Yesterday we visited the Museo de Medicina Maya. Medicine made from plants. The Museo is dedicated to the idea that the plants cultivated and employed medicinally by the indigenous people are an important and irreplaceable part of the area's biodiversity and are worth preserving. These plants have provided the source material for many modern drugs and continue to be employed by the descendants of the Maya (and others) for curative purposes. And now Monsanto has purchased a local seed supplier and made lots of money subsequently with their Roundup-Ready, genetically modified seeds. Farmers who buy these seeds have to promise not to save them and not to plant any other seeds, thus destroying thousands of years of seed saving and interfering with the area's biodiversity. Bad.
The Museum has displays depicting the daily life of the Maya. Here is childbirth, Maya style: father at the left, midwife at the right. Better than lying flat on a table, don't you think?
There is an extensive garden with labeled plants and their uses. The garden could use a little Pete and Donna attention:
A place to sweat:
A composting toilet:
There is also a pharmacy which sells potions made from the plants. We bought a liquid for "general debility." I'll let you know how it works.
Happy Gracias Dia!
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