Besides hanging out with friends and family and catching up on our TV, we've been up to nothing. I need to get on photo editing, but I've been so busy doing NOTHING.
I'm sure you know how that goes.
The other night, while Alex and I were dog sitting, we decided we wanted macaroni and cheese. There was no Kraft, so I checked out what The Pioneer Woman had on her site.
Now, I used her recipe as a starting point, but there was a bunch of cheese in the fridge, and they all sounded so great, so I used them all. Cheddar. Brie. Asiago.
I didn't take pictures, so here is the direct link to the recipe: macaroni & cheese
I didn't have dry mustard, so I used mustard from the fridge. I put about three squirts in, whatever that means.
I also used the optional spices of cayenne, paprika, and thyme,
Our sauce had a lot of flour taste to it, so I added a lot of spices, but I think I should have used more.
We put the cheddar in like the directions said. Then I added a pretty big slice of brie in. Make sure if you're going to use brie to peel the rind off. We also added ours in little chunks as to help it melt a little better.
To top everything off, we added shredded asiago.
It's a pretty easy recipe, both for ingredients and skill. Be careful - it is delicious but definitely not all that nutritious (for the calorie content). Buen Provecho!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
tomato cream sauce
If you want to put a little twist on the ol' pasta dish, a tomato cream sauce is an easy way to do it.
I got the recipe from the Pioneer Woman (as usual) but couldn't follow it exactly because I didn't have everything.
Here's what I used:
- Big bag of little pasta shells
- 2 Tbs of butter
- Spoonful of minced garlic from a jar
- Big can of spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- Sugar, Salt, Pepper to taste
- little packet of cream cheese
- basil from a shaker
So, if you compare the ingredients lists, they are not the same. A lot of stuff was from cans or jars, but whatevs. It turned out good enough to eat, and that's what really matters.
Heat the butter, allowing it to melt. Add garlic and let it soak for about a minute. Add tomato/spaghetti sauce, taste, add spices to taste, taste, let simmer for 30 minutes.
I personally started cooking my noddles after about 20 minutes of simmering so that everything would be ready about the same time.
After simmering time, add the cream and (cream) cheese. Taste. Add spices as needed.
Pioneer woman says to mix the two, but we just pour the sauce on our individual bowls since we each like different amounts of sauce. It's up to you.
It's a super easy recipe to try when you're in the mood for pasta.
Buen Provecho!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
the surprise
I was really preoccupied with organizing our return to the States that I couldn't be bothered with blogging. I mean, the only thing I was thinking about, the only thing I was doing, had to do with coming back to Oregon, surprising our families and friends. I couldn't think about all of the other things that would have been good for this blog. I could barely even edit photos, save for my late nights.
So, we had been planning this for a couple of weeks. At first, we thought it was too expensive for us to come home. I mean, we were looking at about $1,600 for flying right before Christmas. That's a lot of money to just about anyone. But, after a while we became quite homesick and decided that it didn't matter what it cost; we wanted to come home.
Three weeks later, here we are. We've surprised Alex's family and our friends Josh and Haley. We ran into our friend Brandon on the highway. And Christmas has come and gone.
And still, it was worth it.
I am still working on editing photos for this blog. I have no idea when they will be done but, now that most of the festivities are over, I will have more time.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Christmas time in Honduras
I don't like posting when I don't have pictures. We take so many that it's difficult to keep up with the editing. Especially when you have school (aka WORK) to go to. Can't just make blogging and photography my full time job, ya know!
Anyhow, the kids have been working for about a week now on their door projects which will be judged tomorrow. I've only seen a few, but they are coming together very nicely! We will have pictures as soon as I edit them for the blog.
And we are also getting geared up for our month long vacation!
I need the break... I mean, yes, I love the kids, but I need a break.
I think that's how moms might feel. Except I have like 25 kids. It's too many for real life.
Pictures to come soon. For everything that I haven't posted on - cooking with Doña Olga, care package, more Belize stuff, etc. It's in the works.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Belize trip - part 1
Nearly a month later....
We left off the night Alex and I had traveled to the border of Honduras and Guatemala. We did not have the all of the proper paperwork to travel, so we had to turn back around and go home. We planned to set off again in the morning.
