Chimaltenango mid-morning, we board the car Tim. We take the road to Las Escobas, the village where his parents took him on holiday every year when he was a child. They were leaving for a month with their motorhome in Canada so far. This is one reason which prompted him to install an English language school. In this village he feels at home and admitted he also wanted to help these people help themselves. English is a springboard for the children of this country from the United States, where they can try four nd they will be a little more 
great to find a job. Even if the pay is not huge it will still much more than here, and they may send a game to help their families back home. A quick break in u No internet cafe, we welcome one of his buddies and we're on the road. An early slightly tarred road that does not pose much problem with the car lowered and cut sport Tim. It reached the first village that we abandon the stage for the Tar eave up the stones and mud. We choppons some appetite suppressants and we leave. No time to linger, Tim must be early afternoon in her classroom to give a course. From now we feel that the car is not at all suited to the country. It patina hangs all the pebbles with his rocker, lack of being stuck several times. Of course we do more than regular pickups ageless. Reached the village we go to the classroom. A sign announces its course. The building is not completed yet must go on boards to avoid the mud, a limit e torch to enter the room that is the only o ù first cladding has been applied this does not prevent water penetration. His three stu ves arrive, we leave for an hour and we leave p Romen in the village. At 
our return we take the car to visit a Mayan site: Mixco Viejo. Time to make the road we arrive at the site entrance which closes its doors. Tim in a Latin American English impeccable slide two or three well-chosen words and the guard let us go for an hour any more. The desert site is located atop a mountain. with a view to a thousand miles around. On one side of the cliffs and the other a steep slope well, a perfect place to build a city free cities neighbors. The sun is with us. In the distance we hear the rumbling thunder and see lightning rip the sky surrounding valleys. The city is like other cities that no us have seen far, the district s temple, the golf balls and a few remains of houses. After an hour's walk to the site to ourselves, we return to the exit where we expect the guardian to whom we drop a few bills passed. We understand without having requested it expected no less from us. The storm is approaching, time to reach the village we begin to feel the taste moisture that permeates the air. Tim Parks, we take our belongings and headed towards home, and we spend a portal vo ila in the yard of a shack. Three ladies are sitting there gossiping while their embroidery. Tim shows us and tells us it is our shelter for the night. Classic house: concrete block wall 
and tin roof. Here he rents his room for the nights he spends in the village. We leave right away in the village because Tim is looking for a contact so that tomorrow we can visit a cafetal (coffee plantation). His first plan falls through, the guy at q ui it thought ask is not here today, he went to the city. In talking with two or three people he finally found someone who could help us. We arrive at a meeting of farmers who enlarge the circle so that we can install. Laetitia presents and explains our project. Everyone seems happy, we go the next six o'clock in the morning with one of the farmers who intends to show us a plantation. Here life begins much earlier than in France, where it is increasingly difficult to open a coffee shop before seven o'clock in the morning. Meanwhile the first person I contacted Tim had returned and comes to meet us and seems very disappointed we have missed. We say we'll come visit his farm just after meeting the other cafetero surtou t it is on the way back to Chimaltenango. Her frown turns into a big smile under his cowboy hat, we shake hands and say tomorrow.
