To see what's left of the ancient splendor of the Maya, one can pay $99 US for a flight from Guatemala City to Tikal. But to shake hands with the Maya as they are today, one needs to visit a small co-op village like Chocola. They may be a far cry from the civilization builders of an earlier time, but despite the cultural turmoil and poverty they’ve been forced into, many of the ancient culture’s hallmarks still shine through. They are a resourceful, practical, and intelligent people, with a straightforward and egalitarian family, social and political structure. They prefer efficient, multi-use tools and disposable pottery. Maize and beans are still their primary staple foods. They value Jesus, a tangible, chthonic deity they can see, touch, and yell at when things go wrong. They even still love a good ballgame, although in soccer they don’t ritually sacrifice the losing team. :)

I want to go back. There are schools in Antigua that offer immersion classes in Spanish, but also in dialects of Maya, which most of the Chocolenses speak in their homes. I spoke with Jonathan and some of the other volunteers, and there's talk of organizing some sort of non-profit to help Chocola get out from under the heel of globalization. Anything will grow there, but noone will buy it.