Imagine a town surrounded by mountains of lush green highlands, plateaus, valleys of waterfalls and caves that break through a base of clouds. That is what you can expect from Cuispes. The main attraction of Cuispes is the nearby Yumbilla Falls, the fifth tallest waterfall in the world at 895m tall. As you look to the East, the Earth rises drastically along a heavily forested series of rock walls where you will easily find the waterfalls Chinata and Pabellon. Both of these falls cascade down the rock faces from the peaks like natural faucets enriching the Earth and towns below. The district itself ranges from 1000 m to 1690 m above sea level (3281 ft to 5545 ft for the non-metrified). 

Cuispes is a town where everybody knows each other and as a newcomer to this town, it will only take a few days to be warmly welcomed by most of families that reside here. For instance, one of the days I was here I was invited to the molienda to share time with some of the families here preparing Guarapo and candy for the town festival in October. These families have been here for generations stemming back at least a century, working the land and developing Cuispes. As you get to know everyone, you will find a degree of community rare to most parts. There are no markets or grocery stores here, except for a couple corner store bodegas which is no more than a living room in a family home with a small assortment of snacks and drinks for sale. Food is mostly given, traded, or bought from your neighbors. My favorite was Lily’s home made breads… this was by far the best bread I have ever had. The main square consists of the church, a nurses station, and a hotel run by Etilda with a restaurant and the only place in town where I can buy a bottle of wine. Etilda also has a beautiful Orchard garden inside her establishment.

On my first day here I was walking along town and was greeted by Señora Esperanza who invited me to take a tour of her gardens and fields. She showed us all the sweet lemon trees and mandarin trees in her fields. The lemons from her tree were a type I have never seen before but the flavor from the juice of these lemons was more sweet than tart, even more flavorful the Japanese Meyer Lemons. The lemons went perfectly with the abundance of avocado I ate while here. Her flower garden was lovely and well tended. It was obvious she took pride in her flower garden and cut us a pink alcatraz flower from her garden. She also cut down a bunch of bananas that were ready to eat and handed the whole bunch to us. While talking to her she revealed she is 84 years old and told us some of her story… however, the most astonishing part about her was how youthful she was at her age. This town had so many elders in the town that had been here their whole lives and live well into their 90’s without the need for a walker, assistance, or even supervision.

During my time here I found a connection between Earth and community where the fabric of both intertwine. There was trust that both the community and the Earth would provide so nobody was left behind. I could very well see myself as becoming a part of this community one day and feel honored to be part of something so rich in culture and purpose. Some of the great people I met in Cuispes were Alex and his wife Lily, Richar, Marcial, Pancho, Ramon, Esnilda, Etilda, Darwin, Marcelino, Esperanza, and Rosa. I was not too sad leaving because I know I will be back here again soon.