I realize that I have neglected to post about the recently exciting events of the past week. I must begin with last Thursday's rainstorm/river incident: Kate, Sarah, and I were casually walking down the street after our usual coffee and/or ice cream stop when it began to absolutely pour. I mean the sky literally opened up and began dumping water on the poor town of Gracias. We sought quick refuge in a nearby bank but realized that the rain was not likely to stop any time..mind you at this point we were already drenched, so we decided to grin and bear and take on the rain storm. Plus, we were bound and determined to stop by the oh so delicious bakery where we also often stop for a pastry. I should also mention that the streets had begun flooding and on either side of the road were mini rivers which we actually had to cross a few times. As we were slowly trudging to the bakery (our shoes were wet and slippery) we were passed by a truck driving at rather rapid speed. I will let you imagine what that might look like, 3 sopping wet Americans slipping and sliding down the street, when a truck barrels through the mini river. The spray must have been a 5 foot wall of water. We all promptly turned 90 degrees and of course screamed as if that would help. If we weren't drenched before we were now soaked to the bone. Even after debating about catching a mototaxi we decided the bakery was much more important. After guarding our precious pastries we continued our journey home. At one point treking on a downhill slope we had to cross one of the street rivers. Kate steps in and the current wins a desperate battle with her and her shoe. She promptly begins yelling "Mi zapato! Mi Zapato!" Sarah and I attempt to run after her shoe (our shoes are still wet and slimy, hindering greatly our ability to run after the zapato) We continued walking and searching for the shoe until we reached the drain. We looked in despair at the water rushing rapidly down. We turn around to see Kate waving her arms frantically (We had left her halfway up the hill to hobble down with one shoe) We scurried back to Kate to find her flip flop stuck on a rock. Que suerte!
Fast forward to Saturday where we went to visit the nearby town of Santa Rosa, a 45 minute bus ride away. We got there expecting to find an art fair but found a parade instead. We watched as they shot fireworks out of trucks passing through the mobs of people. They were some cute floats and some truly awesome marching bands. They have so much more sass in their bands. After a while we decided we had had enough of the parade and swarms of people so we went on search of food and the elusive chocobanana. We went to a pulperia to grab some water when our friend Jenna realized that her wallet had been taken. It must have happened during the parade. Jenna was a total trooper and remained super calm and immediately got her cards canceled. Even with the robbery we had a really nice day and finally found chocobananas (frozen banana covered in chocolate and sprinkles!) We could finally head back to home to Gracias, and of course we got caught in yet another rainstorm. Rainy season takes on a whole new meaning these days. We get to the bus station where we chose the mostly empty, short, luxurious looking bus with cozy seats. We were told the bus wouldn't leave for 50 minutes but we decided that was ok as we examined the other bus heading to Gracias which was jam packed full of people. Little did we know that our super luxurious bus would soon become a sardine tin and that they had special seats made so that people can sit in the aisles of the bus. I literally was sitting next to a lady who had another lady sitting in her lap and digging her elbows into my ribs. Jenna and I were forced to snuggle most of the trip home. On a side note I couldn't help but think that if some emergency happened on the bus we would be goners for certain as I am sure they were breaking many safety regulations. We finished off the night with some boxed wine because you know we stay classy in Gracias!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
A weekend in Gracias
Yay! I survived the first week of working in Gracias. Actually, it wasn't all that difficult since we basically had the whole week to decorate and plan, and still have until Thursday when we meet our kiddos and their parents. I can't wait to start teaching, it's going to be such an awesome year!
After surviving such a strenuous week...we decided to have ourselves our own little happy hour at casa amarilla. We had a lovely chat and cocktails...just like back in the US ha ha ha. Saturday morning we decided to hike Celaque (the tallest mountain in Honduras) Words cannot even the 45 minute mototaxi ride up to Celaque. It was by far the bumpiest most ridiculous ride of my life. I have some video to share, but I fear that even the video will not do it justice. There were points where we actually had to get out of the taxi in order for him to make it over some hills and bumps. I can't forget to mention the moment in which our driver was stuck and we had to push him partially up the hill. We trekked as far as we could in our mototaxis until the they could no longer drive because it was too steep and bumpy. We then began walking up hill towards the visitor center, where you have to sign into a book, presumably in case you get lost and the jaguars eat you. The hike up the mountain can be explained by no other words than freaking intense. It is literally all up hill in switch back fashion for an hour and a half. You can only imagine our dismay to find that when we reached the top, drenched in sweat, the fog was so incredibly dense we could only hear the waterfall and not see it. We ate a quick lunch so as not to catch chill from our thoroughly drenched clothes. Then came the descent down the mountain where it promptly started raining to make our journey that much more difficult. We finally made it back to our mototaxis and the fantastic ride bike. I would like to note that upon taking off my shoes and socks, I found that my socks were stuck to nail polish on my toes..I can only assume from them being jammed while making our way down. We were all exhausted and napped away the raining afternoon.
