little joys and glories

...today I brought 2 boys (both with the age of 14) to another Project, called "Proyecto Victoria". This project specializes on men (of any age) with addiction problems and "Mara" involement. This may sound very simple and easy but my last week, required blood, sweat and tears to reach this point.Last week on thursday, Kevin I. (used to be a former english student of mine who got kicked out of casa alianza because he sold marijuana to other kids inside the house but basically is simply a product of abuse and violence at home. he left his house by the age of 7 years and went to beg on the street. One year later he started to smoke marijuana and with 10 he started with resistol), 14 came completely drugged (inhaled resistol, tinner and smoked marijuana) to Casa Alianza. The was completly intoxicated. The started to hyperventilate, sweat, wanted to puke and could hardly speak. Comes a point after 10 minuite where out of nowhere he all of a sudden starts to cry. My first assumtion was violation. With time tough I started to realized that he was just toooooo stoned to think clearly and straight. give him any kind of Medication - no ... impossible that could have even killed him. so we took him to the emergency were they took his blood pressure and gave him an infusion to get him destoxicated. On the way back to casa alianza Kevin wanted to escape - again but I could convince him after almoast 2 hours of talking to him... that there are other options than to be on the street. He starts to tell me of what he has been dedicating himself to the last 3 months eversince they have kicked him out of the institution. Amongst those were selling drugs with the biggest drug dealer in Tegus, Erica C. (who now is in prison), robbed people with knifes (he assured me that he would never do me harm. for that he loves me too much and trust in me) and the rest of the time getting completly drugged and wasted to forget all the pain that his past has caused him. So after 3 months of living on the street, complete intoxication I got to convince him to come with me. We took exams, and at night he slept in Casa Alianza (in protection). On monday I took him together with Marvin another boy (havent been working with him tough I cant really tell you moving stories about him) to the Project where they had a couple of interview and today my little life saving mission was completed. At 8.a.m this morning I took him to the project, he gave me a last hug and wispered into my ears " Gracias Lucia, no huberia logrado sin vos". (Thank you Lucia, I couldnt have done it without you) on my way back I have to admit, a little tear came down my cheaks. I was moved.

Nicaragua

...Managua was a bit disappointing at first.... back to the reality of more poverty, street children begging on the street, no music on the street, people more cautious about walking on the street for the basic frear of getting robbed ... ectfurther more it was a saturday night we arrived.... so we thaught we ll discover what the city has to offer... the only thing we lived was music from the year 2000, people dancing "interesstingly"...:) ... so in the morning we decided to go to a city called Granada... left our backpacks in Managua and hit the road. when we arrived we were overwhelmed with Saara... a little town (well not that small after all ... had 120.000 inhabitants).... all covered in old colonial style.... every house had a different colour... wow... it was so cute.... people chatting the central park, artesanis exponing their art without having the fear of getting robbed.... so there we were, enjoying a nice little coffee with sunshine in a cafe outside... seriously ... this felt like being in Europe again...hehe... so we decided to go for a "touristic" tour... saw las "Isletas". which are little island groups in the lake of Managua.... was sooo beautiful, peaceful... observing indigenous people in their natural landscape.... the only problem the people there have to face is that the islands are bit by bit bought by Americans... meaning big gigantic houses...(one house per island)... and the unevitable consequence of course for those people is being exploited by the Americans. (making them work for them, for too little money compensation)From Granada we went to Masaya (little artesani town approximately 20 minutes from Granada).. was less spectacuar tough....even though I only had 3 days in Nicaragua... the people are incredibly friendly and welcoming... but the one thing I have to admit, that Nicaragua is more adapted to Tourism than Honduras. ... well.... but comparing it to Panama levels... .well its simply impossible... Panama (for reasons of having the Canal) ... is more developed and simply more touristy...but far less "Virgin" like than Honduras or Nicaragua.... The next trip is going to be Guatemala in Eastern for a week...:) yeahbuhuhihi

Panama

When we actually made it to wake up, I started realising on what a beautiful rastafari carribean island we stranded. The island where we spend the first night is called "Isla Colon" but our hostel/room (little house swimming on the sea) was on Isla Bastimentos (only reachable by boat). This island, I swear, was only populated by approximately 500 rasta(black) people. The rest of the island was forest and white sand beaches.

