meet with a J'men, a spiritual leader and healer. He is a community leader and cures everything from common colds to more elusive ailments such as mal de ojo and mal vientos which can't be cured with modern medicine, since they are caused by spirits. |
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| Our translators helped us listen to some incredible stories. Don Pedro learned his trade from his grandfather who was blind. From a young age he was the hands and eyes for his grandfather, learning about the healing qualities of plants and Mayan incantations. |
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| We were able to walk around the property around Don Pedro's house and see some examples of medicinal plants. After we returned to the homestead, he performed a limpieza, or a cleaning on each of us to get rid of any "bad winds" we may have encountered walking through the woods. |
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| The last day of our trip we spent some time learning about melipona bees, which are native to the Yucatan, make delicious honey and have no stingers! |
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| Our guide shows us different hive structures, the more traditional is a length of hollow log. |
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| And the newer model is a box that can be built up story by story, allowing for more a efficient honey harvest. |
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| Megan takes a peek inside the hive |
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| Harvesting some honey to try! |
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| Molly makes friends with the bees |
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| A final thank-you and farewell! |
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| Our last stop before heading back to Merida was at the Caste War museum where our guide showed us around the rooms filled with historical artifacts and tales from this dark time in the history of the Yucatan Peninsula. |
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| After spending some time in the museum we wandered around the beautiful catholic church in the center of town. |
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Though one wall has fallen down, the interior is bright and pristine.
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It was a trip full of new experiences and different perspectives that we hope has enriched the program for our students!
