Yesterday morning I went for a fairly long ride on the motorcycle. When all was said and done, I had put just over 50 kilometers on the bike. That's 31 miles. My motorcycle only has kilometers for speed and distance, so I'll be doing lots of conversions.
Anyway, to start out, I went out on the road I rode last weekend and followed it until I ran out of pavement. I stayed on the hardpack for just a little longer before turning around and heading back into town. Then, I rode on the old boulevard, past Mang Ying, past the Incessa pool and just kept going. I'd never been that far on that road before and it was just gorgeous. I started winding my way up a mountain and at one point pulled over to the shoulder to look. Breathtaking. Absolutely breathtaking. After riding a little bit further, I turned around and headed back toward town. Again. I was a bit hesitant to keep traveling on that road because since I don't know the road, I don't know where it leads and I don't know how safe it is. Later in the day when I was telling Sandi where I went, she told me that it gets even prettier and that it's safe to just keep going. Good. I'll try that another day.
So, after I got back to town, I headed out toward Siguatepeque. I wasn't going to go to Siguat, just in that direction. I ended up taking the road to Ajuterique. It was there that I saw something I've never, ever seen before. As I was driving, I saw what looked like a cow or bull ahead of me and on the side of the road. No big deal; I see those all the time. As I got closer, I realized that it was a bull. A dead bull. Standing. On three legs. Really. I didn't slow down too much as I passed it, because I knew that I'd be passing it on my return trip.
Further down the road, I passed a field of what I thought were cucumber vines. But then I thought that they might be pataste. No, they were cukes. Within a quarter mile, I passed a fenced in area where a cow was munching on a huge pile of discarded cucumbers. I guess that's what happens if the farmer can't sell all his produce. I hope the cukes don't effect that cow like they do me...
Back to the bull. You know, the dead one. Approaching it from the other side, I was able to slow down and actually pull over in front of it. It had obviously been dead for a while. Part of its snout had been eaten away, exposing the bone. It still had horns, but I could tell that the vultures had been picking away at it. Oh yeah, it only had three legs. One had been removed. No, I didn't get close enough to see if the leg had been cut off or eaten off. The whole thing was just pretty freaky. Actually, it was kind of surreal. It reminded me of TV shows or movies with scenes in the desert -- the ones where an animal skull or snake skin is used as some kind of a 'keep away' sign. Oh how I wished I had my camera with me. I took a picture with my phone, but don't think I can transfer it to here.
All in all, it was a great day. I was only out there for an hour and a half, but that was plenty of time to just think, ponder, muse and soak in the sunshine.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
2-for-2 and a Moto...
Last week was a good week: I went 2-for-2 at the post office. Both of my trips down there resulted in a card or letter for me. It really is amazing how uplifting a card or note from the States is. It makes me feel remembered and a part of things.
Yes, last week was a good week: I bought a motorcycle. I am the proud owner of a 2009 Honda V-men. It's a 125cc bike, which is pretty small by US standards, but is actually a very common size of bike here. I would have rather purchased a 150, but Honda doesn't make one in this style. While shopping, I was determined to find a chopper-style moto because it gives a more upright, comfortable ride.
What do you think?
Yes, last week was a good week: I bought a motorcycle. I am the proud owner of a 2009 Honda V-men. It's a 125cc bike, which is pretty small by US standards, but is actually a very common size of bike here. I would have rather purchased a 150, but Honda doesn't make one in this style. While shopping, I was determined to find a chopper-style moto because it gives a more upright, comfortable ride.
What do you think?
Yeah, I like it, too!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Sensory Overload...
Well, my trip to Immigrations today, to get my visa renewed while I (not so) patiently await the final approval and arrival of my residency carnet went okay. Not good, but okay. Actually, I guess it wasn't even okay. They only gave me a 30-day extension and then told me that I can't get another extension without making some kind of forward progress on my paperwork. When I said that all of my paperwork is in, and that I'm waiting for things on their end, I was told that I'm missing some papers. Of course, no one could tell me what I'm missing. After standing in another line, then waiting in that same line, we still had no answers. Then a call to OIM (the organization supposedly helping) revealed that the person we needed to talk to was in a meeting. Her voice mailbox was full.
Hmmm, Sandi decided that we would just drive on over to the OIM office and talk to Ana Rut in person. So, we drive over there, past the American Embassy, sit at the most bizarre traffic light, get honked at, park, and then walk up the stairs to the OIM office. Um, what's going on here? The office is... gone. That's right, the office that was there just a few months ago is not there. No sign on the door informing us of their new location. Just... gone.
During our lunch at TGIFriday's, Sandi called the OIM again to find out where their new location is. Apparently they moved somewhere near the Panama Embassy. We have no idea where that is, but I'm sure we'll find out. Unfortunately, in the midst of all of this, I'm still waiting on my residency carnet and only have 30 more days on my visa.
