Last week something amazing happened…
MayaPoint was packed full!
Erick, myself, and Aashman 
were joined by
Roman from Switzerland 
Ben and Ali from Ontario 
Yoni and Gaya from Israel 
Bryan and Tristan from Vermont/Rhode Island 
Iva from Czech Republic 
and Luccia from Slovakia 
This is it… MP is and international learning center. We all came together to share our funds of knowledge and work to build up the community housing as well as care for the gardens and food forest.
There was a lot of rain in the last weeks, so most of the cabin work was focused on finishing the drainage system to prevent the bedrooms from flooding. I’ve never seen such a pretty ditch 🙂
The retaining wall has been a huge (or should I say “heavy”) challenge, since all of the rocks had to be collected from around the property and brought in a wheelbarrow to the cabin. Here, our friend and amazing worker, Sandalio (also known as Don Gordo) work diligently to stack them neatly into what will soon be a living wall. The space between the rocks allows plants to weave their roots through, holding the rocks firmly into place… he even up-cycled some old glass bottles that we found along the seaside.
It was a full moon, and according to the ancient knowledge, now was the perfect timing for pruning the cacao trees. Even in the pouring rain, the volunteers got their machetes and pruning shears and took to the jungle, making our trees healthier than ever and ready to give us a big yield next month.
We went to Rana Azul for pizza on Sunday and stopped for a swim on the way home at our friends’ farm CocoVivo. They have a diving board off their dock, which instigated quite the show. Tristan busted out the double backflip, while some of us were content just making a big splash.
We spent our afternoon checking out the starfish and coral reefs around the CocoViva dock before the sun went down.
Of course, it’s not a trip to the cacao farm without making some experiments in the kitchen. There were four variations of brownies in less than two weeks, and Gaya made us the best hot cocoa I’ve ever had! She grated coconut to make coconut milk, added fresh ginger from our garden, cinnamon, and MP cacao. (Tip: hot chocolate should be simmered for a little while to really get the full flavor of the cacao).
Last Sunday Veronica, Sandalio and the kids came over to make coconut oil with us. Erick took the volunteers out in the Kakau boat to collect the dry coconuts around the shores of Shepard Island. Everyone worked to peel and shred the cocos and Sandalio made the milk to cook down into pure oil.
While we waited for the milk to simmer over the fire we peeled and ground the last batch of cacao. It was a great end to an eventful couple of weeks with our friends from all over the world.
Every experience at MayaPoint is motivated by our collective desire to care for the Earth and strengthen the bonds within our community.
Our plan for the next month is to paint and decorate Valle del Agua Elementary in preparation for the new school year. Come help us paint, learn, play and explore the possibilities of conscious living… Please spread the word and share our fundraiser link so we can purchase some paint! Help us make some special kids have an awesome school experience:) http://www.gofundme.com/2jccq8
Maya Point 