Eco-conscious project and the magic of nature in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico

Details

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  Description

  Hello, we are Benita (German) and Alejandro (Mexican) and Solkin, our lovely Dog (Xoloitzcuintle). We are at the beginning to create an eco-friendly project in the mountains of Chiapas, around 40 minutes to the south of San Cristobal de las Casas. We love to be in nature, learn from mother earth and live in harmony with her. A lot of the things we are doing now we are still learning and we love the process of it!
  
  Our land is near an indigenous community and completely in nature. We are surrounded by many different trees, medicinal plants, the sacred mountains and clean air to breathe. We are 400m below San Cristobal, so the clima is milder than in the town. In the future we will have some small cabañas, a temple for Yoga, meditation and ceremonies, a bio-swimmingpool and of course lots of fruits and vegetables. We want this place to be an oasis in which you can connect to nature, to other people and to yourself. It will be a playground to do things that make the life more beautiful like creating, retreats, concerts, workshops, being in silence or laughing together and much more. At the moment we are building our first tiny house and a dry toilet with wood, earth, straw and pine-needles and other technics of bioconstruction. We have 2 workers from the indigenous community that are helping us to build and care for the plants. And we also have a bioconstructor who is twice a week at out land to support us and supervise our progress.
  
  As the infrastructure is not ready yet to live there completely we still live in a house in San Cristobal where we also rent out two rooms. We are at the land mostly 5 days a week, sometimes we go back in the evening sometimes we camp there. The weekends we spend in San Cristobal organizing the other parts or our life :)
  
  We are looking fo people who want to participate, learn and help for short or long-time. We appreciate very much people that are taking the initiative for getting things done or bringing their ideas in. We are happy to meet people that have already skills in bioconstuction or permaculture. If you don't have experience don't worry, we can teach you some new skills!
  
  We like to share our space with peolpe that have the same values in sharing a community lifesyle, sharing experiences and listening to each other, treating each other with respect and love and learn from each other.
  
  Feel welcome if you resonate with our values and ideas!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Hospitality/Tourism

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  You will be in a magical place in nature and have the possibility to connect deeper to mother earth and to yourself. You will experience the life in the mountains in Chiapas, you can connect to the indeginous community and have long walks in nature and seeing beautiful sunrises and sunsets. We share a good environment and the food (vegan and vegetarian options), enjoying a campfire with cacao or songs, exchanging experiences and learning from each other.
  You can learn different things depending on the work we have. At the moment we are making the walls out of bahareque and pajarsilla, later we need to put different finishings on the walls. This are all ancient technics of bio construction. You can also learn about the plants, the weather conditions, watersystems, life in the mountains, and much much more. We are learning everyday out there and for sure you will do it too!

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  Help

  At the moment we need mostly help in the construction and gardening. Making the walls out of clay and other materials, working with wood, making new plantbeds and ponds to catch water and take care of the trees, vegetables and other plants. But there are also lots of other things to do like installing a watersystem, collecting firewood, carpentry (making furniture), preparing nice camping spaces with platforms, and some more.
  We also welcome artists that would like to be creative in our forest building sculptures or other things out of natural materials.
  
  We would ask for 4-5hrs of help per day from the volunteers.
  
  It would be nice if you would have some experience in permaculture, construction or carpentry, but it's not mandatory. It is important that you are open minded, willing to learn and that you like the outdoors and a rustic lifestyle.

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  Languages spoken

  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent
  French: Intermediate
  Italian: Intermediate

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  Accommodation

  For now it's still rustic - you will have to sleep in a tent. The best would be if you have your camping equipment, if not please let us know and we will provide it. In the nights its getting fresh, but by far not that cold like in San Cristobal de las Casas. There is rainwater to clean, but not a shower. So far we don't have electricity and at the moment we have a hole instead of a toilet - so there is a lot to improve, that's why we need help :)
  From Monday to Friday we are always at the land during the day, we sleep usually a few nights there. So if there would be no other volunteer during your stay you will sleep alone at the land some nights and you would be alone the weekends. It's safe and magic out there, you just have to enjoy this opportunity to connect that deeply to nature.
  
  We will provide a breakfast and a hot meal per working day and fruits. Sometimes we cook, sometimes you will have to cook yourself or we cook together.
  
  We are a new project and we would like to figure out together with you how we can make the stay for all of us an unforgettable beautiful experience.

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  What else ...

  We care for nature and for water and we expect this from you as well. And we like to have a good and open communication about what ever might be important. We are respectful people and we expect the same of you.
  
  Chiapas is a very beautiful place with a lot of wild nature, waterfalls, rivers, archeological places, jungle and much more. You could also go on trips the weekends during your stay. We will help you to find the good options.
  
  This is also a place for people that want to be in nature but in the same time have nearby a beautiful town where you can find a lot of culture, good food, shopping possibilities and more.
  
  If you want to leave to town alone: There is no public transportation to the land. There is a collective going to another community up the mountain, to walk it's around 60 minutes up. Then the collectivo is going to the city for 8 pesos. Or you take a Taxi, it's around 250 pesos.
  
  At the land there are a few spots where you get signal, but still it is a place for a digital detox.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Space for parking camper vans

  At our land you have enough space to park a campervan. You can choose your place to rest and park in three hectares of private forest. We don't have a 4 by 4 car and its working very well :)

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  Can possibly accept pets

  This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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