I managed to get some more time on the internet so I will finish about our Trujillo adventure. After spending 2 weeks straight at the orphanage just the 4 of us volunteers we decided we deserved to take a weekend away so we could actually sleep in, hopefully get a warm shower and if we were really lucky, get a room with a T.V.! We decided to hitch to Trujillo a small town about 3 hours east of La Ceiba. Trujillo is where Christopher Columbus first touched the mainland in Central America on his final voyage to the America´s. Alison, one of my roommates, had been wanting to go to Trujillo before she left which was this past Friday and had not been able to make it. Bethany, Yessenia, Alison and I packed our stuff and decided to leave early Saturday morning and hitch to Trujillo for a nice evening away and hitch back Sunday. We woke up to pouring down rain and decided to wait it out. We waited until about 10:30 when the rain eased up a bit and headed out for our journey. We got our first hitch in a nice truck with an Islander from the island Guanaja. The other girls made me sit in the front. I got in the truck and sat down and looked at the emergency brake where he had a huge gun. I don´t know anything about guns but this one was a big silver gun that he referred to as his 45. He told us that he carried it for protection because in his words, "in Honduras, killing a man is like drinking a glass of water." He was a very nice man who was really interested in talking world politics. He took us to a small village along the way where he stopped to donate so money to a family there. He gave us his number and told us if we needed any help to call him. He took us about half way and we got another hitch with a group of 3 men, driving 2 trucks, working on the cell phone towers along the way. We got to visit one of the cell phone towers with them which was a roller coaster truck ride across a river and up the steepest muddy road I have ever seen in my life. We learned while with them that the bridges were out to get to Trujillo and we would have to take a 3 hour detour. One of the men offered to drive us because he still had to visit a cell tower in Trujillo and didn´t want to drive home and back out Monday. Pablo drove us to Trujillo and what was said to be a 3 hour detour took no longer than 1.5 hours (he thinks they meant 3 hours by horse). We checked into an awesome hostel on the beach for $6-night that had hot water, t.v. and an all you can eat breakfast cooked by the German owner. Unfortunately the electricity was out so we headed out for a walk on the beach and to find some food. We got to a restaurant on the beach all lit up with candles because the electricity was out in the entire town and sat down to eat a nice meal. Each of us was served an amazing seafood meal which we all took the time to savor as opposed to how we eat with the kids, like it is the last meal we will ever eat. We invited Pablo to meet up with us so we could buy him a meal or some drinks to repay him for the ride. He offered to give us a ride home the next day and hang out in town until we were ready but we told him we would find our own way so he wouldn´t have to hang out in town longer than he wanted. We finished our meals and headed back to the hostel while Pablo headed out to check out the night seen. We explained to him that since we life at an orphanage we are all exhausted by 9 pm and it was only about 7:30 while we were eating and we were all yawning.
We headed back to the hostel and our electricity was back on so we turned on the TV and all fell asleep watching My Best Friends Wedding. I was routing for Prison Break reruns but was outvoted. We got up the next day and walked around Trujillo and then decided we should head home. We got a hitch right away and it was the worst hitch ever! A white van pulled over for us and we check and the man was going all the way to Saba which is half way and where we got dropped off on our way out. So we jumped and the chance and got in not noticing the pictures of cows and pigs on the side of the truck. At least I didn´t notice. Inside the van was a huge cooler that we think was carrying a dead cow without any ice. The van smelt worse than anything I have ever smelt. It smelt like dead rotting carcass. I was lucky enough again to be in the front and I had a window, but it was pouring out so while I kept the window open to help get some fresh air, I was getting soaked at the same time. My poor roommates were in the back squished against the meat cooler that was leaking blood. We were SO happy to get out of that van. We thanked the man and offered him some money which he denied like every hitch I have encountered. We then jumped on a bus that took us about 20 minutes towards where we were headed. They dropped us off and didn´t charge us, I am thinking because they just wanted us to get off the bus since we stunk so bad.
After about 10 minutes we jumped in another hitch, myself up front again with a man who owns a hotel in Olanchito but lives in La Ceiba. He had a son my age and a daughter a couple of years younger. Whenever I feel the slightest bit nervous I begin talking to our hitches about their families. This man again had a huge gun resting on the emergency brake. He gave us a ride all the way to the Hogar and dropped us off and we were home safely but smelling like dead cow. Ohhh! I forgot to mention the awesome breakfast we got. Sunday morning the German man Gunther stuck to his word and made us a pancake breakfast that was amazing. We got all we could eat pancakes, toast, German sausage, and eggs. It was delicious. We even got strawberry jam to put on our pancakes which was perfect because the other option, the honey jar, was filled with ants. Guatemala has awesome honey that they sell here in Honduras and it is more common for pancakes, honey as opposed to syrup, but the honey jars are always filled with little ants. But we eat it anyway.
Other than the kids, my favorite thing about my time here has been getting to know the locals through hitching. We always share our stories about our hitches and all joke about how we should all start hitching journals. The meat van was by far the worst!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Thanksgiving, San Pedro & Trujillo
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that everyone had a happy Thanksgiving and was able to spend some quality time with family and friends and eat some good food. I missed my grandma's sweet potatoes, my mom's cranberries, spending the weekend at the beach with my family, meeting my cousins new baby and catching up with my family... Fortunately I was able to have a nice Thanksgiving here spending the evening with fellow volunteers. A man that owns a hotel teamed up with another volunteer to cater a dinner at a hotel on the beach where they invited all HHK volunteers to spend thanksgiving together. We were even fortunate enough to get some turkey and stove top stuffing! There was also rice, veggies, pasta dishes, mashed potatoes and gravy and some pies. I have found a new passion... Pecan Pie!!! I don't know if I have never tried it or if it was just that this pie the other night was more amazing than any piece I have ever tried, but it was excellent. My roommates and I each got a plate piled high with food and all we could think about was how the kids would all die to be eating what we were eating. So Bethany emptied her water bottle and we stuffed the rest of the food we had on our plates into her bottle so we could take it back to the kids. Francisco in particular because as we were leaving he followed us out asking what we were going to eat and if we would bring some back to him as he does every time we leave the Hogar. We do things like this often and just laugh, we know have a saying, "you know you have lived at an orphanage in Honduras too long when..." in this case "you stuff food into a nalgene water bottle to take back to the kids at the Hogar."
