Town Survey

I just got back from 4 days of town survey - spending one day and night in each of my four communities setting things up for the volunteers.  Here is a list of some of the more interesting things that happened:

• I inhaled 3 bugs in about 4 minutes, and ate a countless number that landed and died in my food.
  
• I approached and conversed with a group of late teen/early 20s boys, who were incredulous that I A) spoke Spanish, and B) wasn't intimidated by them.
  
• I went on a bike ride from one end of a community to the other on a bike several sizes too small and with highly dysfunctional brakes.  The road was a minefield of rocks, gravel, mud puddles, sand, and branches.
• I saw the sun rise over the volcano on the Island of Ometepe while standing on a gorgeous secluded beach.
• I drank coffee for the first time ever, although it was mostly milk - "cafe con leche", the milk was fresh from the family cow.
• I spoke with a doctor in Nicaragua about what going to medical school and being a doctor in Nicaragua entails.
• I saw a little boy on a bicycle herding cows.  And on the topic of cows - their mooing will never cease to entertain me.  It's the funniest noise I've ever heard, and even the baby cowies make the same, deep noise.
• I had a meeting with the only woman mayor in the whole province of Rivas.
• I drank beet lemonade.
• I played volleyball for two hours with the Nicaraguan national champion 10 and 11 year olds.
• I talked to 2 little boys and a little girl ages 3-6 who were walking along the highway carrying jugs of water to their houses from the nearby well.
• I passed two bulls that were strolling down the road eating the mangos that had fallen from trees.
• I took a bucket bath in the dark.
• I watched about 100 kids form a massive pile with arms of legs protruding from all sides after breaking a pinata.  Then I helped pass out drinks and cookies to all of them.
• I played peek-a-boo with a very giggly mentally challenged adult man.
• I dozed off on a bus and smacked the bridge of my nose on the metal seat in front of me when the bus jerked to a stop - I now have a purple bruise on my nose.
  
• I found 11 host families, set up about a dozen meetings, arranged schedules at 4 health clinics/posts and 6 schools for my future volunteers, and was offered beds and meals by total strangers for the whole time I was on survey.

I didn't take pictures because I didn't want to come off as a tourist.  But I will take some soon!

I am now back at Staff House, and we have a ton of work to do - right now, we are planning the workshop for the youth counterparts that is taking place tomorrow, and then we will be preparing for volunteer arrival!

Maya