Jennifer
•
December 31, 2001
For new years I made chocolate chip banana bread!!! It was almost like a delicacy. My friend Giovanna from Salem, Oregon sent us chocolate chips. We saved them for a very special occasion. We had a visitor to help us welcome the New Year, a great big tarantula crawled into the house under our screen door, and Shawn caught it with a cut open ½ liter bottle and a zip lock bag…did I mention it was huge like 4 inches long!!!!! I climbed up on a chair and started screaming for the neighbors to come, but Shawn saved me…my hero. That was our new years eve excitement.
December 24, 2001
My
college friends: Andrea, Cindy and Megan sent us sugar cookies for
Christmas. When my neighbor’s tasted the sugar cookies they sent, they
made me promise to make cookies for Christmas, so on Christmas Eve, we made
sugar cookies from scratch.
I
made cookies with my neighbors and their 3 little girls.
What an experience! We cut
out our little Christmas trees to fill 2 huge pans (large baking sheets…held
at least 20 cookies on each one.)
It took awhile because the girls wanted to learn how to cut them out and
this takes some talent to not break the tree as you transfer it from the counter
to the baking sheet. But, it was fun
to let them try. When the trees
broke, we did a lot of mending. We
then made letters for all their names (initials) out of the cookie dough.
They were so excited to each have their own special cookie in the shape
of their name.
So,
out of our entire double batch, we ended up with about 10 cookies.
We looked at each other exasperated and said…this is not our day (I
found out that is an expression in Spanish, too!)
December 16, 2001
Once on the island, we went to check-in at a small oceanfront
cafe and were greeted by Shawn's director, Jeff. He gave us a
packet of information for the week and invited us to have
refreshments. We sat at a table outside sipping our coca-colas
(the beverage of choice in Honduras). I love to drink the pop out
of the glass bottle (this is how all pop is served here, cans are
only found in the capitol and is still a rare sight). We waited
for everyone to arrive (40 volunteers in total) and then ate
lunch. Shawn and I ordered fish, which was served as the whole
fish, lightly fried (head, eyes, fins and all!) I love seafood
and this was the first time we have had fish in Honduras, so it
was a treat. The meal was served with banana chips and potato
salad. After lunch we went to our host families to drop off our
backpacks. This is probably the most interesting part of the trip
for me. There is a volunteer, Peter, who lives on this island. He
is probably around 45 years old and this is his second time
serving with Peace Corps. When Peter was in his 20's, he served
in Africa! He ended up staying there for 9 years and then worked
in the states for a while. He really wanted to learn Spanish so
he came to Honduras! Here is the interesting part...he has been
single all this time and has met a Honduran bride! They will be
married in June. His service is done in August and they will move
to New Mexico, U.S.A. together. She is his age, and has two
teenage kids from a previous marriage. So, beware...we might
re-join the Peace Corps when we retire (just kidding)!
Peter's project is working to expand tourism on the island.
Twenty years ago, Amapala was the only port for Honduras from the
Pacific Ocean. Founded in the early 1800's, Amapala flourished as
a seaport city. In 1980, the seaport was relocated to San
Lorenzo, a city close to Amapala, but located directly on the
mainland. This made transporting items a lot easier to bypass the
island and go straight to the shore of the country. Since that
time, the elderly population reminisces about the "good old
days" when one could see at least five ships at any given
time in the island's port. There is sadness in their voices as
they remember the liveliness of their town with the bustle of
business. Today the reality is the "tranquilo" (Spanish
word for calm or tranquil) state their small seaport village has
become. Due to its vast history and natural beauty, tourism could
be an option for this little island. There is one expensive hotel
that was built 5 years ago, but it is really outrageous ($60 per
person per night!) It is a nice hotel, but nothing spectacular to
charge those prices. But, since the hotel has a monopoly, they
can charge what they want and it has become known as the
"exclusive" place for the few rich Hondurans who
travel. Peter's idea was to establish the concept of "Bed
and Breakfast" homes to increase tourism within the
community and bring money directly into the hands of the
islanders. Although many families are able to survive on fishing,
it is simply just that - survival living. They catch just enough
fish to eat and stay alive. There is no extra to sell. The boost
in tourism could assist these families in achieving a somewhat
higher standard of living. Currently, there is a vast degree of
poverty on the island. With Peter's idea, families would open
their homes up when tourists were in town and rent them to people
as "Guest Homes." This is what our group rented for the
conference. Instead of staying at the hotel, we stayed with
families. The concept is great, but could use some improvements.
