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Sunday, February 17, 2008

And another day is gone. Today wasn’t as relaxing as Saturday but it was just as great. I woke up around 9am and it was a beautiful day outside. I went and laid in the hammock for about an hour reading and then went on a morning walk with Mike, one of the other volunteers. We walked around Cusmapa and then went to the highest point in town to overlook the mountains.



The evening before was eventful. After making our homemade calzones we played some yatzee and then proceeded to dress up as pirates. There are some pictures included in this blog. As you can tell some of us could look like men if we had the correct hormones.




The other two volunteers visiting, Kate & Mike, went back to Somoto today. I joined them on the bus. I was able to get off in El Cipion, the community just before Quebrada Honda. (The community I was living in last year) I hiked up to my old community. It took me about thirty minutes to get there and I enjoyed every second of. The walk is surrounded with mountains and trees. I am really not into nature very much but I am into being able to go on a walk and not seeing/hearing a car or a cell phone. What did amaze me was that I was able to see the new cell phone tower that was just recently placed in Cusmapa. Yes, there is cell phone service here now this adds to the wireless Internet service but the town is still lacking clean water! I hope you are saying to yourself seriously? I am very serious! =D

As I made my way up the mountain I was just about to reach the highest point before it drops into the town. I ran into this woman who was taking her time getting up the mountain. She was very old and was using a walking cane. I couldn’t just pass her by and not say hello. Well a gracious hello turned into a long conversation about where I was from, where I was going and what I was doing in Nicaragua. Just as a reminder, I don’t speak Spanish very well! The other side of the mountain was in sight and as I came over it I was greeted with Hola Estefania! There is a woman who I would visit almost every day she was always very gracious. I have a great photograph of her going in to my upcoming show. It turns out; She was wearing the exact same dress that she was in, in the photograph in my show. I sat with her and her daughter and their grandchildren on their front porch for about 15 minutes. I then explained to them that I would be back for a couple of days later in the week. As I ventured down the road I ran into some of my students who recognized me and others who didn’t. I got to the end of the main road, that dead ends into some houses. My friend Trino and his family lives there. He was my next stop. I had a nice conversation with him in his living room. He allowed me to sit in the chair and hey sat on some bags filled with fertilizer. I am not sure why he has fertilizer but if I re-call correctly, that is what the bag said. After seeing Trino I traveled to Melvin and Ena’s house. Both work at the school and I was able to become very good friends with them during my first visit. Their son Sammy was there, he is about six years old now. Him and I went on a walk up to Bayardo’s house. Bayardo is the director of the oratorio in Quebrada Honda. I was then able to sit and visit with Bayardo in front of the school and chat about what is new in QH. It was a very shot visit but so wonderful to see all of my old friends. I am returning to stay with them all for about 2 full days. It isn’t enough time but it will be sufficient.

Bienviendo Estafania a Nicaragua!

In a world that seems to be standing so still many changes take place in this barren environment. With a third of my trip over already I am taking in the sunshine during the day while watching the clouds pass in sky. The nights are very cold here in Cusmapa. I am happy to report I am staying in a very nice place and surrounded by wonderful people! The bed I am sleeping in doesn’t slope and the toilet is indoors and flushes 98% of the time. Coming back into this lifestyle has been a struggle. I find myself extremely overcautious about the hygiene of the facilities around me! Unfortunately, that will make a person crazy in this place!

I arrived Thursday evening. I left 19-degree weather in Colorado and ended up in 82-degree weather with about 70% humidity in Managua. To say the least, I was sweating my butt off. That evening I stayed with Dona Helena, she is the Director of the English program for Fabretto. She lives in a small apartment in Managua. There is no air conditioning and barely any water! I was so hot when my flight landed that I asked to take a shower right away. A cold shower had never felt so incredible!! As I laid down that evening it was only 10pm, 9pm Colorado- After all of that traveling I was wide awake! Fortunately, I was able to watch some TV and cool off with a fan blowing on me. The next morning I was reminded of how awful Managua is. It was 730 am and I swear it was already 90 degrees! When my computer told me it was only 78 degrees I wanted to get out of that city as soon as possible. To my surprise my friend Callie has come to Managua to a meeting and was able to meet me at the Fabretto Headquarters in Managua. I am grateful for this because Fabretto wasn’t taking another vehicle up north until Monday and I’ll be damned if I was going to stay in that heat!!



