La Vida Basura

To kick off a municipal clean-up campaign, the youth group agreed to put on a stunning performance of La Vida Basura, replete with costumes, props and a microphone. Following the performance, boring speeches and teh National Anthem youth from villages throughout the municipality painted the sides of the streets white. After several paint wars, Melvin took the gang to a local swimming hole to clean off.

EA Camp

Last week I took 4 all-star 9th graders to an Escuela Americana camp on the Lago Coatepeque. 3 days jam-packed with environmental charlas, dynamicas, soccer, movies and bailes. Didn't hurt that the American School kids were definitely, on point and into the kids; they loved it.

Beach trip with those jovenes

Dia de las Posas

Hiking around the waterfalls and springs of Jiboa with some friends from the site.

El Impossible

Camping in El Parque Imposible!! So-named because historically many mules and coffee farmers have died crossing a tiny man-made bridge across a mountain pass. The precipice was so steeep that farmers would bind the mules eyes to prevent panic and lead them accross the bridge. In 1959 the ES govt built a sturdy bridge with the plaque "Mayo 1959, Dejo de ser imposible" We weren't anywhere near this namesake pass, but the hiking, views and agouti and armadillo sightings with close friends made for a fantastic trip.

Tomateras

Last Sunday Amalia and Gabi woke me up from a nap to go tomato picking. I was groggy, unsure, but they insisted. "You gave us the seeds, remember?" I did remember...the seeds leftover from the almost abandoned school garden project I had started far too late in the school year. "Tienes que verlos, estan bien bonitos ya." So we went, hiking to the section of our village I hadn't visited yet, El Rinconcito, back through a winding gully path to a large terreno with rows and rows of healthy tomato plants in among orange, mandarin and lemon trees.

My new family