Turtle Tending and Rainwater Rendering

Last Days Abroad

2009-06-12T16:20:00.020-05:00

After leaving Guatemala, I discovered the mangled maze of bus routes, the dreary decor of late night passings in bus terminals and the horrible mess this would make of my stomach. I arrived in Tapachula Chiapas Mexico around 7pm (two weeks ago). Just before boarding, the torrential downpour of the nearby jungle entering into the rainy season let us all know who is really in charge by dumping buckets of rain from the sky. At least it relieved us of the sweltering humidity that had recently descended upon the entire region. The goal is to head back to Colola along the Pacific Coast Highway 200 where gorgeous coastal vistas and quiet beach villages gems scattered along arguably one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world.

I happily entered the first class overnight bus that is a Mexican speciality. Into the cushy, air conditioned rolling machine of luxury and immediately where I fall fast asleep, little did I know this would be the last time I sleep well or feel well for the next 36 hours until arriving in Colola. Starting in Tapachula, I would end up taking 6 buses, none of which from this point would be air-conditioned, some of which did even have windows that opened and were packed to the brim with people and packages--- more than anything, it was HOT. So the trek went like this:

Tapachula, Chiapas to Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca-- two buses, 11 hours and one teachers protest. Grade A traveling

Puerto Escondido to Acapulco, Guerrero-- supposedly a first class bus with no air, no open windows except for the emergency escape opening in the ceiling, a seat next an obscene drunk guy that caused me to relocate and my somewhat substantial first meal in days that ended churning my stomach into a mess for the next week. 8 hours in the Nightmare on Wheels transportation line. We arrived to the Acapulco bus station at 1am where I befriended a sweet little old lady who was headed on the same trek as I. We stick together in the shady late-night bus station, she cares for my things while I am loosing a brutal battle in the bathroom, trying not to loose my cookies in a pretty dismal bathroom. Our bus arrives at 3am to the next destination.

Acapulco, Guerrero to Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan- 6 hours overnight, relative ventilation all the while fighting back the nagging call of my failed digestion to relieve itself right there on the dirty foot rest of the bus-- but I survive. Finally I arrive in my beloved state of Michoacan and immediately I brighten. I recognized the locations posted on the bus schedule and the familiar calls from bus attendants to Maurata and Tecoman. My traveling compañera guides me to the correct bus and as we part ways she assures me that if I am ever back on the coast that there is a comfy bed and family atmosphere for me to enjoy at her home--- probably one of my most favorite aspects of Mexican culture, the sweet, friendly and open hospitality unmatched anywhere.

Final bus trip along the coast Lazaro Cardenas to Colola, Michoacan--- 4 hours in bus with open windows capturing mouthfuls of salty ocean breeze, ripe mango grooves crowd the scenery and offer some of the only green leaves in sight. The rainy season has yet to descend along this part of the coast. I learn that it hasnt rained since I was last in Mexico and the once lush verdant mountains are now a gnarled mess of bare branches and dust. I arrive in Colola and immediately find out friends who welcome me with hugs, kisses and news of a dance to crown the prom queen tonight! Just in time.

I stayed the week in Colola and experienced the authentic Mexican experience that was missing during my first leg of this trip. I spent time with my friend Lupe and her cousins, all of whom are under the age of 23. It spend most of the day helping her cousins Flor and Taña whom help their mother make traditional fare like pork

tamales, coconut atole (a rich, warm drink made from coconut, masa, cinnamon and sugar), enchiladas, salsa de chile guajio which is specific to Michoacan, and any kind of tamarind treat you can imagine--I unfortunately couldnt enjoy a lot of this amazing food due to a bad case of amboebas that I picked up somewhere along the way. I introduced cards games like bullshit and war which we played obsessively, painted our nails, made each other up with lots of eyeliner and talked about the boyfriends they hide from their families. Each night we would watch the amazing Colola sunset and spent the remainder of the night sitting outside in plastic tables and chairs of the roadside taqueria run by Flor and her mother. My final night, I was able to find a lone turtle on the beach and kiss the ladies good bye for one last time. I would then head one of the largest Mexican cities Guadalajara to meet up with my friends Jenny and Deva that have been living and teaching there since August.

I spend a week in Guadalajara adjusting to city life, pubic transportation, any kind of food, supply or service you could dream of and the comforting home of two dear friends. I find myself sick again the first night. Perhaps, I have been meaning to be sick for a long time and my body is just now feeling safe and comfortable enough to let go. Stomach nasty and head cold welcome me to Guadalajara. This doesnt stop me from going to the movies (!), out to dinner and to the beautiful open air markets Mexico has to offer that are unparalled anywhere else I have been.

I am now in Morelia on the last leg of my trip. Back in the city where it all started 9 months ago to the day. Although instead of staying in the grungy volunteer house, I will spend the last days in Mexico with Miriam who is a fashionable and sweet lady with whom I worked in Colola and is just what I need to catapult me back into the developed world. She lives with her parents and siblings in the beautiful mountains of surrounding Morelia-- my favorite of all the larger Mexican cities visited in this outing. We will shop for new clothes, seeing as though I have been wearing the same 4 shirts and 4 pants for the past 9 months, listen to pop music, and dye my rapidly graying mop of hair.

I return to the US on monday June 15 to figure out the next leg of my life, regroup, rest and heal from the most challenging and amazing experiences of my life. If you are in Chicago this summer, we MUST hang out. I cannot thank everyone in my previous life in Chicago and everyone I have met along this journey- I could not have accomplished one bit of this experience without you.

Water that Falls from the Rocks

2009-05-27T18:26:00.018-05:00

It is significant that we are working on water issues in a community called Kisilaya which means "the water that falls from the rocks" in Mayagna, another indigenous group in Nicaragua. In my experience, it seems like trying to work on water issues in Kisilaya is almost like trying to obtain water from a rock. I wouldn´t have signed up for this if I thought it was going to be easy

My long awaited work in Nicaragua has come to a successful end. After 6 weeks of the most intensive work I have ever done in my life we have accomplished the following:

-Organized NGO´s in Waspam, advocated and received resources and technical support in the community from NGO´s whom otherswise won´t set foot in Kisilaya.

-Organized a ton of meetings, workshops and interpersonal contact with the community to ensure they have the skills and information to improve their access and quality to water.

