New Years 2008

Completely uncharacteristic, I tried to avoid a large social gathering. I was hesitant to bus myself to Lake Yojoa (dubbed “the Lake” by PCVs in Honduras because it’s pretty much the only one in the country). Mostly, because the event was planned in November and I am a bit apprehensive about events planned so far in advanced that are going to be “so fun!” These events are too often disappointing. Too my pleasant surprise, I had a wonderful time. Getting away from my site for a few days to enjoy the sun and social interaction could not have turned out better. Food at the hotel was a little expensive and I missed out on my usual 10 hours of sleep (no exaggeration) but it was worth it. Granted, the entire get-away felt like 4^th of July rather than New Years but it was still fun. We enjoyed speaking English, lit a few sparklers, learned to play Dradle, and freed a HUGE spider from near Rachel’s bed.

The Spider incident: As we whispered and tiptoed to bed on our last night, I hear Mary ask, “Are you sure you want to sleep there Rachel?” The comment was a little odd, even for the situation, but it had been a long few days. In the middle of a completely unrelated conversation with Rachel, Mary spotted the creature on the wall about a foot from Rachel’s pillow, and head. I know the photo lacks a scale of any type, but believe me, this spider was big. Initially, Mary was going to trap it in a plastic “keg” cup. The spider wouldn’t fit in the cup so we searched frantically for another solution. The spider’s location choice was also a bit of a problem. Since it was on a support beam versus a broad flat surface, we couldn’t just trap it. Somehow, we had to get the thing to move, without losing it. Amazingly, this feat was accomplished by Mary and Rachel’s joint efforts and we (they) released the captive from its Ziploc trap. I am still amazed. None of us wanted to get near the spider, much less be the one holding the bag. We were too stubborn to call a boy to do it. I know, they are not dangerous. Spiders are just so creepy, especially when they are as big as your hand! Luckily someone stepped up and the trapping turned into one of the funniest situations of the entire weekend. Maybe it was just late, but we were rolling.

The second amazing feat of the trip, was the discovery of “home”. Yes, by the end, many of us were ready to go home to our solitude and our own beds. Despite the hot hotel showers and friends, which I usually miss greatly, I felt ready to return to my cold shower and empty house.

Traveling in Honduras is always a bit daunting. You never know what time a bus will pass, how long you will wait between busses or how a known journey will take. Mary and I headed back together and had the best luck! It was a very non-Honduran trip in how little we waited. We walked from the hotel to the main road, caught a ride to the highway, and flagged down a bus to Tegus in 10 minutes! Total wait time, about 2 minutes, completely unheard of in this country. My ride from Tegus to Talanga was just as lucky. I had to wait several minutes for a taxi but the bus was just pulling out of the station when I arrived and I climbed right aboard. On average, you generally expect to wait an hour or so for any bus before thinking anything of it.

Back in Talanga, the year didn’t start off quite as sweet. I woke from a broken but restful night’s sleep of 11 hours to find myself shivering under my normally unnecessary blanket. When I tried to turn on the light, no luz. The power was out. The coldest day in weeks, and the power was also out until dinner. All I wanted was a hot cup of tea or coffee or to heat some water for a warm bucket bath! Instead, I spent the day in a long-underwear shirt, hooded sweatshirt, fleece, beanie and wool socks. Yes, that is just about every piece of warm clothing I have (I didn’t bother with the mittens). Oddly, as cold as I was, it gave me the odd “happy yet sad” feeling I get when things really remind me of home. It doesn’t get cold and rain all day in Honduras (at least not in my site)! It is cold and rainy in Tacoma. It wasn’t even a downpour but the on and off drizzle I used to be acclimated to… and despise. Oh, how I don’t miss the drizzle of a Western Washington winter. The day lacked the happiness brought on by the thought, “rain down here means snow falling in the mountains.” I don’t miss the dreariness, I did however miss central heating, or baseboard, or even space heaters. I closed my windows for the first time since moving into my house. One doesn’t close. With the power out, I couldn’t even curl up in bed due to the lack of natural light in the bedroom. Luckily, when the power goes out here, it doesn’t affect much. I was still able to recharge cell phone minutes and grab fruit and candles (just in case) at the market. People are so accustomed to the power going out that life continues more or less as usual. I suppose that is one advantage of not relying on organized computer databases and programs to run… everything. Lack of technology has its occasional upside. Oddly, when I passed an internet café, it was open, go figure.

Best wishes for a wonderful 2008!