Sunday, August 7, 2011

¡Llegada en La Palmilla!

We left Puebla after a fine breakfast at the hotel, and caught the 12:15 bus to Tlapacoyan. It started as a long and twisty road full of bumps at about 5000 ft. elevation, past corn fields and agave plants (agave is where tequilla comes from) as far as the eye can see. After a short stop in Teziutlan, a small city with way-too-narrow roads (and lots of turns, not sure how the bus made it at all), we took a 3000 ft descent down REALLY twisty roads (that made Laura sick... she threw up at the bus station in Tlapacoyan) into the city of Tlapacoyan where we met our host families and got into trucks to drive into La Palmilla. Erin and I rode with Damian whose house we will be staying at this week. They took us straight to the church where we were greeted by the congregation of the Methodist Church here in La Palmilla, and where we were fed a supper that could not be beat. Noodle soup, fried chicken and black beans with hand-made tortillas and home-made guacamole (with and without cilantro), and limeade. It was fantastic. Oh, and the cutest little bananas. Chris Valianti and I each took a banana and wrapped it in the tortilla with guacamole and fresn-squeezed lime. No, they don´t normally eat them that way, but you know what, what first was a joke turned out to be very good.

The other thing they gave us was chiltapins. These are the second-hottest peppers on the scofield scale. They are about the size of lemon seeds and are dark green. At first I didn´t think they were too hot, not as hot as habaneros. But the heat creeps up on you. They all got a good laugh at the gringos eating the chiltapins.

Afterward we went back with our host families and settled in. At 6:30 we met at Jennifer´s house and then went to the church for a worship service at 7. They play a lot more music in their service than we typically do. Also they stand a lot more. Lucky for us we had Jennifer to translate for us. I pick up a little but not everything.

After the service I introduced myself to the drummer and he and I had a little play-off, which really pleased the congregation. There is a video (probably a lot, judging by all the cell phones) which will be posted later.

Tomorrow we will be starting work. I understand we will be working on the church in the morning, then after a short siesta in the afternoon we will go out and pick oranges in the orchards. Should be a long and fruitful day (pun intended)

¡Hasta mañana!

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