-Organized 5 water committees

-Organized an informal network of leaders that are and will be crucial to moving on to more sustainable water systems like rainwater and ceramic filtration

-Cleaned 7 wells

-Repaired 8 wells

-Wrote a manual in spanish and miskitu on water management

-Wrote a proposal for a community health educator program that will be managed by the womens center in Kisilaya

-Hopefully prepared the community for the next step when the Engineers without Borders make their research trip in the fall.

Nicaragua beat me up and wore me down, but I wouldn´t give up. In spite of all the things that seemed to go wrong at every turn, we perservered, we looked fear and disappointment in the face and laughed-because really that is the only way you can deal with some of the ridiculous stuff that goes on. I understand why the latin american attitude is so laid back in some respects. Mostly because if you were to get yourself worked up everytime your plan when down the tubes, there would be a lot more heart attacks.

And the most touching of all experiences was my final day in Kisilaya where looked at photos of our work, their families and their community- the kids loved this most of all. I received and gave heartfelt hugs, hearty handshakes and anxious questioning about my return--- I finally cracked the serious, conservative and rather withdrawn culture of relations among Kisialayans. And even more than this was while I waited for my little plane to arrive and take me back to Managua a group of 6 women arrived, encircled me with clasped hands and a seranad of a traditional tune for safe travels. Hugs and tears were shared and before I know it, I am back in the traffic, noise and grunge of Managua.

I am now in Guatamala City which is the largest city in Central America. I spent the night with the ever charming Alma who I met in Colola. She dazzled me with the colonial architecture and soft glow of Antigua. Tomorrow, I will leave for Mexico and then travel along the beautiful Pacific coast line until I return to where I left my hear the last time I was in Mexico, in the tiny indigenous village of Colola.

Life in Kisilaya

2009-05-17T19:17:00.010-05:00

Never would I have imagined--- seems to be a reocurring theme

2009-05-17T18:46:00.004-05:00

I am going into my last week in Nicaragua and officially have hit the one month mark until I return to the worst job market in US history. Never in my life have enjoyed the work that has been accomplished over the past- what is it now-- almost 9 months. I can no longer imagine employment that involves a desk and computer. My hands and body have since been yielded useful and skilled. The ultimate test of this excursion has landed in my lap with full force here in Nicaragua all the way in the North Atlantic Coast, boarding Honduras along the Río Coco and just a few hours away from the Carribean Coast.

I have been working with a fine compañero named Noel. He is the son of a well respected Miskto woman Doña Florencia, who has been leading the charge in Waspam and the surrounding communities on violence against women, indigenous rights and overall systematic injustice that is seeping through the cracks of every institution in this region. This is truly a place where the grassroots leaders are really working from the ground up--- because for the most part, it is not a job or form of income, it is a way of life, a necesity, a survival mechanism, because lord knows many of the organized institutions are not working for the people--for the most part anyway. Noel started out as my interpreter and has since been invigorated with the challenges this project faces and has been my faithful compañero since. Walking hours in the hot sun, helping mange the community onslought of questions and discussion, running around like crazy trying to find materials, machines and manpower to get this job done-- yes Noel is a rockstar.

At this point we are heading into my final week in Waspam and we are prepared to finish the week with 5 working wells in Kisilaya. We have successfully completed a skill building workshop in water and sanitation, well management and organizing water committees. We also wrote a water manuel in Spanish and Miskito which will be distributed this week. With the folks in Kisilaya, we have cleaned 5 wells by hand-- which means that one poor soul is sent down into the well to scoop up the debris and dirty water while the rest of the barrio heaves on a rope, dump the contents and begin again. Now the real test will be to see if the organizing, capacity building and resource implemenation will serve the purpose, or will everything crumble a week after my departure? With Noel´s continued presence and the support for the community leaders that are apart of the Wankgi Tangni Women´s Center, I will maintain a steadfast positon in tree position with fingers crossed on both hands (the yoga pose TREE maintains a position of focus and foundation for continued growth) and hope for progress. Once Kisilaya has maintained their water committees and regular maintanence, we will move on to the next phase that includes rainwater catchment. There are a few people that are already using unprotected rainwater systems, which basically just means is it is an open system that can be easily contaminated. That is a great start-- and most of all, the woman using this system is my favorite person in all of Nicaragua. Doña Patricia of Kisilaya, quite possibly once of the most patient, loving and respectful persons I have every met. She is the perfect foundation for furthing the goals of the project- which is the establish skills in water management and creat sustainable water autonomy. For now atleast, the goal is the just get water in Kisilaya and after this week, I hope to be able to write in the next entry with success.

Photos will be posted separately

Naksa Nakisma!

2009-04-25T10:07:00.005-05:00

I have been in Waspam for the past week and suffices to say that I have hit the ground running, sprinting, like a bat out of hell since I arrived. Waspam is located on Nicaragua´s North Atlantic Coast along the Río Coco that creates the border with Honduras. Waspam is the cultural, political and commercial hub among all the villages along the Río Coco. Here, the language is more often in Miskito than Spanish and I have been learning a little (for example--Naksa Nakisma= Hello How are you).

The groundwork for the water development project is of and running but in a different way than I imagined. The project is focused on a small village named Kisilaya that is 6 kilometers down river from Waspam. This is an entirely indigenous community that is rather organized- there is a local governing body, neighborhood coordinators, but especially the women are organized much of which can be contributed to the influence of my mentor- Rose Cunningham- international recognized human rights activist working with Madre for the past twenty years.

Rose´s work in Kisilaya has been ongoing for the past 6 years. During that time she has developed the Seeds of Hope program that has provided non GMO seeds to this community which primarily survives on agriculture. They have developed a seed bank and expanded their farms along the rivers- which is especially apparent right now, in the middle of the harvest. Everyone is extremely busy harvesting, transporting, storing and selling their bounty before the harsh weather of the rainy season sets in. Did I mention this is one of the wettest places on earth- receiving 30000 inches of rain annually. Other projects Rose and her team of lady organizers have completed is the building of a Women´s Center in Kisilaya, introducing a telephone at the center, providing bikes for transporting goods to Waspam, regular education opportunities and most recently provided sewing machines and material.

