Ultimo Dia

My roommies, Noah and Marian. Cool 19 year old couple from Seattle. They are going to work on a farm in Mexico now! They are BEYOND creative.

Joselyn. She lay in my lap asking me why I had to leave and telling me not to go...UH! So hard.

He looks sweet here. But don´t be fooled, Wilmer is a PUNK. But I kind of loved him.....

Good Ole Jerry. My morning commute here in Esteli.

Yesterday was my last day at school and my last day with GVI. Awake at 5:30 this morning(that pesky body alarm again). Wide-eyed and filled with anxious butterflies, there was no returning to sleep. I can´t believe it´s April and it´s all over.

My friend Karla, whom I met in Guatemala, just emailed me after a two months stint on the project there and a few weeks traveling with her boyfriend, ¨Leigh, just got home to Jersey last night. I thought I dreamt the past months when I woke up this morning...Missing Central America deeply...¨

I am positive I will feel similarly when finally home, but there are a few things I won´t mind leaving behind...

• The DUST! (my lungs are at capacity)
• The creative and constant cat calls of the Esteli men: ¨Hey lady! I like you cause you big laaaaady.¨
• The Carb Feasts: Forking through pasta only to find rice hiding underneath. And pulling it all together, a massive tortilla. This was a favorite dish of Honduras AND Nicaragua...lucky me ;) Needless to say, I am feeling a bit...swollen.
• The relentless flies! And other pests I feared would invade the crevices of my face while sleeping.
• The ¨hum¨of the Chicken buses and millions of motorcyles puffing out clouds of healthy black air.
• The dodgy modes of transportation. Old, jam-packed school buses discarded from the U.S. for not meeting appropriate safety standards. Riding up a steep and swervy mountain in the back of a pick up truck with a man that was driving STICK shift with one arm...the other was in a cast.
• Cold showers.
• NO showers.
• The slow fickle internet and worthless phone booths, and with that ineffectively communicating (sending my mother into a 3-month frenzy)
• Central American Time. The time committment thing here is rarely respected.
• Toilet paper in the bin NEXT to the toilet....not IN please.
• Toilets without seats.
• The invasion of personal space. I will be SO happy to get that back....

But with those few little complaints, the things I will surely miss outweigh them all.

• Children´s laughter.
• The children themselves.
• Little hands all over me.
• The AMAZING endless supply of fruit! Best I´ve ever had.
• The weather.
• Chocositas and Chokies (my favorite cookies).
• Three homecooked meals daily.
• The Batidos, Liquados, Bebidas (basically fruit smoothies).
• The simplicity of life here.
• Never needing or wanting.
• The beauty. Especially the gorgeous city of Antigua and the lush landscape of Honduras.
• Seeing stars....every night.
• The freedom.
• Getting CUSTOM-made cowboy boots in 4 days and paying hardly anything for them.
• Life sans anxiety.
• Never rushing.
• Feeling well-rested and exhausted at the same time.

I leave Esteli in 3 hours and head to Managua for the night. I fly out at 6:30AM to meet mi novio in Belize. I have so much to do before heading out, that my final post (well maybe one more, reflecting) will end here (though there is SO much more to write!) I must give my house mother a gift, buy cigars, take more pictures, meet Marian for one last Frozen Mocha, and try TRY to zip my bag.

Adios!!

Just Writing...

25, de Marzo...

Back in December, my smart friend Claire sent me a sleu of quotes with instructions to pack them in my notebook along with a glue stick for my trip. She said that if I was ever stuck, lonely, or needing some encouraging words to glue one of these simple quotations into my journal and go from there.

Well. I´m stuck.

I snuck into the tiny pocket of my journal this afternoon and pulled out the below pre-cut quote and glued it onto the next blank page. Turned my iPod on shuffle and started to write....

¨We are spiritual beings learning to be human. Our only task in this world is to know who we are and carry that into the world in service. Answer the question: ¨To what have I been called?¨

(Oddly enough, the song my iPod landed on was, Human by The Killers.)

I have been quite unmotivated here in Esteli. Unmotivated in the school. Unmotivated in my Spanish lessons. Unmotivated to write or even capture my life here with my camera (my favorite pastime). When I go to write...I feel I am just writing...not telling any sort of story or painting any sort of picture for those that read this simple little blog.

But why?

Maybe it´s because I am close to the end...and I am looking to the future instead of focusing on the here and now. I am SO excited to hit Belize and re-visit Guatemala con mi novio in a few days. I hope to visit my class in Santa Maria and possibly roast marshmellows over lava on the top of that Volcano I never got around to hiking....

Or maybe it is my location?

I find myself often describing the lack of beauty that surrounds us here in Esteli. The loud cars, motorbikes, the hooting and hollering from EVERY male member in this dusty city when a woman walks by.

Or maybe it´s the project?

The school is so disorganized right now. Being a brand new school, the walls are still going up and the floor is under constuction. We have been conducting class at a farm close by. The space is huge, but this makes for a playroom type feel, rather than a classroom type atmosphere. The children pick up their tiny plastic tables and chairs and move themselves about the open space all day. We have been ending class early on occasion due to our not-quite-perfect setting and other things going on. I don´t feel close to the kids yet and I STILL don´t know many of their names. Unacceptable for 3 weeks on the project. Internally thinking daily: ¨Why am I here? What am I bringing to this project?¨ I know I am here to be a presence for these kids if nothing else, but when class hardly commences....it´s hard.

I feel kind of lost here....

¨Close your eyes, open your heart.¨ - The Killers, Human

29, de Marzo...

I need to focus. I have one week left here in Esteli and I am starting to freak out. I haven´t captured all the amazing murals with my camera yet. I have yet to find the perfect juice out of a bag. I have not learned all their names. I need to visit a ¨World-Class¨ Cigar Factory and get a $3 massage. I have not been dancing at the hot discotec!!

Yesterday I saw part of Esteli that had not been visible to me before. Living it.

I am sick...AGAIN. This time a bacterial infection of the throat or glands or something. Basically a heinous cough that keeps me up all night preventing me from sleeping, thus never letting my body recover. It´s an endless cycle. So, I forgoed my side-trip (every project has a side-trip included) to Miraflor, an incredible cloud forest, farm, waterfall, etc. There was lots of hiking involved and conisdering I can barely breathe as is....I didn´t think it such a fun time.