I wanted to go around the table and have everyone say what they were thankful for but everyone seemed a bit too eager to dig in but Cheyanne another volunteer after dinner asked me what I was thankful for. I thought about it and I usually always say my health and the health of my family which I am still very thankful for, but I thought about what I have experienced in the last 5 months and what I am thankful for is the people I have met in my time here. I have met so many people with such huge hearts that it really gives me confidence and hope that there are good hearted, amazing, selfless people out there in the world. I could write a book about our hitches alone and how generous and friendly the people have been that we have met. I will try not to drag this blog on too long so I will just cover a few of them...
Last week was the last game of the season for Honduras. They played in San Pedro Sula against Mexico, their biggest rival. Last time they played in August they lost 1-3. I really wanted to go and at the last minute 3 other volunteers said that they would hitch to San Pedro Sula with me and take the chance of getting last minute tickets. So we grabbed some clothes and headed off hitching our way south to San Pedro Sula which is about 3.5 hours away. Our first hitch was a man named Wilfredo who lived in Tacoa but had a house in San Pedro Sula right next to the Stadium. He really wanted to go to the game and said we could stay at his house and he would drive us there if he was going, but that he was just going into La Ceiba because he had a meeting. He was a middle aged man who has a niece in Miami, FL and 3 daughters in North Carolina. He dropped us off in La Ceiba and we waited for our next hitch which we got after about 15 minutes and we were cramped in the bed of a truck with a couple bags of oranges. I offered to give the two men driving us money when we pulled over at the gas station which they would not accept. After we pulled away from the gas station they pulled over and bought 3 bags of lyches which are a fruit here almost like a grape or cherry. They handed us two of the bags and said they had purchased them for us to eat. They took us all the way to Progresso which is about 2 hours from La Ceiba and dropped us off on the main road heading to San Pedro Sula. From there we got another hitch in a truck but I sat up front while the other 3 volunteers sat in the back. The man was a construction worker who lived about 15 minutes outside of La Ceiba. I chatted with him about what I was doing in Honduras, my family, his family, soccer, etc for about 45 minutes and he asked where we were headed. I just told him to drop us off wherever he was headed and we would walk or get a cab to where we were going. He insisted on driving us to the Stadium when he found out that was where we were headed and said it was on his way. When we pulled up to the Stadium we shook hands and I got money out to give him and before I could offer it he placed something in my hand and said he wanted me to take it to remember him by. I looked at my hand and he had given me a $20 bill. I was in shock and told him there was no way I could accept it and that I had money and I was going to offer him money for gas and the ride. He insisted that I buy something nice for myself to remember him by and placed the $20 back in my hand. This was by far my most shocking hitch experience... He dropped us off right in front of the stadium where we were able to buy last minute tickets to the biggest game of the year for half price ($5). The game was amazing! Honduras won 1-0 over Mexico advancing them to the next series beginning in February. The stadium was PACKED! I don't think they have a max capacity at this place because it was PACKED from the bottom level to the top, there aren't even seats, not a soul was sitting down. People were standing cramped in aisles, on stairs, everywhere. We watched the game, took pictures and videos, cheered with the locals and got soaked. It poured the entire time and once the game was over we were soaked along with all of our stuff. We got a cab to take us to a hotel after fighting our way out of the stadium and he was very nice, attempted to rip us off, but then after we confronted him about and maybe sobered up, he spent the entire evening with us. He drove around San Pedro Sula helping us try and find a hotel, but everything was booked. SO he then offered to take us to Progresso which was on our way but about 30 minutes away. He said he lived there and we could stay with him at his place and he wouldn't charge us. He droves us to Pregresso, took us to his favorite restaurant where we bought him dinner to thank him and then offered to take us to his favorite karaoke bar. At that point it was about 1 am and we were still soaked so we asked him to drop us off at a hotel. He drove us around Progresso trying to find a hotel that was still open and helped us wake up a manager so that we could check-in to a room. He gave us his number and told us he would show us around the next day if we had time. For all of this he charged us the same fee it would have been to head straight to Pregresso after the game without any stops or dinner.
The next day we got up in the rain and headed back. We got our first hitch in the back of an SUV with two very nice men that were visiting family in Honduras but currently living in San Diego. They dropped us off about half way and we got another hitch in the back of a truck with a couple driving. It started to pour out and they pulled over and gave us a tarp to use to cover ourselves (a common hitch technique when it is raining out). WE got back to the Hogar soaked again, but we all had a blast! And it was definitely worth it, even if just for the hitching experience alone.
I am running out of internet time so I have to go. I will add more about our hitch to Trujillo and the kids hopefully tomorrow. For now I want to say again Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!!
I wanted to go around the table and have everyone say what they were thankful for but everyone seemed a bit too eager to dig in but Cheyanne another volunteer after dinner asked me what I was thankful for. I thought about it and I usually always say my health and the health of my family which I am still very thankful for, but I thought about what I have experienced in the last 5 months and what I am thankful for is the people I have met in my time here. I have met so many people with such huge hearts that it really gives me confidence and hope that there are good hearted, amazing, selfless people out there in the world. I could write a book about our hitches alone and how generous and friendly the people have been that we have met. I will try not to drag this blog on too long so I will just cover a few of them...