Shawn and I slept in someone's kitchen! Actually, the family we
stayed with had a small home made of cement. One room was a
living area with a TV and a couple of chairs. The other room was
a kitchen and bedroom all in one. The family also had a small
wooden building on the beach that they use to sell food, pop and
rent hammocks to tourist's for a day in the sun. While we stayed
at their house, the dad and mom and kids slept on the beach in
hammocks. It cost us $6 per night per person to rent their home.
The bed was clean and accommodating. However, there was no
privacy. The daughter stayed in the living room and her job was
to cook us breakfast. Each morning around 6 AM, as we were
sleeping, she'd waltz into our room to start frying eggs. Her
closet was also in our rented room, so she would come in and out
to get clothes or hair bands or whatever else she needed. The
door between the living room and bedroom was a screen door, so
this made changing into a swimsuit or pajamas quite challenging.
Sometimes Shawn would hold up a towel for me to change because we
were never fully alone. The other thing that I wasn't ready for
was the latrine. When we returned to our "guest home"
after all our conference sessions from the day, it was dark.
Shawn walked outside with me to find the "bathroom". To
our surprise, the latrine was a cement hole. There was a box in
the corner for discarding toilet paper. The box and rim of the
cement opening were crawling with mammoth size cockroaches.
Gross! I whimpered and whined and told Shawn that I could hold
it. He told me to pull myself together and proceed with our
bathroom mission. Using his flashlight, he scared away the
roaches. What would I do without him? I had to hold my nose with
one hand, while using my T-shirt to cover both my mouth and nose.
This only slightly protected me from the wrenching smell. The
program is just starting, so I have to remember that over time
they will probably refine their services. I just think it is
important, because Peace Corps volunteers seem to be a little
more patient and accepting to cultural extremes than a typical
American tourist. If I were on a vacation (rather than traveling
on this Peace Corps experience), I would probably be a bit
surprised by this primitive version of a Bed and Breakfast. I
would suggest a curtain for the bedroom area, if they can't
afford a door, and a ventilation system for the latrine. Even a
hole in the roof would help air the thing out!
On Tuesday, Shawn spent most of the day in sessions with his
group. Since the "spouses" weren't required to attend
the meetings, we went to the beach for some fun and relaxation.
We spent most of the day lying in hammocks, drinking coca-cola
and watching the ocean waves. We swam for a bit, talked and read
our books. I love the breeze that comes off the water. Even in
the hot 85-90 degree weather, the breeze gives you the illusion
of feeling cool. It was very refreshing. There is one road that
circles around the entire island. Amapala is the main town and
then the island is surrounded with smaller villages, each having
their own name and beach areas. The island has a circumference of
about 15 kilometers (7miles). Our mode of transportation was a
pick-up truck. People stand in the back holding on to a metal bar
that is welded to the bed of the truck. It was fun to ride around
the island and feel the air race through our hair. We just had to
be careful to duck for tree branches.
Each day for lunch and each night for dinner we would meet at
different beaches to eat. Tuesday night we had steak and shrimp
kabobs with grilled vegetables. It was delicious. Fresh from the
sea (the shrimp that is...) On Wednesday morning everyone had
free time. Shawn went fishing on a boat and I decided to climb
the volcano with some of the other volunteers. We heard it was a
hard hike, but the view is outstanding to see all three countries
from the top of the hill. The hike took two and a half hours to
get to the top. We had a group of about 10 people make the trek.