Teeta, mi casa-madre, felt sorry for me I guess (having no friends-Noah and Marian went to Managua to pick up Noah´s mother who is visiting) and asked me at breakfast if I would like to accompany her to check on her busses. She owns a very successful bus company...that consists of TWO busses. I said sure, and we set out to the bus terminal. There was exchanging of money and lots of rapid Spanish speak that I didn´t catch. Then we cruised over (listening to blaring Nicaraguan tunes) to the bus stops and waited in the car to make sure the busses were arriving on time. They did. She does this twice a day. That´s it. Great job! ¨Very flexeeeble mi job.¨

We then pulled up to what looked like a small factory. Teeta stuck her fingers out the window of the car, holding up 7, and a woman came straight to the car holding 7 tortillas. Teeta buys her tortillas here everyday. Now, off to the South Main Market. BEAUTIFUL array of fruits and vegetables. I had a HAY DAY here with my camera last week ;) We pulled up to a stand on the corner of the street, rolled down the window and were immediately handed two small bags of sliced mangos. She also comes here daily. The mangos are ridiculous here. They are just coming into season...

Next, the search for black shoes. Teeta wanted to visit Payless (yes, they have one here!). I tried on some black sandals just for fun. She says, ¨Perfect! Buy one, get one half off.¨And we head to the counter with two boxes of shoes. Ummm....wait, I don´t really want these shoes and I haven´t spent $20 on something in MONTHS. I am freaking out, but what am I to do. She is sold and next thing I know I am forking over $400 cordobas for a pair of patent leather black sandals with a kitten heel. (Mom, I got you the CUTEST shoes in Nicaragua :) EEEK! So much for those custom made cowboy boots I was hoping to splurge on...

Home for lunch and a siesta. I am really getting into the napping thing here. The heat will do it to you. Awake for no less than 10 minutes and we are off again. She is saying something about Javier, one of my 20-something year old roommates from Barcelona, and a BBQ. We park and walk into a HUGE party. Everybody is staring at us. What are we doing here??? Oh, there is Chebby (Javier´s nickname). We sit and he brings us two plates of random food. I am chatted up by a fellow named Phillip from Belgium. I find out it is Ana´s birthday party. I think Ana came over once with Chebby??

Teeta and I hang here for the afternoon. Someone busts out a guitar and the music was amazing. A Cuban man with a lovely deep voice. A Nicaraguan hippy. A sweet German girl´s voice. Everyone is so musically inclined! I need to learn how to play the guitar. It was a wonderful afternoon, full of music, interesting food, and new international friends. There was even a ¨Roast¨. The boy sang about (making fun of) each friend at the BBQ. He said Chebby was looking for someone to teach him English and Chebby glances at me and turns BRIGHT red. So cute...

We finally leave and pick up Nacatamales (traditional Nicaraguan meal) on the way home for dinner.

Eat Nacatamale -on my list of things to do before leaving Nicaragua.

Delish...but SO filling. Black coffee if offered to help you digest your Nacatamale. Wow. Nicaraguans only eat them on Saturday evenings or Sunday mornings. Muy grasa. Very fattening. Oh well....

Then to Cafe Luz for a little wi-fi and a cookie. I chat with the local dude who plays guitar in the Cafe most nights. Codine cough medicine and in bed early. I close my eyes and realize that I indeed did open my heart to Esteli today....feeling a bit better about the dusty city I am living in for the time being.

Happy in Honduras - Reflecting Again

Me, Marko, Lyndsey

Eric, Pam, and Me...check out my legs...haha

Hi Geidy :)


Lynds and Me, commuting.

Class was canceled today, as they are laying the cement floor in our school in La Thompson. After scrolling through pics on my camera from Honduras last night, I woke up feeling groggy and a bit nostalgic for Copan and my life there.

I tend to overanalyze and overthink things....a LOT. And when comparing and contrasting my time spent thus far on this journey and my life in each country, I find myself nostalgic for very different reasons.

For Copan, Honduras...it is laughter. We laughed A LOT in Honduras. And to be honest, I don´t think I have laughed as much or as genuinely in quite some time...and I am not really sure what is was that there was so funny.

Genuine laughter is derived from genuine happiness. Why was I so happy in Honduras? Was it the company? The young, fun intern couple from Boston, The sweet Irish lass, The tall quirky Australian gent? We had such a great time together. We meshed very well.

Or was it the comfort I felt living in the tranquil town of Copan? The few cars. The relatively quiet streets. The lull of the church choir´s music spilling into my room in the evenings when I was falling asleep. The early morning roosters as my alarm clock. My hilarious house mother: Loly and her beautiful home. The huge delicious and interesting homeade meals that she served me three times a day. Going to work early and finishing early, having the rest of the day to explore, write, drink licuados, relax. Retiring to bed before 9 and getting a great night´s sleep (this is a little lame....but there really wasn´t much going on AND we had to be up at 5:30AM).

Or maybe it was the school and the children that inhabited it´s classrooms. Our open air commute in the bed of a run down pick up truck every morning and afternoon, through beautiful mountainous scenery. The cheery blue school surrounded by palm trees and adorning a very abstract mural on one wall, painted by previous volunteers (my roommates now in Esteli).

And my kids...In the beginning feeling I would NEVER remember all 26 names of the 5 and 6 year olds that screamed my name endlessly everyday. I miss them. Blanca and her face making. Ruben, and his finger waving. Geidy and her ridiculously cute tiny self. Juan Manuel and his hesitantcy. Eric and his creative OCD artwork. Nolvia, whose name we never really learned how to pronounce correctly. (When attempting, it always elicited giggles from the entire class. I STILL don´t know what we were doing wrong???) Karen, who NEVER responded to my endless requests to PLEASE stay seated in HER seat. Pablo, who was way too advanced to still be in the primero grado. He taught us a lot.

