In A New Place

( I don’t think I sent this one yet from a few days ago)

Long Day,
I started out with 12 dreams, each between the rooster’s call. One, I remember well, trying to get somewhere (as usual) and passing 2 foot tall praying mantis fighting giant spiders. Vivid.
I like the rooster’s call. It’s kind of like a ‘snooze’ alarm. It keeps going off until I am wide awake. (thank goodness there is only one at this house!)

Into Ocotol to find an ATM, hook up to the internet and get a general tour from David (who actually lives there in his own apartment, a step up for him). I have NEVER been on a bus more crowded. Pack um in and move um along.

Now, if you are ever in Nicaragua bring your Visa cards. I was lucky to find one that worked with MC. What the hell is the difference any more I don’t know but somebody does.

A bus trip back and lunch at one of the homes in the area that is part of the collective that we volunteer with. Again, plenty of food (and flies). Life is different here. In one sense they are very lucky. It is like a vision I once had of how the earth should be populated.
Homes on green hillsides with paths in between.

I have yet to get washed up decently. Water in a bucket. That is it. I heard of a waterfall near by that sounds good. I will just have to be sure it is after the local women have done their wash. Don’t want to scare anybody!

Back to the Center to do some ‘work’. Today this meant helping a girl hoe a patch that is planted with passion fruit plants, for the fruit. (there is also a Noni patch that is part of the cooperative effort). Then I sat dreaming of how to accomplish my job of figuring out how to secure the solar panels so they are not easily stolen (as there were at a near by school). Folks, we are talking remote here. Green mountains (this time of year) and rocky dirt roads and paths only. But thieves find a way to steal these panels. One thing I am counting on is that thieves are lazy. I mean, they have to be or else they would work for what they want. So I will start there, to, at least, make it more difficult to accomplish. Then may be an electric ‘fence’ (like for dogs). Knock um right off the roof!

So, later the ‘group’ was getting together down the highway at ‘Rocko Duro’ (kind of like Hard Rock Cafe, Nicaraguan style). We were the only thing going on there except for the great night time view of the nearby town, Ocotal. I was not hungry but ‘crunch’ sounded good so chips and salsa. Forget it. Thick tortillas with enough grease to have been ‘refried’ and salsa……well imagine catsup and cream. Not my style. But they did have ‘crunch’.

Feeling a bit like I have traveled who knows how far to, again, feel ‘out of place’ but trying to remain positive, we stayed till late (midnight). I was glad someone knew how to get the driver to take us up the dirt roads, closer to where I stay instead of being let off on the highway. It is dark out in nowhere at night! I mean negro obscuro maximo! (black, can’t see shit, to the max)

Back ‘home, now and ready for sleep.
It will be Saturday (as is now as I write) and I hope that damn rooster knows it!

Oops! I am out of battery! No more computer until I get a nongrounded adapter!
Adios for now.

(the rooster did not know it was Saturday)