The Forgotten Children of the Land of Lakes and Volcanoes

Tuesday morning I tooķ a taxi to school full of the things we bought in Rivas. There was a computer and printer, an audio system with two speakers, a data projector and various small items.  The taxi driver helped to unload, then the head and deputy too. All the boxes were set up in the office and some classes and teachers invited to join us. We gave out more teacher's packs too. I was sat amongst the boxes like a queen. The teachers were very grateful especially with the promise of internet. Amada made it clear everything was for the school and also shared with me that the two laptops were going to two of the satellite schools, so two more are in need and I think I have been offered more.  So then Amada and I went off to Moyagalpa to open the bank account so I can leave funds for the monthly payments of the internet connection. We waited some time for 'Sonia , heavily  made up, high heels, tight suit,  to deal with the previous customer. Am not sure...

Another adventure today, visiting one of the three satellite schools attached to Raphael Herrera. I started the day visiting Jose's family then headed off on my moto to new territory. Well I had been here by taxi to drop Amada off in the dark one night. But I am now getting good at finding my way along the little dirt roads, with houses, children waving and saying 'hola', bonfires, pigs etc.  I arrived at the plaza, a large grass area and phoned Amada, and managed to lose an earring in the process of removing my crash hat. Fortunately I spotted it just before I moved off. Las Piles is a small community and the school  has a few mixed age classes from 3 to 12. Today was the first day of term and children were being registered and I arrived when some were eating.  They always have a meal to start which is government funded but prepared by the parents. If something goes wrong with the arrangement, they don't eat which was the case with one class. There was a larg...

Today I went by motor scooter to Urbaite to Jose's nephew's house. This involved negotiating a large herd of cows on the way there and stopping to remove a fly from my helmet on the return journey. I decided  to defer to the cows but it was quite unnerving as these rather large creatures blundered towards me headed either side. Most locals just slowly drive through them but I' m not that confident yet. I arrived early, Jordy came to meet me at the main road but it was a different junction to where I  was expecting, so this voice suddenly called out and I had to do my best emergency stop! After a coffee on the veranda we caught the chicken bus to Esperanza and walked up to the coffee finca where Marvin used to work. It is now supervised by Martin, one of Jose's brothers.  Sadly it was raining, so the great views were not visible but it was fun seeing the small house, the chickens and pigs and meeting another family member, who later told me he wants to learn English. ...

Today Saturday,  there was nothing in the plan and as Jose is out if action I decided to go on a walk along the footpath the taxi driver told me about, which goes to Santa Teresa, where Dreamland Tours is situated. I told Idalia yesterday evening so she knew to expect me and I had told Jordy before I left the hotel. I dropped the keys off so they could clean and reminded them to add another loo roll, and spray for insects, having been told to look out for the black spiders that are dangerous. I came back to find that not only had my bed been changed, but my curtains too, and I have a bedside mat. I have obviously been a good resident! This morning, I set off with plenty of water, Google maps on the phone, my walking stick to fend off any unwanted attention, my walking shoes and socks  and of course my local phone. As it happens Google maps lost the signal at the exact point I needed it. The path started off Ok but later was pretty rocky with ruts caused by the animals...

My weekend started Friday after the culmination of classes yesterday. On Monday all the children start school. Today I had arranged to go walking with Jose's sister and her family, so Sylvia, Marvin and Jordy.  They are a lovely family and I have been helping Jordy with his English. Sylvia had had similar medical issues to me so we have a lot in common. José has dropped out this week due to health issues but we have achieved our goals and plans so no matter. I just hope he is ok  before I leave the island so we can spend quality time together.  I have had to make decisions about how to take things forward with the school and am now quite clear. This morning I visited a rather lovely hostel over the road overlooking the water with lovely gardens, where I know they will offer the rooms at 10$ also. However it was my friend Patrick from our current hostel who suggested I look, so we went together and when I asked she showed us the room with the ' matrimonial' bed! I ha...

The second week in school, I have begun my embroidery lessons and am travelling in by moto. I am getting closer to the  locals; today I carried a roll of paper on the bike today, not quite as large as some of their boxes, but it's a start. I bought petrol too and negotiated my way round pigs, horses, cows, bicycles, dogs and vans. The embroidery group  is smaller fortunately with a good mix of genders. A couple joined later in the week with ease, following the instructions of the others. We learned a few English words, planned designs, applied them to fabric and began embroidering. I have demonstrated various stitches, but the children have made them up quite intuitively. In the afternoons, I have been swimming at Ojo de Agua, visited Jose's family, all of whom make me very welcome and on Wednesday visited Dreamland Tours on the beach at Santa Teresa where we had barbecued fish and spent a lazy afternoon. It is a wonderful spot, so relaxing.

I think this is the first complete day off, so I have relaxed on the verandah doing my online 'working with refugees' course, got my paperwork all up to date and chatted to Patrick, the Irish guy from Canada who has been coming for years.  Today I got my washing back so now I can change my trousers and bra- I did pack light and things here don't dry as quick as you might think. Then I headed off for a walk to Santa Cruz. I stopped for coffee at a pleasant hotel called Xalli and passed a half an hour whilst a rain shower passed over,  with views of the lake. I walked down to the beach and met a family doing their washing in the lake. One of the children asked me to photograph her in the water which i did. I gave her a bit of change and waved goodbye.  On my return journey I saw her again outside her house. She took a liking to the purse hanging on my rucksack so I gave her a couple of my Kids and Kayaks cards from inside. She seemed pleased with such an...