Peter was our tour guide. He told me he grew up as the son of a
National Park Ranger. His family moved about every four years
across the country and his dad worked at various parks. The last
park they lived in was the Grand Canyon in Arizona. He spent
every weekend for four years hiking throughout the canyon!
Needless to say he is in great shape. He usually takes an hour to
get up the hill. Even though we took a slower pace than he
normally goes, I still felt exhausted! I love to hike on nature
trails, but the steep mountain climb kept me panting the whole
way up, leaving me out of breath. It was a true challenge. Yet,
it was probably the highlight of my entire week. When we got to
the top, the view was breathtaking. I could see the mountain
range in Nicaragua, another volcano in El Salvador, the shore of
Honduras and many tiny islands inbetween. Peter surprised our
group by taking out oranges, bread and more water for everyone! I
was so hungry that it tasted like a feast. We had no idea he was
carrying all this stuff for us in his backpack! It was very
thoughtful and appreciated.
On the top of the
mountain is an old U.S. Army base. The U.S. Army used the base in
the 1980's during the Cold War as a listening post and look out
point. The base existed for five years with many American
soldiers calling this island home. During that time, the U.S.
built a road up the mountain to get back and forth from the town
to the top of the hill. During Hurricane Mitch in 1998, the road
was washed away with a landslide. Large bolders destroyed the
road making it impossible to drive up. On the hike, the old road
outlines the walking trail for hikers. The mountain is filled
with a canopy of green trees that helped shade us from the sun on
our expedition. I had to stop at least every 20 minutes to catch
my breath, drink a bag of water (our purified water comes in bags
here), ask Peter if we were almost there (to which he would just
smile and keep climbing) and enjoy a moment of the incredible
ocean view. The higher we got, the more amazing the sight! I was
intrigued by the old Army base and somehow felt a strong
connection with our country. The first thing I discovered was a
rock painted with white letters in English saying, "To Be
Hard, You Must Live Hard" and signed by the batalon number
of the army troop. It seemed odd to see something in English yet,
it clearly portrayed the American Army days on the mountain. The
top of the mountain is flat and as we walked further, we
discovered old army barracks where the men would sleep. One of
the buildings was labeled, FIRST AID, and another was labeld
OPERATIONS. Again, the signs were in English. The buildings are
old and deteriorating. The signs above the doors are chipping
from previous rainy seasons. A seventy-four year old Honduran man
lives in the OPERATIONS building. His job is to guard the
mountain. He hikes up and down the volcano three or four times a
week for food or to see his family. When we arrived, he was
excited for the company. His smile showed the only two teeth he
owned and when he stood up to shake my hand he couldn't have been
more than five feet tall. In between the buildings I could make
out the remains of an old dirt floor basket-ball court. The hoops
were knocked over on the ground. I kept my eye open, hoping for a souvenier, like a dog-tag or something cool. All I found were
bags of sand that, according to Peter, were probably used as
look-out points for the soldiers to hide behind.
The way back down the mountain was equally as difficult, but in a
different way. The trail that seemed so steep on the way up was
now hard to descend slowly due to the sliding gravel and our
downward motion. I relied heavily on my walking stick to keep me
balanced. We made it down in an hour and a half. When we reached
the bottom, my legs were trembleing from the weight I had put on
my leg muscles. I ended up feeling the ache in my legs for 2 days
after the hike! Even with the pain, I was proud of my
accomplishment. Shawn is hoping if we return to make the hike
himself since he chose the fishing activity instead. He had fun
on the boat, but they didn't catch any fish. I hope I am up to
going again!
