Cathy and Jim outside their home.

Day 18, Part B: After "La Mesita," we had a fantastic lunch at Jim and Cathy's beautiful home, with shady porches on two sides. The house is a model of energy conservation with cisterns and dry compost toilets. Cathy runs a small organic lettuce (with nasturtium flowers) business that employs several locals. She has also organized a women's collective that produces foods from amaranth. We had something very tasty that I could only describe as an amaranth pretzel.

Cathy's organic lettuce (and other greens) patch. The shade coverings are necessary to protect the greens from the intense Oaxacan sun.

Lunch included organic salad (and nasturtium flower) salad and amaranth tamales.