Saturday, Feb 23, 2008
Hi. This is just a quick note to say, yes, I did go to the water falls Sunday and had a great time. It was about 1 1/2 hrs from here by combis (those mini vans) and walking. As we were riding up into the hills/low mts we started smelling something so beautiful. It was the coffee bushes in full bloom. I can´t tell seasons here yet, but it seemed like it must be spring there with all of the trees in bloom. There were orchids hanging all over. They weren´t in bloom yet, but the plants were there.
The day was perfect; blue sky, little yellow birds, butterflies, the mist of the waterfalls on our faces, and no sounds except the sounds of nature. We saw horses and donkeys carrying gunny sacks of coffee beans up the path---all pure back to nature.
There were cashew trees. Cashews are so interesting. They start with a blossom, produce a huge nut shell, then continue producing a fruit that turns red. So, to look at the tree with the full fruit and nut you would see the branch, a red fruit about the size of 1/2 of your palm, then from the end of that is the nut that looks like a parrots beak. The fruit has a real dry tart taste.
I´ve also had Cocoa beans from the pod. The beans are sweet to suck on, then you wash and dry them, grind them and add sugar for chocolate.
I haven´t picked my mango yet, but there are mango trees in the back yard of the albergue so I hope to do that soon! Others have picked them and I´ve eaten them the same day they were picked. There is definitely a difference between picking it right off the tree and eating it and how we get it in the grocery stores up north.
Tomorrow I will be going to the ocean with Mayra (from here), Denise and Kathrin (from Germany), and 40-50 kids (from 4-18yrs old) from a shelter for street kids. I´ve not met any of the kids yet but Kathrin knows someone who works at that shelter so we´re all going along to help. It´s a way for me to get to the beach and I´m looking forward to making contacts with that shelter. I´ll let you know more after Sunday.
I guess my biggest accomplishment this week is that I´m driving more independently. I´m either driving Doris (Olga´s sister) for her errands or am driving alone. It feels good to know how to get around a little more.
We have started taking 3 of the residents of the shelter for physical therapy/rehab twice a week. They won´t do the therapy unless one of us is with them. Luckily, that means me! I am learning the exercises then work with the residents when they get back home. I had been working with 2 of the men but I guess I was way too easy on them. I would slowly do a few stretching exercises with each of them. At therapy they worked their tails off-----so I´m doing the same thing now! I´m getting more set for starting a rehab/exercise room at the shelter. I´ve gotten ¨stress reliever¨ balls for many who have had hand injuries (attacked with a machete, bitten by a cottonmouth snake, brain tumor, stroke) and they all faithfully carry them around and work with them. Today I got some stretch cords so they´ll be able to do some exercises more independently. I´m looking forward to setting up something nice for them and working with them.
I´ll let you know how the ´gym´ progresses too.
I´m still working on learning how to send pictures. I have lots and wish I could send them. I learned what I´m doing wrong but don´t know how to correct it yet.
Lillian
