Quick Trip to the Coast

The closest we got to a Big Snake...

Only live snake found... baby red coffee snake

Some interesting inverts-an armored millipede

So in an attempt to pass this week by faster, I took my friend Tara up on her offer to come out to her site and catalog some of the local herpetofauna. We didn't have a lot of luck on the herps front, but it was an interesting trip nonetheless.

Her community, about an hour north of Retaleleu, (sp??) often shortened to "Reu", is truly a rural community. Only serviced by one bus leaving (6 am) and one bus arriving (12:30 pm), one tienda that sells a few staples, one papas fritas stand (occasionally), Nueva Alianza is the rural "out in the middle of nowhere" site that I think we all picture when we think of Peace Corps. Nueva Alianza has an interesting history, which I had the opportunity of hearing about from the local guide.

When the German owners of the plantation failed to pay wages to the farm workers for over a year and a half, they fought a legal battle against the German owners and won, getting a loan from an NGO that helps farmers to purchase land. The 35 families that stayed to fight for their right to earn a living have, in the 8 years that they have owned the finca have dedicated themselves to organic coffee and macadamia cultivation, as well as a small ecotourism operation. They converted the former finca owner's living quarters into a rustic eco hotel, where foreigners arrive and volunteer their time and technical knowledge for periods from a couple days to months at a time.

For me, the fascinating aspect of their history is that it happened so recently. The conditions on coffee fincas are little better than those of slaves in our nation's history. The labor is hard-often 10 hour days, and the families would live in poor conditions. And, in this case, the finca owner managed his finances poorly and decided not to pay the families for their labor. In Nueva Alianza, some families were brave enough to stay and fight for the pay that they knew was their right. Meanwhile, they lived off the land and often the parents would go without eating so their large families could eat. And while they have ownership of the finca now (if they can continue to make payments on their loan), many other fincas still operate with hired hands, receiving the same poor treatment and low pay for hard, hard labor.

Apart from their history, the jungle surrounding the finca was incredible. I went on a jungle hike with a couple of local self-proclaimed herp enthusiasts. We trekked through some of the thickest jungle that I have ever encountered (which isn't saying much) and got eaten alive by mosquitos and other fun insects. Unfortunately, didn't have much luck on the reptile front but got to see tons of cool birds, butterflies, other invertebrates, a waterfall, and beautiful panoramic views of the jungle.

I love visiting fellow Volunteers as it always gives me a fresh perspective. It is always impressive how variable our Volunteer experiences are. Some people live in more urban areas than me, while others live in much more rural areas. I have to give kudos to both Tara and Kate (volunteer from Quiche I went to help out recently), as well as all other Volunteers in rural settings, for their ability to live and thrive in their communities. In Sija, I have access to pretty much everything I could ever think to want-various comedors with everything from giant, mexican style burritos to hamburgers and pizza; internet; hardware stores; bike repair shop; tailor and shoe repair...the list goes on. How would I react to life in a more rural setting? Still to be determined. Because it's great to go visit these quaint, middle of nowhere villages, but its really good to be 'home' as well.

The JUNGLE!


And now, au revoir for a while...I plan to neglect my blogging responsibilites for two weeks to a month while I travel and get spoiled a bit by my 'beau' ....

Hasta luego,

Amber