In the afternoon tough, we returned to Colon to start my open water dive license (which I could, luckily enough to Alex, make for free). Checking the equipment, getting on a boat, putting on a very sexy neoprem suit, mask, regulator, BCI, ... and when we finally were ready, i was, too be honest a bit nervous. Getting used to breath with a mashine is really really freaky at first. But once I got under water and got to regulate my respiration under water and we acutally slowly started to sink down to the ground. I was amazed by the big diversity of the ocean. Such a great diversity of fish, underwater life, plants. It s incredible. Did some basic excercise with Saara (who was acutally my dive master) and Alex (my dive instructor). After having done that the real fun dive could start. We stayed under water for around an hour. Peace, silence, only the water bubble that one hears and nothing else. Diving makes you forget about all the problems one possibly could have. It makes you get lost in a completly new world.

The next day basically looked the same only that in the moring we went horse back riding. Dont imagine it to be so easy. Its the exact opposite. The horses were supposed to be ready at 9 oclock. Apparently we were still too european, because by the time we came at around 9:30, there were only 2 horses ready and the other 2 that we needed, were still running around freely, not intending to be ridden any time soon. So imagine all the effort and time the locals invested to get to more horses. A little black boy actually got on a tree and hid with a rope and threw it down by the time the horse passed. Unluckily he missed the horse and seconds later did the horse disappear in the nearby jungle - we never saw it again. Anyhow 2 hours later, somehow 2 sattled horses turned up and the adventure was about to start. Horse back riding (something that seems so far back in time the last time I did it I think i was 10). Galloping threw a jungle for 1 hour. Threw mud tough because it was raining all morning. Arriving finally to these white sandy beaches, peace, no tourists none....simply us gallpoing in the sea (I know it s too much like a s wthe backgroundmusic.... but that came with the sound of the ocean... it felt like a really cheesy movie and I have to admit I LOVED IT). Saara (my traveling mate fell off the horse almost 2). Alex my surfinstructor (got kicked of the horse while galloping at high speed and almost got his head crunched by another horse behind him)... but other than that, everything went smoothly.
IN the afternoon a little dive to get down from the adrenaline high. Couple of excersises under water and actually my 4th dive was when i completed my "license" and had a little dance party under water. juhuuuuuuu

The next day, we were just soooo exhausted so we spontaneously decided to stay another night in Bastimentos and just do nothing but read, walk around ate, ate, drank beer and ate. The usual hang loose day. What more can I say

The next adventure part is about to start tough. We left the island and went down to the pacific coast. (rented actually a car and Alex who is a brit was driving --- yes, he did pull te the left every once in a while... but we managed without any accidents... which is the cool part.) anyhow we went down to Playa Venao on the Pacific side. (THE surfer paradise)... yes... I did acutally learn surfing too (because as it happens, Alex is a surf instructor too) :) .... tried hard to get on that board, while the waves were actually moving full speed.... got sunburned as hell and relaxed on the only bar nearby with some nice beer... looking out to that untouch surfer beach.... where there is seriously NOTHING but an ocean and our hostel.

Panama city the next day, simply made me fall in love. This city reminded me a lot of "Havana(CUBA)". Imagine this. Colonial houses, music on the street. Old man playing chess in the park. Kuna ladies (indigenous tribe from Panama, dressed very colourful and with a piecing in their nose) walking around the entire town. Men screaming "oh, guapa" on the street. Seriously, i love that city. Its incredible. NIghtlife is excellent and the food is fairly ok. Went to see the canal too. Was least spectacular tough. Big gigantic construction with fairies and boats. As we acutally only had 2 days, we rented a taxi who took us around the city within no time picked up our stuff, and went to the airport to continue our journey to Nicaragua.