And teaching with Eric, the 32 year old from Boston. I think we were a good team. Laughing a lot and not taking much too seriously. SUPER upset when we realized all of our kids failed their first test on vowels...after 2 1/2 weeks of exhausting repetition. But in the end...I think they all got it. Well...maybe not Jose Vicente ,)

I felt I could stay in Copan for much longer and was really sad to leave. My last night at Loly´s, I was called to dinner only to find that there was no plate at my place. Only a bottle of rum, a bottle of Fresca and two glasses. Loly poured me a small sip (a couple of times) and we talked. In Spanish as always, but this time it was different. And I could tell that she was also sad. She told me of her son again ( I believe she was trying to tell me about him on my very first day in her house...but my vocabulary was just too limited to understand). He is 28 and lives in L.A. and he and Lindsay are going to marry so that Loly and I will be family! Lindsay, I gave her your number.....sorry!!!! Haha. After too many rum, fresca, lime, and salt refreshers....she finally served me my favorite meal. The Gringa Taco. I scarfed it down and ran out (an hour late!) to meet Lyndsey, Marko, and Eric for one last hoorah!

We´ll leave it at that....

Pam, Eric, Lyndsey, and Marko escorted me to the bus station the next morning and waved until I left the lot for my 12 hour journey to Nicaragua.

I will reunite with Lyndsey and Marko this weekend when they arrive in Esteli to build stoves for a week before heading to Ecuador. It will be fun to have some more time with them!

So for now, I will look back fondly on my time in Honduras and hope to return soon...
Loly insists that next time I bring mi guapo novio and stay with her, of course.

Haha :)

Moving on....

Attitude Adjustment

One of the little boys took this photo of Marian, Noah, and me...he likes to play with my hair.

Despite showering from a trashcan full of water, or squashing creepy crawlers around my room most evenings...I think I have adjusted. And my attitude towards it all has definitely improved.

Mentally and almost physically.

Yesterday I was finally feeling strong enough to check out the project. The other volunteers and I hopped on the chicken bus at around 7:45AM for a quick (but could have been quicker) ride up to the village of La Thompson. The bus dropped us off on the highway and we started on foot the rest of the way to the village. When we were about halfway, the welcoming committee came running up. Little hands clasped mine on each side and we continued to walk the rest of the way like this. Marian (18, Seattle) said that they greet them every morning like this. I was amazed at how friendly they were to me RIGHT away. They had never seen me before, yet they fought with each other to hold my hands.... I wished I had 10 hands!

The GVI school is still under construction. Right now it is beams, a roof and the beginnings of walls. We host a preschool, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades. School was a bit hard to conduct with the dust the wind was blowing in, so we took the kids for a walk. We walked through the village to a farm close by. I saw the biggest chanco (pig) I have EVER seen in my entire life. All I could think about was bacon???? Not sure I can eat it anymore.....well...who am I kidding? Anyway, the farm seemed to be mostly pigs, tomatoes, and coffee. The kids loved it.

It has been so interesting to me to see how different the children are in each location/country. The nicaraguan children are so sweet and clingy. They are very physical with each other. Lovingly and rough. There are two mentally challenged kids in the school. When asking around the community what was wrong with Carlo, the answers were all different. "Oh, he just has a headache." "His stomach hurts." "His legs are bothering him." They do not understand his condition...and how could they?? Has he ever even seen a dr.??

If I were to guess....I would say Autistic. He is amazing.

After class, we hopped in the back of a pick up heading back to Esteli and then had frozen mochas at a local coffee shop and discussed the day.

I´m not here to be comfortable. I am here to be with them :)

The Comfort Zone?-Esteli, Nicaragua

I have arrived at my final location. I will spend the next four weeks here in Esteli, Nicargua. I can´t believe it is already MARCH! Time is flying...and I am scared. Until yesterday....I was certain that I was not ready to come back to NY, to reality, to the stress and busy-ness of it all. Of course, there are things and people that I miss terribly...but I was settling in quite nicely to the simple lifestyle of the road and the children and the Central American way of life.

Those euphoric feelings have faded.

After 8 nauseating hours on a bus through the winding roads of Honduras, (many of those hours spent hovering over a toilet in the dark box of the bus bathroom), a night alone in a hotel, and 5 more hours on a sketchy bus the next day....I am spent. I was dropped in the middle of the road in front of a Texaco gas station at the edge of town. My instructions were to hop in a taxi and tell the man to take me to: Cafe Luz. There I would be able to ask someone to borrow their phone, call Steven (the director here), and he would walk over to meet me. The taxi driver had NO idea where Cafe Luz was and refused to try and find it. Panic was juuuuuuuuust about to take over, when I heard,

¨Leigh?¨
I fiercly turn around, ¨STEVEN??????¨
Laughing, ¨Yeah, you seemed a bit nervous via our email conversations, so I thought I should come wait for you here.

PHEW!

We take a taxi to my host family´s ¨house¨and I walk in ready to drop my bags and settle in for the next month. But, the accommodations are a bit....different...than at my other stops in Honduras and Guatemala. This is more like a hostel. A family run hostel, with 4 rooms for rent. I spot Emma, a 23-year old nanny from D.C., eating breakfast at the table. We exchange pleasantries and I am told that because she arrived yesterday she got the room with the bathroom and the TV. No biggie, I think to myself. I don´t really watch TV anyway...and I have lived with roommates for the past 8 years of my life, I have mastered the shared bathroom situation.

I am escorted to my ¨room¨...that resembles that of a jail cell. Edith, casually asks which bed I would prefer as she would like to change the sheets on just one of them. I point to one and she gets to work. Next, she is mopping the floors while I get to know Emma in the other room. Steven leaves saying he will return at 3 to pick us up for a quick orientation and a look about town. And we are left alone, to get ¨settled¨. I start to unpack some things and then ask to see the bathroom. We take a long walk down an open hallway lined with rocking chairs and enter into what looks like an old washroom. Behind wooden swinging doors is a toilet that looks like it was discarded from a grungy biker bar. The shower is even more revolting.

The internal pep talk begins: I can do this. I can do this. It´s not that bad. I will get used to it. It will be fine. It´s only 4 weeks. FOUR weeks. At least Emma is here. Leigh, quit being a baby!

The night consists of vegetable soup, apple tea, more bouts of stomach sickness, and being reprimanded for leaving my light on in my room...for all of 45 seconds. When retiring to my room and to bed, I find tiny roaches on my door frame but am too exhausted and weak to freak out. I sleep with my headtorch under the pillow and pray that I will sleep through the night.

