Trip to the Mayan Highlands

I'm going to check the mail today. I'm waiting for my passport to arrive. I am leaving on February 11th for a trip to Chiapas, Mexico. We're setting up at San Cristobal de las Casas and taking day trips into the mountains, surrounding villages and (hopefully) the Lacandon rainforest.

I'm going as part of my work with Equator Coffee Roasters to visit the coffee cooperative we deal with in Yachil. Higher Grounds Trading Company organizes Fair Trade Tours to help people in the industry better understand the social impact of fair trade on the farmers and their villages. This is one of those tours. I will be travelling with a group of other people representing buyers and resellers of Mexican Yachil coffee. The green arrow in the picture here, just north of Guatemala is our destination.

Fair trade is really just better money than coffee sold on the common market. It is a supply chain absent of the greedy middleman taking a cut of the raw coffee by diminishing the farmers' pay. I think the point of the tours is to ensure that people in our industry don't rest with the self-satisfied belief that they are doing their part. The farmers that grow and harvest our coffee struggle to find water and medicine and other necessities of life that we take for granted. These farmers need our help and support and that extends far past the extra $4-5 we spend on a package of coffee.

This weekend, I'll get my suitcase packed and buy the items that I need for my trip. Among the things on my packing list are sleeping bag, raincoat, insect repellant, toilet paper and bottled water. I have to admit, when I saw the sleeping bag, I got a little nervous. I thought that we would be staying in a modest inn or hotel but I'm wondering now what to expect. A hostel? A house? A tent? I'll be happy with anything that has four walls and a roof. Of course I'll take my camera. There is very little drinking water where we're going so I don't think I need to concern myself with many of the toiletries that I would normally pack for vacation. I've crossed-off shampoo, conditioner and mousse. I won't bother packing my perfume or evening-wear. I will, however pack something that would be appropriate to wear into a church in case the opportunity arises.