Jephir Treks America: Bumbling Through Central America: 02/01/2009

Anybody ever heard of Cotzal?

Hands, backstrap loom. Or laploom, if you prefer.

This picture does no justice to the extreme steepness of the streets in Cotzal - there shoulda been staihs!

Cotzal again!

Them's some wild tomatoes!

Ninja squirrel, pet of our hosts. Very difficult to photograph due to extreme quickness and agility.

Gigante Poinsetta, capable of eating small children.

Cotzal's around 7500 feet or so, and the mountains are even higher - feels like you're flying through the clouds as the day progresses.

More old Cotzal photos

You can't hide from me in that tree, ninja chicken.

Steep streets, even for a ninja dog.

Ninjas always travel in disguise.

Moco de Gorila, an essential tool in the ninja's handbag.

Old Cotzal Photos

Little Maya ladies

Grandosita, kickin' ass

Note the similarity in color and tone between Diego's lingua and the taza he's got in hand.

More Valhalla

Caroline DOES have motherly instincts!

More macadamia blossoms, this time in pink!

Back to Valhalla

A return to the Macadamia nut farm Valhalla outside Antigua for another tour of the location.

Super long blossoms equal super long nut clusters equals tons of macadamia nuts!

You can tell which type of Macadamia tree you're looking at by the end of the branches - intrafolia and tetrafolia. Intrafolia isn't used as much because it produces year round, but is much better suited to small scale production in indigenous villages in Guatemala, something our tour guide Ben is attempting to facilitate.

Nancy-Maria making use of the superduperhightech nut size sorting machine

Nut drying rack - the nuts usual dry from a couple weeks to a few months depending upon humidity, etc.

It's Rony time!

Back to Rony, our favorite Jocotenango barber and a shave. Just off the main square he's open from 8:30 am onward and has a fun chair for kids when he's not shaving men less hairy than me.

Goin' for #32

On our way!

How much do you trust your barber?

Chimal street food part 2 - dessert

rellenitos - sweet chocolate bean filled fried plantain balls

hmmm, don't know what's tastier, the rellenito or Jonathan...

Chimal Street Food Pics!

Hmmm... tostada

Hmmm.... street food lady - opens after 5 pm in Chimaltenango almost everyday out of a door in the front of her house. If you want to find it ask for the only Domino's in town - walking west down the street it will be the next comedor on the left hand side of the street after the Domino's. It's probably the most delicious food I've ever eaten out of someone's window on the street, and all the items are 2 Quetzal, or 22 cents each.