Nicaragua 2009 - Adventures at la Finca and beyond .. June 25, 2009
This week has been more relaxed regarding my “work schedule” but has provided some adventure nonetheless. Last weekend I spent Saturday on my own touring around San Juan. There is not much to see as it’s a pretty small town (15,000 people) but I enjoyed walking up and down the beach, visiting the local English book store (I’ve read 4 books since I arrived here!) and sitting outside near the water to enjoy one of the local beers, La Victoria. I was reminded of how different this trip is for me, when I took a taxi back to the finca and had to negotiate the price etc. I’ve been traveling in style this time around, so while it felt good to be on my own visiting town, I was aware of the sense of being on my own (a gringa) in a strange town once again! Needless to say I made it back to the finca safely (I haven’t totally lost my ability to travel!)..
On Saturday I did some weeding for Federico. And by “some” weeding I mean that I lasted a few hours. Using a stick in one hand to warn any snakes or insects that might be crawling in the plants I used the other hand to pull grass up from the roots in a bed of flowers. The activity was surprisingly satisfying for someone who is not what you would call a ‘green thumb’ and gave me an increased appreciation for what the farm workers do every day. I was incredibly sore the next day and sunburned as well.
Sunday Federico, Alden and I set out for a hike (to what seems to be a ubiquitous
site in Latin America — a Jesus statue on top of a hill), but were turned away by a serious looking guard who told us that since the hike goes through private land, he was under order to prohibit people from hiking up. I guess the rich people of San Juan want to keep the riff raff at bay. We enjoyed our day though, walking along the beach, having lunch overlooking the ocean, and visiting the market for items to supplement our food at the farm.
The Finca continues to amaze me. I’m trying to learn about fruits and veggies here and I’m learning from Dtra. Carmen (who is trained in naturopathic medicine) about the uses of many of the plants grown on the Finca. I’ve had Calala (passionfruit), Zapote (a custard like, VERY sweet fruit) and of course Platanos since I’ve been here. There is a tree called Marango, the leaves of which are full of nutrients; Alden gathers the leaves and then goes through the process of drying them and grinding them up so they can be spread onto food. It is filled with micro nutrients, protein and other good stuff! I need to bring some back for Dad - I can see him spreading the stuff over all his food! The Malinche tree is my favorite so far; it has gorgeous orange/red flowers..
While the flowers and trees are beautiful the bugs are another story.. I swear, I’ve tried to be nice, but they are out of control. I am trying to keep a curious attitude about them, rather than let fear take over, but it’s a constant challenge! We (and by “we” I mean Alden or Rosibel) kill a few scorpions daily. I think it must have been the movie “Clash of the Titans” that gave me nightmares about scorpions (any fellow children of the 70s remember that movie scene where Medusa’s head bleeds scorpions?!) but to this day I think they are the scariest creatures on the planet! Anyway, I digress. Today we had an ant infestation after a big rain and I got bit between two of my fingers as I reached for my water bottle. I’m telling you, the pain did not last long, but it was intense, and my hand was numb for a good 15 minutes! Oh, and it BLED!!! The ants have a scissors like pincher so they literally cut you; the cut on my hand looked like a paper cut… I was a total baby about it too! But the ants and even the scorpions are not the worst of it.. As I’ve told some of you, I had the pleasure of coming into contact with a mite somewhere on the farm! (I blame it on Federico for “making” me do weeding).. You might have heard of “scabies”?! Well, yes, I got em! GROSS GROSS GROSS. But in Spanish scabies is called “sarna”.. Doesn’t that sound romantic??
Luckily, I’m living with a nurse and a doctor and I was quickly diagnosed and given the treatment: covering myself in toxic cream from head to toe before bedtime, and then washing my sheets, pillow cases, and clothes (that I’d worn x the last 3 days) in HOT HOT water… The good news is I’m feeling much less itchy and I won’t be bringing any mites home to the US with me (hear that, Mike?)..
One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about being here in Nicaragua and on the farm is the weather. Since it is the beginning of the rainy season, we get a good rain daily; sometimes during the day, and sometimes at night. We have had stunning lightning and thunder storms as well. A few nights ago, we all sat outside on the patio and watched the sky light up for hours and then listened to the heavy rains come. Lightening bugs were also lighting up the sky between the flashes of electricity and all the while the frogs were calling. It is really a magical thing to experience.
I’ve also enjoyed my many interactions with the workers on the farm. The are an extremely friendly bunch of super hard working individuals. Today, Alden, Carmen and I walked up to the finca from the main road (about 3km) because after it rains the road is too muddy to be passable by car.. As we walked we came across many of the workers who we stopped and chatting with. The gringos that work here have a great relationship with the workers because everyone works — Federico and Alden are not just sitting here being served– they are working on the farm and really giving to the community.. So, its nice to see that kind of relationship develop.
As far as work goes, we have a nice routine. I usually get up between 7:30 and 8 (I’m the last one up of course) and we work until lunch and then work some between lunch and dinner. Often I’ll work on things in the evening as well. There really is no set schedule. The last few days I’ve been working with Federico to revise an article he is writing for the journal of the Pierce County Medical Society of which he is a member, to describe he and Alden’s journey to and work in Nicaragua. I created a flyer (see previous blog about computer genius) for an insert in the monthly journal that will hopefully raise interest and funds for the Community Nutrition Center. We are also discussing educational materials development for diabetes education. Once goal of the center is to educate young Brigadistas (community health volunteers) about Diabetes, so we are working on a curriculum for that. Hopefully the Brigadistas will not only be able to have more knowledge when they go into communities, but can be involved in helping Carmen lead classes at the Center. Group classes are going to be an important aspect of the Center’s work, so we’ve also been working on coming up with a plan for class topics and finding information to support this effort. I have to constantly remind myself to relax and not be anxious to get everything done in one sitting. I’m not a particularly bossy person, but I can get annoyed when it seems like its “all talk and no action”; I am having to learn to sit back, listen, and gently help guide (but not force) the process.
Today we met a wonderful man, Mr. Gonzales. He is a community leader(known to be quite an eccentric we had heard) who runs a group called the Chronic Club (reminded me of Dr. Dre and Snoop, but I digress). The group provides support for people with chronic conditions in the community. He is also a very interesting example of someone who found out he had diabetes and with the proper education, support and insistence of his Doctor, was able to turn the course of his disease around. In Nicaragua, there are many challenges to making an impact on Diabetes, including taboo around the disease, myths (for example, if you marry someone or sleep with someone who has the disease you will ‘catch’ it), difficulty changing ideas about food and diets (rice, platanos, potatos, gaseosas (sodas)) that are very high in sugar etc. It will be interesting to see if and how the education and support provided by the center can change attitudes and behaviors.
I went surfing again yesterday. I was very intimidating because the water was quite rough, but with some encouragement, I got out there and was able to catch a few (baby) waves. (Sorry no pics to prove my prowess!).. I plan to work for a few more weeks here and then have the last week to relax and do my own thing.. The plan definitely includes more surfing. I’m excited to take some 1:1 lessons!
I hope everyone who reads this is well. I am having a wonderful time here and learning tons, but will look forward to seeing all of you when I return to Seattle, or at some point during the Summer!
Love,
j
Posted by jennie on June 25th, 2009