I have spent almost everyday in Kisilaya since my arrive a little over a week ago. Mostly I am walking 12 kilometers days there and back. In order to provide the groundwork for exploring sustainable water options, first we have to get some sort of water in the community---which means the bulk of my time will be spent organizing water committees, cleaning and repairing existing wells and providing an exchange between Kisilaya and other communities that are using rainwater and ceramic filters. Step by step, poco a poco, we are making progress. The last week was spent meeting organizations working on water issues, evaluating wells--- 15 were evaluated and only two are partially working. As a result, people are using river water for everything, which is extremely contaminated. Women and girls, who are primarily responsible for fetching water, washing clothes, and cooking, spend the bulk of their day either at the river or collecting water from the river. The wells have not worked in this community in years. The state of the wells is pretty horrible in some cases the main culprits, according to the community- are gangs of young guys that basically vandalize the wells and destroy them..... I am still struggling to see the benefit that they would get from doing such a heinous thing. This project--- improving water quality, access and sustainability--- might possibly be the project that takes over my life.

After walking all day everyday in the hot! sun, the Kisilayans generously share ripe juicy watermelon and coconuts from their land that make the most satisfying treat possible after a long day of work. Finally, the week ended in Kisilaya with a grand festival at the Catholic church (thank you colonization once again) where you can find everyone cooking up a storm, singing and enjoying the break from the hard hard work they excert daily.

Getting the Dirty on Community Work In Mastatal

2009-04-13T13:19:00.002-05:00

The following project in Mastatal was smaller in scale but lead mostly under my direction. I did what I know how to do best, which is include those bright minds that have more skills than I. The following is an account of bringing together the many brilliant minds at work at the Ranch to improve the living situation for one sweet old man in Mastatal.

A Rocket Stove for Mancho

The first week in February brought about one of the worst windstorms in Costa Rican history. It was felt throughout the country, but as is often the case, the devastation is more widespreand in poor rural areas. In this village, many people have constructed their homes out of cheap local materials, or don`t have the resource to revamp old wood that has been worn by many rainy seasons. And so is the case of Don Mancho. He is a sweet, and I mean sweet, old man that lives in a shack tucked back in the brush. He is an old man, a squatter, a master gardener--- with a reputation for having a magnificent seed collection (he can seriously grow anything in any condition, I am told) and prefers to live rustically. His home is hidden behind Noni trees, Caña Brava reeds and a hearty garden of plantains, yuca, sugar cane, pigeon peas and beans. He sent us home with arms full of his bounty as our most cherished payment upon every visit. The wind storm tore the roof of his house and he reached out for help through the Ranch´s charitable arm- The Mastate Foundation. We fixed his roof and revamped the old frame, but found that his well being could be vastly improved with a few simple solutions: a raised bed to protect him from the snakes that creep in at night and yet again, a rocket stove.

Volunteers put together a stellar semi-lofted bed complete with a soft cushion. Other work completed was a beautiful window shutter that would provide protection from the rain but could also be easily opened and closed to increase ventilation--- completed by the talented hands of our beloved Johnny "Goma" (spanish for hang over which he acquired after a night of celebration way beyond what we were accustomed to seeing from this sweet southern gentleman).

Mancho has been cooking over an open fire in his little house and the remnants of soot and cinder are apparent on the walls. It is difficult to imagine the state of his lungs. Just imagine the sweetest little man in the world and there you have Mancho. Mancho is a small man, less than 5 ft tall with dewy chocolate eyes and long lashes. He has the a very sweet smile, so much so that you can´t help but find yourself doing the same when coming in contact with him.

I organized a group of more or less 8-10 people to help with the planning and construction of the rocket stove to be installed in his home. This time, I did some further research and asked around the engineering-design minds at the Ranch. We built the stove pipe elbow out of bamboo and installed a rebar cage that would wrap around and over the elbow. This serves two functions 1) to provide a stable stove top for the pot to sit upon 2) to provide an internal structure after the bamboo elbow burns out. All of this is then encased in a cob mixture of manure, sand, clay and sawdust. This mixture was adjusted to provide increased insulation and less heat transfer so that more of the heat is transfered directly to the cooking pot instead of the material. This was set upon a foundation of concrete, cinderblock and mortar to provide strength against the hefty rains and erosion experienced in this mountain-side location.

We hauled materials, we bagged up sand from the nearby river, collected manure from the local pasture and away we go. Over weeks time, we installed the rockets stove complete with the experimental design. I will never forget the afternoon were we spent most of the day with Mancho, Rachel and I sat on his bed and shared a lunch of beans, rice and boiled eggs. We told jokes and laughed at bad translations. The bulk of the work was finished that day.

I returned a few days later to meet with Mancho and to make sure that he could use the stove effectively. Low and behold, we boiled a pot of beans in ten minutes. Success! Mancho was just as excited as I. Then next step is to have Ana (from the previous post) make a home visit and help with any trouble shooting. There you have it. After finishing up with Mancho, his niece Mauritza who lives near by and who has been really helpful throughout the process of both projects, asked if she too could have a rocket stove. Making sustainable development fashionable, that is what I aim to do--- I could only exclaim "Nice".

One of Three Projects in Mastatal

2009-04-10T14:12:00.011-05:00

The fright sets in as the measurements are taken and the materials are arranged. I am not really a builder-- sure I have but together book shelves and can be somewhat crafty, but play a major role in building a house? Dios mio, what have I gotten myself into.

A team of four interns from the Ranch, including myself, commit to a regular 30 minute trek throught jungle, climbing mountainsides, sloshing through creeks and rivers and braving the heat of the cow pasture to reach our destination. A stick frame house set atop a mountain with a gorgeous view of La Cangreja Mountain. There we meet with a family that has moved to this remote location in order to save money so they can send their teenage daugther to a boarding school in the nearest town, Santiago de Puriscal. Juan Luis and Ana have inhereted the land, a few cows and this house that is without protection from the elements, running water, cooking gas or electricity. Their daughter, when she visits home, sleeps in a hammock out in the open space of the second floor. Rustic rural living with a beautiful view. Juan Luis is a subsistence farmer who lives in San Jose 4 days of the week to work as a gardener and security guard. Ana milks the cows, makes cheese and often joins Juan Luis in San Jose where they stay with family until they return to the countryside for more tranquil scenary. (photo: house as we begin construction)

Solar Energy International had recently installed a solar panel that now powers the indoor lighting (prior to this they were using a diesel lantern- another health risk averted). We committ to constructing the second level of the house, which when we arrive is little more than a few peices of tin and 2x4´s. We also set out to improve the situation in the kitchen where Ana is cooking over an open fire in an enclosed area. Our goals: provide protection from the elements by building walls, a bedroom for their daughter and a rocket stove in the kitchen area. What is a rocket stove you ask-- it is one of the most important discoveries in sustainable technology that I have made during my time in Costa Rica. The stove is basically a metal stove pipe elbow that is encased with an insultative mixture of clay, sand, manure and hay. Fire remains as the main source of heat but is set upon a shelf acting like flue where air can flow in and ventilate the flame. The result is a clean burning fire that uses fuel efficiently and reduces particulate matter, all the while somewhat maintaining traditional cooking methods. Genius I tell you. You can find out more through the Aprovecho Research Center in Oregon who helped to develop the technology. (photos: above: finished construction of house. below: rocket stove and table)

