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| Rosa de Jamaica - a hibiscus relative |
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| Sansevieria, Mother-in-Laws Tongue, Snake Plant |
Monday, December 29, 2014
Flor de...[Part I]
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Happy Holidays & New Year
Happy Holiday Season 2014 from El Jocotel, specializing in nondemoninational tranquility, El Jocotel Blog and The Tzununa' Bread and Coffee Shop, where everything is for sale.
15 months in Guatemala for me now.
A while back, I met this guy J*, a tall, imposing, vaguely Mormon, gringo builder. He was putting up a hotel his family would manage in Panajachel. He told me openly that a good part of their business would come from visiting religious groups. We got to talking about Mayan workers. I really can't remember what lead him into it, but at point during that chat, he looked right at me and declared, "These people are the devil." At that point, with my own crew newly on the payroll, questioning to myself how religious he really was, his comment did not resonate with me. It also shocked me.
Like coffee and mony other things, integrating into a foreign village and neighborhood drastically different from my own carries a burden of knowledge. This burden includes petty(mostly) theft. Things disappear, not only from my place. The locals survive in this difficult location because they've figured it out over many years. For every challenge, they figure it out and magically it often seems like they don't get wet. I need to figure it out: what will they steal, and what will they leave alone. And if it gets stolen, I won't have that thing (until there's more of a guardian around at El Jocotel, then we'll have whatever we like and the problem itself should disappear).
This morning, I met with Santiago and the new stonemason, Bartolo. Bartolo is taking over for Gaspar who accepted other work during a two-week, unpaid vacation I mandated and he is sticking with that for now. Bartolo is a hard worker and does beautiful stone work. He's stout, looking almost like a stone wall himself. As Santiago said, "Bartolo has more intelligence [than Gaspar]." Gaspar did the top 26 meters of the wall and Bartolowill do the lower 26 meters. For this perimeter wall, parts of Gaspar's section will double as walls for a small house, bodega, shower, bathroom and restaurant area. Bartolo's section wraps the coffee farm, kitchen/bakery and bodega two. It is a big, strong wall and it has been quite a project. The process gives me a much greater appreciation for construction ventures of any scale. Even though the scale of this project is actually quite small, to me it feels like the Great Wall of China, My intention is the enclosed feeling; protected, secluded, behind closed doors, Antigua-style. Shade gardens with huge foliage and delicious coffee.
When I felt my questions were answered enough to prepare me for my meeting with Charlie, Santiago and I sat down to talk about other things. Since my cabin got rented out for the season, beginning in February, it seemed like a good time to finally consider in earnest who would become the main caretaker for El Jocotel. I was considering Felix. I've known Felix for an entire year myself. He's a neighbor (both pro and con), he's worked with Santiago for years, he's old enough to have a 20-year old kid, he's a hard worker and among his many hats is that of an excellent coffee farmer. Also, Felix does not have the gift of gab, at least not for the Spanish language.
When I mentioned Felix seeking Santiago's thoughts, it jogged something in his memory. Santiago's been busy wrapping up details at the Bambu while the owner is in town and I've been gangster gardening, which in this case means I take unauthorized (stolen) cuttings or root divisions from other people's gardens and get then started in my own. I guess I steal, too, though very often I get permission.
"I forgot to tell you", says him, "your cat is with Felix's family." (no relationship to the Forest Park food establishment). "Have you had any girls over? Local girls from here?"
"No." I don't have local girls over. I wish that kind of thing were less complicated and more acceptable, but no. I had one local friend over, but she visited from San Pedro.
"Well, Gloria...", he began, naming the sister. Gloria is a pretty teenager with a slightly pudgy face. She's charasmatic and friendly and we say hello to each other on the path or the street. Barring the fact that she's the accused cat thief, you would want Gloria as a member of the Tzununa' Girls Rugby Team, if that existed. They're physically trained to punish some other squad and if you could get the girls to understand the rules, that team would go places. The best bet would be a patient Spanish-speaking rugby player or referee unless a Kaqchikel rugby person exists somewhere.
"Here's what you'll say when you see Gloria. Tell you're sad because your cat is gone."
I descended upon the internet shop and found Juana kibbutzing with the attendant, Maria, Juana is Gloria's sister. I told her I was sad and she asked why.
"Because my cat is missing. Have you seen a cat around the neighborhood?"
I would describe her reaction as maybe too shocked and benificent and concerned. She declined any knowledge of any cat. The informant about the cat is I***, a ten-year girl with a propensity for wood-splitting, from a good family. I have no reason to disbelieve I***. If what I*** and others say is true, if the cat is there, then logically Juana has to be lying to me.
I checked my one email which was so short I could read the entire thing in the inbox preview. Either nothing new had come in, or I'd been hacked and all my new emails were read and deleted and I'll never know of their existence. I checked Face, blowing a few minutes, then picked up to go.