Sunday usually tends to be my favorite and today started off much like any Sunday in the US. I did some cleaning and some laundry (which is actually quite a process here...you have to manually fill the washer with water: wash your clothes and then fill it again to rinse them: then you get to hang dry your clothes) then was startled by my roommate saying "Don't freak out but I think you need to see this" There were about 5 policia outside of our neighbors door with large guns aimed and I am assuming loaded. They began pounding on our neighbors and attempted to kick it down. Meanwhile our neighbors refuse to open their door, and the police continue pounding and pointing their weapons. You can only imagine what was going through these 4 gringas heads. I think we were all prepared to duck and cover in case things got a bit messy and I was hoping that I would not see my first dead body.Eventually our neighbor surrendered himself and he left in handcuffs...Ah what a day...
After surviving such a strenuous week...we decided to have ourselves our own little happy hour at casa amarilla. We had a lovely chat and cocktails...just like back in the US ha ha ha. Saturday morning we decided to hike Celaque (the tallest mountain in Honduras) Words cannot even the 45 minute mototaxi ride up to Celaque. It was by far the bumpiest most ridiculous ride of my life. I have some video to share, but I fear that even the video will not do it justice. There were points where we actually had to get out of the taxi in order for him to make it over some hills and bumps. I can't forget to mention the moment in which our driver was stuck and we had to push him partially up the hill. We trekked as far as we could in our mototaxis until the they could no longer drive because it was too steep and bumpy. We then began walking up hill towards the visitor center, where you have to sign into a book, presumably in case you get lost and the jaguars eat you. The hike up the mountain can be explained by no other words than freaking intense. It is literally all up hill in switch back fashion for an hour and a half. You can only imagine our dismay to find that when we reached the top, drenched in sweat, the fog was so incredibly dense we could only hear the waterfall and not see it. We ate a quick lunch so as not to catch chill from our thoroughly drenched clothes. Then came the descent down the mountain where it promptly started raining to make our journey that much more difficult. We finally made it back to our mototaxis and the fantastic ride bike. I would like to note that upon taking off my shoes and socks, I found that my socks were stuck to nail polish on my toes..I can only assume from them being jammed while making our way down. We were all exhausted and napped away the raining afternoon.
Sunday usually tends to be my favorite and today started off much like any Sunday in the US. I did some cleaning and some laundry (which is actually quite a process here...you have to manually fill the washer with water: wash your clothes and then fill it again to rinse them: then you get to hang dry your clothes) then was startled by my roommate saying "Don't freak out but I think you need to see this" There were about 5 policia outside of our neighbors door with large guns aimed and I am assuming loaded. They began pounding on our neighbors and attempted to kick it down. Meanwhile our neighbors refuse to open their door, and the police continue pounding and pointing their weapons. You can only imagine what was going through these 4 gringas heads. I think we were all prepared to duck and cover in case things got a bit messy and I was hoping that I would not see my first dead body.Eventually our neighbor surrendered himself and he left in handcuffs...Ah what a day...
Thursday, August 18, 2011
From drab to Fab
Monday commenced the beginning of work by holding a 3 hour meeting, 10 minutes of which were spent in prayer, and the rest was a combo of confusion in English and Spanish. After, a surprisingly yummy lunch we were left to begin decorating our classrooms. I will work on posting pictures but let me first try to explain what the classrooms look like. They are quite small in size with concrete floors and half finished wooden walls. We have a whiteboard and that is all. I have to say I am rather impressed with my colleagues and myself as well for setting up such nice looking classrooms with limited resources. You will have to see the before and after pictures. We still have tomorrow and 3 days next week to work on our classrooms. I should mention we haven't had a meeting since Monday, quite different from the US. As I begin preparing for my lil monsters to arrive, I have to take a minute to appreciate the simple things that make life teaching in the US much easier such as a printer, copier, paper slicer, and school resources in general. I also take a minute to prepare myself for the challenge that will come from being a teacher in Honduras, I find that I am looking forward to this challenge and the satisfaction I will have when this year is over and I realize my strength as a person and a teacher. Ok enough of the mushy gushy...