We were told that we could catch a bus at 5am. We were also told that we could catch a bus at 6pm. Even though it wasn't fun, we opted to try to catch the earliest bus so we could make it to Belize the same day. Our alarm clock went off at 4:30am and we got dressed in the same clothes as the day before. We were down at the bus station at 4:50am, which we thought would give us enough time to get on the bus. Wrong. We were about five minutes late. This changed our plans a little.
There was a bus that was very unoccupied but we were informed that it would be leaving at 6am. We thought we would just wait until that one left, but a pushy cab driver told us that he would drive us out to the main road where we could catch a bus in no time at all. We were unsure, but because we were pressed for time we decided to take his offer.
We got out to the main road at about 5:20am and waited. I watched the sun rise. I watched chickens wake up in their tree. I learned how chickens get down from trees. It's not rocket science, but I was still intrigued.
Finally, after an hour of standing out in the cold, buses started coming by our bus stop, and at 6:32am we were on our way toward the border. Then at 9am we were in Guatemala. This was by far the longest leg of our trip: 5 hours of traveling on very crowded buses/vans with Mayans, stinky sticky children, and sometimes a chicken.
We wanted to be in Puerto Barrios by 2pm at the latest in order to catch, what I thought was, the last ferry. We rolled into Puerto Barrios at 2:20pm and caught a cab to the dock to see if there was any hope of catching a rogue boat. Luckily, we met Memo and he took us, along with a couple other white folks, to Punta Gorda, Belize and even cut us a deal for buying our return ticket in advance.
It was only on the boat that we felt more comfortable taking our camera out of its bag.
Once we got to the other side, checked in with immigration, etc., we realized that our Honduran SIM card did not work in Belize. We asked Memo if we could use his phone, but he took a really long time and the guys at immigration were worried that we wouldn't make it to our destination. They got a cab for us and we headed to Hickatee Cottages.
We met Ian and Kate at the main building/Charlie's bar and immediately asked for a drink. We were all amazed that we had made it that night what with all the complications we had run across. While we were checking in, a large butterfly decided to say hello. Ian, being the butterfly expert that he is, caught it and showed us its wings.
After that little adventure, they informed us that they upgraded us to the suite for no extra charge in order to celebrate Alex's birthday. We thought this was just amazing because they had already upgraded us once already for no charge. Of course, we did not refuse.
We didn't have any plans when we arrived, but they told us about the Garifuna Collective, a very well known Belizean musical group, that was supposed to be playing that night and took us into town to get some food and watch the show.
Because we had been traveling all day, as soon as we got food in our bellies, we were sleepy. We treated ourselves to some local cuisine, delicious milkshakes, and then got a cab back to the cottages. We would need our rest because we had an adventure the next day.
In the morning, we awoke to hot tea, which we requested over coffee, on our veranda.
We left off the night Alex and I had traveled to the border of Honduras and Guatemala. We did not have the all of the proper paperwork to travel, so we had to turn back around and go home. We planned to set off again in the morning.
We were told that we could catch a bus at 5am. We were also told that we could catch a bus at 6pm. Even though it wasn't fun, we opted to try to catch the earliest bus so we could make it to Belize the same day. Our alarm clock went off at 4:30am and we got dressed in the same clothes as the day before. We were down at the bus station at 4:50am, which we thought would give us enough time to get on the bus. Wrong. We were about five minutes late. This changed our plans a little.
There was a bus that was very unoccupied but we were informed that it would be leaving at 6am. We thought we would just wait until that one left, but a pushy cab driver told us that he would drive us out to the main road where we could catch a bus in no time at all. We were unsure, but because we were pressed for time we decided to take his offer.
We got out to the main road at about 5:20am and waited. I watched the sun rise. I watched chickens wake up in their tree. I learned how chickens get down from trees. It's not rocket science, but I was still intrigued.
Finally, after an hour of standing out in the cold, buses started coming by our bus stop, and at 6:32am we were on our way toward the border. Then at 9am we were in Guatemala. This was by far the longest leg of our trip: 5 hours of traveling on very crowded buses/vans with Mayans, stinky sticky children, and sometimes a chicken.
