xmas and more

Well, Ive been moving too much too update my journal..

WoW, Its been real busy, in fact Ive spent most of my time sleeping (not really) on antiquetated buses which like to speed through the mountains whose roads are constant switchbacks...
Before XMAS; I visited th Ishmus of Mexico where ACCI ORGANIC CAFE growers live and are working there buns off trying to pick this years bumper crop of coffee before it dries out and loses vitality....All the pastors and coffee growers seem to be doing good and most everyone is content... Very few of the people celebrate Xmas there because of the climate, work and there extreme poverty and lack of excess money...

After the Istmo for 3 days I was on the road to Oaxaca where I stayed for a few days and did a little work at CASA HOGAR, then I was staying at a real cheap Hostel and I put my clothes on my bed and the maid threw everything in the garbage... The workers would not help me until I got visibly upset and then they called the cleaning lady and she said it was in the garbage...After digging through the garbage I found my stenchy clothers in there, along with my money and everything, she didnt even look in my pockets which had 400 pesos in them.....Hopefully an honest mistake..
Then I hopped a 5am 3rd class bus in the oaxaca slums to get to the mtns. by XMAS eve.
It wa a slow scary ride at 9000 ft in the mnts. the buses brakes went out and we had to drive in 1st or 2nd gear the whole way to avoid the screeching metal of the brakes.. So I was thrilled when we got the the 4000 ft mark where my dirt road was to the finca..
XMAS, I planted some cedar trees in the farm and a local family came over fo our beans,wild nuts, and tortilla dinner with banana pie.. It was good pretty good with lots of stories for the returning illrgal immigrant and his stories of crossing the rio grande and paying smugglers to pay off policemen and protect all the crossing wetbacks.
I then spent a pleasant time hiking by waterfalls and through jungles by myself where. for a moment, I feel like Tarzan.

The next day we went to church in PLUMA HIDALGO, where I could see the beach 20 miles away perfectly and the beach towns, on a clear day it is a gorgeous mtn. view and the long Pacific Coastline....We had a great service and a kids program, then we had coffee and bread...
I was busy the whole time , so there was a little taste of the rough and tumble time I have here in the beautiful oaxaca weather....