Thursday was our last day of the conference. We left after lunch
at about 1:00 PM. We took the same small fishing boats back to
the mainland. Shawn was sitting in the middle of the boat and got
absolutely drenched by the time we reached the other side. I kept
trying not to giggle (good thing it is so hot here...I knew he'd
be dry in 15 minutes.) He sneered and told me he didn't think he
should have to pay for the ride (which cost us a whole $.56
cents), but after he noticed a couple other people were drenched,
his sense of humor returned. We took a bus to Choluteca (our
department capitol) and slept over at John's apartment (he is a
volunteer that we know who lives in Choluteca and let's us sleep
at his place if we don't have time to make it up the mountain to
our home). John is from Colorado and works with water and
sanitation projects here in Honduras. In the morning we went to
the post office in Choluteca (this is where our mail goes before
we get it in Concepción de Maria). We were super lucky...they had
a package waiting there for us! There are always surprises with
the Honduran mail system. Giovanna (our friend who we met in
training, who left to go back home to Oregon) had sent us a fun
package of many random items including protein bars, powered
milk, razors, a pumice board (our feet were very happy!) and some
lip gloss and hand lotion.
Around 11 AM we headed for the bus station (note the time...this
is a valuable part of the story.) The bus ride was nothing out of
the ordinary; it was hot, dusty, and very long. To make life even
more eventful, we got a flat tire half way back to Concepción!
This is where I am thankful that I bring a book to read
EVERYWHERE I GO! You never know when a simple trip turns into a
whole day of waiting. We arrived back home around 3:30 PM. That's
right...four and a half hours later. Never again will I complain
about long car rides. I think about the four hour trip to see my
grandma in a car (that I have some control over) and that has the
luxury feature of air-conditioning! In fact, I dream about going
to see my grandma and comparing the journey to my Honduran bus
rides. I think this will give me such a new perspective on the
subject of travel. I find it interesting that "as the crow
flies" (a famous Peace Corps expression) our town is about
one hour away from Choluteca. Oh, well! Without my long bus rides
I wouldn't have so many fun stories to write about. Maybe I should
be thankful. The latest book that I am reading is called "A
Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving. There was also a
movie similar to the book called, "Simon Birch". In the
front of the book, the author has quoted the following bible
verse:
Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to
God.
-The Letter of Paul to the Philippians
This is a good verse for me to remember. I may get anxious at
times with everything around me. But, if I truly look at my
situation, there is so much to be thankful for such as the fun
trip we had, the time we actually have to wait, and experiencing
this whole thing together. I am finding as we document our time
in Honduras, I love to write! This is another thing to be
thankful for. One of my favorite past-times is writing home.
Maybe Shawn and I can write a book someday.
December 8, 2001
So, I am feeling a lot better
this week with adjusting to our town. I still miss being away
from everyone for Christmas. But, this week was so fun. Our town
celebrated "Purisima" the Purification of Mary…we
call it the Immaculate Conception in the states. Well, our town
(Concepción de Maria) is named after the Immaculate Conception,
so the celebration here is quite grand. My neighbors invited me
to share in the festivities with them. This tradition is most
common for women and children. I didn't see many men partake in
the event. Shawn stayed home and typed email because he would
have been the only guy there.
So here is how they celebrate! For 8 days proceeding December
8th, the town celebrates each night with saying a rosary. The
tradition is to go to different neighbors' homes each night
around 6:00 PM. Outside each home, the host decorates a small
shrine draped in Christmas lights and colorful tinsel. A small
table is placed under a canopy of branches (picture something
from Gilligan's Island) with candles and a statue of the Virgin
Mary to complete the decor. The "prayer service" takes
about one hour. They start by singing lots of songs. The little
old ladies bellow out the music (I tried to hum along.) The
children love teaching me the words. A couple of the nights I
attended, the women asked me to sing songs in English. They said
they love to hear my voice and they don't mind if I sing in a
different language.
When the women finish singing, everyone says one rosary, super
fast…it takes about 10 minutes (I could not keep up at all,
let alone try to say the prayers in Spanish!). Then everyone is
served something small to eat...like a plate of rice and a
tortilla or a warm dinner roll. I thought of my Dad tonight when
we ate and how much he would love this! It is so random and
spontaneous as you sit and eat under the stars. I was so thankful
to sit outside with the cool breeze and not have any Mosquitoes!