We wanted to be in Puerto Barrios by 2pm at the latest in order to catch, what I thought was, the last ferry. We rolled into Puerto Barrios at 2:20pm and caught a cab to the dock to see if there was any hope of catching a rogue boat. Luckily, we met Memo and he took us, along with a couple other white folks, to Punta Gorda, Belize and even cut us a deal for buying our return ticket in advance.
It was only on the boat that we felt more comfortable taking our camera out of its bag.
It was a little chilly because the boat was able to go so fast.
That water was calm!
We met Ian and Kate at the main building/Charlie's bar and immediately asked for a drink. We were all amazed that we had made it that night what with all the complications we had run across. While we were checking in, a large butterfly decided to say hello. Ian, being the butterfly expert that he is, caught it and showed us its wings.
After that little adventure, they informed us that they upgraded us to the suite for no extra charge in order to celebrate Alex's birthday. We thought this was just amazing because they had already upgraded us once already for no charge. Of course, we did not refuse.
 |
| Large bedroom; very comfortable bed! |
 |
| Sweet living room with a very large collection of movies |
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| Awesomely large bathroom with very plush towels. |
 |
| Private porch and patio situated in the wilderness. |
 |
| All cleaned up! |
In the morning, we awoke to hot tea, which we requested over coffee, on our veranda.
Before leaving for the day, we stopped by the restaurant to try out some of Kate's famous homemade bread, butter, and jams. I have to say: they were VERY delicious!
Some other pictures of Hickatee that we did not take on our first day -
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| Hammock on the front porch |
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| Solar panels situated on the farm, behind all of the cottages |
Thursday, December 2, 2010
I love Thursdays
I love Thursdays for three reasons:
1. It's almost the end of the week.
2. I don't have to teach anymore little kids. On Wednesday, I have a very full day which includes teaching all of my classes. I have 3rd, 4th, and 6th grades, plus my usual 7th, 8th, and 9th grades. It's usually not a very good day for me.
3. It's bread day!!
It starts with Doña Olga. She gives us some kind of bread every week on Thursday. Usually, it's these babies.
I have no idea what they're called. Today, she called them "pansitas" but I'm pretty sure that's not the real name.
They are quite dry, so dry that it's dangerous to eat them without water. And have a little bit of a sweet flavor to them. Alex doesn't like them so much, but I think they're delicious.
Then, if we've remembered to put in an order, we go pick up our order of bread from one of our student's aunt's. She cooks bread every week and sells it only on Thursday. We've been told that many people come to buy this bread, even from an hour or so away from here. It's pretty delicious, especially with coffee.
1. It's almost the end of the week.
2. I don't have to teach anymore little kids. On Wednesday, I have a very full day which includes teaching all of my classes. I have 3rd, 4th, and 6th grades, plus my usual 7th, 8th, and 9th grades. It's usually not a very good day for me.
3. It's bread day!!
It starts with Doña Olga. She gives us some kind of bread every week on Thursday. Usually, it's these babies.
They are quite dry, so dry that it's dangerous to eat them without water. And have a little bit of a sweet flavor to them. Alex doesn't like them so much, but I think they're delicious.
Then, if we've remembered to put in an order, we go pick up our order of bread from one of our student's aunt's. She cooks bread every week and sells it only on Thursday. We've been told that many people come to buy this bread, even from an hour or so away from here. It's pretty delicious, especially with coffee.
Oh, what do we have in this bag?
Oh, "samitas de trigo". These are out favorite samitas.
A little bit of sugar on its hard outside, soft crumbs on the inside.
YUM.
Oh, well, here is another bag...
OH! More samitas and a torta!
These are "samitas de arroz".
They are also good, but a bit more dry than the samitas de trigo.
Oh, and the torta...
The "torta de mantequilla" is the perfect bread for coffee.
Moist. A little bit of sugar.
Melt in your mouth goodness.
As you can see, I cut into that torta right away. We decided that since we had just bought more coffee, and now we had bread, that it would be a good idea to just indulge immediately. It just felt right.
And for 100 lempiras ($5 usd) for all that bread, boy, was it right. Delish!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thanksgiving part 2
Just to ensure you all that we did not starve on Thanksgiving, here is the picture to prove it:
Though, because we had to work on Thursday, we celebrated on Sunday when we could actually make the food. There was no turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pie, cake, rolls, or most of the really yummy stuff, but we made due.
