Written by Central America Students, Lily & Matilda
This last week we rode, climbed and scrambled up the steep Permacultures farm sides of Maztatal Ranch!
From herbal tours to chocolate adventures, night walks, and even cooking with our host family, it really feels like we did it all!
But that’s so broad, so what did we get yo to? In more specific terms:
We started off fighting the brutal sun in the mountainous micro ecosystems of the Maztatal Farm, cutting fresh bananas and lemons off of steep inclines to learn more about the gathering of foods from a permaculture system. Afterwards we were shown home composting which was incredible (-ly stinky) and very informative. We worked to help create a garden out of cinder blocks and composting wood that we chopped ourselves with machetes. After this hard work, in the afternoons, we partook in informative activities like herbalism and chocolate tours! We learned about the process from bean to plate and even got to make treats of our own! Yum! And speaking of delicious, we were treated with the honor of gathering coconuts to make a fresh homemade dessert consisting of fresh Sugarcane and freshly shredded coconuts.
After which we made fresh chicken and bean empanadas. One word for all of it is DELICIOUS! Four empanadas down and we were still craving more. On our home stretch, we were challenged with feeling homesick, especially in the hot and humid climate of Matsatal leaving mold over many belongings which hadn’t even left our rooms, yuck! Along with this we continued to face sicknesses, clinic visits for mysterious illness along with one Covid case.
But with the resiliency we’ve gained, and sage practices such as masking, we were able to prevent the spread and contain it to only one individual who healed up quick!
We ended off our trip with the painting of a group mural to really leave our mark, and the family celebrating our time together with a piñata! Overall, through the ups and downs of this hilly, sustainable farm, we continues to learn about resilience, hard work, community, and sustainability and so many other skills we’ll be able to continue with as we keep growing together, and growing up; as well skills we can take with us as we continue into Costa Rica and the last stretch of our trip.