Last week was the last game of the season for Honduras. They played in San Pedro Sula against Mexico, their biggest rival. Last time they played in August they lost 1-3. I really wanted to go and at the last minute 3 other volunteers said that they would hitch to San Pedro Sula with me and take the chance of getting last minute tickets. So we grabbed some clothes and headed off hitching our way south to San Pedro Sula which is about 3.5 hours away. Our first hitch was a man named Wilfredo who lived in Tacoa but had a house in San Pedro Sula right next to the Stadium. He really wanted to go to the game and said we could stay at his house and he would drive us there if he was going, but that he was just going into La Ceiba because he had a meeting. He was a middle aged man who has a niece in Miami, FL and 3 daughters in North Carolina. He dropped us off in La Ceiba and we waited for our next hitch which we got after about 15 minutes and we were cramped in the bed of a truck with a couple bags of oranges. I offered to give the two men driving us money when we pulled over at the gas station which they would not accept. After we pulled away from the gas station they pulled over and bought 3 bags of lyches which are a fruit here almost like a grape or cherry. They handed us two of the bags and said they had purchased them for us to eat. They took us all the way to Progresso which is about 2 hours from La Ceiba and dropped us off on the main road heading to San Pedro Sula. From there we got another hitch in a truck but I sat up front while the other 3 volunteers sat in the back. The man was a construction worker who lived about 15 minutes outside of La Ceiba. I chatted with him about what I was doing in Honduras, my family, his family, soccer, etc for about 45 minutes and he asked where we were headed. I just told him to drop us off wherever he was headed and we would walk or get a cab to where we were going. He insisted on driving us to the Stadium when he found out that was where we were headed and said it was on his way. When we pulled up to the Stadium we shook hands and I got money out to give him and before I could offer it he placed something in my hand and said he wanted me to take it to remember him by. I looked at my hand and he had given me a $20 bill. I was in shock and told him there was no way I could accept it and that I had money and I was going to offer him money for gas and the ride. He insisted that I buy something nice for myself to remember him by and placed the $20 back in my hand. This was by far my most shocking hitch experience... He dropped us off right in front of the stadium where we were able to buy last minute tickets to the biggest game of the year for half price ($5). The game was amazing! Honduras won 1-0 over Mexico advancing them to the next series beginning in February. The stadium was PACKED! I don't think they have a max capacity at this place because it was PACKED from the bottom level to the top, there aren't even seats, not a soul was sitting down. People were standing cramped in aisles, on stairs, everywhere. We watched the game, took pictures and videos, cheered with the locals and got soaked. It poured the entire time and once the game was over we were soaked along with all of our stuff. We got a cab to take us to a hotel after fighting our way out of the stadium and he was very nice, attempted to rip us off, but then after we confronted him about and maybe sobered up, he spent the entire evening with us. He drove around San Pedro Sula helping us try and find a hotel, but everything was booked. SO he then offered to take us to Progresso which was on our way but about 30 minutes away. He said he lived there and we could stay with him at his place and he wouldn't charge us. He droves us to Pregresso, took us to his favorite restaurant where we bought him dinner to thank him and then offered to take us to his favorite karaoke bar. At that point it was about 1 am and we were still soaked so we asked him to drop us off at a hotel. He drove us around Progresso trying to find a hotel that was still open and helped us wake up a manager so that we could check-in to a room. He gave us his number and told us he would show us around the next day if we had time. For all of this he charged us the same fee it would have been to head straight to Pregresso after the game without any stops or dinner.
The next day we got up in the rain and headed back. We got our first hitch in the back of an SUV with two very nice men that were visiting family in Honduras but currently living in San Diego. They dropped us off about half way and we got another hitch in the back of a truck with a couple driving. It started to pour out and they pulled over and gave us a tarp to use to cover ourselves (a common hitch technique when it is raining out). WE got back to the Hogar soaked again, but we all had a blast! And it was definitely worth it, even if just for the hitching experience alone.
I am running out of internet time so I have to go. I will add more about our hitch to Trujillo and the kids hopefully tomorrow. For now I want to say again Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Craziness at the Hogar & New Plans for Returning Home
The past 15 days have been really crazy! The Honduran woman who runs the orphanage, whom is about 23, left with her boyfriend last Friday to go be with her family. Her one year old nephew was kidnapped at gunpoint for ransom last Friday. At first the men were asking for $1,000.00 within 24 hours, then they raised it to $15,000.00 by Thursday. The couple that runs the Hogar left last Friday and are scheduled to return today. The nephew was retrieved and the police do have 2 men in custody. There was an exchange of money for the boy before the men were apprehended but we do not know for how much. Also, the boy has a bad heart and takes medication which he didn´t receive for a full week putting him in intensive care. We do not know if it was the boys father whom planned the kidnapping or enemies of the boys father. We have heard lots of stories from multiple people but should be able to find out more information today when the couple returns to us. It seemed so distant from us, because we have never met the child, nor his family and it all happened so suddenly. We had heard that there had been 2 attempted kidnappings on the boy and that the mother wanted to come with her child and live at the Hogar... But assumed it wasn´t as critical as it was or the family really would have moved... It all seems a bit surreal.
