I did not know we were so interesting

A couple of days ago we went to pick up the Nim trees in a small community off the beaten path to say the least. THere were four of us hauling these little trees in crates that hold about twelve. Very heavy and the mud was terrible. Soon we had followers. One, then two, then three, after about half an hour about 10-15 kids we all around us helping carry the little saplings all the way to the car. IT was as if we were a small glipse of the outside world and they did not want to miss a moment. To us is was quite flattering and hard to take at time because they we watching very attentively to your every move. They helped a great deal because it was getting dark and we desperately needed to get a good amount of trees into the two cars. After the job was done my car got stuck in the mud because it was so heavy. I told Nick to push. I then looked back and all 15 of the kids young and old were pushing Isabella out of the Mud. It was an entire town effort. Then we opened the door to the van and waited for our other friends to bring the last of the trees. The whole crowd was still poised in attention. So I felt I had to entertain in some way. I grabbed my drum and played for about 20 minutes. Then did not move a muscle. It was amazing. What a crowd. Then we tried to take a picture of them and they scattered like mice. We returned to the same community last night to pick up more trees and to our dismay most of the kids were inside. But when we came back to the van and parked in our campspot they returned. Devin asked them what they liked to do in the night time or if they played any games. They were shy and said no we do not play games. I said they like to play watch the gringos. They all laughed. It was another rainy night and we are itching for some sun so wish us luck. We are now on our way to San Cistobal de las Casas with a full van of Nim. Much love

Joining the Revolution and a call for help.

Well we are now in Chiapas the Southern most province of Mexico. We are working with a gentleman that has been doing work with Zapatistas in the area for over 15 years. Great guy, he is a good friend of Nicks and absolutely first rate. We visited a Zapatista community yesterday that was recently pushed off their land by brutal force. The paid police burned their houses, killed their livestock, burned their houses, led cattle through their land to destroy all their crops and pushed them off the land completely. Two months later the Zapatista community (about 300 of them) reinstated the people on their land. They helped by planting new fields and donating a lot of food. It was absolutly amazing being able to film these people yesterday. I think it was my proudest moment as a documentary filmmaker. Even though they had been reduced to nothing their spirits were high and laughter was often. They speak a different language called chol. It has a lot of clicks and deep throat sounds. They also speak spanish so we were able to communicate. After they took us around the entire property to show all the destruction of homes and crops we went back to the only structure that was on the property and kept talking. They answered any questions we had. They wanted to tell their story to get the word out about what had occured. Then they fed us. This was absolutely astonishing. They have nothing I mean nothing and still they find it so customary to feed guests. What amazing people. At the moment they still fear that another raid will happen but their are international peace observers on the premises as insurance. It was a magical moment. Now we are off to deliver Niem trees to another comminity near San cristobal de las Casas. Niem is a tree that origanated in India and has all kinds of amazing medicinal purposes as well it makes for great building material. So that it the part we get to play in this wonderful program that Schools for Chiapas has set up for us. We feel that we are actually doing work that will benifit some needy people and that is what we came here to do. To try to make a difference with our time in this country and not just take from it and leave. I would like to ask everyone who reads this if you would like to make a difference please donate some money to these people who were dirven off their land. All you have to do is donate it to us via our donation button and then we will give it to them. We are thinking of buying them chickens. One chicken is about ten dollars. Not to bad. If you do donate in the next couple of days please e-mail me at binobitz@yahoo.com and tell me the amount so we know what to take out of our bank account. Remeber anything helps. Thank you all and be well...