The four of us trekked up to their home on a regular basis, building a friendship, getting to know their lifestyle, sharing regional cuisine of the finest quality-- including my new favorite treat- Coco Con Miel- toasted coconut coated in carmelized honey cooked over low heat until gooey and delicious. Our relationship blossoms, the non spanish speakers get a chance to practice in a safe environment and we discuss the details of the project. Over a weeks time with over 15 different sets of helping hands and many days of hauling wood, sand, supplies, tools etc through the mountains mostly by hand (but also with the help of a horse); we successfully completed the project that sends smiles across our faces for days on end.

What does success look like: two bedrooms, walls complete with window sills that frame the mountain view, a new double burner stove, a handcrafted kitchen table and shelves. They were thrilled with the new additions to their home and continued on with the momentum with additions of their own. As the building project started Ana told us that her original impression of gringo was that of crazy party-goers blowing money on the beach (not a direct quote). She complimented our work ethic with an amendeded view of above mentioned gringos. Not only was her view of us ammended but life long friends were made.

We returned a few weeks later for lunch and a traditional cooking session with Ana on her new stove. She taught us how to make tortillas by hand. We arrived to find that Juan Luis has used the scraps of wood to building a tool shed, a bedroom door and more kitchen shelves. All of us take turns making tortillas, feeding the stove and of course, consuming our work with delicious pride and joy. (photos: Ana and the new kitchen, Juan Luis and his tool cabinet)

Thank you to Erin Taggart and Carolyn who vowed to make a builder out of me and I aim to continue to make them proud.

Finishing Up In Costa Rica--- Que Rico

2009-04-01T18:05:00.004-05:00

It has been way too long since my last post. I have finished my final week in Mastatal. I have been working close to 60 hour weeks with one day off a week and needless to say, very little time or patience for internet surfing on malfunction computers. My Costa Rican address has since expired now that I am headed to Nicaragua for the real test of my skills. I have spent the past three days in San Jose waiting for a bus that has an available seat. I arrived Sunday and will leave tomorrow on the 6 am bus for Managua.

I should have been keeping up with my post and I am sorry for any worry or anxiety that I have caused. I have learned so much in three months that it will take a few posts to provide in detail the extent of the information and skill that has been acquired at this sparkling gem of creativity and community that is tucked away in the mountains of Costa Rica´s Central Pacific valley.

I have learned how and contributed to the building of a composting toilet. I have learned about harvesting and using humanure (the term used to refer to human waste that is composted over time and used for agricultural purposes). This has been an obsession of mine and inspired not only the design of the Nicaragua project but is the primary reason for choosing to complete the intership at the ranch. The resutling compost is barely indistinguishable from the sawdust that is used to help with the process of turning waste into agricultural black gold--- the other kind of black gold that contributes to a healthy and viable ecosystem. There is a lot of discussion in development communities about using humanure for agriculture. From what I have seen and learned on the Ranch, it is an indisposable resource that is so accessible. I dont think I will ever use a flush toilet again--- or at least I will dream of the time spent knowing that my poo did not contaminate or waste one drop of potable water. An unintended benefit of using composting toilets is the opportunities for bird sightings- no reading material is required when you can gaze out upon the jungle that is buzzing and flittering with feathered friends. I have fallen in love with this blue Mot Mot (pictured), as well as countless black, blue and emerald hummingbirds, tocans and orupendulas that frequent this space.

I have been in frequent contact with Engineers without Borders . It is possible that I may be extending my trip in Nicaragua in order to assure that all the pieces of the puzzle align before the building begins. Luckily, I had the chance to spend time with Ben during his two week visit that flew by way to fast.

I came to Costa Rica under the auspices that it would serve a very particular purpose-- a go between the two projects to which I have committed. Never would I have imagined that these special communities, within the Ranch and the local area, would steal my heart, but here I sit in San Jose with a sucking chest wound from where my heart once was.

LIfe on the Ranch, Becoming a Wilderness First Responder and Learning to Farm Frijoles

2009-01-25T18:19:00.005-06:00

Two weeks in at Rancho Mastatal and I have been swamped with projects and tasks. My traveling companion and fellow intern, Anne and I arrived at the Rancho to find a rowdy class of 40 folks working on a solar panel installation for three families in the community. We quickly learned the tricks and trades of Ranch life as we were hurled into the duties of the Ranch, much of which includes hosting classes on sustainable development, natural building and ecosystem protection.The owners of the ranch own a good portion of the land and have set aside most of it as a rainforest preservation in the footprint of La Cangreja Mountain. I am living in a beautifully constructed house that is made from bamboo and teak- just two of many beautiful woods that are available locally and harvested sustainably. Composting toilets are a main component of ranch life, we use them and ¨service¨them daily. All the food in made from scratch including sourdough bagels, bread, pizza crust and english muffins that are baked in a woodburning oven weekly. I have learned how to pasturize locally raised milk, make yoghurt and kefir and make soap and candles from palm oil.

I recently finished a very intense course with Aerie Backcountry Medicine. I am now certified as a Wilderness First Responder. After an intense ten day course of backcountry first aid techniques that including learning how to render a few peices of foam, a rope and a tarp into a litter that can carry an injured person out of the jungle as well as treating snake bites, broken bones and head injuries to name a few. The final test came in the form of what is referred to as a Mass Casualty Incident where our entire class worked together to treat the injured of psuedo earthquake and get them to safety. I treated a sucking chest wound, a viscerated abdomin (complete with exposed intestines), a broken neck and tried to save someone dying of shock through CPR. It was a crazy test of will, wits, skills and stamina.

