Time out for final weekend

Saturday dawned a warm day with blue sky but followed by intermittent cloud and really heavy downpours in the evening, and Sunday has started cloudy and cool. I almost felt the need for a pullover. And now the rain is coming down heavily as if to prepare me for England.
I've been well bitten despite the deet. I think they've got me at night. Tonight I'll unfold the sheet and have it over my arms and head too. Especially since Miguel, the young man here said they're Zancudo, the big mosquitos and when I looked up they're the dengue fever ones. But I've not heard of it being around here at the moment. Yesterday I squashed one on  the sheet and it was full of blood! Mine I imagine.
Yesterday I did a little pen and ink sketch of the view and painted it later.

Miguel asked if he could have it as a present. I don't see why not!

Marvin, Sylvia and Jordy arrived on the bus mid morning, I had been for a swim and was doing some sewing whilst drying off. I showed them the sample needlecases I had made with an embroidery, returned one embroidery that needed a bit more doing to it. Jordy finished off my piece and I left them with the threads too. Sylvia has been looking up instructions on line and is being really creative. She is keen to obtain stuff locally to make more and Jose, who joined us later is to be in charge of selling things to tourists at Dreamland. Perhaps we are finally joining up the dots. Knowledge, materials and motivation are the three key triggers.

I passed the second hand phone I'd brought with me to Sylvia as the contract was up to be renewed and it's not worth it for a day.  I always bring an old phone and donate it. It might be a cheap second hand one for us but here it's welcome and will be looked after. I'm going to get Marvin a second hand laptop to make record keeping and communication easier, that will remove some of the stress for me so is worth the expenditure.  

We passed a pleasant day having some shared plates for lunch. Then we went for a walk along the beach.  Here we saw people, fishermen,  who have no land and live in makeshift shelters on the beach.

Apparently before Semana Santa many families camp on the beach  and go fishing. They dry the fish to sell during Semana Santa when no one goes fishing. Semana Santa is Easter week, a very big celebration here. 

We continued along the beach to San Jose del Sur, where one of the ferries goes from.

Marvin said there were some pieces of land here and what a good position it would be in terms of the lake, the views and transport links. We will see!

Later Marvin and I walked in the other direction towards Charco Verde as Susannah who we met last weekend invited me to join their picnic today.  I'm not sure how that will  work out as my visitors I thought were coming at 9 or 10, suggested 11, when Hemer had already planned to come. So now they're coming at 1pm.  Yes arrangements are a moveable feast here! And rarely do people arrive when they say they will.  

The rain is easing off, it's warm enough but still cloudy.  Just a relaxing day prior to my travels and plan to meet Valeria from Peace and Hope in Managua Tuesday morning before I leave for the airport. 

Hemer arrived this morning with presents from the school and later Lou, Allan and Marcello. He is a determined little chap these days and doesn't like to be thwarted.

I had some relaxation, then later Jose and Idalia arrived as a complete surprise.They brought presents, some little paintings, and Idalia gave me $87 raised through the marathon event this weekend. Apparently a local restaurant owner who is English took an interest in our story, sold some cards and collected donations. He wanted to contact me . This really is the icing on the cake and another leap forward in sustainability here!  It couldn't have been better news on my last day. Now I had better phone Patrick who is no longer coming to Rivas with me tomorrow!

My final day and Martin arrived early in the morning to say farewell, I was feeling unsettled, I don't like farewells.  The family all arrived at Charco Verde and accompanied me in the minibus to the port.  We stopped for the bank where I withdrew some extra funds for Marvin for the project and a donation to purchase the second hand laptop that Jefferson had obtained.    It was a tearful farewell, and at he time it felt as if it wouldn't be that long til I returned.  Marlon took me off to Managua and stopped en route to collect Jesus who had arranged a rendez vous so he too could see me off!  I was a bit concerned that he headed off into Managua in search of a motorbike part, when his roots are in Ometepe, such a different environment, but he texted to let me know he had returned safely to Granada.   After a rest (it was so hot travelling in the heat of the day) I had some food and passed the time reading.  I then heard that Valeria was too unwell to come to meet me the following day.

I had an uneventful journey to the airport and across the Atlantic.  I chatted to a Nicaraguan who lives in Miami on the first leg, got through Miami airport just in time for my onward flight and boarded for the overnight journey home.  Phil was there to meet me and after a coffee and croissant stop (the food was not good on the flight) we headed home to Billingshurst as I was filled in on the news.