Day 6 - The Last Day on the Job

Comparatively, today was an easy day. We didn't head to the boat until 830 arriving at San Pedro around 915. The boat cutout shortly after leaving dock. We all made a joke of it, but nobody relished the thought of being struck in Lago de Atitlan's muck. The green slim and vegetable matter that had accumulated on the western edge of the lake seemed to have either grown or spread much further eastwardly toward Panajachel over the last couple of days.

On the trip over, I took the following photo attempting to capture the terrace farming on the slops surrounding the lake. If you look closely you can see the different colored patch work for various plantings and the unnatural straight lines that separate privately maintained plots.














Once we arrived in San Pedro, we headed back to the school (command central). Wilma and I took a "tuk tuk" to save our wherry feet. Tuk tuks are commonly found in this part of the world as well as Asia and Africa. It is a very stable three-wheeled scooter that local drivers decorate based on their personal tastes. It costs a few pennies over a dollar per person no matter how far you go. Two or three passengers at a time can squeeze in when needed. Wilma paid this time. Thank you Wilma. The name comes from the sound the horn makes as they weave in and out of traffic and announce their intentions.

Once the team got organized for the day, we headed out for our last major chore. You may recall that a couple of days ago, I mentioned the ONIL wood burning stow. (I misspelled it at the time.) This device cost about $100 and reduces the need for wood by about 75%. It is simple to construct if only one gringo does it. When there are four of us, discusses can be lively. Cheryl offers the following report on one team's efforts. The nearly completed stove is pictured after that.





We headed back to the dock around 130PM and waited for the other teams to catch up. While there, Cheryl visited with a group of men who were trying to skim the muck from the lake that dirtied the shore. She said that one fellow told her that they were very frustrated. They have been skimming the docking area in San Pedro for the last 25 days and have not been able to get ahead of the thick slim that seems to coat everything near the beach. We didn't have the heart to tell them that the greasy film stretched for miles. Their efforts seemed valiant but futile given the scope and the source of the problem. It will take a new way of thinking and time before much will change.

Jim wondered what would happen if the lake reached a tipping point before a solution could be found. What if the lake could no longer sustain life? He worried that if Lago de Atitlan gained a reputation as a dead, polluted lake, the tourists would stop coming and the local economy might then collapse. A very sobering thought, but one that seemed plausible to all of us.

The rest of the day we spent relaxing, debriefing, repacking and reflecting in our own way. Don Jorge ("Don" is the moniker of high respect in Guatemalan culture.) and HHI treated us to a live native Mayan band. We ate dinner with our local contacts, listened and danced the local jig. This short clip will give you an idea of the event.



We'll be on the road early tomorrow to Guatemala City and you may not hear from us until late in the evening.

Paz