Journey into the heart of rural Chiapas for a deeper understanding of the local people and landscapes. Discover the culture that blends ancient traditions with modern necessity. You will visit a cooperative banana plantation and the rural community that works together for the betterment of all its members. Board your air-conditioned van and travel through the Chiapas countryside to the wide, green fields of the Ejido Miguel Aleman banana farm. Your guide will acquaint you with the history of the region, its people and traditions as well as the growing and collection process of the bananas. Then travel into the town that owns and runs the banana co-op and visit the local community center or school, where you will have the chance to meet and mingle with the dedicated teachers and social workers. The community center has also implemented a program to teach the adult population how to read and write and are the only community in the area that have purchased computers so that local kids and adults can learn to use the internet and computer. Part of the proceeds of this tour will go to this community center learning program and you will be given a school kit pack containing some of the basic day to day needs of the community children. You will be able to donate the kit to one of the kids at the community center or local school. Continue your tour of the town at the local church where the priest, who is an essential part of the community, will share information with you about the local customs and way of life. After your visit, you will head out of town to the Banana Packing Plant. Here you will discover how the whole community work together to pack the bananas they all produce. All the proceeds from the sales of the bananas are distributed among each of the community members. On the way back you will get a last glimpse of life in rural Chiapas before returning to the pier.