great to find a job. Even if the pay is not huge it will still much more than here, and they may send a game to help their families back home. A quick break in u No internet cafe, we welcome one of his buddies and we're on the road. An early slightly tarred road that does not pose much problem with the car lowered and cut sport Tim. It reached the first village that we abandon the stage for the Tar eave up the stones and mud. We choppons some appetite suppressants and we leave. No time to linger, Tim must be early afternoon in her classroom to give a course. From now we feel that the car is not at all suited to the country. It patina hangs all the pebbles with his rocker, lack of being stuck several times. Of course we do more than regular pickups ageless. Reached the village we go to the classroom. A sign announces its course. The building is not completed yet must go on boards to avoid the mud, a limit e torch to enter the room that is the only o ù first cladding has been applied this does not prevent water penetration. His three stu ves arrive, we leave for an hour and we leave p Romen in the village. At 
our return we take the car to visit a Mayan site: Mixco Viejo. Time to make the road we arrive at the site entrance which closes its doors. Tim in a Latin American English impeccable slide two or three well-chosen words and the guard let us go for an hour any more. The desert site is located atop a mountain. with a view to a thousand miles around. On one side of the cliffs and the other a steep slope well, a perfect place to build a city free cities neighbors. The sun is with us. In the distance we hear the rumbling thunder and see lightning rip the sky surrounding valleys. The city is like other cities that no us have seen far, the district s temple, the golf balls and a few remains of houses. After an hour's walk to the site to ourselves, we return to the exit where we expect the guardian to whom we drop a few bills passed. We understand without having requested it expected no less from us. The storm is approaching, time to reach the village we begin to feel the taste moisture that permeates the air. Tim Parks, we take our belongings and headed towards home, and we spend a portal vo ila in the yard of a shack. Three ladies are sitting there gossiping while their embroidery. Tim shows us and tells us it is our shelter for the night. Classic house: concrete block wall 
and tin roof. Here he rents his room for the nights he spends in the village. We leave right away in the village because Tim is looking for a contact so that tomorrow we can visit a cafetal (coffee plantation). His first plan falls through, the guy at q ui it thought ask is not here today, he went to the city. In talking with two or three people he finally found someone who could help us. We arrive at a meeting of farmers who enlarge the circle so that we can install. Laetitia presents and explains our project. Everyone seems happy, we go the next six o'clock in the morning with one of the farmers who intends to show us a plantation. Here life begins much earlier than in France, where it is increasingly difficult to open a coffee shop before seven o'clock in the morning. Meanwhile the first person I contacted Tim had returned and comes to meet us and seems very disappointed we have missed. We say we'll come visit his farm just after meeting the other cafetero surtou t it is on the way back to Chimaltenango. Her frown turns into a big smile under his cowboy hat, we shake hands and say tomorrow. The smell of rain that pervaded the air is transformed within seconds into a rainstorm, we return to our room quickly and we want to laugh ab temp s that come the time to eat. Meanwhile the children are returned home from school. Tim will look after them, the play, during which time the mother took the opportunity to show its Laetitia embroidery and offer him one, this is not the most beautiful crafts, but as saying goes, it's the thought that counts. Hunger made its way, the rain it does not go away. We equip umbrellas and head towards the village's only restaurant and command the only dish of the day with the only drink they serve: hamburger and Coke. Tim leaves to get tacos and beers. The brand will make a very good meal. After the dinner very gourmet Tim takes us to the village school with which he has participated in a "pedagogical" in his training in order to teach English in Guatemala, then takes us to a family a little far from the village. Funny atmosphere. A mother with four children living in one room of the village wants a guy to leave them. The TV is on. Tim will pick up the phone, we exchanged a few words with the mother, we show him a picture of a boy on the wall. "My son, he sent me a photo of Nueva York." Quickly exhausted and the conversation resumed its television rights. Tim does not return. We allo ns smoking a cigarette outside. We're back. Tim not. Embarrassed silence. Tim comes back, we leave. On the way back, he explains the history of this family: a mother without a husband, four children with four different fathers. The largest is the U.S. where it hell to work, he can not even send some money to help his mother raise his sister.
