Man, there’s a special feeling that hits you when you’re driving down a windy, mountain, pothole filled, dirt road of Honduras, sitting in a toyota held together with duct tape and a radiator that is constantly filled with the same coke bottle for drinking which happens to be next to the coke bottle for gasoline (also behind the seat), next to two people you don't know who are speaking a form of Spanish you've never layed ears on, one of whom has a large revolver crammed down the front of his pants and you can't tell him that he really isn't demonstrating the propper way to carry a firearm because you only know half of the words to that sentence, but it doesn't really matter because you're all eating off of a pineapple the size of a two-year old and you realize that you aren't scared and this all seems strangely normal and it all makes sense. Well, that pretty much sums up today. I´m in route to Cruz Alta, a tiny (700 people) aldea about two hours (only 17 kilometers) south of Gracias Lempira. I'll have much more to say on Monday or so when I get back from this site visit and have seen the place I'll be for the better part of two years. It all seems really big and really small at the same time. It is a little hard to describe what I'm feeling right now, all in good time I guess. I've met the person that serves as my introduction and guide to the community. Her name is Profesora Maria Santos Perez and she was the lady sitting next to me in the car and her husband was the dude with the gun. Both are extremely nice people. A lot of people down here have guns actually, kind of like the old west and it really makes me miss mine. Nothing says Peace Corps like bustin a cap in somebody´s ass that´s trying to make off with your burro. Also I've had some complaints from back home about my skeleton like figure seen in the pics, not much I can do about it now, I've lost about 25 pounds but plan on gaining them back as soon as I can. I also had a bout with a bacterial infection this week that pushed me over another hole in the belt. It is the wet season down here and it really brings out the bugs (of all shapes sizes and severities). Two more people from our group look like they might have Dengue, the problem is that you can't test for it until the 5th day you've had it, don 't ask why. As for me I remain in good health 95 percent of the time and attached to the can the other five. Aside from my pants always falling down I actually feel really good. I'm going to eat two jars of peanut butter and have a good cry the first night I'm actually stationed in my site. alright alright time to get some plato tipico (beans, tortillas and fried bananas). ciao Joe
oh yeah, maybe I'm the only one not to figure this out but you can click on the pictures on my blog and they get bigger, who knew.