Have You Ever Felt That You Had A Second Home?
Oh Guatemala, where do I start? It is safe to say that I really needed this trip at this point in my life. Isn't it amazing how easily we get swept away in our fast paced lives? Always racing, always competing, always trying to get more... more... more... Sometimes we need to take a step outside of that life and jump into a slower culture to realize how wrapped up we tend to get in silly, wasteful and senseless actions.
What impacted me the most about this trip? I can tell you without a doubt the people I met and interacted with most definitely had the largest impact on my life. I have never traveled somewhere that farmers can work so hard, with so much gusto and with so much passion for quality and their crop, yet make so little. Coming into this trip I was aware that there is severe disparity in the coffee industry. Yet it never fully sank in until I met farmers like Froilan and Eduardo who work day in and day out, year round to produce a crop that likely gets sent across the world to someone who doubtfully has any idea the toil that went into that cup of steaming coffee in their hand. As Eduardo and I bounced and weaved our way up the side of the volcano on twisted, dusty roads I hammered him with questions, mostly about trees and plants we passed by. It was a wonderful chance to practice my Spanish but it soon became apparent to me, the amount of passion he had for his work. He would go so far into depth about the pros and cons of different plants, trees or coffee species that I started to lose words since my Spanish was not great. When we arrived at the location he and Froilan have their coffee he immediately started showing me and explaining the ins and outs of coffee farming as he knows it on the side of a volcano, all the while with a beaming smile on his face. Froilan had the same passion for his work and I feel lucky to have had to the opportunity to meet them both. Another fine example of passion and work ethic is Julio. Julio is the youngest coffee farmer in the De La Gente Cooperative. At a mere 23 years old he already owns his own land and raises his own coffee plants. As Julio talks about his farm and his coffee, there is a pure beam of passion radiating from his eyes and heart. It is very comforting to see a coffee farm in the secure hands of someone like he, who at 23 has a stronger work ethic than almost anyone I know.
But perhaps the most touching experience for me happened when I least expected. We had just returned from our trek up the side of Volcan de Pacaya and were all piled in to the van as I opened my lunch. As I opened my brown sack lunch I pulled out a slice of sweet bread when I looked up and made eye contact with a young boy, of no more than 7, sitting on the sidewalk. I instantly called him over and asked if he wanted my sweet bread. Upon a nod and a thanks he turned back towards the curb and what happened next still warms my heart. He handed the bread first to his two younger siblings and then to his mother and let them each take a chunk. Only when they had their pieces did he sit back down on the curb to eat the remaining piece that was no larger than a penny. I will remember this forever and thank that young boy for touching my life in a way I never expected and restored a little bit of my faith in humanity.
The love and kindness overflowing from the enchanted land tucked away between volcanoes has forever altered the course of my life. I feel a strong yearning deep in my soul to return not only to Guatemala, but to see as much of Central and South America as this life will allow. Have you ever found yourself checking the weather somewhere thousands of miles away because somehow it makes you feel closer? For me, that is Guatemala. So until the next time I find myself bouncing along on a twisted road, ascending the side of a volcano in an old pickup weaving through coffee fields... Nunca adios, hasta luego Guatemala!
Dillon Duncan
What impacted me the most about this trip? I can tell you without a doubt the people I met and interacted with most definitely had the largest impact on my life. I have never traveled somewhere that farmers can work so hard, with so much gusto and with so much passion for quality and their crop, yet make so little. Coming into this trip I was aware that there is severe disparity in the coffee industry. Yet it never fully sank in until I met farmers like Froilan and Eduardo who work day in and day out, year round to produce a crop that likely gets sent across the world to someone who doubtfully has any idea the toil that went into that cup of steaming coffee in their hand. As Eduardo and I bounced and weaved our way up the side of the volcano on twisted, dusty roads I hammered him with questions, mostly about trees and plants we passed by. It was a wonderful chance to practice my Spanish but it soon became apparent to me, the amount of passion he had for his work. He would go so far into depth about the pros and cons of different plants, trees or coffee species that I started to lose words since my Spanish was not great. When we arrived at the location he and Froilan have their coffee he immediately started showing me and explaining the ins and outs of coffee farming as he knows it on the side of a volcano, all the while with a beaming smile on his face. Froilan had the same passion for his work and I feel lucky to have had to the opportunity to meet them both. Another fine example of passion and work ethic is Julio. Julio is the youngest coffee farmer in the De La Gente Cooperative. At a mere 23 years old he already owns his own land and raises his own coffee plants. As Julio talks about his farm and his coffee, there is a pure beam of passion radiating from his eyes and heart. It is very comforting to see a coffee farm in the secure hands of someone like he, who at 23 has a stronger work ethic than almost anyone I know.
But perhaps the most touching experience for me happened when I least expected. We had just returned from our trek up the side of Volcan de Pacaya and were all piled in to the van as I opened my lunch. As I opened my brown sack lunch I pulled out a slice of sweet bread when I looked up and made eye contact with a young boy, of no more than 7, sitting on the sidewalk. I instantly called him over and asked if he wanted my sweet bread. Upon a nod and a thanks he turned back towards the curb and what happened next still warms my heart. He handed the bread first to his two younger siblings and then to his mother and let them each take a chunk. Only when they had their pieces did he sit back down on the curb to eat the remaining piece that was no larger than a penny. I will remember this forever and thank that young boy for touching my life in a way I never expected and restored a little bit of my faith in humanity.
The love and kindness overflowing from the enchanted land tucked away between volcanoes has forever altered the course of my life. I feel a strong yearning deep in my soul to return not only to Guatemala, but to see as much of Central and South America as this life will allow. Have you ever found yourself checking the weather somewhere thousands of miles away because somehow it makes you feel closer? For me, that is Guatemala. So until the next time I find myself bouncing along on a twisted road, ascending the side of a volcano in an old pickup weaving through coffee fields... Nunca adios, hasta luego Guatemala!
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