Just this week I started working with the community. Caught the bus with a local man named Chepo (nickname for those named Jose). He runs a small farm of bean, rice and bananas with just the help of one other man Juan. Our task for the day was to harvest red beans. It was one of the hottest, most labor intensive experiences I can remember. First of all, it should be noted that the farm is located along the side of two rather steep mountainsides. My midwestern vision of vast flat farming landscape quickly were sweated out of me as I struggled to keep my balance on the mountainside. We then collected the beans from the mountainside once they were dried by the sun and set up a tough made by tying a tarp to five sticks. I on one side and Chepo on the other took two sticks and beat the dried bean plants continuously until all the beans were removed from their shells... turning and beating turning and beating, all day in the sun without shelter-- seriously back breaking work. Chepo and his worker Juan are some of the strongest people I have ever met. After five hours of colleting, beating and turning, we collected the beans in three sacs around 80lbs each and carried them up the mountainside. What an amazing way to build a relationship through traditional labor, the sweet earthen smell of dried bean plants and the heat of the amazing Costa Rican countryside.

Made It

2009-01-06T09:56:00.002-06:00

I arrived in Costa Rica last night by way of Tampa and Houston. So far, I feel like a VIP, which I am sure will soon be crushed by some challenge that I will crush right back. Hulk smash difficulties. I stayed one night in Hostel Pangea in San Jose. There was a shuttle that picked me up at the airport and delivered me directly to the hostel, which is more like a resort compound. Locked away behind steel doors, the traveling tourist, family or activist will find americanized accommodations complete with english speaking staff, swimming pool, bar/restaraunt, free internet and pool table. However, I might as well still be in the US with this kind of arrangement. I met up with another intern from the ranch, Anne, and we will travel together to Mastatal. She is totally great and will make for a fun travel companion. 2 different buses split between three hours will take us to our new home the jungle.

I do have an address for the next three months so send me a hug in a box if you can

Rancho Mastatal
Apdo. 185 6000
Puriscal, San Jose
Costa Rica

Farewell cold weather woes

2008-12-16T15:00:00.005-06:00

I have been back in Chicago for a little over a month and have been resisting the impending infiltration of drafty air and deary landscapes through the crevasses in my apartment and fibers of my wool sweaters.
Although all is not lost.
On December 23rd I will leave Chicago to travel throughout Central America (by way of Florida for a long overdue visit with my mom) and begin what will hopefully be a very prominent beginning for a long term project in Nicaragua.

What am I doing exactly? There are three main objectives during this traipse throughout Latin America:
1. To put my organizing skills to the test on an international scale while also improving my language skills.

2. To develop the technical skills needed to reduce water contamination through accessible sustainable technologies like rainwater filtration/harvesting and composting of human waste. These skills will be used in a long term project that I have been working on with the community of Waspam in the North Atlantic Coast in Nicaragua whom I met on a MADRE delegation to Nicaragua in 2007.
Recently, this project was accepted by Engineers Without Borders whom with be instrumental in the technical design and implementation of rainwater catchment and composting waste systems that have been proposed for Waspam. This project is set to begin August of 2009.

3. Finally, I will remove these skills long-simmered skills out of the pot and put them to use over the long term in Colola and Waspam. I hope to use this experience to develop a dissertation that will although me to maintain an active and supportive role in these communities while helping to further develop their programs.

(photos: examples of composting latrines in Mexico)

Here's the grand scheme of things over the next 6 months:
~January - April: I will be completing an internship at Rancho Mastatal in Costa Rica. The focus of this internship will be on organizing sustainable community development and natural building projects. What I really want to know about are way to recycle human waste in a safe and resourceful way to reduce water contanimation and there hopefully reducing public health threats.
~April - May: I will be in Waspam conducting preliminary outreach and volunteer in anyway I am useful while also preparating for the rainwater project.
~May: Travel from Nicaragua to Guatemala City by bus. In Guatemala City I will work with ProTortugas and visit Alma- one of the volunteers with whom totally fell in love- she is awesome and works on all sorts of cool projects involving natural resource and wildlife preservation.
~May-June: Return to Colola, meet with the Tortugueros and work with my favorite tortuguitas. Make a long overdue visit to my friends Jenny and Deva in Guadalajara- who I missed the last time I was in Mexico. And finally, return to Morelia to have a proper farewell with all the folks I met previously.
I will be back in Chicago by the middle of June- Ojalá verdad-- barring no staph infection, scorpion sting, amoeba infestation, leschmaniasis or other damned thing gets me first.

Memories from the Second Turtle Camp

2008-12-04T17:28:00.016-06:00

There is no doubt that my first month in Mexico, and especially my first weeks in Colola, was a challenging experience. But seriously, I almost threw in the towel after my sweet volunteer Celine from France was stung by a scorpion just before the rest of the volunteers decided to leave early. So goes my rather steep learning curve. While there are various learning styles that can be used to obtain and synthesize information like research or inquisition, mine may most appropriately be termed the "crash and burn" technique. I wouldn't be comfortable if something didn't go terribly wrong every once and a while. However, if first camp was designed to determine my survival skills, then the second camp proved to be my golden gift for sticking it out through the difficult times.

The Volunteers
I returned to the camp uncertain of what to expect, not sure if there would be volunteers and if I really could live in the camp alone if in fact no one else arrived. I received and email from the host organization a few days before the volunteers were set to arrive, confirming hat I would have a camp of all women. A small group of very special ladies.
Meet them in this photo from left to right: Stephanie from USA, (me), Miriam from Mexico, Alma from Guatemala and Claudia from Germany.

A motley crew of simultaneously sweet, tough, hard-working and hilarious ladies. Let me introduce you first to Alma. Alma was a gift to us who arrived our first weekend. I learned so much from this woman who presented our camp with it's beloved soul (Alma en español = soul). She works in Guatemala City with a group called ProTortugas and stopped by the camp on her way back to Guatemala after finishing a month long tour in Germany. Alma taught me more than just improving my Spanish, but the cultural element that is woven through the language.

Miriam is a young woman from Morelia who decided to attend the turtle camp to directly spite her overprotective father, who, previous to her time spent in Colola, had not been allowed spend the night anywhere except her home. Miriam and Alma, as native Spanish speakers and cultural competence, where largely responsible for our improved community relations-- not to mention served up some amazing authentic meals!

Stephanie, the only person from the US I met on the entire trip. A Colorado native who was in the process of relocating from Chicago to Arizona. She was so enthusiastic, friendly and as result, immediately had several admirers. Everyday she would exclaim her love for the day's events, she came to admire a sweet little black pig stationed at the last home on the pathway to our favorite beach Chicuasa, and earned the name "placosa" from the tortugueros-- meaning she like to blurt her thoughts, which everyone found endearing.