Not gonna lie... for out first big holiday away from our families, I think it turned out pretty all right!
Though, because we had to work on Thursday, we celebrated on Sunday when we could actually make the food. There was no turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pie, cake, rolls, or most of the really yummy stuff, but we made due.
Not gonna lie... for out first big holiday away from our families, I think it turned out pretty all right!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Thanksgiving
Our first holiday without the family.
We made it though, and without crying, even!
Because Thanksgiving is only observed, and not celebrated/a holiday, we had to work. The kids from school had brought in food and clothes to give to selected families in need around the community.
Throughout the day, classes would leave with a couple of boxes and deliver it to families. Alex was able to accompany one class (lucky!), but I missed out.
We went home and started to scour the internet for Black Friday deals on laptops. Turns out, we both use the laptop a lot. Turns out, we have a hard time sharing the laptop.
We cooked dinner. It was no Thanksgiving feast. We'll be doing that this weekend when we have time to cook.
We watched The Office like we usually do when we have dinner.
Then we Skyped with Alex's family who was having dinner at Danny and Mandy's house. We got to see the new baby (Adele), and our other nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles. It was good to see everyone and how they've changed over the course of just 3 months.
After our chat, we watched the rest of our episode (we're on season 4 right now), and went to bed.
Even though we did not get to eat turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, pumpkin and apple pies, cakes, and other delicious goodies, it wasn't a bad Thanksgiving.
I am thankful for our families: that they didn't cry because it was our first holiday away from home, for supporting us in our adventures, and that they were able to talk to us on Thanksgiving.
I am thankful that we were actually able to cook decent food now so that we don't starve.
I am thankful that we have internet. If we didn't have skype/facebook and online shopping, I don't know what we would do!
I am thankful that this year, we have full time employment and that we're going to be able to save some money this year, on top of taking some sweet vacations and having the free time to write, read, and create.
Word.
We made it though, and without crying, even!
Because Thanksgiving is only observed, and not celebrated/a holiday, we had to work. The kids from school had brought in food and clothes to give to selected families in need around the community.
Throughout the day, classes would leave with a couple of boxes and deliver it to families. Alex was able to accompany one class (lucky!), but I missed out.
We went home and started to scour the internet for Black Friday deals on laptops. Turns out, we both use the laptop a lot. Turns out, we have a hard time sharing the laptop.
We cooked dinner. It was no Thanksgiving feast. We'll be doing that this weekend when we have time to cook.
We watched The Office like we usually do when we have dinner.
Then we Skyped with Alex's family who was having dinner at Danny and Mandy's house. We got to see the new baby (Adele), and our other nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles. It was good to see everyone and how they've changed over the course of just 3 months.
After our chat, we watched the rest of our episode (we're on season 4 right now), and went to bed.
Even though we did not get to eat turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, pumpkin and apple pies, cakes, and other delicious goodies, it wasn't a bad Thanksgiving.
I am thankful for our families: that they didn't cry because it was our first holiday away from home, for supporting us in our adventures, and that they were able to talk to us on Thanksgiving.
I am thankful that we were actually able to cook decent food now so that we don't starve.
I am thankful that we have internet. If we didn't have skype/facebook and online shopping, I don't know what we would do!
I am thankful that this year, we have full time employment and that we're going to be able to save some money this year, on top of taking some sweet vacations and having the free time to write, read, and create.
Word.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
busy busy
Not going to lie... we took our vacation at the best and at worst time.
Best because the students had quite a few tests to take in our classes, and pretty much anyone can proctor a test. It was easy for us to get away.
Worst because it was at the beginning of the second partial (or quarter), which means that we needed to grade anything that we hadn't already, grade exams, and get our grades in. If not before we left, then right after we got back.
When we got back Wednesday afternoon, we were beat.
We had just traveled for 24 hours by bus and boat, and slept in a random hotel the night before.
Thursday, we had tests to grade and Friday we needed to hand our grades it. It was a whirlwind, let me tell you!