With Stacy and Julio gone, the couple whom we live with, this left 3 volunteers and myself to run the Hogar 24/7. There is also one Honduran woman and her 1 year old son that lives with us as well to help out. She leaves her son completely unattended and she is just as immature as the kids we work with so I wouldn´t say she necessarily helped us. I thought we managed really well. We all took on different tasks each of us helping where we saw the needs. We were cleaning up after all of the kids, making sure they were brushing their teeth, bathing, one volunteer took it upon herself to change all of the sheets each night when the kids wet their bed, while another cleaned the bedroom of Stacy and Julio which contains 23 cats and a dog! We were all up by 6 am, sometimes sooner and all passed out by about 9pm. We weren´t able to get time to leave and run into town unless we staggered shifts. We managed to take the kids to the river 3 times which was lots of fun. And organized a baseball game with the daycare down the road. Julio runs P.E. every Friday which I was able to run this past Friday. We played soccer of course, and it was a blast. The only downside is these kids resort to violence whenever they are upset. And while playing soccer with all of them I find myself yelling at kids trying to break up fights more so that enjoying actually playing with them. But I do get to take out lots of pent up aggression while playing which is nice. Also, the kids are pretty tough so I don´t have to hold back much. They never cry when I pelt them in the head with the ball.
It was our last week of school this past week which was also exhausting. The kids had their final exams. Ruth failed and won´t be going on to second grade. The head teacher wants her to go to a special school because of her condition. I really think she has potential and could learn if she wanted to. I think she is capable but she just doesn´t understand why there would be a need to work and learn how to read. I have a hilarious video of her just being herself at the river. She is screaming which she does often, then laughing, screaming again, then flexing her muscles. It just sums up what this kid is like. It cracks me up every time I watch it. Angelo did really well, but the teacher doesn´t think he is quite ready and I agree. After next year he will be at the right age and place to move on. Jorge came in not being able to write any letters or numbers and just him being able to write his name on his test and complete it made me happy, but he won´t be moving on to second grade either. Desmand, the little devil child, will be moving on which is great. He will hopefully work harder and be more disciplined in the second grade.
I had my first taste of being homesick this week. I don´t know if it was because it was the most exhausting week I have had since I have been here or if it is because the Holidays are upon us. Here the weather has been getting better. We had a bit of a hot spell last week and it was lovely. Of course we manage to get our first day off today and it is pouring! But I was missing just being home, laying on clean carpet floors, running with my dog, talking to my friends, eating thai food, visiting with my family, not being surrounded by insects of all shapes and sizes all of the time! Seriously we have cockroaches all over the kitchen at night, huge rats in our bodega (food storage area), mosquitoes that lately are horrible, ants, biting and non biting, salamanders, millipedes, and then about 100 more species of insects that just are everywhere day and night! We are going to get all of the volunteers together to go eat Thanksgiving dinner at a hotel down the way so that will be nice to be able to celebrate with friends here. There was even a bit of a blow out between volunteers here last week because of all of the stress and pressure... Everything seems a bit mellowed out now, but things were tense. We got stuff to make rice-krispy treats with-for the kids which we will hopefully get around to doing this week. Also, I am still, knock on wood, the only volunteer that is lice free. I have gone through each volunteers head for lice and now they all said I am exempt from having to go through any more heads until I get it myself. That is on the to do list today... I heard from a woman I got a hitch from that the municipal building will issue a card that you then take to a public hospital and they will go to the orphanage and do a lice extermination for free paid for by the government. I am not sure how long it would take to get this done or if it is legit but another volunteer and I are headed to the municipal building today to check in on it.
Also, I have changed my plans as far as when I plan on returning home... One night I was sitting with Ruth and Francisco (the boy who loves food as much as I do) and we were talking about Christmas. Well we were talking about Christmas after they had told me all of the tragedies of their life and why they ended up at the orphanage. They asked me to explain what Christmas was like at my home, which I did. Then they both looked up to me and asked me why Santa never came to visit them. After first hearing about their lives my eyes were already a bit moist, but when Francisco said this to me my eyes welled up and I just felt it wouldn´t be right to leave them right before Christmas and not spend it here. Also, I think trying to adapt back to life in the States will be somewhat of a challenge but especially during the Holiday season. This will be my first Christmas not spent with my family but I couldn´t imagine being anywhere but here. So, I have changed my plans and just finalized them today. I will be staying at the Hogar through January 22nd. I will be here through the Holidays, help see some programs get implemented, and help with volunteer transition and then head South on January 22nd. I will then be off on my own on a journey through Central America. I will be flying home out of Panama City on February 26th. This will give me a solid 5 weeks to travel and I plan on visiting all 4 countries south of Honduras: El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, ending with seeing the Panama Canal. I will be doing most of it on my own, Greg will come visit for a portion, so if there is anyone who is wanting a break from work and to come meet me in a country or two feel free! I would love the company:)
I hope all is well. I miss you all. Happy late Birthday to Kim Dunbar. Also, I forgot to thank my bestest friends Angela and Della for all the goodies that they sent me! They sent down enough beads that the two of them donated so that each child will be able to make a necklace for themselves and also for another child at another project for Christmas!
With Stacy and Julio gone, the couple whom we live with, this left 3 volunteers and myself to run the Hogar 24/7. There is also one Honduran woman and her 1 year old son that lives with us as well to help out. She leaves her son completely unattended and she is just as immature as the kids we work with so I wouldn´t say she necessarily helped us. I thought we managed really well. We all took on different tasks each of us helping where we saw the needs. We were cleaning up after all of the kids, making sure they were brushing their teeth, bathing, one volunteer took it upon herself to change all of the sheets each night when the kids wet their bed, while another cleaned the bedroom of Stacy and Julio which contains 23 cats and a dog! We were all up by 6 am, sometimes sooner and all passed out by about 9pm. We weren´t able to get time to leave and run into town unless we staggered shifts. We managed to take the kids to the river 3 times which was lots of fun. And organized a baseball game with the daycare down the road. Julio runs P.E. every Friday which I was able to run this past Friday. We played soccer of course, and it was a blast. The only downside is these kids resort to violence whenever they are upset. And while playing soccer with all of them I find myself yelling at kids trying to break up fights more so that enjoying actually playing with them. But I do get to take out lots of pent up aggression while playing which is nice. Also, the kids are pretty tough so I don´t have to hold back much. They never cry when I pelt them in the head with the ball.
