This was our trip up into the Mayan mountains to visit some remote villages. A number of our participants wanted to buy some of the habanero sauce to take home, so in the first village, we stopped at the store to see if they had some.

A mother and one of her daughters were tending the store, and I was struck by the light on their faces as they watched our group through the open door.

The remote villages are indeed remote. Bumpy dirt roads are the only access, and that is a huge improvement over the tracks that preceeded them. The former government was really supportive o the outlying villages, and because it is too expensive to run electric lines into them, they gave them solar panels. Now they have light, so the children can do their homework at night…

We headed into PG, the common name for Punta Gorda, for market day. It is colorful and hectic and full of photo opportunities. There are Mayan, ex-pat, Creole, Garifuna, and other people, so it was a real potpourri of a crowd. Everyone wants to sell their wares, whether fresh fish, fruits and vegetables, baskets and other handcrafts, and more. Children were everywhere, some clinging to their mother’s skirts, others chasing each other around.

This little baby had the largest eyes I had seen thus far. She held on to her mother’s necklace as a security blanket…

It was another chocolate day. Our group has a fine appreciation for dark chocolate, and didn’t mind at all when when we suggested we visit another cacao farm and family operation. Eladio, his wife, Virginia, and their large family have an extensive farm and were very hospitable to us. Their farm has some beautiful plants. […]