Callie arrived with her boyfriend and I was overcome with joy to see her! We then headed to the bus stop. I put my luggage underneath the bus and we got on the first bus from Managua to Somoto. This bus ride was going to take about 3.5 hours- No problem! It was a nice bus and my luggage was in a safe place! We arrived in Somoto at about 3:00 and had an hour until our next bus from Somoto to Cusmapa. We decided to go into a restaurant. I went to use the restroom, when I came out to the sink was taken by a Nicaraguan male. He asked me what my name was and then grabbed my hand. While I was trying to make a run for it he kept getting closer and closer and closer! He was speaking to me in Spanish, I don’t speak Spanish well enough to understand what he was saying and then I heard me gusta a ti and I am sure my eyes got really big then he said something else and the encanta came out. Encanta means love. I wish I could speak Spanish really well. I would of replied with “Love me? Are you kidding? You don’t even know me!!” He then followed me to our table and sat with us for a while. Callie was able to talk to him a little bit. He sat with us until we left and kept telling Callie that I should stay in Nica longer. I can’t say I am not flattered by it- But give me a break. Us ladies we always want prince charming to come running towards us, push us against a wall and say I am in love with you. This is not what I had pictured that situation ever looking like! We left the restaurant and went to get on the next bus. This bus, we knew, was going to be hell. The road from Somoto is all dirt with large rocks in the road! From Somoto to the base of the community I was living in last year it is only 21km. It usually takes over an hour to get there. Lucky for us- it took almost two and a half to get there! We finally arrived in Cusmapa at about 8pm that night. Why did it take us that long you ask? As we left Somoto we stopped at almost every block to pick up more people to take to Cusmapa. The bus was packed people standing in the isles and sitting on top of the bus. My luggage was on top of the bus and when we arrived at Callie’s house I started to unpack. Unfortunately, I found that my tennis shoes, a pair of flip-flops and the pump for my exercise ball had been stolen! YES! MY SHOES WERE GONE!! Luckily, I was carrying another pair of hiking shoes with me so I have something to climb through the mountains with. I couldn’t believe it! I will assume that whoever has them needs them more than I do. Seeing, as they were my old tennis shoes.



Today was very relaxing. It warmed up at about noon. I laid in my friend’s hammock and read a large majority of The Kite Runner, the book I am currently reading. It’s a sad book- That is just a side note- I am not sure if I will be able to finish it here due to it’s constant lack for anything happy happening in it! Y que mas? There are two other voluntaries en Cusmapa this weekend! Kate and Mike. Tonight we are making Calzones for dinner. I will have to get back to you on how they turn out. We were able to go and watch the sunset this evening and just finished a dance party with four of Callie and Lauren’s students. They are some crazy kiddos! Callie and Lauren made a book of photographs for a local family in town. We delivered those photos this evening. The family has 5 children. They use to have 6 but lost one of their boys to a bad injection. Yes, a bad shot took a child’s life! The family lives in a house with one bedroom, a living room and a kitchen. I assume the restroom is outdoors. The father of the family is around all of the time. This is very rare for Nicaraguan husbands and fathers. When we arrived the entire family gathered around to enjoy the photographs. They only had a few photographs of their children before but now will be able to share these photographs for years to come!



Tomorrow I am going to travel down the mountain to visit Quebrada Honda, the town I was living in last year. I hope to visit for the afternoon and join them for Mass in Las Sabanas. Then back on the bus! ARG!

I hope to travel to one of the extreme rural communities with Lauren on Monday. Lauren is one of my dear friends from high school who moved here last September. After Monday, I hope to return to Quebrada Honda and stay the night for one or two nights- I will then have one more night here in Cusmapa. Then, I will head down to Esteli with Callie and Lauren for a weekend there! Next Sunday, I will be returning to Managua and have the chance to make a trip to the city dump where over 3,000 people live.

Stay tuned for more…