I don´t. I wake up with an urge to run to the bathroom, throw the headtorch on and search in the darkness. I wake up sweating profusely with torch on and in hand?? I wake up talking in my sleep, delirious. But every time feeling drugged, so doze back into slumber.

Decide in the morning that I will not be able to make it to school and I need to rest. Steven agrees. Back home I would call in sick in a HEARTBEAT if I wasn´t feeling well (not that I am proud of this). But here, I haven´t missed a day. I have dealt with the most uncomfortable of situations in the bathrooms at the schools...most with no seats and def no running water. I am super dedicated to the work here and do not want to miss a minute. But I am too weak.

I decide to lie back down after breakfast and read. Edith barges in, turns off the light and says: ¨No mucho luz¨. If I want to read I can come outside to the rocking chairs and read there. Mind you, I have already been reprimanded for turning on the light early this morning in the bathroom.

I say that I am sorry, break down crying, and leave...to call Chris and vent.

I feel a bit bratty complaining about the conditions when I basically live like a QUEEN back home...but I am just not used to this. Copan was LUXURIOUS in comparison. And it was. I miss Copan. I miss Loly.

Esteli used to be a truck stop. The city is rough. There are no pretty buildings or a beautiful park. The streets all looks the same and there are tons of people and loud cars. No tourists. No gringos. This is what I signed up for...right?

I am anxious to see the project and will hopefully report back in a better state of mind.

Despidiendose

Today was my last day at the school in San Rafael. I woke up well rested and excited to see the niños. I knew it would be sad, but did not expect to shed any tears.

We started the morning with-Camp-as they call it. We play soccer and braid hair in this huge field a short walk from the school. Marko bought the boys a new futbol, they were super stoked.

Pam, Lyndsey, and I sat with the girls as they braided my hair and tortured Lyndsey for mas photos, mas photos. I had talked to a couple of the kids in my class the day before about my leaving, but wasnt quite sure they really understood. Eric and I were their first teachers as we had the primero grado. And the first volunteers to waltz in and out of there lives...

A couple of the clinger girls asked me today...porque?
Ummm....how do I explain this....in Spanish? I set out on this trip in January and the next adventure is in Nicaragua. I didnt expect to fall in love with all of you... Im sorry, I have to leave now.

Heartbreaking.

Now, I am feeling a bit self-righteous writing this and I know they will be fine and they will cling to new volunteers as they come and go. But for now, for today...I think a few of them were sad. I was, anyway.

Carolina and Erica (the two Honduran teachers) called all the kids out to the front of the school to say goodbye to me and to give me their cards and their hugs. They also sang a song for me...Bravo.

And then I cried. UGH. I didnt expect to cry...but it just came over me. I am going to miss them so much. And as frustrating as it is everyday to try and get them to focus, to sit down, to stop yelling...its even more frustrating to get to know them and then leave them.

Porque?

Trip to the Beach - Hamptons vs. Honduras

We arrived, in the dark, here...Puerto Cortes "Beach".... It's all GRASS....beach?????

The only purified water they had at this restaurant was out of bag....why do they serve liquid out of a bag everywhere? It tasted like plastic.

Local "jam" band in Omoa. They were REALLY good.

Now, THIS is more like it. La playa in Omoa.

Hamptons:

Friday afternoon. Grab overnight bag from under desk and sneak out of the office at 20 till 5. Walk 3 blocks to the Hampton Jitney "bus stop". Stand in line with other preppy NY'ers. Jitney pulls up right on time, hand over the print out of my (weeks in advance) prepaid ticket. Hop on.

Honduras:

Friday morning. Talk amongst other volunteers, decide on spontaneous beach weekend upon recommendation from Spanish teacher. Back in Copan after school, seek out tourismo travel agency. Communicate in broken Spanish, ask not nearly enough questions, buy ticket (at most likely an escalated gringo rate), go home, pack. Look up name of la playa in lonely planet book--not listed. Second guess said spontaneity. Grab backpack and walk to "bus stop". Argue in more broken Spanish, hand over legit (phew) ticket, hop on Tourismo bus. Aisle seat.

Jitney:

Get situated, stare out window and wonder how long it will take THIS Friday to get out of the city... Nice bus attendent in green Jitney polo comes through offering water or juice, pretzels or chips, and a newspaper. Take water and pretzels, pass on newspaper.

Tourismo:

Get situated, open suspicious curtains on window, and wonder, "Will we make it? Will we get robbed? Is there a bathroom on this bus?" Stop every couple miles to pick up more people/locals. Large Honduranian man comes through selling homemade bread and red juice in a plastic bag. Pass on both.

Jitney:

Stop once in Queens to pick up more New Yorkers...and we're off! Comfortably settled in, with book in hand-forget about all the traffic. Glance back every now and then to see if I recognize anyone on the bus. See a few familiar faces. Keep reading.

Tourismo:

Stop for the one hundreth time...pick up more locals. Being that there is now no available seating, locals are lined up in the aisle. Subsequently, am elbowed in the nose by a small child. OUCH! Continue reading. Machismo stands DIRECTLY next to me. Touching me...hovering. UGH. Try and peek past sketchy curtains, winding through beautiful mountainous scenery. VERY large elderly Honduranian woman presses boobs and belly into my self. Glance over at Lyndsey. Try very hard to supress laughter. Can't. Large breasts now resting on my cheek. I am half in my seat and half in Lyndsey's. Ponder....is this really happening? Belly and boob contact continues for the next 9 minutes. Stop again. Locals run off...knocked out by child's small backpack.

Jitney:

Arrive at expected location around expected time. Walk to summer share or sailboat. Enjoy the beach and the weekend.

Tourismo:
Arrive at confusing bus station in big city-San Pedro Sula. File off. With no direction whatsoever, wander around looking for connecting bus to Puerto Cortes (final destination). Spot a Pizza Hut. Yum. Focus, continue searching. Finally find the exit, ask first Honduranian we see where the bus to Puerto Cortes is. He points straight out to his bus, of course. We ask zero questions and blindly hop on to a small overly air conditioned shuttle. He charges us 42 limperias. A STEAL! Wonder, "where are all the gringos (white people/tourists)?" SURGE through San Pedro Sula with the door to van open, accumulating and losing more locals. It's simulates a drop and roll sort of effort....

Two hours later (we were told around 45 minutes from San Pedro) realize we are the last three on the shuttle. Look out windows at grimy grimy small city.

