Page 38 - Contrast2014

The family-owned chocolate farm at La Iguana is like
a hostel that hosts volunteers who pay a price of $15
dollars a day to stay and work. Lidia, the mother and the
obvious head of the household, manages the home and
makes sure all of her family and volunteers are fed. Her
soft-spoken husband, Juan Luis, and young, energetic son
Jorge manage the fields and the business, but Lidia makes
the decisions. The only profit that the farm makes is from
the labor of volunteers who stay for weeks or even months
to complete projects and aid in maintaining the family
business: chocolate.

The town of Mastatal where the farm is located
consists of a bar, a convenience store, a small restaurant
known as a "soda," and a few farms that host volunteers
from all over the world looking for a different kind of
travel experience. Upon arriving at La Iguana, a
welcoming group of people was sitting around a campfire,
telling stories of their travels and homelands, ranging
from France to Finland, and familiar places in the United
States. We all had a story to share and a similar curiosity
that led us to the small chocolate farm. After sharing
stories from our countries, discovering our overlapping
interests, and learning of everyone's experience on the
farm, we crawled into our mosquito nettings and went to
bed.

The next morning we awoke to the banging of pots
and pans and the intoxicating smells of breakfast. As we
all took our first waking breaths of the pure mountain air,
we pushed our mosquito nets aside and made our way out
of the sleeping shacks and into the kitchen. The
bathrooms, kitchen, and bedrooms at La Iguana allowed
the air to flow through irrelevant walls that have
perpetually open doors and windows without glass.
During the dry season from January to May, the air is dry
and warm during the day and cool at night. The smells of

contrast I 36