- Sign near start of the hike
Hello, everyone! I trust that all of our travelers are safely back in their homes and transitioning back into their “US” lives. It’s so interesting to have such a different awareness of my own “routine” that doesn’t seem so “routine” any more.
- I appreciate every glass of water I drink from the tap.
- I appreciate having access to “just what I want, just when I need it.”
- I appreciate snuggling with my cat, Allie, and know that it is a true gift and privilege that I can provide both for myself and for her.
- I appreciate eating whatever I want whenever I want and somewhat regret it at the same time.
- I appreciate being able to flip open my computer whenever I want to to send or receive information at will (thank you Ramona, Deadra, and Pam for sharing your computers with me in Chiapas!).
- I appreciate feeling safe and secure in my own home, knowing that if I need reliable medical attention, it is only 3 digits away on my phone (i.e. 911).
The list could go on and on, but I think you get the drift. The thing I miss the most so far? Our community of 20ish (20 of us plus varying numbers of guides, friends, teachers, Chiapans). As I told the group on our last night, I am so grateful for the care, generosity, and hospitality that our group extended to one another so quickly and so consistently. It was such a gift to feel so connected to such wonderful people.
Over the next few days, I plan to share additional insights and observations of our trip to Chiapas that I didn’t have the time or energy to share while in Chiapas. I invite you to continue to follow along as I continue to share the journey we experienced in Chiapas that actually continues on ever though we have returned. My thoughts and observations of my “normal routine” will never likely be the same, and I suspect that what was normal may no longer be so and what was once “routine” may change quite a bit. 
Peace to all,
Amy
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Dear Readers, Our Chiapas group arrived at the MPLS airport last night around midnight. We left San Cristobal 4:30 yesterday morning. Thank you all for your prayers and support during our trip! I will post more in the next few days. Pam
Neil teaches Chris some dance moves while waiting in the Phoenix airport.
Posted in Chiapas 2012 | 3 Comments »
Dear reader, I should not still be awake, but I did order a café Americano at our 9:30 dinner this evening! I have missed a couple of our days which I still plan to catch you up on, but I don’t want to add today to the mix. We had another full schedule today as we drove to a Mayan archeological site in Tenam Puente (sorry, too tired to describe here-you will get pictures!), ate lunch in Comitan and visited a potter.
On our way out of San Cristobal we drove past a huge sculpture of a woman potter who was forming a clay pigeon. Her name is Doña Juliana and she is known and honored in all of Mexico for her pottery. I thought the statue was really cool and so Continue Reading »
Posted in Chiapas 2012 | Tagged checkpoint, Comitan, Doña Juliana, Pan American Highway, Tenam Puente, tourist | 2 Comments »
Buenos Noches again dear readers! It is so hard to believe that we only have one more full day here in San Cristobal. For me this day began and ended in tears. This morning when I went to get my coffee at breakfast time I was suddenly overcome by a wave of homesickness. I felt lonely and just wanted to be home with my family and my familiar surroundings. The waterworks were short lived, but took me a bit by surprise since I have never been one to get homesick. This trip has been a wonderful experience, but this is the longest I have been away from my home by myself in a very long time.
This evening ten of us went out to dinner at what has become a favorite dining place on Real de Guadalupe, one of the pedestrian shopping streets downtown. While we were eating a young boy came around and asked Pam if he could shine her shoes for 20 pesos. She had been hoping to do so before leaving so she agreed and he set to work. It was 9:30 pm and I could just see the top of his head at the end of the table bobbing up and down as he shined her shoes. I lost it right there and the tears flowed. It just did not seem right Continue Reading »
Posted in Chiapas 2012 | Tagged Chiapas, homesick, poverty, San Cristobal, seeing | 5 Comments »
The title of this post is “From Today To Tomorrow.” It is the title of a poem I wrote on Saturday which I will include at the end of my post.
This past Saturday, we met with women from 3 different weaving cooperatives. The patterns and styles of each community’s weavings are unique. The vast array of colors and patterns created a great deal of excitement in the group as we negotiated who would purchase which of these one-of-a-kind items.
The women were very shy yet they answered a few questions — mostly with “yes” or “no” responses. Continue Reading »
Posted in Announcements, Chiapas 2012 | Tagged Chiapas, Weaving Cooperatives | 1 Comment »
Buenas Tardes dear reader. It is now 4:30 pm on Monday and it seems I have been on my feet the entire day except to eat lunch. As I told you before we did have a later start today. It was 10:00 am when most of us set out on foot to walk (some of us took a taxi) about 2 kilometers to visit the Center for the Development of Mayan Medicine (CEDEMM) which is overseen by the organization OMIECH, the Organization of Indigenous Doctors of the State of Chiapas. This center includes a museum, a medicinal plant garden and a pharmacy. It also includes a small chapel/place of healing where Maya healers can meet with people who come for healing.
The purpose of this center is to revive and honor traditional Mayan medicinal practices, recognizing them as legitimate healing methods and remedies. We learned about traditional indigenous Maya healers: Pulsars, Elders who pray, Midwives, Bone Healers, and Herbalists. We were so fortunate to meet Victorio, a healer who was at the center, and he graciously allowed us to ask a few questions. He told us how Continue Reading »
Posted in Chiapas 2012 | Tagged CEDEMM, Chiapas, Maya, Mayan, medicine, OMIECH | 2 Comments »