The two operators ask where we are going, in Espanol.
We reply, "Puerto Cortes."
"Aqui."
"Ummm....where is the beach??"
"You have to take a taxi."
"How far?"
"Diez minutos."
"Where do we get a taxi?" (Oh, please please please don't make us get off here!!!)
"Wellllllllllllll.....I guess we can take you for same price as taxi. 100 limperia each."
"100 EACH? But it is only ten minutes away??? You charged us only 42 for a 2 hour ride...."
"Do you want to get off and take taxi?"
"NO NO NO, ok. Ok."

Arrive at la playa.
"Here are the hotels. This one is cheap and that one is expensive."
"Only two?"
"Si"

To make a long story short....

We ditched the cheap dodgy hotel, walked around a bit (in the dark) and finally came upon a reasonably clean sleeping establishment. Overpaid for one night. Ate cold grilled cheeses and fell asleep to the hum of a keyboard and Honduranian man serenading to NO ONE....out by the pool.
Woke up early the next morning in search of the beach....found what we expected. Hopped in a cab and headed to the next beach town, one I had actually read about in my Lonely Planet nerdy travel book--OMOA!!!!

Found great little Canadian-owned bed and breakfast at the end of the beach. Settled in and soaked up the sun and the Caribbean seas for the remainder of the weekend.

PERFECTO :)

Want to Meet Them?

Ruben, a charming 6-year old in my class. He waves to me with one finger and is constantly smiling. I caught him with a half empty bag of something at Recreo the other day. I asked what he was eating and he poured a pile of sugar into my hand! haha. He always wears this Mickey Mouse hat too :) I thought this picture was great...because they boys were throwing their oranges to the cow after they had finished. The cow LOVED them....

The boys. At Recreo, they all gather around this barbed-wired fence. They hang on it like it's no big deal and are constantly sneaking under it to run around in the open field below on the other side. I heard they had been throwing rocks at the cow this day....BOYS!

The girls. Lined up and ready to go inside. Carolina and Erica (the two school teachers) have all the kids line up outside before class starts and they check their hands and fingernails everyday. I think to make sure their nails are short and their hands clean?? Not sure.

One of the older boys eating his orange under the tree. Love the foggy background in this pic.

It has been quite a challenge teaching. It is, thus far, the hardest "job" I have ever had. I am sure the language barrier and the malnourishment amongst the children has a little something to do with the difficulty...but it is TOUGH. The little ones need a new activity every 15 minutes or so. But when they can't read or write you have to dig deep into your creative self to come up with fun ideas. I have now learned my vowels twice in the past month and a half. Teaching A, E, I, O, U (mayuscula and minuscula) to both my class in Guatemala and my class here in Honduras. There are only so many words in Spanish that begin with the letter "O" that I can draw. Ojos (eyes).

I often sit back, frustrated, watching the room. It is like a sea of movement. Constant movement. They do not understand the concept of being still. I looked over once to find Marko's feet where his head should be. I couldn't help but bust into laughter. You have to laugh. They are 5 and 6 years old. And while I can't fully remember myself at that age...I know my hyper ADHD self probably acted in the same way. I remember my father always telling me as a child: "Leigh, quit flitting around! Be still." Impossible.

So, everyday...I must remember my small self and look at these kids and remember to smile....not reprimand. And I must remember that this 4 hour and 45 minute morning may be the only time in their day that they get to be a kid. Just a kid. And I must try and be creative, put all I have into planning, and make class FUN for them.

I'm trying....

Time to Reflect

Alana, Kate, Karla, and myself.

Once known as "The Core Four"...not sure what nerd made that up ;)

Silvia, mi casa-madre in Colonial Candelaria, Antigua. I barely fit through that door behind me ;) It was like when Alice drank that liquid and grew HUGE in Alice in Wonderland and had to stick her arm out the window just to turn around.....yeah....kinda like that.

My roommates: Troy (32) and Nicole (30) -- Canadians. At our last BBQ. They gave us chicken buses as a token souvenir and goodbye present.

Also at a Friday night BBQ...the chicas :) I have no muscles to show off.....so I didn't...

Doreen, Nancy, Karla, Alana, and me....Howie, I was teaching "out, cock, down" ;)

This post may seem a bit late....but instead of doing tarea de espanol (my spanish homework), I feel like reflecting on my time spent thus far. Particularly in Antigua, Guatemala. I don't feel as if I could ever paint the real picture for you. It would surely come out incomplete and kind of messy. And as much as I treasure my photos, they can not even begin to exude the true beauty that is Antigua. I am going to try to do it justice though...one last time.

Let's start with the kids.

I miss them SO much!
Now, do I miss:
The yelling: Seno, Seno, Seno...ALL day long -- no.
The blank stares when asked to do something -- no.
The constant rushing to finish a project or assignment JUST to get a sticker: no.
Do I miss:

The never-fading smiles--YES.
The affection, hugs, and kisses -- YES.
Their grimy little hands all over my face and in my hair -- ABSOLUTELY.

I just miss THEM. You wouldn't think you could fall so hard so fast for SO many....but you can and you do.

I need to see them again. (The plan is to go back to Antigua for a few days at the end of my travels in April...when Chris comes to visit-he will get to meet them!).

And the people:

Karla - my first friend on this adventure. A fellow American and an East Coast resident nonetheless. A tiny bit timid, but it's only really in her voice. An amazing listener and so welcoming. More afraid to speak broken Spanish than to jump off a slippery rock 30 feet in the air and into a freezing cold lake!

Kate - my first "International" friend in Guatemala. Kate and I taught the Kindergarten class together. A cool 25 year old blonde Aussie. The opposite of a nerdy traveler, Kate has been on the road for months. With a great sense of humor and def no head torch in sight...she travels light and without expectations. I was so thankful for her positive attitude, quick wit, and previous teaching experience ;)

Alana - another Australian buddy! Alana has the most BEAUTIFUL skin I have ever seen. She also has this calm about her...not much ruffles her feathers. And her travel wardrobe is SUPERB. She knows how to let it "hit her," how to "take it all in" and get the most out of this experience that she can. She is open. She has enjoyed her time thus far so much...that she has post-poned Uni (college) to stay in Guatemala a couple more weeks and also try and get down to volunteer on the project in Nicaragua. I hope to run into her again there :)

Troy and Nicole (my roommates) - an adventure loving "team". A young married couple out of Canada. Troy exudes this incredible energy and spirit, always thinking positively. And Nicole...well...we are a lot alike (except she is way more fit and really hilarious). We found ourselves on the same page A LOT. This kind of bothered Troy ;) Their relationship was and is an inspiration. The way they truly respected and cared for each other was so nice to see and be around.

