This week Cántaro had another celebration for their 16th anniversary. They invited speakers Rafel Reygadas, Denise Soares, and Verónica Ibarra for a conversation on “Poniendo al centro el bien común.” Their different academic backgrounds brought interesting perspectives to the conversation. One thing that stuck with me was one of the speaker’s points about changing our logic and thinking (regarding water) from one of control and ownership to a collective caring for life. This includes thinking of water as beyond a resource and acknowledging that it is life itself. We also celebrated the presentation of Cántaro’s magazine “Voces del Agua,” which was authored by women and is the first volume of many more. The magazine is an initiative that aims to contribute to and democratize knowledge of the water sector in México. This way, Cántaro can also share its knowledge with organizations that do similar work.

On the weekend, us fellows went on a trip to Cascadas El Chiflón and Lagos de Montebello. The climb up to the highest waterfall (Cascada Quinceañera) is 1,268 meters! Hafsa, Melissa, and I stopped at Cascada Velo de Novia and zip-lined back down on the 600 m tirolesa. The view of the waterfall was definitely worth the hike, and I was pleased to see so many butterflies around us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lagos de Montebello was a breathtaking experience. I think the pictures can speak for themselves. We also had the opportunity to see the lake that is shared by Guatemala and México. Being so close to the Guatemala border felt surreal, and I got a 5 Quetzal bill as a souvenir. We also had the opportunity of going to the Isla de las Orquídeas in Lago Pojoj on a balsa. According to our guide, the waters get their blue-green color from a combination of the rock minerals, sea life, undercurrents, and sun ray reflection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Til the next blog!