Carrot Farmers, Northern Guatemalan Mountains

Carrot Farmers, Northern Guatemalan Mountains

Olympus OM camera, 24mm f2.8 Zuiko lens, Fujichrome 100 film

(Click to enlarge)

 

In March of 1989 I was sent to document the return of the village people of northern Guatemala to their homes after being displaced by fighting between the army and Communist guerillas.

We spent two days and a night in the village of Mayalan. Nobody told me to bring a sleeping bag and I spent the coldest night of my life on a wooden bench in the little church. A March night at 8,000 feet is no joke, and since the church was built of vertical poles lashed together, the wind blew right through. Morning did come eventually, though, and since I had no incentive to stay in bed I went out in the early light and was able to make some good pictures of the village awakening.

Returning through the mountains to Guatemala City, we came upon these carrot farmers. They grew their carrots in the valley below and carried bundles of them on their backs up to road to sell.

Returning to Chattanooga some days later, I was met at the airport, not by Louise, but by our friend Ann Lundy.

"Where's Louise?"

"She's at the hospital. She's had an accident."

"What!? What happened?"

On her way to the airport, Louise had run off the road and rolled her little Bronco II end over end. I found her in the hospital's x-ray room being checked out. She was a bit banged up, but nothing was broken. Not so, the Bronco. It was totaled.

Pretty much the way I felt.

Photograph and text copyright 2021, David B.Jenkins

I post each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.

Soli Gloria Deo

For the glory of God alone

Tag Cloud: Dave Jenkins, photography, film photography, Olympus OM camera, Zuiko lenses, Fujichrome film, Guatemala