Aguacate: A Day in the Life

What an amazing day! We left the cool breeze of the ocean for the intense heat of the deep jungle! The drive was a challenge as the road to the village has no name and there are no signs to point us in the right direction. We turned onto the dirt road and were on our way towards the remote Mayan village of Aguacate. With mountains on both sides and lush jungle in front of us, we barley noticed that the roads had potholes that could swallow our car!

One of the highlights of the drive was pulling up next to five women in traditional Mayan dress. They waved us down and asked for a ride to the village. I laughed and said we didn’t have room. I am sure they heard me, but they just opened the doors and squeezed all five in the back seat! Bags, groceries and all! I have never seen anything like it before! I think we got a couple good pics of the circus scene. They said if we didn’t pick them up, they had a two-hour walk. One of the elderly women was carrying a bag of flour, which must have weighed 30 lbs!

Soon, we arrived into the village and it was like being sent back in time. It is a quiet village set in the valley of the mountains. The homes are thatched huts and there is an open field for the school kids to play volleyball. We were introduced to our host family, Domingo and Candlaria, and there two children, Vilma and Domingo, Jr. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was very basic. The house had four rooms and a dirt floor. To top the heat off, the kitchen has a concrete oven in the middle of the house. It was sweltering!

The best part of the day was meeting the students. They were very shy and reserved at first, but were curious and playful once we showed them our skillz! We ended the day talking to Domingo about the Mayan culture and traditions. It was a wonderful conversation and I have a great respect for these people and their way of life. They are very proud people that have passed on their culture for thousands of years.

Thanks for following along! Brian