The word Juluchuca is said to mean the “mouth of a gourd.”  This makes sense from a geographic point of view since the town is located at the mouth of a small watershed of the Juluchuca River, and both the river and the gourd contain water.

In Mexico workers have used the Gourd since pre-Hispanic times to hold water while they’re out in the fields. It keeps the water very fresh even if it stays under direct sun.  At Playa Viva, my Permacutlure work involves constantly thinking about how the strengthen the human connection with nature and our environment.  

For the Permaculture crew, that means returning to the old way of carrying water.  While they used to carry disposable plastic bottles, we have now returned to the old way of using gourds.  Getting the workers to like and feel proud of their gourds is a small, but solid step to living closer to the earth.