A Year Being Honduran: No Chicken Bus

So I have to write this fast because the power has been on and off all day.....why? ......no storms, well now some are rolling in, but mainly because we're in Honduras and it just goes out when it wants to. We heard from another teacher who heard from the lady in the market it was a scheduled outage all day today, but who really knows, crazy Hondurans. So this weekend was packed with loads of fun! Friday we all went to happy hour at this place called Twisted Taynas. It was a nice little cafe/bar thing in town. It's usually pricey (and by pricey, it's pricey for down here, their beers are normally like 3 bucks). So from 4-6 or 3 maybe it starts? We went at 4, its 2 for 1 drinks, and they have food specials, we didn't eat, but I did try the carrot cake and it was AMAZING. Now I say all cake is amazing, but this was by far the best carrot cake I have had, well ever. Ok, so some ate, we drank, we talked, we all had a pretty rough first week getting adjusted and what not. It was nice. So after we went to another place, but didn't stay out late (heres a normal night time setting....6ish it's dark, so by 10 it's usually best to be heading home, so I have yet to be up past midnight, which leads to very productive days). So at this new place, Barcita, there were some backpackers that we met. Everyone who comes through town is super nice. Well the next day some of the teachers decided we were going to go to a waterfall El Ruby. These backpackers that we met the night before came with. The waterfall was amazing! We thought we would get to ride in a chicken bus, but unfortunately we just got a van to take us, bummer. So the van dropped us up a dirt road and we got out to walk (we had a guide and his macheti with us). We hiked for like 15-20 minutes. Then we got to it. It was a real waterfall! Of course we all got in, it was rocky and my feet got pretty beat up, but I swam in a waterfall! Then I went climbing, with others, on some of the other rocks to look around, it was beautiful, definately something out of a travel brochure. I'll put pictures up once my roomate puts them on facebook so I can copy/paste haha. (she has an all weather camera, prettttyyyy awesome). So we were gone for the whole afternoon pretty much, and when we got back we had a dinner party again. It was at a different house, and everyone came! Well minus one teacher, but he's old and hasn't come to anything yet. Even our new backpacking friends came, they all had really cool stories to tell and what not. I am really excited for weekends cause I guess that's what happens, you meet people traveling through and hear their stories and talk about interesting things and they go on their way on Sundays. I thought my life was pretty spectacular, and it is....for cityfolk, but these people have seen so many cool things! One guy had lived somewhere over in the Middle East, I can't for the life of me remember what country, but he had pretty awesome stories, and another just traveled from the coast where he went on a night dive in the ocean. One girl was from Australia but has been everywhere. I am excited for all the people and stories I'll get to hear! So dinner was great, great ending to the day.....then the power went out. So it was like 10ish something, and the one married couple were walking home, so we went because it's safer to travel together and have a male. However, no one bothered to bring flashlights because we hadn't really needed them. So we were using our cell phones, and we got to our street......... There were a bunch of people outside, with candles (cause there was no power) sitting, talking, there was a tent and looking back I can recall the conversation I was having (the couple lived and taught here last year) and the guy was saying something about a wake. I obviously wasn't paying attention and the wife was telling mandy about how wakes are down here, they stay out all night, casket and all. Well I guess thats what the husband was telling me, but all of the sudden one of my students recognized me! It was pitch black! I have no idea how she recognized me, I mean there are 2 other ladies here who are about my height, white, American, but this girl just goes Hi Miss Polly! I was taken off guard and tried to get my cell phone out so I could see her, I recognized her and asked how here weekend was, etc. Then I said, well have fun at your party! and walked away. Mandy and the couple were dying! They said it was a wake, not a party, my face was beat red, which no one could see. They said the casket was out and people just sit outside all night. Welllllll now I know, that they don't party all night, it's wakes. Hopefully the girls family had no idea what I said, and the girl hopefully doesn't remember/understand, uggghhhh awkwardddddd. Then I woke up to no power, got a trim, bought a few grocieries, came home to no power, so we cleaned. Then a little tease of about a half hour of power, then we cooked and ate in the dark (well Mandy cooked). And now we've had power for about 45 minutes, so that's a good sign! O! I did laundry today too, the pictures are of my pila (the place I wash my clothes, then the clothes line, and then there are a few of my view from the balcony upstairs. Yea, I get to see that everyday. Ok, that's all for now, have a good week!

cooking in the dark

The left is clean water to soak our clothes & rinse, the right is where we scrub, however the soap is a circle and we just roll it over the clothes, so I guess that's pretty convienent