After lunch, we went to PriceSmart and then to HiperPaiz. HiperPaiz is the Honduran WalMart. Not just 'like' a WalMart. It IS WalMart. Right down to the Great Value and Equate house brands. Yes, it's pretty cool. The store is not nearly as large as most WalMarts in the US, but it's still a dizzying experience.
I truly experienced sensory overload while we were in there. So many varieties of produce. Fresh herbs, just like in the States, but instead of being $3-4 for a small bag of basil, that same bag of fresh basil was about 35¢. Not all the prices were less than in the States though. All of the imported goods were definitely more than US prices, but still less than buying them here in Comayagua ~ if they can even be found here.
Cream cheese. At least five different brands of cream cheese. Not only that, but they had Philadelpha brand Cream Cheese, Reduced Fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese, tubs of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, tubs of WHIPPED Philadelphia Cream Cheese, and tubs of Salmon, Pineapple and Strawberry Philadelphia Cream Cheese. That's not one flavor, but three, of course.
What about peanut butter? They've got it: Peter Pan (smooth and crunchy), Skippy, and 3 different off brands. I'm used to going into the grocery store and seeing peanut butter. One brand. If you want peanut butter, you take what's on the shelf.
Two full aisles of back to school supplies. TWO. And, end caps with more school supplies.
Seriously, I went into sensory overload and it got me wondering what it's going to be like when I head back to the States at the end of April. How will I deal with so much variety. Too many choices may not be such a good thing.
My biggest disappointment was while I was looking for toothpaste. Now, I'm a Crest kind of gal. Do you think that they had Crest toothpaste? Nope. Not one variety. Not one tube. Sure, they had row upon row of Colgate. Gel, non-gel. Whitening. Mouthwash enhanced. Colgate toothpaste for as far as the eye could see. They even had several varieties of Sensodyne, plus several other brands. But Crest? I guess I was getting greedy to think they might have it. I'm glad I've got enough to last until April!!
Hmmm, Sandi decided that we would just drive on over to the OIM office and talk to Ana Rut in person. So, we drive over there, past the American Embassy, sit at the most bizarre traffic light, get honked at, park, and then walk up the stairs to the OIM office. Um, what's going on here? The office is... gone. That's right, the office that was there just a few months ago is not there. No sign on the door informing us of their new location. Just... gone.
During our lunch at TGIFriday's, Sandi called the OIM again to find out where their new location is. Apparently they moved somewhere near the Panama Embassy. We have no idea where that is, but I'm sure we'll find out. Unfortunately, in the midst of all of this, I'm still waiting on my residency carnet and only have 30 more days on my visa.
After lunch, we went to PriceSmart and then to HiperPaiz. HiperPaiz is the Honduran WalMart. Not just 'like' a WalMart. It IS WalMart. Right down to the Great Value and Equate house brands. Yes, it's pretty cool. The store is not nearly as large as most WalMarts in the US, but it's still a dizzying experience.
I truly experienced sensory overload while we were in there. So many varieties of produce. Fresh herbs, just like in the States, but instead of being $3-4 for a small bag of basil, that same bag of fresh basil was about 35¢. Not all the prices were less than in the States though. All of the imported goods were definitely more than US prices, but still less than buying them here in Comayagua ~ if they can even be found here.
Cream cheese. At least five different brands of cream cheese. Not only that, but they had Philadelpha brand Cream Cheese, Reduced Fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese, tubs of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, tubs of WHIPPED Philadelphia Cream Cheese, and tubs of Salmon, Pineapple and Strawberry Philadelphia Cream Cheese. That's not one flavor, but three, of course.
What about peanut butter? They've got it: Peter Pan (smooth and crunchy), Skippy, and 3 different off brands. I'm used to going into the grocery store and seeing peanut butter. One brand. If you want peanut butter, you take what's on the shelf.
Two full aisles of back to school supplies. TWO. And, end caps with more school supplies.
Seriously, I went into sensory overload and it got me wondering what it's going to be like when I head back to the States at the end of April. How will I deal with so much variety. Too many choices may not be such a good thing.
My biggest disappointment was while I was looking for toothpaste. Now, I'm a Crest kind of gal. Do you think that they had Crest toothpaste? Nope. Not one variety. Not one tube. Sure, they had row upon row of Colgate. Gel, non-gel. Whitening. Mouthwash enhanced. Colgate toothpaste for as far as the eye could see. They even had several varieties of Sensodyne, plus several other brands. But Crest? I guess I was getting greedy to think they might have it. I'm glad I've got enough to last until April!!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
I've Got Mail...
