Portraits of a week in the village

Just another typical week in the village, so I thought I'd share the week in sepia for a change.

On the way to El Jocote, we pass many highway towns, some with roadside fruit stands, one that only sells firewood, and our favorite that sells honey in recycled rum bottles. Richard grabbed a bottle for his upcoming return to the US:
After building two last improved cookstoves with Richard, we assisted with another set of solar irrigation projects with a group from the Oregon Institute of Technology:

We also tied their irrigation tank into the houses to bring their well water to their kitchen tap. The women carried their last buckets of water to the house in good humor (photo credits to Julie):
After getting the group started, Kate and I continued with some rounds of talking with families about projects. As the schoolteachers left town for a meeting, the kids ended up accompanying us instead of going to school:
Jocotes are ripening. The namesake of the town, this strange tree, leafless this time of year, sprouts green-turning-yellow fruit that the kids spend their days knocking down with sticks:
Faces sticky, pockets bulging with fruit, everywhere they are eating these little fruits and offering them to us as we walk through town.
Many families ask us to take pictures of their kids, since most of them don't have cameras available. They pose for us, but sometimes the unplanned moments are irresistible.
This family portrait included a portrait of the baby sister who passed away. We talked with a lot of people who have been through a lot of difficulties, but they all have such a peaceful happiness that makes us love to be there.
Our young guides, meanwhile, found a miniature chair to cuddle up in:
And later spent the afternoon singing and swinging on a hammock:
In true Easter fashion, there were baby animals everywhere, from chicks to puppies to piglets. Kati showed us the new delivery at her house that day:
And last but not least, I got to try my hand at riding a mule:
We came back to the city for some shopping and a volcano tour with the group, and we are heading back to the village tomorrow to spend the holy week and Easter with our people. See you back in this backwards modern world in a week or so!