Santiago and his beautiful family. Doreen and her fixed smile and infinite patience.

And while I can't mention them all, the other volunteers (around 30) all brought something interesting and different to the table. Eighteen year olds and beyond (some WAY beyond) all here for the same reason. Very cool place to be...

Did I ever mention the BBQ's??

The GVI interns/employees opened up their house to all the rowdy volunteers for a night of too much food and drink. Everyone was meant to bring something...like contributing to a dinner party. It became a pot luck of sorts, with chicken on the barbie as a constant. Karla and I made fresh guacamole 3 out of my 4 BBQ's and form my last I brought 12 packages of Chocisitas cookies...a tienda favorite among the Santa Maria crowd. With every BBQ came goodbye's, speeches, and dancing. YES, dancing. Picture this: a large circle of people all dancing the same dance (you pick it up rather quickly actually) and then at a break in the song...."FREESTYLE....LEIGH!!!!" And I have to jump into the middle of the crowd and...well...freestyle! So hilarious and so much fun. It is like this every week....a unifying experience.

And the city....

One of the most beautiful old cities I have ever been too. Cobblestoned streets (bad for flip flops)and colorful buildings. Gorgeous flowers and pretty parks. And the DOORS!!!!!!!!! I know I haven't put any photos up of the doors in Antigua...but hopefully you will get to see them (I am working on a little project with the photos). They are truly magnificent. I was mesmorized. The others thinking I am crazy, stopping every couple feet to gawk and snap away. The knockers as well....copper faces and hands. And you can't miss the views of the volcanoes...especially in the morning on a clear day. Another something you won't miss...the Chicken Buses. Basically brightly painted old school buses discarded from the U.S. that carry hunderds of people and their wares. Yes, chickens too. They roar down the streets puffing out CLOUDS of black smoke. But they are part of charm :)

My time there has expired and now I am into my second week in Honduras and it is totally different. More on that later. I can't believe I am at the halfway point in my travels! Thank you again to all that supported me attempting this journey and supported the projects I am working on. I wish you could all be here to see the way that you have helped. I will be posting pics of my Copan kids within the next couple of days....so that you can meet them too.

Comer (koh-MEHR)

TO EAT.

Breakfast in Monterrico, made by the woman below holding up the fish.

Lunch at the Earth Lodge (an avocado farm) in Guatemala

Veggies at the market in Antigua.

Feliz dia de San Valentin

jam session ;)

Eric and the eldest (16) playing jumprope...some of the other volunteers brought the jumprope up the last time they visited. BIG hit.

the littlest in the bunch...drinking coffee

their house

Today was such an interesting day...

I started my morning with an awesome yoga class at 7:15AM. Back home for breakfast at 8:30AM (pancakes) and then to meet the interns for a trip to an "orphange" high up in the mountains.

We walked out of Copan to a woman named Ellen's house to wait for two of the boys that live there. Ellen met this family a little bit ago and has fallen madly in love with them. She likes to take visitors up to see them and to donate money if they wish.

The boys had been in town buying plates for a memorial they are having this evening for their recently deceased grandmother. I didn't quite catch if she was a grandmother figure...or blood related. Since the boys do not know how to tell time....we waited at Ellen's for over an hour and half before taking tuk-tuks up to their home. When they finally arrived around 11, we piled into two tiny "taxis" and headed (slowly) up the mountain. The ride was beautiful and real bumpy. We stalled out a couple of times trying to make it up some steep areas. The ride up took close to 40 minutes.

Upon arrival..in the middle of nowhere...we were greeted by two other children and two women. They hugged and kissed us and were all smiles. At this point, I am still super confused as to wear we are and what we are doing here. The "family" made us feel so special and welcomed us with homemade tamales! They were quite good actually and it was so sweet of them to feed US...with the little that they have. They were preparing hundreds more for the memorial service later.

We played jumprope with the kids and the eldest (16) played the guitar and sang for us. There were horses, chickens, cats, and dogs running around....it was all very surreal. I, thinking that we were visiting an ACTUAL orphange, brought along stickers to share with the kids. I gave the sheet of Cars stickers to the littlest boy...about 6 and the Princess stickers to the little girl...probably 9. The little boy could not quit STARING at them and smiling. It was crazy! He was so happy to have them....and just kept looking up at me with a huge smile on his face. Wow. The things that make these children smile....

We hung around a bit for fire roasted coffee and some "volleyball," each made a donation of 100 Lempira...or $5US, and then headed back down the mountain by foot. It took us about an hour and a half to get back to town and the views were amazing.

I am not really doing the day justice with this post...but I am not really sure I could actually explain how it felt...or what it was really like....

GVI Phoenix Blog Post, Dom Williams

I stayed in Guatemala an extra day to be able to witness this amazing celebration in Santa Maria. All of my kids' families were there....and some of my kids too. WHAT a day. It was beautiful and so heartwarming. Dom used many of my photos for his blog post...but they didn't copy into mine. Read below.....

