After our tour of the coffee plantation it is interesting to visit an organic nursery belonging to the San Lucas Toliman Mission. Here they grow numerous trees to distribute to peasants hoping to make a better life, among them a strain of coffee bushes growing eight to twelve feet high. This is a less efficient size in some ways, but makes more use of small plots that the peasants have access to. The mission will buy the organic coffee back from the peasants at a significant markup from market prices (still only about thirty cents a pound). Here we learn about the positive effects of the mission on its members, both from an economic standpoint and from the feeling of self-worth and dignity that Andreas, our guide, tells us he gets from working on the project. We have lunch at the mission and are surprised to see the number of North American volunteers staying there for the summer.
After the boat-ride back, we are free for the afternoon. One group goes swimming in the lake, another goes shopping, some head off to check e-mail at the local internet cafe, and a few take naps.
Return to Itinerary.