Ten hours the rain stopped, the night is dark, we are in our room. Tomorrow standing 5.30am. The day was born busy quelq ues phrases that are lost in the night, we fall asleep. The alarm rings it is already time. Outside the sun extends his arm the valley, a few more minutes and we will see appear in person at the top of the ridge. To
Ilette rapid large cement tank that contains water at all times for washing, bathing and all water needs of the house. At six o'clock we go near a grocery store, we go there a bit before to pick our coffee. At the scheduled time a large 4x4 Toyota comes up with our guys. We sailed in all the tér Sieur, and we're off to a place called "Cocoa" funny name for a coffee plantation. With that car traffic on stony track is much easier than the urban small car Tim, we'll potholes, rocks, ruts, as if they did not even exist. A few minutes later we stop in a village where our guide discusses a few minutes with other farmers. They spend a few sub biftons hands, apparently that's 
the cooperative. I take some pictures of these cafeteros then we go back by car to get a little further down the valley. Along the way our man tells us that most local farmers were able to acquire land to grow coffee with an economic plan organized by an NGO wanted to help farmers grow coffee and to learn the trade. There were no plots to everyone, so in fairness, the NGO organized a lottery with all those who support HAITAI ent participate. Since the association is a party, farmers fared a little better but it still is not comfortable. In talking we realize that our man does not know the difference between arabica and robusta, he does not know the principle of fair trade. For he knows well against the coyotes who come to buy his coffee, the price of misery, even before it is harvested and are ready to leave the farmer on the spot if it does not sell the goods and leave with their truck when the whole direction Antigua coffee from the region is processed. We ask him why they were not organized themselves to send coffee to Antigua and do not create a small cooperative to share the costs. The suggestion seemed interesting ... With these good words we leave for the village and we leave a little note for the time he gave us and for future cooperative! We have not learned much about coffee, but much later on how some take advantage of these poor peasants and their lack of means. Back in the car of Tim, the atmosphere is not the same we immediately feel much closer to the earth forces. At times it would almost seem to be dragged behind a horse tied to a rope as the shock of rocks known r the rocker may be violent. Tim is proposing to take us to the village half way to meet the second cafetero. Perfect. The other guy is a little more serious than the first, it began operating very recently, only 5 years, but he is very proud and worked hard. It is curious to know what is coffee and of what we saw on our trip, we even wonder if we would not be agricultural engineers. When we tell him stories of the purchase price of the coffee and coyotes, we confess that our man probably somewhat exaggerated the situation and that today's prices are slightly higher. I see starting at the foot of his coffee that there are some berries lying around, I say in passing that our specialist Rafael Colombia had informed us that this is not very good. Either I missed it in tact or is unlikely, but it seems to me that upset and usually nothing troll foot trees. R bees smile back and we part pleased with this meeting. Tim we take the direction of the city. On 
the marketplace still murky in this season we park the car, we descend and engulf input e the stands in search of a tavern to calm our growing hunger before the rain arrives. We order national dish: pollo, frijoles and potatoes: the flat is not up to our hunger, it's just bad. Tim bought some fruit at the market and accompanies us to our bus. We say goodbye and thank him for everything. He also thanked us because he has learned a lot about coffee and met with people he did not know the village. We sit in our bus and expect it to be full-go. In Chimaltenango we find Ita spend another day or two with it before continuing our journey.
We arrive early afternoon in Chimaltenango and we pay the internet cafe until that IT is returned home. Unfortunately there is a general power failure throughout Guatemala, estimated duration between one and four hours. We take this opportunity to walk around the city. We visit a great supermarket, to appreciate the best we approach it as a contemporary art exhibition. At least the museum is free and keeps us safe from the rain. After this wonderful e xposition we go to the market where the atmosphere is much more fun despite the lack of lighting. We return to the internet cafe and find Julio's friend Tim, who invites us to come and drink coffee until the electricity comes back. We walk through the backyard, then in the family room where he presents his family, everyone here lives under the same roof of the great-grand-mother to son. In talking we learn that he is the manager of the shop, it's a traveler during a long, he lived in the United States, that the blackout was nothing exceptional and the Government working with Mexico to lay new lines to avoid such problems in the years to come. Time is running power is restored and we connect Ita call to offer him to join us when she has finished its job and we find a nice little restaurant for our last night is that we invite. To twenty hours, she arrives with friends, we went to the restaurant of their choice ... MacDonalds. It was a long time since we were not out with friends in a fast-food restaurant.
