Round 2

I had to come to the "city" again to pick up a package (which I hope is the seeds I asked for to start a school garden) so I´m taking the opportunity to type up the post again (with constant saving as it already almost got me again).

The first rains of the invierno came last week, although it looks like verano is still hanging on as it was dry again this week. It is somewhat mesmerizing to see the first rains after going nearly 6 months (since the end of October/beginning of November) without seeing more than a drop. It is amazing too how quickly the countryside is turning green again, even with just the little bit of rain that is fallen. I was brought back to earth though by my host dad who said this time is the most crucial for the vacas because the rains was away the last bits of dry vegetation and the new growth, although rapid, is not sufficient to really sustain them. So they still need to be given feed or guate (sort of like hay but basically any dried vegetation cows will eat that is dried and stored). Also there is a precarius situation for the agricultores (farmers) who want to aprovechar (take advantage of) the first rains but can get caught planting too early. It remains to be seen if the signs of invierno; the remolinos (miniture tornados, what´s the word in English, whirlwind?) that whip dust in your face, the appearance of the caballitos (dragon flies), and the exodus of the palomillas (winged form of the termites · comejenes in spanish) after the first rains, mean that the rainy season is really here or if the first rains were just a teaser.

I personally am almost as excited as the agricultores to see the rains, although I wonder how long it is before I am no longer enthralled by the exchange of hot and dusty for wet and muddy. April was definitely the hotest month in site so far, as I was warned by community members, and I am thankful that I do not live on the coastal plane near the city of Choluteca were conditions were brutal. I went with the soccer teams to Choluteca for a game and the B team always winds up playing first under the intense miday sun. I chugged over 3 liters of water and still felt like I was going to pass out, not to mention the fact that my feet in black spikes were roasting and the wind kept whipping dust in my face. So I am looking forward to the rainy season. However, I only had a taste of the rainy season last year in site as I arrived at the end of September so I am sure this first entire rainy season will be interesting and probably challenging. For example, when will the allure of the newly green countryside be exchanged for desire for enough sunshine to really dry my clothes. The sad thing about the transition is seeing the number of fields set on fire to prepare for the next siembra (planting). I wonder how many agricultores know the environmental damage done by burning hillside fields and if they do, how many just don´t see any other option? There is a law against burning fields, so I am told, but it seems to be rarely enforced.

I forgot to mention in the previous (feature length) post that I had the opportunity to watch some sugar cane processing in my site. Those of you lucky enough to be on Facebook can see some photos there. I must appologize to the rest of you; I have not figured out how to efficiently post pictures here. The bueyes (oxen) walk around in an endless circle, turning the trapiche (I think the word is mill or press?) into which the the cane is feed into at one end and leaves
flattened at the other to be used as feed for the vacas. The caldo (raw can juice) flows down a spout in the side into a barrell from which it is transported in 5 gal bucket to the horno (oven), a series of 3 half steel barrels imbedded in an adobe brick structure heated from beneath by coals. The caldo is then boiled off and transferred, with a scoup made of a half gourd tied to a stick, from half to half barrel (maybe increasing heat?) as it thinkens into miel (literally honey but in this case syrup). The miel is tested by droping small amounts in water and when it crytallizes properly acording to the master chef, the miel is transfered to a wooden tub where it is further mixed with an oar like implement until it reachers the proper consistency. From there the miel is transferred to the molds to dry and form dulce, basically raw sugar bricks. Pretty cool experience but I had enough sweet for a long time. I was basically invited to try the product at ever step along the way.

Unrest is starting to plague the electricty project. There is talk that some people are doing more work than others, that others aren´t working at all, that people should only have to dig holes for the posts needed to bring the wires to their house (forgetting to take into account that the wires will not come until all the holes have been dug and all of the posts set). Someone also went around giving the wrong depth (130 cm instead of 150cm ) so people are frustrated that thaey have to dig further. Additionally, there is a paro (halt) in the work as the next load of posts have yet to arrive. Despite a general lack of faith in the project on the part of the community, I sincerely doubt the project is going to fail because it serves no one to have so many poles set and just leave it at that.

Men from Catastro (the Honduran survey dept.) came to measure the perimeter for the presa location to assist in the deed for eventual the donation/sale of the property. I found out after the fact so I wasn´t able to participate. I guess this means we are one step closer to having a water project, but to be honest I´ve lost faith in the presa and am looking more into the prospects of drilling a well and installing a pump when the electricty comes. The water quality would be much better but I need to watch that my selfish interests in looking for research topics for the Masters International side of things does not overtake the best interests of the community.

lunch time, hasta luego