Help with permaculture garden, vegetarian cooking, and community exchange in the mountains of Mexico, Zacatlan

Infos

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  Description

  There are 4 of us. My name is Ana, I'm a 31-year-old web designer with a great passion for writing and traveling. My partner Julian (37 y.o.) is studying Human Rights and leading the cultural project in a charming Mexican village nearby. His 7 yo son Oliver, is a very smart and active kiddo who wants to play all the time. And finally, Yaki, our lovely but absolutely crazy one-year-old puppy.
  
  We are living on a little farm, surrounded by fields, just 4 km away from the magic town Zacatlan de las Mansanas in the mountains of Mexico. Following our dream of natural living off the grid, we moved out of Mexico City a year ago. However, due to a lack of experience and time, we quickly realized that on this exciting but challenging journey, we needed assistance.
  
  Therefore, we are looking for folks who can help us in 4 major areas. For gardening and growing food in a permaculture system (including artists or those with construction or Adobe skills). For help with cooking vegetarian or vegan meals. For help with the child. And for help in the cultural center with a variety of tasks, from organizing events to participating in them (for example, cleaning up the forest).
  
  If you have experience in one or more of these areas and a sincere desire to help, you are very welcome! One of our dreams for the future is to live in a community, and we would be happy to practice it together with you!

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Projets artistiques

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Enseignement

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  Aide dans une ferme

  Baby-sitting et jeux créatifs

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille
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  Objectifs de développement durable de l’ONU que cet hôte essaie d'atteindre

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  Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  If you are a nature lover this place is just for you. Zacatlan is all about astonishing nature. For instance, a five-minute walk from our home takes you to a gorge with breathtaking views where you can hike. In the opposite direction, just a 10-minute walk away, there's a scenic spot reminiscent of Miyazaki films, with a forest river and and hidden waterfall where I often go to work. Another waterfall, Tuliman (a bit touristy but still peaceful), is a 15-minute drive from us, with a trail through the forest leading to it. My other favorite place, a half-hour drive from here, is Piedras Encimadas, a large park with ancient volcanic rocks. It's perfect for picnics, horseback riding, and simply exploring its vast area. The town of Zacatlan itself is also lovely. It is like something out of the movie "Coco": a colonial village with narrow streets and tiled roofs, where so delightful to stroll through its historic center, admire Mexico's largest mosaic stretching along an entire street, wander through the crafts market along the gorge, and grab a bite at one of the cafes with a view.
  
  Besides, we offer a great opportunity for those who aren't fond of superficial adventures but seek deep cultural experiences to live real life in rural Mexico, exchange with the local community, and practice Spanish in authentic settings.

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  Projets impliquant des enfants

  Ce projet peut impliquer des enfants. Pour en savoir plus, consultez nos directives et conseils ici.

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  Aide

  Gardening
  
  We need someone on our team with experience in permaculture to teach us how to grow our food, tend our garden, and connect with the small piece of land we rent. There are also plans to paint the boring gray walls of the farm with murals and make some simple construction works, including Adobe. So artists and people with Adobe skills are also welcome.
  
  Cooking
  
  We are vegetarians with a modest set of recipes and a passionate desire to learn new ones. We have also dreamed of switching to veganism for quite a while. But the complexity of this system and maintaining the body in balance on a plant-based diet, I admit, scares us a little. So if you are a conscious and educated vegan and are eager to convert three more inhabitants of the planet to your faith, we are waiting for you.
  
  If you are a vegetarian like us, but with a large stock of recipes, we are also happy to host you. By the way, we have chickens and organic eggs every day.
  
  Child care
  
  We have a very active child. If you're a fan of children and play with them with the same enthusiasm, and can also come up with educational and creative activities, our Oliver (and his tired parents) will be super happy to meet you. Oh yes, we are also open to hosting travelers with kids.
  
  Help at the cultural center
  
  A few months ago, my partner Julian opened a cultural yoga center in the village of Tomatlán, within walking distance of our home. Along with yoga classes, they offer piano, singing, drawing, theater, cinema, and English courses, mainly for children. Besides, Julian is always open to organizing new activities and masterclasses. So if you have something to share with the children of the village (perhaps you are an artist, or a musician, or ready to give a lesson in vegetarian cooking) and dream of contributing to young minds, you will be a great help for the village and personally for us. Adult villages are also open to new things, so if you want to raise serious issues that you have experience in (for example, educating local farmers, about how harmful chemicals can be, or organizing a plastic cleanup from a river), we are always happy to listen to your ideas.
  
  By the way, as our guest, you gonna have full access to all the activities of the cultural center.

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  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant
  Espagnol: Courant
  Russe: Courant

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  Cet hôte a indiqué qu’il souhaitait faire partager sa propre langue ou en apprendre une nouvelle.
  Contactez-le pour en savoir plus.
  
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  Hébergement

  We offer a spare room in our house, which we normally use as an office. It is not very large, but is located on the sunny side of the house and has a window overlooking the garden (just be ready for roosters in the morning). We currently only have a couple of air mattresses, but if you are looking for more comfort, we are open to discussing buying a regular mattress for you.
  
  If you like to live in your tent, we can offer you a place in the garden. Just remember that this is a mountainous area and it gets a little cooler at night. For this reason, we installed a fireplace in the house for the winter season (and cozy evenings at any time of the year).

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  Autres infos...

  We have fast internet, which allows us to work remotely (60 Mbps Wifi and also 4G). The only thing is that the electricity is sometimes cut off, but this does not happen often (maybe once or twice a month). In this case, you can use the Internet at the cultural center. We don’t mind if you also work remotely in parallel with volunteering if it does not interfere with the second one.
  
  We are non-drinking vegetarians, so we do not welcome meat or alcohol in our home. But if you need it, we can recommend good restaurants near us and in Zacatlán.
  
  We eat usually 2 times a day but feel free to use the kitchen any time you need.
  
  You can get to Zacatlán from Mexico City by bus from Central de Autobuses del Norte. The trip takes 3 hours.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads

  Cet hôte a indiqué qu’il aimait accueillir les digital nomads.

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  Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux

  Cet hôte a dit qu’il acceptait les personnes voyageant avec un animal.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Deux

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  Nombre d'heures attendues

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