Paxtocá

The following is a guest entry by Michael Lewis: Some of you may not know what stevia is, but for those who are worried about artificial sweetners, you’ve probably heard of it. Stevia is a plant native to South America that tastes really sweet. It was originally found in Paraguay and parts of Brazil and has been used by the Guarani for 1500 years (according to Wikipedia) to sweeten teas and to have as a sweet treat. Apparently the FDA initially banned the plant in its raw form, but after some lobbying by some of the soda companies, the FDA approved as “safe” a highly processed, extracted, and purified form which also happens to be calorie free. Products like Truvia and Pure Via are based on this extract. Despite the fact that the whole leave version of the plant has yet to be approved by the FDA, I was curious as to how it tastes, so I followed Felipe’s lead and just ate one of the leaves. Not surprising it’s pretty sweet. Xeiprojuve doesn’t export the stevia. They have a rel...

The following is a guest entry by Michael Lewis: So I just want to say a word or two about water issues. When I was in Quetzaltenango at the school, the water in our district was shut down twice for nearly a full day each. They said a pipe burst, and it took the whole day to fix it and get the water back on. Sound like an isolated incident? Hardly. The second family I was staying with had buckets all over the house that were full of water “just in case”. When the water turns off we would use these buckets to flush the toilets. In Paxtoca, I was warned on almost the first day that it was best to take showers in the morning, because the shower water frequently ran out in the evenings. If I wanted a shower in the evening I was told they would boil some water for me. The way people wash dishes, and even their hands, is to fill a sink with water that just sits there full, and then they will pour water from that basin over a drain to rinse of their hands after having lather...

The following is a guest entry by Michael Lewis: A familiar sight to anyone who has spent some time in and around Quetzaltenango is the presence of a fleet of American school buses that have been decked out with rooftop racks, and frequently painted crazy colors. These are typically referred to as “chicken buses”. Despite the bright yellow color of most of them, and the fact that many of them still say “School District X ” on the side, these are not used to carry kids to school. This is Guatemalan public transportation in most places outside the capital. Thousands commute in and out of the larger cities like Quetzaltenango on these buses every day. If you need to travel across the country, these may be one of the cheapest ways to go, but be prepared for it to be crowded. Anyhow, I was a little surprised the first time I saw one of these school buses. I can’t say I had given much thought to the question of where our old school buses go to die, but now I know. And rece...

The following is a guest entry by Michael Lewis: This post is mostly just going to be photos, but here’s a little background. Paxtoca rests at the base of a small mountain. It’s not the tallest mountain around, but this mountain is pretty cool because it actually has a series of waterfalls. The only problem is there is a community upstream from the waterfalls that regularly dumps trash into the stream. There is also a laundry facility that apparently drains all of its water directly into the stream as well, without any treatment. The result is a lot of trash and piles of soap suds. A few years ago the cooperative bought the principal land around the waterfalls. The association now wants to acquire the rights to the waterfalls from the cooperative as well as purchase some extra land around the waterfalls to create a nature reserve. Mart ín has great dreams for the space. He wants the community to value the waterfalls. He really wants to put in a ...

The following is a guest entry by Michael Lewis: My First Day My first day of work, I got up, showered, and sat down to a “typical” Guatemalan breakfast with Martín’s family. We had beans, eggs, tamalitos, and some hot “mush” (think VERY watered down oatmeal – i.e. I’m not sure mine actually had any oats, but I know there were at least some in the batch). Martín’s mother-in-law thought I might enjoy some Corn Flakes as well, which she put in my mush. And enjoy it I did. At this point I should probably explain my purpose in coming to Paxtocá. I initially came to Guatemala to study at a language school called Ulew Tinimit in Quetzaltenango. It’s a Spanish language school which also offers K’iche’ and Mam. I came for the K’iche’. One of the advantages of a language school like Ulew Tinimit is that in addition to five hours a day of one-on-one instruction, they also place you with a host family that provides you with three meals a day, during which time they will try to carry...

The following is a guest entry by Michael Lewis: On my second day in the tomato greenhouse, Felipe had gone to Santa Cruz del Quiche for the day to pitch our stevia plants to an exporter association. Not sure how successful he was, but I stayed behind to work with Victor, who is also a native K’iche’ speaker. Victor is about the same age as Felipe, early 20s, but unlike Felipe he is married and has a daughter. Like many people in this community, Victor really wants to go to the United States. Here the average wage for someone like him is $10 USD a day (actually a little less, Q70). In the United States he could potentially earn ten times that even at minimum wage. Everyone here knows this, which is why between 5% and 10% of the town’s residents currently live in the United States (this number varies depending on who you ask). People want to go over, even if it means going over illegally. So it’s not surprising that Victor asked if I knew how to get a visa. I told him the best...

The following is a guest entry by Michael Lewis: Most of my writing of this blog was performed at the offices of the Cooperativo Xe-Ixtamayac (which is actually where I am right this moment, but they may change by the time Martín posts this). This cooperative is basically just a credit union. It has thousands of associates in many communities in the area. Not surprising, its primary function is to protect the savings of its depositors/associates, extend credit to people who need it, and realize a profit. Access to credit alone can do amazing things to transform a community in a cash-poor society, but the cooperative also seeks to be a more proactive force for good. The Cooperativo Xe-Ixtamayac was founded in 1987 by Pedro Jorge Batz Caxaj, who is still its president, and who has a vision of developing Paxtocá for the better. In 2006, the cooperative established a school called Fuente de Sabiduría (Fountain of Wisdom). ...

The following is a guest entry by Michael Lewis: Day #1 – Independence Day and My Arrival in Paxtocá I arrived in Paxtocá about 10:30am on Monday, 14 September 2015. I came up from Quetzaltenango (or Xela) by way of the “Rosario” bus to Salcajá, followed by a pickup service that runs from Salcajá to Paxtocá. When I got here the streets were lined with people. It looked like the whole town had come out to await my arrival, so I was a little disappointed when I saw the looks of confusion as I jumped down from the pickup with my luggage. Turns out everyone was just getting ready for the big Independence Day parade. So I called my contact Felipe, who came to meet me near the fairgrounds, we dropped my stuff off at his house, and then we joined the crowd in eager anticipation. The real Guatemalan Independence Day wouldn’t be until the next day, September 15 th . If you want to see a real party I’m told that’s when you should head down to Quetzaltenango, which I had ju...