"So you haven't seen a cat..." I try again with Juana. Now she seems more interested in the computer screen. "Small, kind of grey, some black, some white."
I tried to channel Larry David as I stared into Juana's black eyes and thought back to J*'s comment. It's been eight days since the cat vanished like a fart in the wind. Do they have her? Was she torn limb from limb by he mountain gato or a mythical creature? Can I go to their house and poke around. I will not negotiate with terrorists (read: buy my cat back) but it's really the principle and what's more, she was forming into a fine car. She was already far more well-liked by myself than the dog.
I am no socioeconomist. I cannot say how a village, this village or any other, came to be what it is or why it may have more theft than other places. Maybe someone could explain it to me, I happy to listen. It's especially confounding because the population in general is so humble and friendly. Thinking about the annoying bullshit that is petty theft is something I've never done, except a little at prep school, and didn't really want to do. I will maintain
There is no real upshot or message to all this except to say that if your day to day life is free of this hassle, then give thanks for that this Christmas, Hannukah and New Year season. Last night, I was treated to amazing turkey dinner at the home of my friends Shad and Colleen. The turkey was a twenty pounder bought by Shad at one day old some months back and raised on his farm with a slew of others. I wish everyone a happy, healthy season and the best for 2015.
I'm often asked if I can receive mail down here and the answer is yes. If you send something, please let me know so I know to go pick it up 'general delivery' at the post office in a near by village.
Max Benjamin
Lista de Correos
Panajachel, Solola, Guatemala
Centroamerica
15 months in Guatemala for me now.
A while back, I met this guy J*, a tall, imposing, vaguely Mormon, gringo builder. He was putting up a hotel his family would manage in Panajachel. He told me openly that a good part of their business would come from visiting religious groups. We got to talking about Mayan workers. I really can't remember what lead him into it, but at point during that chat, he looked right at me and declared, "These people are the devil." At that point, with my own crew newly on the payroll, questioning to myself how religious he really was, his comment did not resonate with me. It also shocked me.
Like coffee and mony other things, integrating into a foreign village and neighborhood drastically different from my own carries a burden of knowledge. This burden includes petty(mostly) theft. Things disappear, not only from my place. The locals survive in this difficult location because they've figured it out over many years. For every challenge, they figure it out and magically it often seems like they don't get wet. I need to figure it out: what will they steal, and what will they leave alone. And if it gets stolen, I won't have that thing (until there's more of a guardian around at El Jocotel, then we'll have whatever we like and the problem itself should disappear).
This morning, I met with Santiago and the new stonemason, Bartolo. Bartolo is taking over for Gaspar who accepted other work during a two-week, unpaid vacation I mandated and he is sticking with that for now. Bartolo is a hard worker and does beautiful stone work. He's stout, looking almost like a stone wall himself. As Santiago said, "Bartolo has more intelligence [than Gaspar]." Gaspar did the top 26 meters of the wall and Bartolowill do the lower 26 meters. For this perimeter wall, parts of Gaspar's section will double as walls for a small house, bodega, shower, bathroom and restaurant area. Bartolo's section wraps the coffee farm, kitchen/bakery and bodega two. It is a big, strong wall and it has been quite a project. The process gives me a much greater appreciation for construction ventures of any scale. Even though the scale of this project is actually quite small, to me it feels like the Great Wall of China, My intention is the enclosed feeling; protected, secluded, behind closed doors, Antigua-style. Shade gardens with huge foliage and delicious coffee.
When I felt my questions were answered enough to prepare me for my meeting with Charlie, Santiago and I sat down to talk about other things. Since my cabin got rented out for the season, beginning in February, it seemed like a good time to finally consider in earnest who would become the main caretaker for El Jocotel. I was considering Felix. I've known Felix for an entire year myself. He's a neighbor (both pro and con), he's worked with Santiago for years, he's old enough to have a 20-year old kid, he's a hard worker and among his many hats is that of an excellent coffee farmer. Also, Felix does not have the gift of gab, at least not for the Spanish language.
When I mentioned Felix seeking Santiago's thoughts, it jogged something in his memory. Santiago's been busy wrapping up details at the Bambu while the owner is in town and I've been gangster gardening, which in this case means I take unauthorized (stolen) cuttings or root divisions from other people's gardens and get then started in my own. I guess I steal, too, though very often I get permission.
"I forgot to tell you", says him, "your cat is with Felix's family." (no relationship to the Forest Park food establishment). "Have you had any girls over? Local girls from here?"
"No." I don't have local girls over. I wish that kind of thing were less complicated and more acceptable, but no. I had one local friend over, but she visited from San Pedro.
