Ay, caraña

A quick recap of the past couple weeks (post army ant invasion):

Following a bit of pleading, the very recently organized artisan group in my community has been working full force crafting traditional baskets (pronounced sheen in Naso). Last week we gathered to learn, teach, and craft. We started by collecting ‘the royal vine,’ peeling off its bark, and splitting it into smaller sections to use for weaving. Some strips were dyed by cooking them with a yellowish root tuber that had an uncanny resemblance to ginger. Then the weaving experts took charge. Results were amazing. Even I managed to craft something of basket like nature, and it could probably even hold all of two eggs. Owing to my English speaking skills, I have been put in change of selling the first batch of baskets (about 40 of them) and other works from the community (necklaces, carved gourds, bracelets, wood carvings, coffee, cocoa, and caraña, a traditional medicine for sores collected from tree root resin). My first selling attempt will be at a Peace Corps Volunteer conference this week. If that doesn’t go well, I guess I will turn to haggling tourists. Everyone (including me) is nervous-excited about it.

Inspired by my foodie friend Mike, motivated by the number of rotting guavas I see daily, and held captive by a sprained ankle, I tried my hand at some fruit-filled empanadas (turnovers) on Wednesday. They were neighbor approved, but I may need to a couple more attempts before I feel that I have a satisfactory product. Pictures below.

Yes, I did sprain my ankle. There was no mud (it finally stopped raining!!!) and I was running late, so I thought I would run down the ‘hill’ (read very steep mountain side) from a recent artisan group meeting. I fell. Badly. But my ankle is getting better. And no one saw the fall.

In agricultural related happenings, my garden/demonstration plot is looking great despite the ravaging flea beetles that seem to be attracted to my organic pesticides. I’ll hope to figure that out soon. However, fresh tomatoes are days away, and green beans, radishes, peas, okra, cabbage, pumpkins, and peppers should be soon to follow. Also it is guandú (pigeon pea, picture below) harvesting time, which means lots stationary pea shelling (for the walking impaired) and tasty guandú food experiments. Friday featured guandú with rice. Today was veggie soup with guandú. Mmm mmm.

Tjä toë! (I’m leaving, goodbye!)

starting the basket base

expert Ismael at work teaching

Olmedo weaving his first basket

... with some help

a team effort

basket beauty shot

seed neckaces

for sale

bracelets

tucans carved into a gourd, a gourd that grows on a tree

guava empanadas

the start of my garden, after a bit of machete swinging and shovel digging

pumpkins (& Cuko)

an aerial view... tomatoes, green beans, and radishes

guandu, pigeon pea