Saturday, August 6, 2011

Cartoon 8.3: Limonar, Chiapas

There aren't many financial resources in Limonar so in exchange for the workshops and shows that we offered in the community, they provided us with food and shelter. The daily menu was: 6am- coffee and animal crackers, 8am- rice, beans, tortillas, chile, and coffee, 12pm- pozol (a drink made from the dough that is used to make tortillas mixed with lots of water), 3pm- rice, beans, tortillas, chile, coffee, and 8pm- rice, beans, tortillas, chile, and coffee. 

On the third day, they killed a cow for us.  In my understanding this is a huge deal because it means that the community no longer has all of the milk or cheese or babies that the cow would have produced.   One day I was coming back from the bathroom and I noticed that there were lots of dogs in the field between the bathroom and the church where we were working.  As I moved closer I saw that the dogs were digging into the top of a cow's head.  Apparently they had just killed the cow and given some of its parts to the many stray dogs that are always around.  It was quite a scene because the dogs are all suuuper skinny and the look in their eyes is usually a little sad and scared.  But at this moment they all looked like lions chomping into their prey.  For the rest of the time that we were there, I would find random rows of teeth or bones strown throughout the field...

It rained alot while we were there so we were constantly covered in mud. As you can see in this picture most of the children and some of my coworkers gave up on the whole idea of clean feet and just gave in to the perpetual mud puddle (Dang flower eatin hippies). I couldn't bring myself to do it because I knew that just days before the field had been doused in cow juice.  On the final day there was a huge celebration dance out in the field and finally I gave in. Cumbia in the mud. I have to admit, it was quite fabulous :) It was just the release I needed to start to integrate all this new information...

2 comments:

  1. WOW!! What an incredible adventure! We are SO proud of you. I wish I could be there - fortunately my knees are far from sexy. keep up the amazing work and stay safe!

    Love,

    Daddio

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