If I know of any cafeteria, it is the cafeteria of the Unidad Médico Docente Las Garzas, called Artes y guarapos. For those who do not speak Spanish and do not belong to the Latin American culture, it may be necessary to explain this name: the word arts in plural has two immediate meanings. One refers to the arts as the manifestations of aesthetic sensibility, such as painting, music, or theater. The other refers to the occult arts,that is, to sorcery, which usually uses concoctions.
In the Venezuelan context,the word guarapo, besides referring to a concoction that can perfectly be an infusion of plants that is taken for taste or for medicinal purposes, can also be a magical concoction. But, very important for the purpose of this post, in Venezuela a guarapo is also a clear brewed coffee which is also known as guayoyo, and it is one of the most consumed coffees in Venezuela apart from the negrito cerrero.
The name of this coffee shop plays with a certain humor not only in its position with the scientific area, since it is inside a medical unit, but also plays a little with a term that may eventually refer to alternative medicine or plants as adjuvants in health.
Herbal healers prescribe guarapos, but it is also known that the consumption of infusions and juices regularly is very advisable to maintain a healthy balance.
And here, in this selfie, is me, enjoying the most refreshing f'rio de jamaica tea with fruits in the world. Happy to be at the nursery on the terrace of the Unidad Medico Docente Las Garzas. A social space that sometimes functions as an extension of the cafeteria, when outdoor lunches or events are offered.
Having said that, let's talk about my history in relation to this particular coffee and how I got to know them so well.
It is a story of plants and art.
A few days ago I visited with my father the Unidad Medico Docente Las Garzas and, of course, we had coffee. We both had cappuccinos in pretty, colorful cups.
These are cups with green motifs, and many things here revolve around nature, green plants and natural environments. In fact, it was here that I first heard from Dr. Benito Rodriguez that health is not only the absence of disease, but the balance of our mind, emotions and body in the environment we inhabit. It is a balance between all factors. If one is wrong, the balance is broken.
By the way, Dr. Benito is a great promoter of healthy coffee consumption.
Every time I go Artes y guarapos my eyes are distracted by the many things they have to offer: not only snacks to go with the coffees and juices but also an offer of handicrafts that are made in the same unit.
You can see in this photo the stained glass window above. I made the design from the elements indicated by Dr. Rodriguez, Director of the Unit.
The medical unit where the coffee Artes y guarapos is located is an institution that manages a concept of sustainability. Its building is designed to make optimal use of energy and to manage its resources with a very low impact on the environment. It has a beautiful area on the terrace where you can consume tea and healthy juices but also people have the opportunity to take an educational tour of its nursery. And on that terrace, besides being an extraordinarily pleasant place to share, there is a small unit of handicraft elaboration with natural fibers.
In this photo, I present an aerial view of the Unidad Medico Docente Las Garzas. There you can see the nursery on the rooftop.
And I know this place very well because a few years ago I was very involved in the establishment of that handicraft unit. A very beautiful project that was carried out there was to have woven all the chairs in the auditoriums and the terrace with rush and a fiber that is grown in the gardens of the unit: vetiver.
It was not only a design based on recycling, reuse, and waste reduction experience but also a weaving experience in these fibers.
The vetiver is grown in the back area of the Unit and processed in the space destined for handicrafts.
I perfected my weaving techniques and together with another woman, my dearest Petra, we wove the 56 chairs that make up this furniture.
In this team photo you can see in second place from left to right the incredible Petra, artisan weaver, and, wearing a brown sweater, Chicha, lawyer and owner of Artes y Guarapos. This photo is courtesy of UMDLG.
The project included many other handicraft experiences, but I will tell you about them another time because this post would be too long.
Suffice it to say that every time I go to the medical unit and enjoy its facilities I feel deeply proud to have been part of a little piece of its history and its constitution, because I think it is a beautiful project and that they are doing an extraordinary job in favor of good eco-social practices.
Here the celebration was just beginning. Afterwards, I didn't remember to take another picture. There are cherished faces here.
This time I visited the facilities not as a participant of the project but as a visitor and as a friend and family of those who are in charge. It was very hot and I had the luxury of drinking this refreshing Jamaican tea with tropical fruits, a delight.
A hibiscus tea to remember, sweetened with a little honey and tropical fruits under a beautiful light.
And enjoy the beautiful color of the plants and the aroma of the different herbs that are grown there. The aroma of life.