This blog wouldn't be complete if I didn't tell you about the newest addition to the casa amarilla household, her name is Esperanza and she is the most adorable thing ever. She is a small neglected dog who wandered into our yard most likely looking for a place to die. When we first met her she could barely hold her head up much less wag her tail. After a day or two of trying to feed her and showing her some affection, there is a mutual love from Esperanza to all the ladies of the house. Yesterday she followed us all the way to school and sat at the school for most of the day until some of the roomies left, and decided to take her to a "vet" who promptly gave her a shot to kill basically everything in her body. She is already trying to constantly eat and has made herself quite at home and a lovely addition to our house.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Cross country travels
Last Monday, a group of 9 of us headed of to Tela to enjoy the beach before the madness of teaching begins. We had a smooth ride and there and were able to see the beautiful scenery of Honduras. There were mountains after rolling green mountains throughout the entire bus ride. We made it to Tela without any problems and got to our hotel which was actually cute little cabins located right on the beach away. The only problem was the price and the fact that there was a tree above us which continually dropped seeds onto our tin roof all night long. I can't even count how many times I woke up in them middle thinking someone was breaking into our humble abode. While there we did eat some amazingly yummy food, good thing it was super yummy because we waited about 2 hours for them to cook it. Also, I should mention that restaurants there are really just little tables on the beach while people cook the food in their own personal kitchens. It was definitely probably the freshest food I have eaten.
Day 2 Though my mom would be proud of us trying to pinch pennies....the hotel/hostel or whatever you might call it was truly awful. I posted some of the pictures on facebook and unfortunately the zoom on my camera is not great enough to show all of the tiny ants that were crawling across the bed. Needless to say before we layed down there was a heavy dose of hand sanitizer and bug spray applied to the bed, and the pillows were absolutely out of the question. Lesson learned always pack extra clothes in case they are needed in the form of sheets or pillows. We did have a fantastic lunch with a spectacular view and spent the rest of the time lounging on the beach until it was late enough to muster up the liquid courage to sleep on those beds.
Day 3 Was by far the best day! We took a boat out to Punta Sal ( a national park) We hiked through some jungle-esque environment and saw both Howler Monkeys and White faced monkeys. In fact the guide said it was quite rare to see both monkeys at the same time....understandably so, they were having a stand off above our heads. We then took the boat back around the island and were dropped and left to snorkel back. Though I had occasional moments of panic and fear of drowning it was a lovely experience and were able to see a few interesting fish and an abundance of coral. Then we had another fabulous lunch with a paradise view. Life is rough, I know.
Day 4 Time to head home. The bus ride from Tela to San Pedro was...how can I put this? For lack of a better word I will say, interesting. It may perhaps have been the bumpiest ride I have ever had, busch gardens included. The driver was an utter maniac who spent more time picking his nose than watching the road. He also must have had Mario Andretti(sp) tendencies, and took turns at a higher speed then buses are supposed to. Then, after much confusion in San Pedro we were once again Gracias bound. This bus driver actually lost his side mirror due to driving too close to oncoming traffic. I might add, he stopped momentarily...the other driver kept going....then we were back on our way. Slightly different from the US lol. One more bus change and a few groceries later we made it back our casa amarilla. We were all glad to be home with our bronzed skin and fond memories.
Day 2 Though my mom would be proud of us trying to pinch pennies....the hotel/hostel or whatever you might call it was truly awful. I posted some of the pictures on facebook and unfortunately the zoom on my camera is not great enough to show all of the tiny ants that were crawling across the bed. Needless to say before we layed down there was a heavy dose of hand sanitizer and bug spray applied to the bed, and the pillows were absolutely out of the question. Lesson learned always pack extra clothes in case they are needed in the form of sheets or pillows. We did have a fantastic lunch with a spectacular view and spent the rest of the time lounging on the beach until it was late enough to muster up the liquid courage to sleep on those beds.