I have to admit it: days when there is a card or letter in the PO box for me are much better than days when there aren't. Today's journey to the post office was rewarded by a Christmas card from Doris. It really brought a smile to my face! Yes, I communicate electronically with lots of people, but, if we're all honest, every one of us enjoys getting something personal in the mail. That doesn't include bills, of course.
Right now, we're doing a bit of a face lift on the Center, so I've spent part of today painting. Thankfully, I didn't get any paint on my clothes; I don't have any old jeans here that are really appropriate for painting in. I think we've got most of the trim work done on the walls, and Charley is making good progress on rolling them out. It's a big job. It's a big Center. Once the walls are done, we'll work on painting all of the metal railings and such. They are currently blue, but will soon be black. The walls are gray and will have purple and blue accents. I don't think anyone here knows that the whole gray and purple thing reminds me way too much of K-State, but we put together a small committee to select colors and that's what they chose. I'd much rather have accents of crimson and blue, of course...
On Friday, we're going to head to Tegucigalpa to get another extension of my visa since my carnet still hasn't arrived. Sandi talked to one of the ladies about it last week and found out that I'm not missing any paperwork or anything. It's just that no one wants to do anything official until the new president comes in. So, it looks like I'm stuck spending another $40 for another 60-day extension, even after paying $600 toward my carnet. Ah, ya gotta love it! OK, you don't really have to love it, but that's the way things seem to work around here.
Right now, we're doing a bit of a face lift on the Center, so I've spent part of today painting. Thankfully, I didn't get any paint on my clothes; I don't have any old jeans here that are really appropriate for painting in. I think we've got most of the trim work done on the walls, and Charley is making good progress on rolling them out. It's a big job. It's a big Center. Once the walls are done, we'll work on painting all of the metal railings and such. They are currently blue, but will soon be black. The walls are gray and will have purple and blue accents. I don't think anyone here knows that the whole gray and purple thing reminds me way too much of K-State, but we put together a small committee to select colors and that's what they chose. I'd much rather have accents of crimson and blue, of course...
On Friday, we're going to head to Tegucigalpa to get another extension of my visa since my carnet still hasn't arrived. Sandi talked to one of the ladies about it last week and found out that I'm not missing any paperwork or anything. It's just that no one wants to do anything official until the new president comes in. So, it looks like I'm stuck spending another $40 for another 60-day extension, even after paying $600 toward my carnet. Ah, ya gotta love it! OK, you don't really have to love it, but that's the way things seem to work around here.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
A New First for Me...
Yesterday was definitely a first... I broke into a cemetery. Yes. Really. Autumn wanted to visit her father's grave, so she bought a flower and we headed that way. The cemetery is on the road out of town that leads up the mountain to the Oki, for those of you who have been here (and been to the Oki).
In the US, when you think of a cemetery, it's normally a fairly pretty place with lots of nice green, immaculately manicured lawns, properly cleared walkways and paths, an occasional bench, etc. Not so here. Way not so. Basically, it was a field with a fence/rock wall around it. Three quarters of it was fence, but in the front, it had a half-height brick wall and then barb-wire up to about the 10 foot point. Immaculately manicured lawn? Think again. There was no lawn. There was some grass, but it was more like what we would call native grass, the kind good for grazing cattle. Paths? What paths?
As we pulled up to the cemetery, it was pretty obvious to see that there is construction going on pretty much all around the area. And, of course, there were some cows grazing IN the cemetery. We got out of the truck and walked up to the gate. It was barb-wired shut. I guess, in the past they had the gate closed, but you could still get in by unlatching the barb-wire. Not yesterday. They had lots of barb-wire securing the gate, and large stones in place so that the gate won't open. Hmmm, that's interesting. We walked about 25 yards away from the gate, to a place where the brick wall was about waist high, and there was about a 2 foot gap between the brick and the barb-wire. Well, we pulled up on the barb-wire enough so that each of us could climb between the wall and the wire, being careful to clear the barb-wire before standing up.
There aren't that many people buried in this particular cemetery because it's private and costs more than the public cemetery. Although it's fairly a fairly large property, I'd estimate the number of graves at maybe 30. I did notice that a few of the other graves had somewhat fresh flowers on them, as well. And there was even evidence that someone had been buried within the last few months. So, we know that people are getting in somehow.
Then, of course, there are the cows. We had to dodge large piles of cow plop while walking.
Autumn put the flower on her dad's site, and we walked around looking at some of the other markers. Then, we saw a young kid start to make his way over to where we had been. We knew that he was zeroing in on the fresh flower. Perhaps he thought it might make a good snack for the cows. Sandi talked to the little guy, letting him know that Autumn had put a flower on her father's grave, and taking it would be wrong. As we walked back toward the road, we pretty much resigned ourselves to the fact that the kid would probably take the flower anyway.
We dodged more cow plop on the way back to the car.