And this was in addition to planning lessons for the rest of the week, and trying to get prepared for the next week.
So, here we are. We've been back for a week and a half.
I think we are pretty much caught up on everything.
The only thing that has been kind of lacking is my contribution to this blog, picture editing, and actual cooking of food.
This week, I think because we've been so swamped, we have literally not done anything for dinner. Some nights it was PB and J, and some nights it was take out tacos.
On the upside, we finally found a restaurant that sells tacos Mexicanos and actual nachos. Delicious!
So, today we will cook some food and I will edit some pictures for this blog.
I know I keep saying this, but it will be up soon!
In other news, Alex has taken an interest in computer programming.
He's downloaded some ebooks about flash game making and is pretty into it. The hope is that if he really likes it, and is good, he will go back to school for it.
Only time will tell.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
traveling makes me tired
I have to say:
Traveling really takes the energy out of me!
We have been back for a whole week now, and I'm still exhausted from our trip.
I think part of this has to do with the fact that we stayed up late while we were in Belize, and our schedule is out of whack.
But, I think traveling is just tiresome.
I have come to realize that I do not particularly enjoy traveling.
Oh, I like being on vacation all right. But, if it takes more than an hour or so to get there, it's going to wear me out!
Any other world travelers out there have the same experience?
I will work on those blogs this weekend. For realz.
Traveling really takes the energy out of me!
We have been back for a whole week now, and I'm still exhausted from our trip.
I think part of this has to do with the fact that we stayed up late while we were in Belize, and our schedule is out of whack.
But, I think traveling is just tiresome.
I have come to realize that I do not particularly enjoy traveling.
Oh, I like being on vacation all right. But, if it takes more than an hour or so to get there, it's going to wear me out!
Any other world travelers out there have the same experience?
I will work on those blogs this weekend. For realz.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
phew! that's better...
I thought it was looking a bit too cramped over here.
Some of the information that I was posting really just wasn't relevant to you. It was probably boring.
You really just want to see all the pictures and sweet adventure stories.
So pictures and sweet adventure stories you shall have!
All of those information dense posts about travel and teaching are now on a different site, which you can still get to by clicking on either of those tabs at the top of the page. But you do not have to if you're not into that sort of thing.
All of the other stuff, the good stuff, the most interesting stuff, is going to stay right here.
Organization!
This week I will be posting pictures and stories from our visit to Belize. There will be chocolate, there will be nature pictures and cave swimming, and Mayan ruins.
Until then, here is a picture to help take your mind away from the cold and rain/snow in your world.
Some of the information that I was posting really just wasn't relevant to you. It was probably boring.
You really just want to see all the pictures and sweet adventure stories.
So pictures and sweet adventure stories you shall have!
All of those information dense posts about travel and teaching are now on a different site, which you can still get to by clicking on either of those tabs at the top of the page. But you do not have to if you're not into that sort of thing.
All of the other stuff, the good stuff, the most interesting stuff, is going to stay right here.
Organization!
This week I will be posting pictures and stories from our visit to Belize. There will be chocolate, there will be nature pictures and cave swimming, and Mayan ruins.
Until then, here is a picture to help take your mind away from the cold and rain/snow in your world.
Friday, November 5, 2010
for as much traveling as we did today, we didn't get very far....
We were on track.
Well, we were late for school, but at least we had our clothes, toiletries, and some food.
We got more minutes for our phone, our schedules planned out for the days we were gone, and money on our person.
We left with Marco after school. Though he was going to San Pedro, to the east, and we were headed west, we all had to start at the same place.
We boarded a packed van/bus, that I'm pretty sure was meant for about 10 people, that was over capacity by at least 33 percent. It made it fun at first though. We were on our way to Guatemala, a new country, where we'd face new challenges. The excitement and anxiety was all bubbling to the surface, making even the simplest things fun (i.e. I saw cows in the road and started laughing... I see cows in the road almost everyday.)
When we got to the main road, a bus was waiting. Marco said, oh, that is your bus! A boy ran up to our incoming bus and started yelling "Ocotepeque". He was in a hurry, but we were stuck behind the elderly people climbing out. We retrieved our bags from the top of the van/bus and ran across the street to catch our bus.
Part one complete.