Claudia has a really interesting story. During her time in Mexico, she was at the tail end of a year long adventure of traveling and volunteering around the world, which started in Indian and will end in Peru this December. She showed us many of her collected souvenirs and stories that she will use to share with her students and enhance their primary school curriculum. Although reserved at first, she was responsible for many memorable and hilarious lines like "tortugas feelings" and "the pregnant man with three torches". I will be friends with these ladies forever.

The Community
Quite possibly due to the great energy emanating from this luminescent group, my relationship with the community reached a level of unprecedented connection and cooperation. Possibly due to my increased comfort with the surroundings and continued investment in my existing relationships, I found that I actually had friends awaiting my return. Unlike my experience in the first camp where we were struggling to find nutritious food and ran out of potable water days in a row, I now had a network of people that I could rely on for support. Instead of having to trek on foot with 20 liters of water, we hopped in the back of a flatbed pickup and arrived at the camp in minutes. Tortugueros would arrive to the camp with arms full of fresh papaya, bags of freshly picked corn, homemade tortillas and tamales and as a special treat, the young and nibble would be sent up coconut trees and retrieve the luscious fruit for to share with us.

Furthermore, we spent a lot more time actually building more than a "co-worker relationship" with the tortugueros and their families. Instead of hiding away in the dormitory, we started sleeping outside in our hammocks or directly on the beach under the brilliant diamond studded sky with the sounds of slapping sand from tortugas finishing their nests nearby. Together, the volunteers and our tortuguero friends, camped on virgin beaches, swam in the midnight waves with bioluminescent plankton, learned how to dive from the giant granite rocks into the ocean, used pop music sing-a-longs to transcend language barriers, and shared fashion advice through force (my newly acquired traditional Mexican huarache sandals suffered in the campfire after they were nixed by the young and surprisingly hip tortugueros).

Another part of the project involved putting a fresh coat of paint on the exterior of the primary school and finished it up with a mural. We completed the project along with the students, which further solidified our connection to the community. Not only were we working with parents, brothers and cousins at the turtle preservation, but also developed relationships with their children, nephews and sisters. We were completely initiated as honorary family members-- in some cases, we were working with entire families in some capacity.

By the end of the project, I had fallen in love with this community. The beauty of the natural surroundings, the nightly miracles of turtle birth and the generousity of they people; I admit, I am smitten. I will remain in contact with the project leaders and will continue working with them to help further develop their program independently and hope to return in May when there is a break between projects in Nicaragua.

Photos are up

2008-11-22T18:48:00.000-06:00

"Colola, The Place Where Dreams are Born"

All 200 or so photos have been posted on Flickr. My camera crapped out half way through the trip so luckily I have been able to steal photos from friends in order to document the rest of the experience. The second camp improved immensely as you will find in posts to come. I am little overwhelmed with the amount of great stories to share.

You can see the whole kit and kaboodle at www.flickr.com/brittsy
I have also found some crazy YouTube videos from past volunteers which are really funny. I will be posting them soon.

Health Update
I returned to Chicago last weekend. The next day, I spent 6 hours at Stroger Hospital only to be told that the meds from the travel Doc in Mexico were right on target. They did recommend I see a dermatologist just to be sure. I spent Monday morning at the derms office and waited another 5 hours. Luckily, I am a lot more patient since spending time in Mexico... plus, I don't really have any where else to be so the wait wasn't really that bad.... The Doc's say it's a staph infection and put me on antibiotics for the next month, skin gooped up with creams and ointments to be applied 4 times daily and I am feeling nice and ooey-gooey all over. Overall, I feel 100 times better and even went out in public yesterday. However, until the thing on my face is totally healed, I will be kicking it hermit-style.

Thank you for all the well wishes, I would give you a kiss, but wait, I might give you a flesh eating bacteria. I love you anyway.

10/10/08.10/17/08 Finishing up in Colola the first time around

2008-11-13T10:43:00.000-06:00

The project in Colola ended on Monday. The second time around in Colola had me falling quickly and madly in love with this precious pueblo. I didn't realize the extent to which I had been affected by the culture shock of living in the wilderness in rural Mexico. Considering my limited access to technology and the malfunction of my computer, I will be posting memories in reserve, starting from the end of the first volunteer project on the Turtle Preservation. The first project finished October 10, providing me with one week of reprieve between projects. I returned to Morelia for the comforts of running water and electricity and the company of my newly acquired family in Mexico, the other volunteers I have met along the way.

I returned to the volunteer house to find that the other volunteers took a weekend trip to Guanajato. A bit more time alone allowed me the chance to process the experience in Colola and how to improve the situation the next time around. The first thing I did in Morelia was go to the laundry mat, I have never been so happy to wash my clothes. Apparently, I can't get enough of the beach because I brought half of it back with me and deposited it in the washing machine. Luckily they were sweet and understanding folks. I slept for 14 hours pretty much straight. After three weeks of work 10pm to 3/4am, walking at least 6 miles per day and trying to appease the needs of the volunteers and the community, I was more that worn out. Morelia treated me well and sent me on my way to Ciudad Hildalgo to visit two friends Simon and Daniel.

Simon is from Denmark and Daniel is from Poland. Both are in Mexico for three months teaching English at the statewide network of High Schools called Cesytem. Ciudad Hildago is a beautiful city just East of Morelia, situated high in the mountains. The mornings are very chilly and the days warm up into seemingly beautiful autumn days. My experience with them gave me the chance to be apart of the daily functioning of Mexican families in Michoacan. They spend a lot of time with a family that runs a Pastelaria... yes, it is a bakery that serves mainly Tres Leches cake. Gabby and Pepe have had this bakery in their family for 28 years and the entire family works there in some capacity. My dreams of working in a bakery came true in these few days as I was given the opportunity work in the bakery, learned to twist the pastry bag just so, make yummy cakes and was even handed down a secret recipe for a delicious cream filled pastry. Delivery me from heaven, they were so good. Right around this time, my camera stopped working. I will try to recover some photos and post them.

Even more, Simon and Daniel are very close this their students. They have dinner at a different students house everyday. The families seem more than excited to invite them and always make a beautiful meal in gratitude for their service to the community. I joined them at the house of Elisia, who is a smart, feisty and friendly 16 year old, who is the youngest of 13 children. Her mother made an amazing meal of chicken mole with rice, tortillas and steamed corn. In spite of my worries about the chocolate in the mole, I successfully devoured this grand meal without incident.... allergies smallergies......We finished the day playing cards, laughing at our various language barriers and prepared for Las Azufres.

