Parque Chimiya at San Juan Comalapa
Housing at Chimya

Chuwi Tinamit built the three housing structures in Parque Chimiyá shortly after purchasing the property, before there even was a park to speak of. When Long Way Home got to Guatemala to start working on the park’s construction, the housing areas were the first to be addressed. The cinderblock house was in need of a complete overhaul, including installing doors, windows, plumbing for a shower and bathroom, pouring a concrete patio space to hold meetings, building a fence with found wood to enclose the building, installing a water deposit and rain water catchment system, and finally landscaping the area around the house that also serves as the park’s entrance.

Once the staff was comfortably living in the main house, the next activity undertaken was the renovation of the two adobe cabins that would provide lodging for Long Way Home volunteers. Near these cabins, project staff built a temascal, or small adobe steam room, a toolshed, solar shower and composting latrine and installed a solar panel, landscaped the area, and fenced it in with local bamboo for improved security.

The view of the valley is amazing from these cabañas, and over time they became used as staff housing and office space, while the main cinderblock house is now used for volunteer housing. Thanks to the presence of a spring on the property and a collaborative project with Engineers Without Borders of Minnesota, all the housing structures now have reliable water and electricity.

The house at Chimiya was built when the property was purchased in 1989. Getting the house to the point that it can be lived in has been an ongoing process.The House serves not only as a cheap affordable living situation for interns , volunteers or staff, but it also provides an structure for housing materials and hosting language courses, appropriate technology demonstrations, or other educational activities, as well as serving as a meeting place for the community.

Dimensions of the House

The cement foundation is 38' by 27'. The kitchen is 13' by 15'. My room is 15' by 14'. Rick's room is 11.5' by 14'. Destiny's room is 14' by 10'. The bodega is 8' by 15'. The patio area is 21' by 13'. The ceiling is 9' at its lowest point and rises with a 15 degree pitch and then to a 35 degree pitch

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