Day 3 Was by far the best day! We took a boat out to Punta Sal ( a national park) We hiked through some jungle-esque environment and saw both Howler Monkeys and White faced monkeys. In fact the guide said it was quite rare to see both monkeys at the same time....understandably so, they were having a stand off above our heads. We then took the boat back around the island and were dropped and left to snorkel back. Though I had occasional moments of panic and fear of drowning it was a lovely experience and were able to see a few interesting fish and an abundance of coral. Then we had another fabulous lunch with a paradise view. Life is rough, I know.
Day 4 Time to head home. The bus ride from Tela to San Pedro was...how can I put this? For lack of a better word I will say, interesting. It may perhaps have been the bumpiest ride I have ever had, busch gardens included. The driver was an utter maniac who spent more time picking his nose than watching the road. He also must have had Mario Andretti(sp) tendencies, and took turns at a higher speed then buses are supposed to. Then, after much confusion in San Pedro we were once again Gracias bound. This bus driver actually lost his side mirror due to driving too close to oncoming traffic. I might add, he stopped momentarily...the other driver kept going....then we were back on our way. Slightly different from the US lol. One more bus change and a few groceries later we made it back our casa amarilla. We were all glad to be home with our bronzed skin and fond memories.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Laws of Lempira
It doesn't take much to realize that things here in Gracias are much different than life back home. I will share with you what I now call the Laws of Lempira:
#1) Your feet will forever be dirty...it does not matter if you just showered 30 seconds ago
#2) Raid does count as air freshener and has quite a hearty aroma
#3) Your face will have constant sheen of sweat, you know that really healthy glow look (Truth is you will look like crap and rarely ever want to look in the mirror)
#4) Even with above mentioned rule....men will stare, whistle, honk, cat call, and yell at you. Worst idea possible is to go running through town...
#5) Cars will not stop if you are in their way. They will came barreling at you until you run and jump out of the way. This rule is not limited to cars and mototaxis but includes buses as well
#6) Bonding occurs most often during encounters with large flying bugs and of course the usual...cervezas
#7) You can't throw toilet paper in the toilet.... I don't know really what else to say about that
#8) The plan is there is no plan, no time line, no time frame, nada. You live according to Honduran time which is basically whenever you feel like doing it.
Strangely enough these rules have been fairly easy to follow thus far. I can only imagine what the next few months will hold and what sort of experiences we will continue to have.
#1) Your feet will forever be dirty...it does not matter if you just showered 30 seconds ago
#2) Raid does count as air freshener and has quite a hearty aroma
#3) Your face will have constant sheen of sweat, you know that really healthy glow look (Truth is you will look like crap and rarely ever want to look in the mirror)
#4) Even with above mentioned rule....men will stare, whistle, honk, cat call, and yell at you. Worst idea possible is to go running through town...
#5) Cars will not stop if you are in their way. They will came barreling at you until you run and jump out of the way. This rule is not limited to cars and mototaxis but includes buses as well
#6) Bonding occurs most often during encounters with large flying bugs and of course the usual...cervezas
#7) You can't throw toilet paper in the toilet.... I don't know really what else to say about that
#8) The plan is there is no plan, no time line, no time frame, nada. You live according to Honduran time which is basically whenever you feel like doing it.
Strangely enough these rules have been fairly easy to follow thus far. I can only imagine what the next few months will hold and what sort of experiences we will continue to have.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Real World Gracias
So I have made it safely to the town of Gracias Lempira. There were definitely times during the 5 1/2 hour drive from San Pedro Sula to Gracias where I thought I was going to die. Imagine if you will very poorly paved 2 lane road with maniac drivers and pouring down rain with a thunder and lightening storm. Imagine your eyes closed attempting to rest when the driver slams on his breaks and then swerves to miss a pot hole. Mom and Dad I love you dearly but you will most likely not survive such a trip. The house we are living in is absolutely beautiful and also will include 8 girls living in it.... enough said. So far the girls have been great and we have been doing some major bonding. Food so far is great, loving those baleadas and cafe con leche yumm yumm. I would love to tell you about mototaxisn but no words can explain...you will have to wait for a video on that one. The men here love us american girls. We definitely get a lot of stares but everyone has been friendly (the kids are adorable!) We start work sort of on the 15th but for reals on the 29th....might be planning a beach trip with the roomies. There are a lot of bugs here...cockroaches, beetles, wasps, bees (got bit today :( so lucky I am not allergic!) Also, a lot of wildlife like wild dogs, horses, lizards, chickens, stray cats here and roaming the town. If you guys have any questions please feel free to ask.. I am really not sure what else to write.
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