Plan Fertilizante in Santa María de Jesús, Guatemala -- Saturday, February 7th, 2009

This past weekend GVI Phoenix conducted its second annual Plan Fertilizante (Fertilizer Plan) in Santa María de Jesús, an alternative to micro-credit, where no actual money is involved, rather physical products.The agricultural areas our families have to grow crops is of a very poor quality and need constant additions. Not only in the past 2 years have crops failed two times out of three, though when the harvest does yield, it is of poor quality.Obviously, in times gone by, the families used chemicals to enhance the soil, which is neither sustainable and the prices have doubled over the past year, leaving the soil in a worse state, and no income.For soil sustainability and recuperation, and indeed, better crop yields, we opted for an organic fertilizer from Amatitlán. Informal trials have proven that this fertilizer gives a considerable extra growth to the crops.Our Plan Fertilizante distributed 600 pounds (275 kilos) to each of our 135 families involved in the GVI Phoenix school, or to put it in bigger terms, 81,000 pounds (36,818 kilos) or 36 tonnes of organic fertilizer.This is not a handout, as the families have to comply with a couple of rules to enforce parental responsibility. The first and foremost is that their child or children must be in the school with us every day.The second is that, in exchange for the fertilizer, they must give some products for the Plan Ancianos (Old People's Plan) which we run, which include cooking oil, pasta, beans, rice and sugar on receipt. Furthermore, after each successful crop, they must repeat this, thereby helping towards the Plan Ancianos, and also "repaying" the fertilizer. It was a great day, and with crop yields dwindling due to poor soil, this can restart the local agricultural region, whilst providing the families with a little extra income with better crop yields whilst also contributing to the Plan Ancianos. Sustainable development is just that, kickstartng the local economy, though also keeping an eye on the future, whilst maintaining responsibilty for the present with all parties involved, GVI Phoenix, the parents and the children.

Back to Basics

• Being sentimental...stinks.
• Everybody's feet look awful....it's fine.
• No matter where you are or how much it costs, you still want to talk to your mother when sick.
• "Doing nothing" is different when there's a view.
• Women are stronger here. As are the kids...
• Not having a closet full of clothes choose from makes getting dressed at 5AM SO much easier!
• There are few things as calming as sitting in the sun while a child plays with your hair...
• Life DOES exist with out cellphones. You just have to plan ahead and be timely.
• Plethora of fresh fruit=heaven.
• Construction workers and truck drivers are the same everywhere.
• Souvenir schmoovenir. Use your camera.
• Teaching is mentally and physically EXHAUSTING.

Nigel No Friends

(Dedicated to Kate, who coined the phrase...)

I thought these bottles were so pretty! The kids standing next to the truck thought I was nuts!

Mi Casa. (In front, a Tuk Tuk...their form of taxi)

Not sure why..but it came out twice???

Rosita...my only friend.

So, as I mentioned...I am the only volunteer here in Honduras at the moment. After school each day, I stop off at mi casa for a homemade lunch prepared by Loly, have a quick chat with Rosita (the very large parrott living there...she whistles at me a lot), and then head into town to explore. I usually stop into a small cafe's, order a liquado (fresh fruit blended with water) and do some emailing, lesson planning, Spanish homework, reading or a little writing. I have signed up for 12 more hours of Spanish lessons and also a Yoga class twice a week. The studio is outside and there are only three of us in the class so far.

Tomorrow Lyndsey and Marko arrive from Antigua.... :)

Copan Ruinas, Honduras

I said goodbye to Antigua yesterday morning at 4AM and arrived here in Copan around 9:30AM. I can NOT believe it has already been a MONTH!!

The town is much smaller and more tranquil than Antigua. Not very touristy AT ALL. It is SO warm and has a tropical feel to it...even though in the mountains. Beautiful, beautiful place.

I am living right in the middle of town with sisters, Loly and Mercedes. They share a beautiful yellow house on the corner next to the Spanish School (where I will indeed be signing up for more classes!). My room is neat and small with it's own bathroom!!!! Totally different host family experience than living with Silvia in Antigua. Loly has sat with me at ever meal so far, either just staring...or trying to communicate. I NEED more Spanish.

Breakfast is at 6AM. EARLY. I am the only volunteer here in Honduras at the moment--minus the interns on the project--Eric and Pam (32 and 29, married couple, from Boston). Traci (intern in Antigua) is here to help this week too. Lyndsey and Marko, volunteers I met in Antigua will arrive next week. YAY! We need the help.

We hop in the back of a pick up at 6:30AM and ride up the mountain to the village of San Rafael. The school there is much more "developed" and has a more organized and set curriculum. There is one teacher (Carolina) for over 100 children. That is why she needs us! I have been placed in the third grade classroom which is shared with the kindergarten/1st grade class. They are GREAT kids. SO calm compared to the children in Santa Maria (Guatemala). School starts at 7AM and ends at 11:45AM. They are offered a fruit break and "merienda" (afternoon snack) after school which consists of rice and beans.

There is Secondary School that comes at 12:30. These are high school age kids and GVI volunteers do not work with them. However, we will be helping out with an English speaking class once a week and an Adult Literacy class once a week in the afternoons.

After school, we head back down to Copan for lunch with the host family. Dinner is at 6PM and I am meeting up with the others tonight to get some help with my lesson plans for tomorrow. Matematicas tomorrow. EEEK!

Adios!

Cumpleaños Felices

Happy Bir TAY Lindz and Laur :)

Muy Frio

Tiny Melinda

Guicho, got a headstart running and planted one on me!

The love hearts....thanks Seño Kate :)

And Yuri....the clinger....I totally fell in love with her.

The past couple days in Antigua and Santa Maria have been freeeeezing! Now, I know I shouldn't say anything, as I hear NY is getting hit pretty hard with the wintery weather.But as a result of the cold and packing for tropical climates...estoy enfermo. And so is everyone else. Major head cold. I am hoping to kick this little bug in the warmer climate of Honduras. I leave on a 4AM shuttle on Sunday.

Thursday was my last day at school and also Music Day. (I wish I could upload the video of the kids singing...) Kate and I planned only a couple of lessons/activities and then she had them all make "love cards" for me. (Most of them took theirs home with them ;)

At fruit break the twins pulled little envelopes out of their dresses and handed them to me. Their big sister had written:Gracias Seno Li por encenar a mis hermanas y ostros ninos y ninos te extrano Seno Li temando muchas veror y saludor.

The girls colored the page. So sweet. The older sister is in the afternoon class and had told me the day before how the twins came home and told her how sad they were that I was leaving...
At the end of music, I sat on the end of a table as all the kids in the school lined up in front of me. One by one I received hugs and kisses from each of them. Some of the boys tried to plant one on the lips!! Haha. My class was last to go and I am actually not sure that they all even understand that I will not be there on Monday as some of them said: "Hasta Lunes Seno Leigh".

Seño Doreen pulled me aside to tell me more that she had learned about the home life of some of the children. She said I have a very "special" class. One child has an alcoholic father...who will not share the meals. Another a father who refuses to work. One whose mother has died. One whose father left them. The tears were not spared. I couldn´t help it. I just think about them coming to class everyday laughing, smiling, jumping around. Never complaining. Never tired. Never crying.