It was our last week of school this past week which was also exhausting. The kids had their final exams. Ruth failed and won´t be going on to second grade. The head teacher wants her to go to a special school because of her condition. I really think she has potential and could learn if she wanted to. I think she is capable but she just doesn´t understand why there would be a need to work and learn how to read. I have a hilarious video of her just being herself at the river. She is screaming which she does often, then laughing, screaming again, then flexing her muscles. It just sums up what this kid is like. It cracks me up every time I watch it. Angelo did really well, but the teacher doesn´t think he is quite ready and I agree. After next year he will be at the right age and place to move on. Jorge came in not being able to write any letters or numbers and just him being able to write his name on his test and complete it made me happy, but he won´t be moving on to second grade either. Desmand, the little devil child, will be moving on which is great. He will hopefully work harder and be more disciplined in the second grade.
I had my first taste of being homesick this week. I don´t know if it was because it was the most exhausting week I have had since I have been here or if it is because the Holidays are upon us. Here the weather has been getting better. We had a bit of a hot spell last week and it was lovely. Of course we manage to get our first day off today and it is pouring! But I was missing just being home, laying on clean carpet floors, running with my dog, talking to my friends, eating thai food, visiting with my family, not being surrounded by insects of all shapes and sizes all of the time! Seriously we have cockroaches all over the kitchen at night, huge rats in our bodega (food storage area), mosquitoes that lately are horrible, ants, biting and non biting, salamanders, millipedes, and then about 100 more species of insects that just are everywhere day and night! We are going to get all of the volunteers together to go eat Thanksgiving dinner at a hotel down the way so that will be nice to be able to celebrate with friends here. There was even a bit of a blow out between volunteers here last week because of all of the stress and pressure... Everything seems a bit mellowed out now, but things were tense. We got stuff to make rice-krispy treats with-for the kids which we will hopefully get around to doing this week. Also, I am still, knock on wood, the only volunteer that is lice free. I have gone through each volunteers head for lice and now they all said I am exempt from having to go through any more heads until I get it myself. That is on the to do list today... I heard from a woman I got a hitch from that the municipal building will issue a card that you then take to a public hospital and they will go to the orphanage and do a lice extermination for free paid for by the government. I am not sure how long it would take to get this done or if it is legit but another volunteer and I are headed to the municipal building today to check in on it.
Also, I have changed my plans as far as when I plan on returning home... One night I was sitting with Ruth and Francisco (the boy who loves food as much as I do) and we were talking about Christmas. Well we were talking about Christmas after they had told me all of the tragedies of their life and why they ended up at the orphanage. They asked me to explain what Christmas was like at my home, which I did. Then they both looked up to me and asked me why Santa never came to visit them. After first hearing about their lives my eyes were already a bit moist, but when Francisco said this to me my eyes welled up and I just felt it wouldn´t be right to leave them right before Christmas and not spend it here. Also, I think trying to adapt back to life in the States will be somewhat of a challenge but especially during the Holiday season. This will be my first Christmas not spent with my family but I couldn´t imagine being anywhere but here. So, I have changed my plans and just finalized them today. I will be staying at the Hogar through January 22nd. I will be here through the Holidays, help see some programs get implemented, and help with volunteer transition and then head South on January 22nd. I will then be off on my own on a journey through Central America. I will be flying home out of Panama City on February 26th. This will give me a solid 5 weeks to travel and I plan on visiting all 4 countries south of Honduras: El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, ending with seeing the Panama Canal. I will be doing most of it on my own, Greg will come visit for a portion, so if there is anyone who is wanting a break from work and to come meet me in a country or two feel free! I would love the company:)
I hope all is well. I miss you all. Happy late Birthday to Kim Dunbar. Also, I forgot to thank my bestest friends Angela and Della for all the goodies that they sent me! They sent down enough beads that the two of them donated so that each child will be able to make a necklace for themselves and also for another child at another project for Christmas!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Joel and New Socks and Shoes
Attached is a picture of Joel, the youngest boy, trying on his new favorite socks and shoes. This boy used to NEVER wear shoes let alone socks. Now first thing in the morning when I see him up and running around at 6 am he has both socks and shoes on his feet! He is quite a personality as well. He is amazing at puzzles, which is a great activity for him because any kind of game he plays with others he claims they are cheating. Even if he is winning he will start crying, saying his opponent is cheating. Even when he is playing with one of the volunteers. I taught the kids how to play dodge ball today which was great fun. Another volunteer and I were able to take out some pent up aggression on the kid by pegging them with the nerf balls. The kids had a blast and little Joel played well more or less. When ever he was hit with a ball he would never fess up to it, but he had fun.
Hygiene & Thank You
Hygiene is a huge issue at the Hogar. The kids don't have a consistent "parent" that makes sure that they bathe properly and have the necessary tools to keep up with proper hygiene. This is one problem with the Hogar that I have a huge issue with. I talked to the volunteer coordinator about heading up a hygiene program with the kids and she gave me the ok to head up the program. I will be in charge of creating a medical/hygiene facility within the Hogar. I will make sure each kid daily has toothpaste, a toothbrush, soap, shampoo and a comb. I have decided that I will use a system where I will check out hygiene bags to the kids twice a day in the morning and before bed containing all of the tools they need to bath properly and brush their teeth. The oldest kids I will trust to keep their bags and just come to me when they need supplies replenished and the youngest kids I will assist daily with their tasks. I have been working in the afternoon this week on getting the room up and running and we are just needing to make copy of the keys to the room so that I can have access to it daily and make a schedule and we will be up and running with the new hygiene program that will get passed on to the next volunteers. The 4 youngest kids will get assistance with their daily tasks of brushing their teeth and bathing while the rest will be shown properly how to bath and brush their teeth and hopefully will be able to go from their but if not, it will be my job to help them. Flossing teeth is one thing we will eventually want to work on once they get the basics down. I have moved everything in the organizations possession into the hygiene/medical room and we have a bit of everything except for shampoo! I did not find ANY shampoo. I will be chatting with the director this week to make sure we are able to get some money to purchase some shampoo.
