Leaving Flores at 6am, and three buses later, I walked up the front steps of the organization Qachuu Aloom (Mother Earth) where Aaron and Sarah have spent the last 4 years working on permaculture projects with the community. Tragically, I only had two days to spend there, but Aaron, Virgilio, Julian, and Maria Magdalena gave me the whirlwind tour of the organization, their demonstration site, their homes, the cemetary, and the museum.
Rabinal is perhaps known best for 3 different things. The first is the food. They say here you can eat the cheapest in all of Guatemala. And it´s true, even the beer is cheaper. Second, the Rabinal Achi is a 4-hour epic dance that has occured here for generations. It tells the story of an Achi prince captured by the Quiche who falls in love with their princess. It happens once a year, and since UNESCO named the dance a world cultural heritage site, many more tourists have arrived each year, though the rest of the year Rabinal remains pretty much off the tourist circuit. The third, and less mentioned, is that this area was amongst the most affected by the violence of the armed conflict. The government, under the guidance of General Efraín Rios Montt, carried out massaces in every village near Rabinal between 1981 and 1983, some completely eliminated and others losing hundreds of their mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters. The community Museum pays tribute to those lost in this difficult and complex struggle, and remembers those who committed these horrific acts against the people of the campo.
As I wove through the contryside on my way out of town after two days of visiting, I could only help but wonder... if these hills had eyes. Luckily, there are strong people here working to hold accountable those responsible, despite regular death threats and the few results they are able to obtain from the new governments/international community.
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