Ciudad Hildago is near by a national park call Las Azufres that has a serious of natural hotsprings running through it. Natural pools and baths have been built around the hotspring and are open almost all night. My first realy break in Mexico took place here. Gabby took Simon, Daniel, myself, and her 7 year old son to Las Azufres for a night a swimming and relaxing under the stars. In the hotspring baths, there are small coves where you can reach in and remove a bit of mineral mud and give yourself a natural facial while sipping on brandy and bathing under the sparking light of the stars. What a beautiful break.

Tropicalia Incidents

2008-11-13T10:23:00.000-06:00

I have been tucked away in the jungle and burried in the sand on the beach without communiciation for several weeks. First my apologies to all. I am doing ok, not perfectly wonderful, but alright. There is a ton of information to report. Lets start with the present and work backwards.

I am in Puerto Vallarta in the nicest hostel in the world. Running water, electricity, free breakfast, internet and dvd player.... welcome back to the developed world. Puerto Vallarta is not an interesting or charming place by any means. There is an overwhelming amount of Americans, a commerical strip comparable to that of Michigan Avenue and the natural scenary is mediocre. I traveled here with one of my volunteers who flew back home two days ago. My goal was to relax and take a break on my way Guadalarjara.

Unfortunately, I am ill. I am afraid that I have some tropical flesh eating disease and the flu on top of that to boot. So part of my reason for staying in Puerto Vallarta is to find decent medical care, but honestly, the doctor in Colola would probably be better suited to provide treatment. I have an appointment with a specialist in tropical medicine today who will hopefully give me some more in depth information about what is going on. Hijole, up until now, I have been feeling great, super strong with turtle power, without any stomach aches or other digestive trouble. Take the good with the bad.

Tortuguas

2008-10-13T16:46:00.000-05:00

Photos of tortugas to pull at your heart strings. The ping pong like items are the eggs and we are in the process of the collecting them at this moment. I immediately fell in love with this animal at the moment I was able to bare witness to what feels like a miracle, considering that tortugas are at risk of extinction. Even more, every time she laid an egg or two, her hind flippers would raise and wiggle a bit.... it was sooo cute.

This is the next step in the process, the birthing of the tortugitas. This is a batch of Golfina or Olive Ridley turtles climbing up from their burried nest. They will be collected into a larger batch and when night falls they will be "liberated" as the tortugueros say, to the ocean with our watchtful eye and careful leadership into the tide.

More photos to come soon

Colola Sunset

2008-10-13T16:41:00.000-05:00

This is the first of many striking sunsets the descend into the sea on Colola Beach. There was one day when I actually was thinking that I had grown accustom to these beauties, and low and behold I was blown away again. Rewards for a hard day and night´s work

One month anniversary

2008-10-04T13:44:00.000-05:00

Hello !!!

I realize it has been weeks since my last post and I apologize for any fret or fright this has caused. I have been catapulted with full force into the not so apologetic dysfunction of many things...... irrevocable exceptance for the national mentality of "No pasa nada" which translates to "don't worry about about", because if one were to worry about every time something went wrong (the bus that guy told you about doesn't exist, no one told you how to get water from el señor de agua, and instead you had to walk 1 1-2 miles with a 20 liter bottle of water or else thirst to death, there are mosquito larvae in your bath water etc). What else can you do expect hope to the patience to embrace the sentiment, take a deep breath and begin the next day.

I should give a bit more background, although there are too many notes in my journal to describe all the details, however, this means that we should immediately get together upon my return to recount each crazy mishap after another. By that time I should be laughing about it... I hope.

I have been living in Colola for two weeks on a the Turtle Preservation. Myself and four other volunteers from France, Belgium and Israel have been living in a hut on the beach. The hut is constructed coconut tree limbs and sheltered by its leaves. Each morning I am woken by the illustrious crashing of Pacific waves, the reliable honking of the burrow nearby and the sweet chirp of mourning doves and meadow larks. It is very beautiful, there is no doubt, but is does come with it's infinite and seemingly irreversable challenges.

Water for one, is a particular challenge, not just in the sense of finding drinking water, which I now know that I can hail el señor de agua every morning who will deliver large gallons of drinking water every morning for 2 pesos less then the tienda down the street, where I either has to walk or hitchhike back--- in an extreme case that a happened this week, I was forced to do both. There is a motor to pump water from a well, that is if it has gas or feels like functioning that day. I have been talking with community leaders about my interest in water issues and possible solutions that would save them money hassle and resources. They are interested, so am I. Water issues around the world are unavoidable, my research project is growing by the second.

The Turtle camp is a mile and half walk from the main village of Colola, which is complete with a cyber cafe and boombing soundsystems blasting the musica belove by every Mexican teenager MANA, looped with the same Coldplay song over and over. It is also incredible hard to find good fresh food... which is amazing to be considering that most of Mexico?s economy is fueled by agriculture, the irony is terrible. The issues that face impoverished communities in our country are the same the world over: access to good fresh food, safety, isolation and waste are abound the world over. The comparisons are striking between this rural village and the north lawndale neighborhood I call home.

The work with the turtles is run by the Coire indigenous community group native to Colola . The preservation is home to the largest amountof Black Turtles nesting spots in the world. The workers on the preservation are called Tortugueros. Qualifications for such employment may be acquired by outsiders, but really the main ingredient is an indigenous knowledge of the land and the social and scientific behaviors of this gentile wild animal that we handle with infinite care. Each night, teams rome the beach looking for either turtles in the process of nesting and laying eggs or nests that have been carefully buried in an instinctual protective mechanism. As this point I have engaged in many acts that may be equated to tortuga gynecology, hand covered in either tortuga depositing mucus or blood, I reach deep into a carefully constructed underground nest where the egges will be deposited and hidden from predators. We remove the eggs, document statistics about the turtle, mark her with a tracking number and return the eggs to the "nursery" where we reburry and nurture them until they peak their little head up from the sand. We collect the tortugitas and "liberate" them to the sea in the middle of the night to protect from predators.

I am slowly, slowly adjusting, and by the time I am adjusted, it will be time to return home. The first round of volunteers will complete their last week at the camp next weekend. One chapter closing, the other opening and a whole new reel of adventures will begin again. I miss you all so much. I long for the comforts of home: a sugar bowl that I dont't have to negotiate with big bold ants, personal cleaniless (I go days without looking in the mirror or caring for that matter) , a delicious salad of mesculin greens and avocados, and great big hunk of love and comfort from all of you. Most of all, I miss the autumn colors, cool nights and hearty home cooked meals in a range of amazing autumnal colors. Bake the pumpin with me in mind next time ok? Until next time.