Luckily we will be able to start the hygiene program with the shampoo that was donated. We have one hygiene bag for each child along with combs, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and shampoo to get things going. Each kit is comprised of donated goods.
The hygiene bags were donated by NW Eye Associates. The Additional products, the shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes and combs were donated by a group of ladies with whom I would like to thank. Thank you to Lottie, Mitzi, Norma, Barbara Jones, and my grandma Dorothy Nelson for all of the goods that you ladies were able to donate. The kids will appreciate it immensely but I can assure you the volunteers will appreciate it even more when we are able to pick up and hug a child that actually smells good! Thank you for all of your donations!
Luckily we will be able to start the hygiene program with the shampoo that was donated. We have one hygiene bag for each child along with combs, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and shampoo to get things going. Each kit is comprised of donated goods.
The hygiene bags were donated by NW Eye Associates. The Additional products, the shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes and combs were donated by a group of ladies with whom I would like to thank. Thank you to Lottie, Mitzi, Norma, Barbara Jones, and my grandma Dorothy Nelson for all of the goods that you ladies were able to donate. The kids will appreciate it immensely but I can assure you the volunteers will appreciate it even more when we are able to pick up and hug a child that actually smells good! Thank you for all of your donations!
Thank You!
When my mom, aunt Gloria and Greg were in town last week they brought a bundle of donated goods and money to buy all of the kids shoes. On Sunday I handed out to the kids gift boxes filled with shoes they picked out, soccer socks which were donated, bubbles for the boys which were donated, hair gadgets for the girls which were donated, and also soccer jerseys which were donated. I would like to thank everyone that contributed to the gifts the kids received.
First I would like to thank my mom and aunt Gloria for taking all of the kids in La Ceiba and donating their time and money to buying each kid a new pair of shoes. Also, the Kopca's and Mark Peterson whom also donated funds for which we were able to buy the kids new shoes.
Also thank you to Deby Martin who donated a bag full of hair gadgets for the girls. They loved them and wear them daily!
Also to Oregon City Sports for donating soccer jerseys for each of the kids. They all put them on right away and ran around the Hogar with their soccer socks and new shoes. Even the girls, whom are really into style, loved wearing matching soccer jerseys.
Thank you to Dr. Karen Stark for donating a pair of soccer socks for each child. Joel, the 3 year old boy, wears his everyday! Even though they were filthy he wouldn't take them off! I had to promise to wash them with my laundry and return them to him the same day and I also had to give him another pair to wear in the meantime. The kids love the socks!
Attached are some pictures. The kids were running around like crazy in their new gear so this is the best we could do as far as a "team picture" goes.
Thank you again to everyone that was able to send a donation down. The running shoes have been wonderful for taking the kids running. We took a group yesterday and they all had on their new tennis shoes. Today we are taking another group and they are all excited about testing out their new kicks.
Guatemala
Here are a couple more pics from the trip to Guatemala with Ryan... One is of Lago de Atitlan. It is the lake in Central Guatemala that is surrounded by 3 volcanoes. They are working on getting it on the list of the 7 wonders of the world. Apparently it is currently ranked around number 31. It was really amazing. We were able to kayak for a couple of hours before having to head back to Antigua. Also, here is a picture of the volcanoe we hiked up where you are able to see some live flowing lava. It was awesome but you couldn't stand in the same spot for very long or your shoes would melt. This is where the little kids were selling walking sticks before you began the hike and then collecting them again at the end when you finished. They were adorable and each had their own sticks which they sold and collected again at the end.
Carrots!
When my brother Ryan and I traveled to Guatemala and had to ditch all of the fruits and vegetables when we arrived in Belize... Remember this story from a while back? Well I found the picture of the carrots that we inhaled. They were huge and amazingly flavorful!
Ruth
Here is a picture of Ruth, my favorite little first grader. She forgave me for putting her in a timeout, Jeanie. She only stayed mad for a couple of hours. She is a difficult one to get through to, and very tough, but she loves me and I love her. The other volunteers make fun of me because when she does something bad and I have to discipline her, if she seems upset I cannot even look her in the eyes I feel so bad... So they all tease me that I am a softy. If she is crying, my eyes get all watery as well. This is a picture of her and her 3 brothers, Gerson, Moises and Francisco.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Rain & Travel
The rainy season here is worse than the rainy season in Portland! Parts of Honduras are on red alert for floods and landslides. It rains hard, nonstop, all day and all night. It isn´t cold like it is at home, last night was actually the first time I have been cold here in La Ceiba and it was mostly because I took a shower (cold water of course) and got into bed around 1 am with wet hair. Also, I failed to pack any sweat pants... Bummer.
My mom, aunt Gloria and Greg all just left yesterday morning. I met them in San Pedro Sula last Saturday and we spent a week away traveling. They wanted to give me a week of rest and relaxation away from the Hogar which they did and it was amazing! We spent the first 3 nights in Copan and visited the ruins, a bird sanctuary and a coffee plantation. We stayed in the most beautiful hillside Hacienda that had the most amazing food I think I have ever eaten. The huevos rancheros were about 100 times better than the ones at the orphanage (which I like as well), the coffee was fresh, local organic coffee, the chicken was the most tender chicken I have ever tasted. Also, to conserve energy and add to the atmosphere the Hacienda is fully lit by candles. There are about 15 candles in each room and all of the grounds are covered with candles, the dinning area, kitchen, etc. It was so peaceful and just gorgeous. Also I was able to take hot showers which were amazing! Especially now that it is a bit colder here. We were able to shop around Copan and get the lay of the land, we even got to pile in and take some rides in the tuk-tuk cabs.