After the snack, the children are given a bag of candy and the
adults are given a small gift such as a plate, a cup, or a bowl
accompanied by an orange or two, a banana and maybe a potato. My
kitchen is now stocked! From attending all the different parties,
I have collected a small green plastic bowl, a large blue plastic
bowl, a purple coffee mug, a blue glass cereal bowl, a small navy
serving platter and a hot pink plate with a McDonald's logo on
the front (I don't know where they found that!). Nothing matches,
but I am using everything! Sometimes I think just the excitement
of receiving a gift is what makes the gift giving so much fun.
Today, December 8th, was the last night of the week's
celebration. It ended with many fireworks, firecrackers, fire
rockets…basically anything that makes noise. All night Shawn
and I heard the mini- explosions to commemorate the festivities.
Just imagine the 4th of July all month long…that is what
Christmas is like here. Throughout the day, drums sounded and
people processed through the streets with statues of Mary and the
Baby Jesus. The processions were crowed with people singing songs
and praying as they passed by our house.
At night the streets are alive with people walking around and
greeting one another. The whole town knows my name and they love
to greet me by saying, "Buenas Noches (goodnight),
Yennifer" as I walk back home to share my goodies with
Shawn. If he isn't walking right beside me, everyone asks,
"Where is Miguel?" And to be polite, I stop and chat
with each grandma, each child, and each group of women, as I
explain that Shawn is at home and very excited to eat my plate of
rice with me when I return! No matter what I say, they laugh.
Everyone is so intrigued with us. They are friendly and warm and
inviting. That is what I like about our town. I like feeling
welcomed. I like being recognized. I like feeling like I am a
part of something. And I like the fact that everyone seems to be
watching out for us. They are interested in knowing who we are
and why we came. Their sincerity is what awes me and at the same
time comforts me.
When I got home, Shawn laughed at my excitement as I showed him
our new treasures (the oranges and plastic kitchen dishes). So,
even though there is no snow, it is finally beginning to feel
like Christmas.
November 27, 2001
Hiking! Shawn and I hiked for 2 hours this morning up the bolder river, as I like to describe it. We followed the dirt road that casually accompanies the river's bends. We both decided the best way to fight the heat is by staying in shape and keeping our spirits filled with hope. This means we are adding walking and hiking to our weekly routine. No matter how exhausted we feel, we know that the energy our bodies exert during exercise will make us stronger. We have also started morning devotions as another method to "revive" us. So far both strategies have been working. I loved the hike. The water whitecap along for most of the path, but as we hiked our way up the mountain, the water started to crash on the larger rocks forming mini-waterfalls and bubbling brooks. The crystal mountain water looked almost clean enough to drink...but I won't risk that illusion. Some parts of the trail went directly into the river and I was happy to have my water-proof boots along for the expedition. I felt like a true explorer as I plunged through the rushing stream of water. The water is no more than a foot deep and still I often asked Shawn to hold his hand. Maybe next time I will be more brave.
The hike was revitalizing. I plan to journey that way often. It did wonders for my state of mind and encouraged me to rely on the inner strength God provides when we feel we can not possibly continue forward. I was reminded today that God doesn't place us in situations that we are not strong enough to survive.
November 21, 2001
I am tired with exhaustion. The heat absolutely drains me. I am amazed at how people live in this climate. Every breath I take is an effort. Every move I make seems to be an accomplishment. I need to find some energy and I am not quite sure where that will be. When I turn around, I am face to face with dust and dirt amidst the hot noon day sun. I am consumed with the thought of being clean! I guess I will go take a cold bucket bath. That should provide some momentary relief. Unfortunately, the feeling never lasts long enough before I just get hot again!
