Regreso de la selva

The day before yesterday we came back from the forest. A bit earlier than planned, to help out some girls who needed to go to the city. Well and maybe better for me, because today the doctor confirmed that I have caught a bronchitis: probably due to the humidity and the extreme temperature changes (cold nights, hot middays). No worries, I will take care of myself here in San Cristobal and take my antibiotica.

We entered the Selva 4 days late, because of the bad weather, but we spend them well in the company of a young farmer by the name of Santiago who later took excellent care of us in his village Amador-Hernandez. I thus started my investigation early with my talks to him and that was a good thing, because in the communidades I often was too tired to ask all that I wanted to ask.
But what an experience it has been!!!!!!!!!! Have to say that the first day of arrival I did get a bit scared and thrown back (not to say longing for home sweet home!) by all the people staring at me, laughing at me, pointing at me... But I got acostumed to their jokes, shameless staring and laughing and the kids touching my hair, white skin and raincoat entendered me. I and to a lesser extent Carolina are their diversion/ animation where no TV nor playstation is present.
That night, the shell was blown and the people gathered for their meetings and we were given the opportunity to present us. So I became compañera Juanita, the guera (white woman) from a faraway country across the grand sea, called Holland, where there are no mountains and many black and white-coloured cows. They applauded.

Next day I entered as a participant in our three day course on veterinary and learned so much!!! How to diagnose the cow, by looking at the colour of the nose, eyelids, texture of the tongue, taking temperature etc. How to check whether the cow was pregnant by putting our gloved arms inside of her (and the cows are rather "unbehaved" here, so I was a little scared it would break my arm!). Since we did not have enough needles, I did not learn to inject, vacunate or auto-vacunate. But we studied the main tropical diseases and found out the importance of the teek/garrapata in causing these diseases...

Carolina did not like the animals to much, but I felt my fathers and grandfathers´ blood in my veins. You are right, Pap, they are really nice animals!! (untill you are running for the bull!!)

My contribution to the course was ofcourse little although I could add some remarks on food-and-mouth disease, hygiene, burning of bones, growth hormones (in which the farmers are really interested.... well for the moment they cannot afford them and lets hope they see their dangers). More impact made my ´energizer´of "hoofd, schouders, knie en teen" which garantize laughs wherever you go.

Luckily I did not get sick with the stomach, although I just had to eat all they gave me (which is normally boiled or fried and coffee instead of water), but also had to drink untreated water once or twice. The food was good, maize and beans, beans and maize, sometimes rice and chicken if lucky. And I ate tepescuintle, recently chased, with the maize of the milpa still inside his intestines... The only thing I did not get acostumed to and still makes me revolt is the pozol or matz: maize massa with water!! uhh... I escaped several times...

The last days I had to stay arest since I my lungs gave up a bit. Then I did feel a little homesick!! But the people treated me well and were all worried about me. How I wish I had a bit stronger health!!!!!!!!!! If I could change one thing in my life, it would probably be that one, because it limits me so often.

What a beautiful dreams when I close my eyes:
The colourful dresses of the women, the dark eyes of the children staring at me, laughing timidly...
The music in the evening all the girls were dancing and stopped dancing when I was invited to dance by the school teacher...
Eating tortillas, beans and camarones (shrimps) in Santiago´s place, prepared by his wife Claudia who with two years older than me already gave birth to five kids...
Their suprise and laughs at the story of European women marrying at 32 and having only two kids.
The green mountains, the butterflies, the milpas (where maize, beans are grown), the cows, eating sugar cane, riding the mule through the mud...
The men around the fire telling about their time in the mountains, when they were still Zapatistas.