"Well, Gloria...", he began, naming the sister. Gloria is a pretty teenager with a slightly pudgy face. She's charasmatic and friendly and we say hello to each other on the path or the street. Barring the fact that she's the accused cat thief, you would want Gloria as a member of the Tzununa' Girls Rugby Team, if that existed. They're physically trained to punish some other squad and if you could get the girls to understand the rules, that team would go places. The best bet would be a patient Spanish-speaking rugby player or referee unless a Kaqchikel rugby person exists somewhere.
"Here's what you'll say when you see Gloria. Tell you're sad because your cat is gone."
I descended upon the internet shop and found Juana kibbutzing with the attendant, Maria, Juana is Gloria's sister. I told her I was sad and she asked why.
"Because my cat is missing. Have you seen a cat around the neighborhood?"
I would describe her reaction as maybe too shocked and benificent and concerned. She declined any knowledge of any cat. The informant about the cat is I***, a ten-year girl with a propensity for wood-splitting, from a good family. I have no reason to disbelieve I***. If what I*** and others say is true, if the cat is there, then logically Juana has to be lying to me.
I checked my one email which was so short I could read the entire thing in the inbox preview. Either nothing new had come in, or I'd been hacked and all my new emails were read and deleted and I'll never know of their existence. I checked Face, blowing a few minutes, then picked up to go.
"So you haven't seen a cat..." I try again with Juana. Now she seems more interested in the computer screen. "Small, kind of grey, some black, some white."
I tried to channel Larry David as I stared into Juana's black eyes and thought back to J*'s comment. It's been eight days since the cat vanished like a fart in the wind. Do they have her? Was she torn limb from limb by he mountain gato or a mythical creature? Can I go to their house and poke around. I will not negotiate with terrorists (read: buy my cat back) but it's really the principle and what's more, she was forming into a fine car. She was already far more well-liked by myself than the dog.
I am no socioeconomist. I cannot say how a village, this village or any other, came to be what it is or why it may have more theft than other places. Maybe someone could explain it to me, I happy to listen. It's especially confounding because the population in general is so humble and friendly. Thinking about the annoying bullshit that is petty theft is something I've never done, except a little at prep school, and didn't really want to do. I will maintain
There is no real upshot or message to all this except to say that if your day to day life is free of this hassle, then give thanks for that this Christmas, Hannukah and New Year season. Last night, I was treated to amazing turkey dinner at the home of my friends Shad and Colleen. The turkey was a twenty pounder bought by Shad at one day old some months back and raised on his farm with a slew of others. I wish everyone a happy, healthy season and the best for 2015.
I'm often asked if I can receive mail down here and the answer is yes. If you send something, please let me know so I know to go pick it up 'general delivery' at the post office in a near by village.
Max Benjamin
Lista de Correos
Panajachel, Solola, Guatemala
Centroamerica
Monday, December 22, 2014
Dear Max
Hi Max,
A replacement order has been entered and a new headlamp will ship shortly. There is no need to send anything in. Please keep your old one for spare parts.
Cheers,
Logan
RA 156575
Black Diamond Service Center
2084 East 3900 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84124
Note from the Editor
I first was asked to fill out Black Diamond's Warranty Issue thing online. This took only a couple minutes. I have received shipping notification for the new headlamp. Black Diamond made good, thanks Black Diamond.
Note from the Editor
I first was asked to fill out Black Diamond's Warranty Issue thing online. This took only a couple minutes. I have received shipping notification for the new headlamp. Black Diamond made good, thanks Black Diamond.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
| Live Update | El Jocotel Bodega Booked for the Season
Sorry folks, availability is gone for the cabin at El Jocotel for tourist season 2015. That place has been rented out by a [age withheld] year-old [nationality withheld][gender withheld] named [name withheld].
There will be affordable housing at El Jocotel in a brand new Shelter Box relief tent complete with full bedding. A blog post to follow will detail that arrangment.
Talk to me about availability for the 2016 season.
El Jocotel is also looking for a
There will be affordable housing at El Jocotel in a brand new Shelter Box relief tent complete with full bedding. A blog post to follow will detail that arrangment.
 |
| Dry wall by Gaspar, one of Tzununas rock masters and a young father of five. |
El Jocotel is also looking for a
- Permaculturalist - for rainy season 2015. June - November 2015. This person will live in the cabin and improve the grounds including building small terraces and planting garden bombs around money trees, swale, pond and other water control work, taking care of and possibly installing new animal systems and planting Zone 5 woods on the inclined area beneath.
- Coffee Intern 2015 - November - December 2015 or extending into 2016. This person will learn the coffee process from tree and orchard care to a dried, storable and roastable bean. This may spill over into coffee shop duties as well. The process can be learned very quickly and then its simply work. I consider processing the coffee therapeutic and very controllable and as always, the work is in an incredible place.
 |
| Cherry Red |
If youre interested, ping me and if you know someone who might be, ping them. Thanks very much to the dedicated readers of El Jocotel Blog.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Dear Black Diamond,
I had one of your headlamps for a
while. In fact, I still have it. After about five years, a little plastic
piece broke off, the small tip of the piece that determines the angle of the
light by holding on between one of the grooves.