From Copan we took the bus back up to San Pedro and then caught a flight to Roatan (one of the Islands off of the Caribbean coast of Honduras). Roatan was a blast as well. A storm had just passed through before we arrived so it seemed as if we were the only ones on the island. Well us and plenty of the armed security guards. We had one day of beautiful weather on Roatan and we were all able to lay out and read, swim and kayak in the Caribbean ocean, and walk up and down the beach while Gloria lagged behind digging for her seashells. What was surprising to me about Roatan were the prices... The prices were just the same as they are in the States for food, drinks, hotels, etc. The other Island, Utila is much cheaper and a bit smaller. We chatted with our hotel bartender, Tim, who explained that the cruise ships have driven up the prices. He also explained that many Hondurans from the mainland have been moving over to Roatan to find work because they pay higher wages on the Island. Tim mentioned that this has increased the violence on the Island as well, and that the mainlander Hondurans have been bringing weapons, guns and knives over to the Island. Because of this in the next couple of years the government will be passing a law that Hondurans cannot move to Roatan freely, they will have to apply for the proper paperwork so that the jobs on the Island can be reserved for "locals," the people born on the Island. Tim talked about how this will cause a lot of controversy because the 3 Caribbean Islands are all considered Honduras as well as the mainland, so not allowing people to move freely within their own Country...? I found this very interesting. Also, if you think about the root cause of all of this... Tourism and cruise ships. It is tourism and the cruise ships and the people that are moving to Roatan from Europe and the States that are driving the prices up and now as a result there is a greater desire to move to the Island which will eventually cause a greater segregation between the mainlander's and Islanders...
OK back to the vacation... Roatan was amazing! The kayaking was awesome, again pretty good food, and the people were very nice. We met about 5 people or couples who were from somewhere in Oregon. It is a small world.
While were were on the plane as well as the buses we took we were able to see a great deal of the damage that had been caused by the rain. From the plane we could see how high all of the rivers were and all of the lands that were flooded. From the buses we were able to see how the roads had been affected and washed out in many places.
From Roatan we took a ferry to La Ceiba and then made a trip out to the orphanage so the kids could meet my mom and aunt. I had mentioned they would meet my mom about 2 weeks ago and from then on anytime a woman showed up, regardless of her age, race, etc, they would run up to the woman and ask if she was my mom. So it was nice for them to finally meet her and Gloria. Also, they had been bugging me about when Greg would come visit again so they got to see him as well. We took all of the kids, with the help of 3 volunteers, into La Ceiba to the mall shoes shopping so that each one would have a pair of proper tennis shoes for running and wearing around. My mom, aunt Gloria, our family friends the Kopca`s and a friend of my aunts were nice enough to donate the money to buy all of the kids a pair of shoes. The kids were adorable picking out their shoes. We took them in groups of about 5 into the store and they were able to select the shoes they liked, try them on and make the decision of which pair they wanted. The kids and the shoes went back to the orphanage while we stayed in La Ceiba. I was up late last night getting all of the shoes ready to give to the kids and matching them all up with a jersey and a pair of socks, both also donated. When I get back today I will be giving the kids each their boxes of goodies and I will snag some pics to put up later this week. I cannot wait to see their faces, it is going to be adorable.
Funniest moment on the trip: We were on a bus from Copan to San Pedro Sula and I needed to go to the bathroom. The bus stopped to let me off and I ran up to a little construction site where they were currently working on constructing a building and had just completed part of the bathroom. I ran in and 2 guys put up some wood slats to cover the gap where eventually they would put a door. My aunt Gloria also had to go so when I was finished she walked in and I covered the gap and stood at the door. About 30 seconds later I hear her yelling for me to let her out. She runs out saying she almost peed herself but couldn´t use the toilet because of the huge frog. I was thinking I would walk in and see this little, maybe fist sized frog... I peeked in the bathroom and there was this HUGE toad sitting in the middle of the room. It was about the size of a standard size 5 soccer ball. It was huge! We ran to the bus cracking up.
Favorite meal: Hands down the breakfast at the Hacienda San Lucas in Copan-fried eggs with the most amazing salsa with fresh veggies and homemade corn tortillas, fresh made beans, and amazing coffee! Also the dinner, grilled chicken with a rich adobo sauce, with amazing sauteed veggies, rice, beans and tortillas... Mmm...
Best victory: I beat my mom and Greg in a kayak race from a buoy in the Caribbean ocean to the gate of our bungalow. I was so far ahead that I still won despite the fact that a wave knocked me over as I was approaching the shore.
Best drink: the bananarama-fresh strawberries, banana, pineapple juice and rum.
I was even able to vote this week! Greg brought me my ballot and I was able to fill it out in time to send it back with him. A couple of volunteers and I are talking about spending Tuesday night in Ceiba to watch the elections... I don´t know whether it will happen but we shall see.
I hope everyone is doing well. I am sure everyone is getting into the Holiday mood. I am trying to talk some of the volunteers into going to Copan with me for Thanksgiving to eat at the Hacienda... Mmm.
Take care.
Also, I promise pics this week!