Ten hours the rain stopped, the night is dark, we are in our room. Tomorrow standing 5.30am. The day was born busy quelq ues phrases that are lost in the night, we fall asleep. The alarm rings it is already time. Outside the sun extends his arm the valley, a few more minutes and we will see appear in person at the top of the ridge. To
Ilette rapid large cement tank that contains water at all times for washing, bathing and all water needs of the house. At six o'clock we go near a grocery store, we go there a bit before to pick our coffee. At the scheduled time a large 4x4 Toyota comes up with our guys. We sailed in all the tér Sieur, and we're off to a place called "Cocoa" funny name for a coffee plantation. With that car traffic on stony track is much easier than the urban small car Tim, we'll potholes, rocks, ruts, as if they did not even exist. A few minutes later we stop in a village where our guide discusses a few minutes with other farmers. They spend a few sub biftons hands, apparently that's 
the cooperative. I take some pictures of these cafeteros then we go back by car to get a little further down the valley. Along the way our man tells us that most local farmers were able to acquire land to grow coffee with an economic plan organized by an NGO wanted to help farmers grow coffee and to learn the trade. There were no plots to everyone, so in fairness, the NGO organized a lottery with all those who support HAITAI ent participate. Since the association is a party, farmers fared a little better but it still is not comfortable. In talking we realize that our man does not know the difference between arabica and robusta, he does not know the principle of fair trade. For he knows well against the coyotes who come to buy his coffee, the price of misery, even before it is harvested and are ready to leave the farmer on the spot if it does not sell the goods and leave with their truck when the whole direction Antigua coffee from the region is processed. We ask him why they were not organized themselves to send coffee to Antigua and do not create a small cooperative to share the costs. The suggestion seemed interesting ... With these good words we leave for the village and we leave a little note for the time he gave us and for future cooperative! We have not learned much about coffee, but much later on how some take advantage of these poor peasants and their lack of means. Back in the car of Tim, the atmosphere is not the same we immediately feel much closer to the earth forces. At times it would almost seem to be dragged behind a horse tied to a rope as the shock of rocks known r the rocker may be violent. Tim is proposing to take us to the village half way to meet the second cafetero. Perfect. The other guy is a little more serious than the first, it began operating very recently, only 5 years, but he is very proud and worked hard. It is curious to know what is coffee and of what we saw on our trip, we even wonder if we would not be agricultural engineers. When we tell him stories of the purchase price of the coffee and coyotes, we confess that our man probably somewhat exaggerated the situation and that today's prices are slightly higher. I see starting at the foot of his coffee that there are some berries lying around, I say in passing that our specialist Rafael Colombia had informed us that this is not very good. Either I missed it in tact or is unlikely, but it seems to me that upset and usually nothing troll foot trees. R bees smile back and we part pleased with this meeting. Tim we take the direction of the city. On 
the marketplace still murky in this season we park the car, we descend and engulf input e the stands in search of a tavern to calm our growing hunger before the rain arrives. We order national dish: pollo, frijoles and potatoes: the flat is not up to our hunger, it's just bad. Tim bought some fruit at the market and accompanies us to our bus. We say goodbye and thank him for everything. He also thanked us because he has learned a lot about coffee and met with people he did not know the village. We sit in our bus and expect it to be full-go. In Chimaltenango we find Ita spend another day or two with it before continuing our journey. We arrive early afternoon in Chimaltenango and we pay the internet cafe until that IT is returned home. Unfortunately there is a general power failure throughout Guatemala, estimated duration between one and four hours. We take this opportunity to walk around the city. We visit a great supermarket, to appreciate the best we approach it as a contemporary art exhibition. At least the museum is free and keeps us safe from the rain. After this wonderful e xposition we go to the market where the atmosphere is much more fun despite the lack of lighting. We return to the internet cafe and find Julio's friend Tim, who invites us to come and drink coffee until the electricity comes back. We walk through the backyard, then in the family room where he presents his family, everyone here lives under the same roof of the great-grand-mother to son. In talking we learn that he is the manager of the shop, it's a traveler during a long, he lived in the United States, that the blackout was nothing exceptional and the Government working with Mexico to lay new lines to avoid such problems in the years to come. Time is running power is restored and we connect Ita call to offer him to join us when she has finished its job and we find a nice little restaurant for our last night is that we invite. To twenty hours, she arrives with friends, we went to the restaurant of their choice ... MacDonalds. It was a long time since we were not out with friends in a fast-food restaurant.