I moved to Guatemala about 15 months ago
and back in May I returned to the states for my sister's wedding and a visit
with my people. I took the opportunity
while back home to get a new headlamp and I decided to be loyal to Black
Diamond because I was happy with the first lamp. I like the modes, the dimmer,
the waterproof and I considered that failure after five years
understandable. Also, the light still
works and is fine for reading in bed.
 |
| Beans growing behind me. Piloy(see below) and pigeon pea (gandula). |
I ordered the new version of the same
headlamp. I ordered from Campmor online,
order #752177, confirmation email attached to this letter. It seemed to have some updates in the shell
design and brighter lamps. Right off the
bat, it felt cheaper. The light did not
last a month. The circuitry went wonky
and unreliable. It let me down in an
early morning pig kill and it let me down soon after during an evening session
of beekeeping where we tried to move into a box the ~5000 bees that formed a
hive in my outhouse. After the period of
unreliability, the light stopped emitting light altogether, even with fresh
batteries.
I am fairly angry about the headlamp
breaking. It was one important item that
I took the chance to get while home.
Where I live here, in Tzununa, Solola, Guatemala on Lake Atitlan, I have
a small cabin and no electricity. It's a
lot like camping, but with a comfortable bed.
I live on a mountainside and it's often too breezy for candles. I rely on my headlamp and I wanted a fully
functional one with my old one as a backup.
It did not last one month. I
really hope my copy was a fluke, and that Black Diamond hasn't taken to selling
the people flimsy junk. Please don’t make
me fill out any paperwork, or worse, send the headlamp from Guatemala. I do not deserve to do that. Please make this right, Black Diamond and
send me a new headlamp.
I'm writing because a friend of mine will
be coming to visit January 5th.
If you would like to make this right and replace the lamp, please a send
it to my parents, who will put it with the other items slated to be brought
down.
Peter Benjamin
°address withheld°
I keep a blog for some friends back home
about things that happen here in Guatemala and photos of plants, scenery and
animals. I invite you to have a look. I'll be posting this letter for my readers,
and I'll let them know whether or not the new lamp showed up.
Jocotel.blogspot.com
Yours,
Max Benjamin
 |
| Piloy, or as theyre known in Tzununa, Jaibalito and Santa Cruz, phloy. When fresh, like the fatter ones in this photo, they cook in a half hour. Once dried, they boil for three weeks. |
Friday, December 12, 2014
Rest in Peace Tom Magliozzi
My mother emailed the day after Tom Magliozzi died to let me know. At the time, for whatever reason, it did not register.
Yesterday morning, I began the Fresh Air from November 4th, 2014 and, sitting in my outhouse, Terry Gross informed me the Tom Magliozzi died yesterday. For me, this was extremely heavy news.
Tom, along with his brother Ray, are the hosts of NPR´s Cartalk. Cartalk has been a Saturday morning thing for as long as I can remember. To this day, or at least up until the final day of being a car owner, I would always think of Cartalk if driving anywhere on a Saturday morning.
Tom was the philosophical brother. He was the one who thought abstractly believing anything was possible. His brother Ray ´´represented reality´´. There was clearly more to Cartalk than just automotive diagnostics and jokes about their wives. Did you know both brothers went to MIT? Hats off to Terry Gross and producer Doug Berman for putting into words how it worked, what made it so special, and drawing distinctions between Tom and Ray, somethings a lot of listeners may not have been able to do on their own.
So rest in peace, Tom Magliozzi, a radio hero who will be greatly missed. .
Yesterday morning, I began the Fresh Air from November 4th, 2014 and, sitting in my outhouse, Terry Gross informed me the Tom Magliozzi died yesterday. For me, this was extremely heavy news.
Tom, along with his brother Ray, are the hosts of NPR´s Cartalk. Cartalk has been a Saturday morning thing for as long as I can remember. To this day, or at least up until the final day of being a car owner, I would always think of Cartalk if driving anywhere on a Saturday morning.
Tom was the philosophical brother. He was the one who thought abstractly believing anything was possible. His brother Ray ´´represented reality´´. There was clearly more to Cartalk than just automotive diagnostics and jokes about their wives. Did you know both brothers went to MIT? Hats off to Terry Gross and producer Doug Berman for putting into words how it worked, what made it so special, and drawing distinctions between Tom and Ray, somethings a lot of listeners may not have been able to do on their own.
So rest in peace, Tom Magliozzi, a radio hero who will be greatly missed. .
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Meet the Scorpion
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