November 19, 2001
We went to use internet today and I had the oddest feeling that I was in the wrong place. Here I was trekking to the high school to use their internet connection and I felt like I had to pass through a jungle from an adventure movie similar to that of "Indiana Jones". First, to get on the right side of the river where the school is located, we had to cross the swinging foot bridge. This wobbly invention is a make-shift bridge assembled after Hurricane Mitch in 1998 with planks of wood and some rusty bent nails suspended by 4 cement columns and steel cables, which span the width of the river. As I cross, the bridge sways with my motion. The only thing we are missing are the crocodiles! Shawn and I follow the dirt path on the other side of the river, over large rocks, through a little brush on the way to our destination Near the river I see large frogs...bigger than I have ever known before and I have to be careful not to step on one. By their size I am afraid they would bite. Shawn reassures me that this simply isn't true. But, my mind loves to play with paranoia. We slow down on our hike to allow a couple of donkeys to pass with the heavy loads piled high on their backs. Donkey's don't move very fast. I guess I wouldn't either with all that treacherous weight strapped to me! Finally, we arrive at the school. As Shawn goes to unlock the gate, we notice that a pig is captured inside. He must have been eating the schoolyard grass the night before and accidentally got left behind when all the teachers went home for the evening. With panicky snorts, the pig appeared anxious to escape. I am glad Shawn and I could rescue him. All part of a good day's work! With contentment we have reached our objective - internet access! I am excited to be able to email home to family and friends. It seems to bring me back to reality...whatever that used to be for me. And to think I used to sit at home in our little "home office" and access internet with my slippers on! When I go home I will probably have to find some ceramic pigs, donkeys and frogs to put by our computer so that I will never forget the my fun adventures.
November 18, 2001
Each day I like it here more and more. We were invited to a neighbor's house for a birthday party tonight. It was a lot of fun. We can already tell we are making a lot of connections with this family. Here's how (I'll explain how we met each family member):
Rafael (Dad) - We met this morning when we went to church.
Azucena (Mom) - Is the only nurse in this town (ok, not the only nurse, but the only nurse I would trust taking care of my health.) We met her when we toured the clinic. Then last weekend we saw her again in church when the celebrated the "Celebration of the Word" (this is what they have every Sunday instead of Mass, because there is no priest.) We haven't been too impressed with the "Speaker of the Word" -the guy who leads the services. Unfortunately, he appears to be somewhat self-absorbed. After Mass we told Azucena that we really wanted to go to Mass and she said that this weekend in a nearby town a priest was coming for Confirmation (just our luck...this only happens here every 3 years!!!!) She then said we could go with her and her husband on Sunday to Mass (today.)
Sandra (daughter) 28 years old, married to Juan and has a 1 year old daughter named Andrea. She is a teacher at the High School. That is where we first met her (not knowing she was Azucena's daughter)
Ruth (daughter) 25 years old, married to Mario and has a 2 year old daughter named Ruth Maria. She is also a teacher at the High School. She reminds me a lot like Cindy (my sister). She has black hair, but like Cindy's it has a natural wave to it. Very pretty. Likes to dance and very personable. It was her birthday that we celebrated. Ruth found out we went to Mass with her parents (just the parents and Shawn and I went to Mass this morning…it was a 3 hour confirmation and the mom was one of the sponsors. I don't think the others were really invited) and then she invited us to her birthday dinner tonight.
Rafael (son) 17 years old. Senior in high school who we met in the small computer lab they have there. Practically the only student or person in this town who knows much about computers…he's very smart. He's also a really nice kid (like Adam) and seems mature for his age. He really bonded with the last volunteer here in our town named Matt.
Anyway, it was fun. I am happy to have some people we are connecting with. We got to meet all the grandmas and great grandmas…that was fun, too. They want to know why we have to leave after 2 years and can't stay longer (seems long enough to me!) The funniest thing to me is how they sing "Happy Birthday" they first sing it in English (or try as best they can.) Then they use the same tune to Happy Birthday and in Spanish they sing "We want cake, we want cake, we want cake and coca cola also. " Then at the end they add an extra line, "and coffee for the old folks." It does sound comical…but the funniest thing is that every time we have heard this sung here, people crack up hysterically thinking it is the funniest thing they have ever heard. They laugh and laugh and laugh. I ponder how it could be so funny when they sing this at EVERY single birthday party various times throughout the year. You would think the song may get a chuckle, but this rolling laughter is quite a sight. It's contagious as well, as soon as the group starts laughing, I start laughing at their laughing…maybe that's what they are doing, too. Shawn teases me that the group is secretly laughing at me, the foreigner. I am not sure I believe him. They seem pretty into the song to care too much about who is watching.
