Adventures in Yucatan, Mexico

Our students and a few of the local kids were able to learn epigraphy from the master Crisanto Kumul, where we saw the ancient Maya writing form. Our students identified terms from the Dresden Codex that still exist in modern Maya. They also developed their artistic abilities in drawing glyphs of important cultural concepts.  We also visited don Emilio and his family of traditional potters in the community of Uayma. They taught us how to make clay whistles and other small pieces. We saw their hand-built kiln and an example of a sascabera , or limestone quarry, where the family harvests some of the materials that they use to make their own clay.  Afterwards, we traveled to a new community where we were welcomed with open arms, ready to experience all that this place has to offer and help the community however we can as we continue our immersion program!

We have been spending time learning to weave with vines with the help and patience of Don Teodoro . Each student was able to make a small basket, or xúuxaak in Maya. Their hands, feet and minds had to work together to accomplish such a feat! We also learned, along with kids and young people from the community, the basics steps of la jarana , the traditional dance of Yucatan that is seen in the local festivals all across the peninsula.  Our students had a moment to reflect about all that they have learned so far and the activities that will help them adapt to new experiences and give back to those that help them along the way.  To end the week, we had music, dancing, and a magic show to thank the families, friends and everyone in the town for welcoming us and teaching us so much. Off to the next adventure!

  A few days ago, the community leaders invited us to participate in cleaning the local cenote Lol-Há. We were happy to help, and at the end we couldn’t resist taking a swim in the cool, clear water! One of our students also started a workshop called “Arte y Defensa” for the local middle school students. Without a doubt, this activity taught us a lot and filled us with admiration for the kids who decided to participate to defend their traditional ways of life like agriculture, the Maya language, and natural resources through art. We also held a reading workshop for the kids, sharing stories and letting our imaginations take flight.  At the end of the week, we enjoyed some delicious tamales made with ingredients from the same milpa fields that we had helped to harvest. With that meal, we saw how much work goes into preparing food to share, but how rewarding and tasty it is in the end!

  When we arrived to the pueblo where we will be for the first part of our program, our students explored the town to identify important places in the community. It was amazing to see them interact with local people who kindly responded to their questions and shared information about their lives and their work.  We also started with language and culture classes and with a taste of the hard work of the milpa , traditional agriculture. Right now, it is time to harvest the last ibes , a white bean, so that the fields can be prepared for a new planting cycle. The Spring sun is powerful, but pozole , a hearty drink made from dissolving masa (corn dough) into water to drink with salt and chile helps to refresh and hydrate and give our bodies more energy.  Some of our students felt the powerful hands of Don Teodoro , a traditional doctor who realigns bones and tendons after falls or hits, and can accommodate internal organs that aren’t functioning properly. He also prepares nat...

Once again we begin another immersion program with the same awe and enthusiasm as always! This time, during our orientation, we had the opportunity to visit many incredible places around the Yucatan peninsula and are so grateful for the hospitality, generosity, joy, and delicious food that we received f from all the families that we encountered on our trip.  Walking through these beautiful places, we saw beautiful sunrises and sunsets from the shores of a lake, and a full moon that illuminated the night while our friend Don Polo told us stories of his life and the ejido , the communal system of land stewardship, of his community in Quintana Roo. We walked on wooded pathways to listen to and observe native birds of the jungle-like forest.  Our journey was also full of history. We were able to visit different archeological sites and in them, we climbed up the Mayan pyramids to observe the diversity of arquitectonic styles, saw ornate masks and stuccoed doorways that give a clear...