We climbed back over the fence again, being careful to avoid the barb-wire. Since there is obvious construction in the area, we wondered what they're going to do about the cemetery. Are they going to leave it as is? Are they going to try to relocate the people buried there? I mean, it seems odd to have buildings or homes going up, and they have a cemetery as their front yard. I guess time will tell.
In the US, when you think of a cemetery, it's normally a fairly pretty place with lots of nice green, immaculately manicured lawns, properly cleared walkways and paths, an occasional bench, etc. Not so here. Way not so. Basically, it was a field with a fence/rock wall around it. Three quarters of it was fence, but in the front, it had a half-height brick wall and then barb-wire up to about the 10 foot point. Immaculately manicured lawn? Think again. There was no lawn. There was some grass, but it was more like what we would call native grass, the kind good for grazing cattle. Paths? What paths?
As we pulled up to the cemetery, it was pretty obvious to see that there is construction going on pretty much all around the area. And, of course, there were some cows grazing IN the cemetery. We got out of the truck and walked up to the gate. It was barb-wired shut. I guess, in the past they had the gate closed, but you could still get in by unlatching the barb-wire. Not yesterday. They had lots of barb-wire securing the gate, and large stones in place so that the gate won't open. Hmmm, that's interesting. We walked about 25 yards away from the gate, to a place where the brick wall was about waist high, and there was about a 2 foot gap between the brick and the barb-wire. Well, we pulled up on the barb-wire enough so that each of us could climb between the wall and the wire, being careful to clear the barb-wire before standing up.
There aren't that many people buried in this particular cemetery because it's private and costs more than the public cemetery. Although it's fairly a fairly large property, I'd estimate the number of graves at maybe 30. I did notice that a few of the other graves had somewhat fresh flowers on them, as well. And there was even evidence that someone had been buried within the last few months. So, we know that people are getting in somehow.
Then, of course, there are the cows. We had to dodge large piles of cow plop while walking.
Autumn put the flower on her dad's site, and we walked around looking at some of the other markers. Then, we saw a young kid start to make his way over to where we had been. We knew that he was zeroing in on the fresh flower. Perhaps he thought it might make a good snack for the cows. Sandi talked to the little guy, letting him know that Autumn had put a flower on her father's grave, and taking it would be wrong. As we walked back toward the road, we pretty much resigned ourselves to the fact that the kid would probably take the flower anyway.
We dodged more cow plop on the way back to the car.
We climbed back over the fence again, being careful to avoid the barb-wire. Since there is obvious construction in the area, we wondered what they're going to do about the cemetery. Are they going to leave it as is? Are they going to try to relocate the people buried there? I mean, it seems odd to have buildings or homes going up, and they have a cemetery as their front yard. I guess time will tell.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Awesome Day at the Post Office...
What a great day to go to the post office. I got two more Christmas cards AND a huge package. OK, the package wasn't just for me, but it was HUGE. As I was waiting in line to get my package, a little boy wanted to see the picture that was in one of my cards. I told him that the little boy in the picture was 4 years old and was quickly told that the boy I was talking to was 7. I then found out that he's in second grade and loves playing video games. I really felt like I had struck gold when, while retrieving my package was told to walk through the door behind me. That led to the 'inner sanctum' of the post office and I was soon on the other side of the window. While I was walking down the corridor, I was thinking how something like this would never happen in the US: a customer would not be allowed behind the counter to get their own package. But there I was, behind the counter, getting my own package.
After the post office, I walked around the corner, with my cards and package, to the souvenir shop. The last of the carteras de churros (hand bags/purses made from chips bags) that Sandi and I ordered were in. They are made by some ladies, single moms and widows, in one of the surrounding mountain villages of Comayagua. We ordered 125 total, and when the lady found out about the ordered, she cried, saying that "now her kids will get to have Christmas."
Basically, these bags are made out of empty chips bags. They are an awesome example of the ingenuity of people to make a treasure out of trash. And, they are the primary means of support for a group of single moms and widows here. I am planning to bring some back to the States to sell, if people are interested. They would make a great gift and are definitely a conversation piece. I use one as a pencil case. See what you think...
From this:
After the post office, I walked around the corner, with my cards and package, to the souvenir shop. The last of the carteras de churros (hand bags/purses made from chips bags) that Sandi and I ordered were in. They are made by some ladies, single moms and widows, in one of the surrounding mountain villages of Comayagua. We ordered 125 total, and when the lady found out about the ordered, she cried, saying that "now her kids will get to have Christmas."
Basically, these bags are made out of empty chips bags. They are an awesome example of the ingenuity of people to make a treasure out of trash. And, they are the primary means of support for a group of single moms and widows here. I am planning to bring some back to the States to sell, if people are interested. They would make a great gift and are definitely a conversation piece. I use one as a pencil case. See what you think...
From this:
To this:
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