My mom, aunt Gloria and Greg all just left yesterday morning. I met them in San Pedro Sula last Saturday and we spent a week away traveling. They wanted to give me a week of rest and relaxation away from the Hogar which they did and it was amazing! We spent the first 3 nights in Copan and visited the ruins, a bird sanctuary and a coffee plantation. We stayed in the most beautiful hillside Hacienda that had the most amazing food I think I have ever eaten. The huevos rancheros were about 100 times better than the ones at the orphanage (which I like as well), the coffee was fresh, local organic coffee, the chicken was the most tender chicken I have ever tasted. Also, to conserve energy and add to the atmosphere the Hacienda is fully lit by candles. There are about 15 candles in each room and all of the grounds are covered with candles, the dinning area, kitchen, etc. It was so peaceful and just gorgeous. Also I was able to take hot showers which were amazing! Especially now that it is a bit colder here. We were able to shop around Copan and get the lay of the land, we even got to pile in and take some rides in the tuk-tuk cabs.
From Copan we took the bus back up to San Pedro and then caught a flight to Roatan (one of the Islands off of the Caribbean coast of Honduras). Roatan was a blast as well. A storm had just passed through before we arrived so it seemed as if we were the only ones on the island. Well us and plenty of the armed security guards. We had one day of beautiful weather on Roatan and we were all able to lay out and read, swim and kayak in the Caribbean ocean, and walk up and down the beach while Gloria lagged behind digging for her seashells. What was surprising to me about Roatan were the prices... The prices were just the same as they are in the States for food, drinks, hotels, etc. The other Island, Utila is much cheaper and a bit smaller. We chatted with our hotel bartender, Tim, who explained that the cruise ships have driven up the prices. He also explained that many Hondurans from the mainland have been moving over to Roatan to find work because they pay higher wages on the Island. Tim mentioned that this has increased the violence on the Island as well, and that the mainlander Hondurans have been bringing weapons, guns and knives over to the Island. Because of this in the next couple of years the government will be passing a law that Hondurans cannot move to Roatan freely, they will have to apply for the proper paperwork so that the jobs on the Island can be reserved for "locals," the people born on the Island. Tim talked about how this will cause a lot of controversy because the 3 Caribbean Islands are all considered Honduras as well as the mainland, so not allowing people to move freely within their own Country...? I found this very interesting. Also, if you think about the root cause of all of this... Tourism and cruise ships. It is tourism and the cruise ships and the people that are moving to Roatan from Europe and the States that are driving the prices up and now as a result there is a greater desire to move to the Island which will eventually cause a greater segregation between the mainlander's and Islanders...
OK back to the vacation... Roatan was amazing! The kayaking was awesome, again pretty good food, and the people were very nice. We met about 5 people or couples who were from somewhere in Oregon. It is a small world.
While were were on the plane as well as the buses we took we were able to see a great deal of the damage that had been caused by the rain. From the plane we could see how high all of the rivers were and all of the lands that were flooded. From the buses we were able to see how the roads had been affected and washed out in many places.
From Roatan we took a ferry to La Ceiba and then made a trip out to the orphanage so the kids could meet my mom and aunt. I had mentioned they would meet my mom about 2 weeks ago and from then on anytime a woman showed up, regardless of her age, race, etc, they would run up to the woman and ask if she was my mom. So it was nice for them to finally meet her and Gloria. Also, they had been bugging me about when Greg would come visit again so they got to see him as well. We took all of the kids, with the help of 3 volunteers, into La Ceiba to the mall shoes shopping so that each one would have a pair of proper tennis shoes for running and wearing around. My mom, aunt Gloria, our family friends the Kopca`s and a friend of my aunts were nice enough to donate the money to buy all of the kids a pair of shoes. The kids were adorable picking out their shoes. We took them in groups of about 5 into the store and they were able to select the shoes they liked, try them on and make the decision of which pair they wanted. The kids and the shoes went back to the orphanage while we stayed in La Ceiba. I was up late last night getting all of the shoes ready to give to the kids and matching them all up with a jersey and a pair of socks, both also donated. When I get back today I will be giving the kids each their boxes of goodies and I will snag some pics to put up later this week. I cannot wait to see their faces, it is going to be adorable.
Funniest moment on the trip: We were on a bus from Copan to San Pedro Sula and I needed to go to the bathroom. The bus stopped to let me off and I ran up to a little construction site where they were currently working on constructing a building and had just completed part of the bathroom. I ran in and 2 guys put up some wood slats to cover the gap where eventually they would put a door. My aunt Gloria also had to go so when I was finished she walked in and I covered the gap and stood at the door. About 30 seconds later I hear her yelling for me to let her out. She runs out saying she almost peed herself but couldn´t use the toilet because of the huge frog. I was thinking I would walk in and see this little, maybe fist sized frog... I peeked in the bathroom and there was this HUGE toad sitting in the middle of the room. It was about the size of a standard size 5 soccer ball. It was huge! We ran to the bus cracking up.
Favorite meal: Hands down the breakfast at the Hacienda San Lucas in Copan-fried eggs with the most amazing salsa with fresh veggies and homemade corn tortillas, fresh made beans, and amazing coffee! Also the dinner, grilled chicken with a rich adobo sauce, with amazing sauteed veggies, rice, beans and tortillas... Mmm...
Best victory: I beat my mom and Greg in a kayak race from a buoy in the Caribbean ocean to the gate of our bungalow. I was so far ahead that I still won despite the fact that a wave knocked me over as I was approaching the shore.
Best drink: the bananarama-fresh strawberries, banana, pineapple juice and rum.
I was even able to vote this week! Greg brought me my ballot and I was able to fill it out in time to send it back with him. A couple of volunteers and I are talking about spending Tuesday night in Ceiba to watch the elections... I don´t know whether it will happen but we shall see.
I hope everyone is doing well. I am sure everyone is getting into the Holiday mood. I am trying to talk some of the volunteers into going to Copan with me for Thanksgiving to eat at the Hacienda... Mmm.
Take care.
Also, I promise pics this week!
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