Learning the realities of living abroad

2008-09-17T13:16:00.000-05:00

I have been in Morelia Michoacan for a total of one week. I am living in a house with at times, 20 other volunteers who are stationed in pueblitos throughout the state. I am older than all the volunteers and almost immediately assumed the role as la mami de la casa. Many are from Germany, recently graduated from high school and participating in a service program through the Germany government similar to the Peacecorps. I made some great friends already: Nora from Germany, Daniel from Poland, Simon from Denmark and Jesus from Morelia. Today is really the first day I have to myself, all the other volunteers have returned to their villages and now Jesus and I and the cockroaches are all that remain. It is a welcome break . I have been doing yoga in the morning to balance out the crazy energy of the house and my stomach has been serving me well.
Some of you may have ready about this but just in case you havent, it is important that you are aware. Sept 15 and 16 are the biggest holidays in Mexico celebrating Independence dia de las patrias. On the 15th, everyone gathers in downtown Morelia at 10 pm to celebrate and yell ¨Viva Mexico¨at midnight. The current Mexico president Felipe Calderon hails from Morelia and was present at the celebration to address the crowd. Just as he was doing so, someone tossed a grenade into the crowd injuring 100 and killing 5-7.... we were very close to the explosion and felt the shutter and shock throughout our bodies. No one was hurt but it was an shocking eye-opener catapulting the reality of living in a society that seems to be preparing for another revolution. It was talking with Jesus about this and he mention the fact that every two hundred years in Mexico there has been a revolutionary event, first the Independence, the the Revolution in 1810 and now we are approaching 2010 and politicos are predicting another radical change, this is just one sign of such possibilities. It is not clear at this time who launched the bomb but there has bee a tremendous amount of violence between Narcotraffickers and the government.
Luckily I will be heading down to the turtle preservation on Sunday where I will have scorpions and mosquitos as my biggest concern.
I am still trying figure out how to upload my photos and as soon as I do you will have them as your service.

Updated Contact Info good for at least two weeks

2008-09-10T03:20:00.000-05:00

I am cell phone free... weird
It is three am and I head for the airport in 45 minutes... even weirder
I will be in the City of Morelia with the organization Vive Mexico for the next two weeks.
Here is the address and contact info, which I will update regularly

Boulevard Garcia De Leon 734-A
Colonia Nueva Chapultepec
C.P. 58260
Morelia, Michoacan
Mexico
P: 52 443 324 51 70
mtv@vivemexico.org

On the Way Out the Door

2008-09-06T13:15:00.000-05:00

Star date September 6, 2008.
So I quit my job with the City of Chicago three weeks ago and it has been a marathon whirlwind of action. I have been busier in these weeks than I was while working full time. I am certainly not complaining. Here's a run down of the biz...

Week one: Visit from Pete, formerly known as hobo "texas pete" who has traded in his train-hopping ways for the likes of a stylish vintage Honda motorcycle. He showd up at 5 am after having traveled 15 hours straight from Delaware to Chicago-- needless to say, the man is intense. He was happier than a pig in sh_t rolling around on that little baby. Other big news, although I can't say I'm entirely proud, I have totally converted to the ways of the omnivorous, which was confirmed August 18 2008 when I bit into a seared piece of red meat from the metal-meat-mecca that is KUMAS Corner. Yes, I ate a burger for the first time in 12 years. I paid for it all the next week.

Week two: I submitted the final application for the rainwater harvesting and composting latrine project to be based in Nicaragua to Engineers without Borders. I will have a preliminary response within 6 weeks to determine the project's acceptance.

But what occupied a preponderance of my time was preparing for Chicago Bike Polo NACCC Bike Polo Championship.

My crazy boyfriend Ben with who I am madly in love and a host of talented folks organized the biggest and most successful bike polo championship in North America. 35 teams from 20 cities descended upon our fair city to battle it out in the Garfield Park Polo Court. That court in particular is a point of pride for all involved with Chicago Bike Polo. Polo players and volunteers shed blood sweat and tears over three- 12-15 hours days building what has been hailed at the most kick-ass court of all time. Local artist Blount sealed the court with various gnarly dude drawings, followed by graffiti and a wicked paint job. Worthy of noting is that Ben and the polo committee spend a full year organizing for this event and it surely paid off. Ben is now being touted at the President of Bike Polo by online "polo pundits"- I second that motion. I spent most of the time doing what I do best, rolling out the food-- trying to satisfy the appetites of sweaty and the bloody .

Big up to Ottowa Polo Mallets of Mayheim for taking home the big prize: a hand crafted trophy from Lloyd Cycles (our beloved Owen Lloyd) and gold velocity rims for their custom Waterford Polo frames. Damn amazing job Alexis, Robby and Brian!! Thanks to all the cities for attending, the laundry list of sponsors and the many local businesses and restaurants that contributed to make a magnificent event. Chicago Bike Polo rocks my world- I've caught the polo bug for sure.

Week Three: Last week in Chicago. You may or may not know, but I somehow think that I have a chance at being chosen for a Fulbright Fellowship. After 6 months of making contacts with Nicaragua, garnering support for the project, meeting with engineers, learning about materials, researching grassroots efforts, gather letters for references, transcripts etc..... the Fulbright has been submitted. I seriously have the best Fulbright Advisor ever, a very big thank you to Amy Kehoe- U Michigan. Other big thanks to Natalia and Vivian from Madre, Lorraine Gutierrez -U Michigan, Isaac Bloom- Minnesota PIRG and Margarita Chavez - Harold Washington.

To celebrate, I had my first acupunture session with a talented practitioner named Alathea-- it wouldn't have been possible without the generosity of a certain PANKAKER-Fin (thanks so much lady!) I highly recommend it. I have floating through the week with a warm fuzzy feeling and calmed nerves since.
And finally, the farewell festivities take place tomorrow 2-6 at the polo field and then we move it over to the skylark at halstead and cermak.

Less than one month until departure

2008-08-12T21:57:00.000-05:00

The blog begins and so does the count down to departure. I set out for the historic capital of Morelia Michoacan September 10, 2008, which means I have exactly 27 days and counting (but who's counting?). What's even better is that my birthday, September 29 is a national holiday in Michoacan-- sweet.