I remember being captivated by the peculiar appearance of the Dziu bird, which, according to Mayan legends, looks the way it does because it saved the maize seed from a fire. Yesterday, the elders of the region told me about other important beings: the tolok, the majestic jaguar, and the Tho bird, messenger of the gods, who with its song carries the wishes of mortals to the divine.

Today I traveled to Maní to visit the Lool-Há meliponary, where a group of women is dedicated to rescuing and preserving melipona bees. These magnificent Xunan Kab, as they are known by the locals, produce honey that is considered food, medicine, and a sacred link to the divine.

I was deeply moved. Perhaps it was listening to the stories Doña Elisa shared—about her connection with her chichi, her grandmother—who revealed to her the true purpose of her life: to care for and admire these bees. These stories, some told in Maya and filled with meaning, were an inspiring prelude to everything that awaited me in Maní.