October 31, 2001
Halloween! I miss "trick or treating". Well, I haven't actually been "trick or treating" for many years, but I miss giving out candy and seeing the adorable costumes of our nieces and nephew. I also miss fall colors and caramel apples and hot chocolate at football games. I love Minnesota autumn. I love to see the leaves change color, I love to wear sweaters and I love to smell the crisp air. What I would give to sit by a bonfire and roast marshmallows and sing with Shawn, while he plays the guitar. I only hope that when we do come home in two years, I will appreciate what I have missed. It will be a happy reunion to return in October 2003!
September 1, 2001
Two years ago today Shawn proposed to me. This day also marks the "11th Anniversary" of our first date! When we were seniors in high school Shawn took me to a small Egyptian restaurant in Minneapolis for our first official date. I love September 1st! It amazes me that I have known him for so long. I am more amazed that we are now married and living in Honduras. Life continues to be filled with wonder and surprise.
August 31, 2001
Shawn and I went to the Peace Corps office on Thursday to use free email and we decided to go get bagels for lunch. There is one bagel shop in all of Honduras and they even have real cream cheese!(I am all about good food these days!). We were crossing the street and Shawn told me to be careful, because I wouldn’t want to trip and fall in oncoming traffic. (He was joking with me because I always tell him this in the states. I often tell him to have patience and wait for all the cars to pass because it is not worth the 2 seconds you save dodging a car if you would accidentally fall.) So, we started to cross and guess what? I tripped and fell! Unfortunately, the roads here are very unforgiving. They are very rough, with lots of rocks and I happened to fall on half rocks and half of a large gutter grate. I managed to bang up my knee, skin the other knee, skin my elbow, forearm, wrist, and right shoulder. I also cut both hands. (I didn’t leave out any body parts!) My right hand has 3 deep cuts and my left hand 1 deep cut. It was a good thing this happened outside the Peace Corps office because I was able to go back (more like limp back) immediately and have the nurse check me out. Fortunately, no stitches needed. Just lots of bandages! What a mess. The good news is I wasn’t hit by the car. Before we went home, we took a taxi 3 blocks to buy our bagels! (I wasn’t about to give up on my bagel mission!) And one can always get a Taxi for $1 or $2. Our new rule in Honduras is “wait for the light”.
August 28, 2001
My diary isn't as long as Shawn's. I have been busy writing the "Update Letters" that we send out to our group of family and friends back home. You can find these entries under the "Letters from Honduras" page. These letters are my substitute journal.
During the month of September 2001, Shawn and I will be living in two different sites. Shawn will be stationed in Savanagrande, a beautiful city one hour south of the capital. I will be living in Morasali, a dry and dirty town, so I have been told, located one hour east of the capital. According to our host mom, Shawn is definitely the luckier one! My group will be studying Economic Development and his group will be working in Municipal Development. This will be the first time since we were married to be apart for so long! I am guessing it will be a long month, but I pray to devote my time to learning Spanish, writing letters and counting the days till October!
Please send letters. They truly cheer us. Please send email. We never know when we will find internet access, so when we finally find email that works we love to see who wrote and read lots of letters. It's not so fun to open an "empty" in-box (you know how it is!)
My goal is to make more entries in October 2001. Please stay tuned. Until then pray for me as I do for you.
July 24, 2001
We left Minnesota today for our adventure to Honduras. I hope I am ready...we have spent most of last night packing last minute items. How does that happen? No matter how prepared I try to be, I still have 47 things to finish at the last minute. I am looking forward to slowing down my life and opening a new chapter of learning, growing and discovering.
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