I just wanted to hug each of them and make class even that more fun and an escape for them.

I am seriously going to miss them SO very much. I cried when the last clinger let go (they are like tiny monkeys...they cling). Kate and I were their first ever teachers...

What if I never see them again???

Journal Entry, January 31st

Laying in a hammock at the Earth Lodge about twenty minutes outside of Antigua, up in the mountains on an avocado farm. Huge full clouds overhead. Breathtaking views. Quite chilly at the moment as the sun has faded.

We all hopped in the back of a small red pick up truck after brunch today, Kate, Karla, Alana, Lyndsey, Marko, and I. We are staying in a tiny dorm style hut in the middle of a large field. The six of us and 2 other girls we just met. Sisters from Chicago, one a Peace Corp volunteer here in Guatemala. She has been building stoves in a tiny town for the past year and a half.

It is now 5PM. Sipping Gato Negro Carmenere from Chile that we bought at the supermercado in Antigua for 28Q...roughly $3.59 U.S. haha. I am looking out at the incredible view of the mountains and the city below listening to the others talk about the next stops on their upcoming travels. I am jealous. Sad. Jealous that most are deciding to extend their time in Guatemala and jealous that many are open ended in their time away... They plan trips hours in advance and fiddle with travel books and maps. SO carefree. I do not have a job pulling me home either...or an apartment to tend to. I am pretty much free to roam as long as I prefer as also. Right. But calls from home remind me of those I miss.

Sad that some are leaving and that my time with them is over. Sad that I will probably never see them again. These amazing individuals that have also devoted their lives to volunteering around the world and specifically here. Sad, that my last week here in Antigua and more importantly Santa Maria de Jesus is nearing.....

I will be starting all over in Honduras this time next week.

Muy Cansada

One of my favorite photos.

Yuri, the twins-Jessica and Diana, and Juan Carlos.

Chicas enjoying sandia.


Sports Day, look at that view!

The work week is definitely harder than I expected it to be.
And the weekends more active and exciting than I expected.

Seño Kate (Australia, 25) and I took over our classes this week. Solo. Eeeeeeek!

This means no help from Seño Doreen. Lesson planning has proved to be tedious and the children finish every project so quickly! We must come up with some new ideas soon. The little ones (5/6) need a new activity almost every 15 minutes. There is only so much coloring one can stand. We have used lots of papel de china (tissue paper) as well...but the glue has proved to be QUITE messy. All the childrens´fingers are stuck together at the end of class-haha. They love to play and fruit break is CRAZY!!!!! They are all so tough and rough house like nothing I have ever seen before. And hardly EVER cry.

Last week, we found out that a little girl (Nayeli) in our afternoon class hadn´t eaten ALL day. The only thing she had put in her mouth since dinner the night before was the orange we gave her at frutas break at 4PM. Now how is a 6 year old supposed to concentrate on an empty stomach??? We gave her some bread to eat and some to take home to her 2 brothers.

Heartbreaking.

They are all so happy and love school and love us. Hugs and kisses everyday at the beginning and end of the day. At fruit break...¨arriba, arriba!!¨ They want to be picked up and thrown around constantly.

Friday was Sports Day. SO MUCH FUN! We walk all of the kids about half a mile away to a huge field surrounded by beautiful active volcanoes and corn fields. The boys are super competitive with their futbol (soccer) and the girls just want to play with your hair and touch your face and make bracelets out of string. I have on a pink string necklace that one of the older girls made me that day ;)

Next week is my last week in Antigua and at the school in Santa Maria de Jesus. I was the little one´s first teacher. A little sad...but excited for the next stop. Copañ, Honduras.

I have so many pics, but will only allow to upload 4 at a time....will try for more soon! Must run to Español Clase now!

Hasta Luego.

City-fied?

Friday Night:

• GVI Barbeque.
  
• LOTS of yummy food and LOTS of vino.

Saturday:

5:45AM

• Internal body alarm (sick...AGAIN!).
• Try to hold banana bread in.
• Pack for Lake.

7:45AM

• Walk to bike shop, pile in van, hit the road.

10:30ish

• Get geared up and on mountain bikes with many confusing gears.

11ish

• Begin 15 mile ride. YES, 15 miles. (but mostly downhill....I cannot lie.)

4ish

• Arrive by boat at one of the most beautiful hotels I have EVER seen. Built into a cliff with views of many many mountains surrounding the lake. WOW.
• Quick dip in the FREEZING water
• An amazing family style dinner

8ish

• Back to room to throw on swimsuit and hit the hot tub.
• First, kill three spiders and two scorpions (while doning the nerdy head torch).

8:30sh:

• Bring wine (to forget about the co-habitating creatures sleeping with me) to the wood burning stove heated hot tub overlooking the lake and under millions and millions of stars.

9:30ish

• Back to room, feeling a little more relaxed about my slumber buddies.

11ish

• Wake up panicking.
• TURN ON THE LIGHT!!! IT´s ON ME, ÍT´s ON ME!!!!!!
  
• Realize t´was just a dream. Sigh.
  

Sunday:

8AM

• Incredible breakfast.

9AM

• 4 mile kayak (BEAUTIFUL)

11ish

• Begin our ¨nice walk¨.

1ish

• Want to have a SERIOUS talk with those that think this 12 mile "walk" is nice.
• It is a HIKE.

2ish

• Have fallen down three times.
• Can´t breathe
• Sitting on rock
• Panicking
• Shaking
• Crying
• Having chocolate power gel squirted into my mouth by our guide-Victor.
• Using an inhaler

2:30ish

• Really embarrassed.
• Decide I must be WAY out of shape and need to get my act together.

3:00ish

• Back at hotel
• Jump in lake with all my clothes on
• Have a fresh fruit smoothie
• Comtemplate a career change
• Nutrition? Personal fitness?

How can a 26 year old, that (used) to work out at the gym during her lunch break AND tended to walk/sprint home (2 and a half miles) at LEAST 3 times a week...be SO out of shape?????

Was it the altitude?
Too much sun?
Too much physical activity in 24 hours?

Not enough water?

Has four and a half years in New York turned me into a city girl????

Must. Do. Something.