Our time in the Yucatan and beyond

What a tropical wonder the Yucatan penisula is. We spent over two weeks there and it was very hard to leave. We entered from the east coast and spanned the whole way across and then all the way down. We visited both Chichen Itza and Tulum while we were there. The majority of our time was spent working on Goyos property, in Puerto Morelos. It was a beautiful place and we really helped it along. The group that was there was absolutely wonderful and by the end of it we were all like bothers and sisters, except there was no fighting, only the good stuff. We made paths through the property which included sifting sand and using simple tools like a steel bar to break up rock. Since we are all so strog it was no problem. (Yah right!) Good hard work to weather the hands and toughen the body, exactly what the youth of America needs, so it was great for us. We as well spent a night out on Isla Mujeres, which was the most pituresque tropical I have only seen in my dreams. I have never seen so many colors in the natural world. (other than Santa Barbara sunsets) We camped on the island with a morning view that was postcard worthy. Back on the mainland the little town of Puerto Morelos treated us so well that we felt at home and the last couple of days before we left we would walk through the center of town and see so many people we knew. I think that is the amount of time you need to stay some where before you really start getting connected. A regular day at the compound was, wake up around 7-7:30 get ready and start work at 8, work vigourously until about 10:30 and then eat a huge breakfast, short break in a hamok then back to work until 2-3pm, and after that changed day to day. Some days we would sleep for a little while then go to town to do internet and hang out with the jovenes en Puerto Morelos. Other days we would stay on the property the whole day and make big meals, play instuments, read, write exchange stories from the past and learn words in the mayan dialect from our host Victor. The property was so tranquil and peaceful that it was hard to leave. While we were there I got a wonderful rash similar to posion oak. This is the super version spreads quicker and lasts longer. I must tell you it was a pleasure experiecing it. The great thing about it is that the cure for it is another tree that grows directly in the same region. So you boil a tea with the leaves of the Palogringo and when it cools apply to the infected area. It worked like a gem and I used no antibiotics or wierd chemical creams. Good oldfasioned leaves. They call the tree that gives the medicine the palogringo because it has flaky red bark. So when gringos come to the Yucatan the usually get sun burned then their skin flakes off and looks very similar to the trunk of the tree. So we have a tree named after us in the Yucatan. You should all be happy about that. Well we are now in Palenque looking foward to working with a friend of Nicholas that does work with some real revolutionaries in the area. We visited the ruins here and we absolutly amazed. Its raining again so we got to have a day inside. Tomorrow its back to exploring the jungle and finding pools to swim in like the Mayans did so many years ago.

Los Jovenes en Puerto Morleos

A week ago when we arrived in this small tropical fishing village we noticed the plaza buzzing with young children playing. Some playing soccer, some just running around, and others skateboarding. We had to wait for our host so we took to the plaza immediately. We did bring one skateboard so I (roberto) started skating with the other kids. Each trick they did I would duplicate and it was exciting to be around other skaters. Then I did a couple they could not and started to gain their respect. Then the big jump came and following the other skater I attempted, landed, and broke our only skateboard we had brought. It was a tough moment for the group and conversation insued in a no bullshit type way. Very important while traveling together to keep a code of no bullshit! I began to ask the kids if they had any boards around that they didn't want but to no avail they all said no. As we were driving away that night all the skater kids made a big effort in waving goodbye to us, it was touching. I think we gained some face that night. The next occasion was a night of soccer in which Nick and Andre played with two little boys. It was a great match and as a spectator it was absolutly moving. Then a bunch of older kids came around and asked if we wanted to play. Both Nick and Devin jumped right in. The game lasted for over and hour and a half. The young hispanic kids diligently played but all droped like fly's as the game continued into the night. I need to say that Nick and Devin played until the end. Their team lost but they played with tanacity until the bitter end. During the game Devin switched from runner to goalie. Some of the other teams players would kick the ball really hard at the goal but the boys on Devin's team would protect her and get in the way of the ball so to not let her get hit. Then some sentence filled with slang would be hurled at the other team. I latter got the translation from Nick and they actually said "don't fuck with my goalie." What wonderful kids I thought. So after this night again we gained a bit more face in the eyes of these youngsters. The most heartwarming of all is the third situation. We go to e-mail a couple of nights ago and Nick comes after me and says "Roberto some little kid just said he has an old skateboard that he does not want anymore and he going to bring it to me tonight."
"NO WAY"
"Yes Way"
Sure enough now we have a new old skateboard with trucks wheels and everything. The youth of this town are amazing. The have truely captured our hearts as well of friendship. Now each night we enter the plaza they all say high and there is a nice sense of belonging. Gracias para tu hospitalidad los jovenes de Puerto Morelos