Once we arrive in Ocotepeque, we are instantly asked where we're going. We say Esquipulas, but they know we mean Agua Caliente (the last town in Honduras on your way to Guatemala). We get on the bus, and nearly an hour later, we are at the border.
When we get off the bus, we are bombarded by about 5 guys. We didn't know if we were just supposed to change buses or what, and they wanted to change us money. We had stashed our money in various places (money belt, pocket, wallet, socks) and we knew that we needed to get all of it out in order to change it. It felt awkward revealing all of our hiding spots. But, I knew that the exchange rate was fare (1000 lempiras = 400 quetzales), so I didn't feel too bad.
Then this guy started speaking English to us. He asked us where we were from, and if we knew a lot of Spanish. Then he told us he was going to help us out. We didn't really know what that meant because we can really handle our own, but he insisted and took us over to the border patrol.
He asked for our passports. Then he asked us if we had the little yellow pieces of paper that we got when we arrived in Honduras.
Turns out, we didn't have them.
The English speaking fellow tells us that he's going to try to help us out. He said that we might be able to work out a deal to get us in for a price. Well, of course there is a price!
At first, he tells us that it's going to be about 2,500 lempiras each (about $130 each). Then he said he might be able to get it down. The next offer was 2,500 lempiras for both of us. Well, that was better, and we definitely did not want to go all the way back home, but we didn't bring enough.
We tell him that it's too much. He tells us to give him a number. I tell him the most we could do is 200 lempiras ($10). He said, oh, well the guy is going to want at least $50 usd from each of you. We tell him that we can't, and that we'll just go home.
All this time, the guy is trying to convince us that our papers at home might be missing, or thrown away. I assure him that we know where they are, that we have an apartment and no one has moved into it or thrown it away. In between negotiations, he would go talk to his posse of fellas while smoking a cigarette.
We finally decide that it's too much and that we will just go back to San Marcos to get our papers. They didn't seem too happy, but relented. Then we asked to exchange some of our money back, and the kid who helped us in the first place was trying to be difficult. He was speaking fast, and mumbling, and wasn't too helpful when we asked him to talk slower.
Finally, we got were able to exchange our quetzales for lempiras, enough for the bus back home and then back to Agua Caliente, and then left.
We are happy that we did not get scammed, though a little irritated that our travel plans were set back a couple hours. Tomorrow, we are leaving between 5 and 6am to try to make it to Puerto Barrios as early as possible. Hopefully there will be no problems then.
Well, we were late for school, but at least we had our clothes, toiletries, and some food.
We got more minutes for our phone, our schedules planned out for the days we were gone, and money on our person.
We left with Marco after school. Though he was going to San Pedro, to the east, and we were headed west, we all had to start at the same place.
We boarded a packed van/bus, that I'm pretty sure was meant for about 10 people, that was over capacity by at least 33 percent. It made it fun at first though. We were on our way to Guatemala, a new country, where we'd face new challenges. The excitement and anxiety was all bubbling to the surface, making even the simplest things fun (i.e. I saw cows in the road and started laughing... I see cows in the road almost everyday.)
When we got to the main road, a bus was waiting. Marco said, oh, that is your bus! A boy ran up to our incoming bus and started yelling "Ocotepeque". He was in a hurry, but we were stuck behind the elderly people climbing out. We retrieved our bags from the top of the van/bus and ran across the street to catch our bus.
Part one complete.
Once we arrive in Ocotepeque, we are instantly asked where we're going. We say Esquipulas, but they know we mean Agua Caliente (the last town in Honduras on your way to Guatemala). We get on the bus, and nearly an hour later, we are at the border.
When we get off the bus, we are bombarded by about 5 guys. We didn't know if we were just supposed to change buses or what, and they wanted to change us money. We had stashed our money in various places (money belt, pocket, wallet, socks) and we knew that we needed to get all of it out in order to change it. It felt awkward revealing all of our hiding spots. But, I knew that the exchange rate was fare (1000 lempiras = 400 quetzales), so I didn't feel too bad.
Then this guy started speaking English to us. He asked us where we were from, and if we knew a lot of Spanish. Then he told us he was going to help us out. We didn't really know what that meant because we can really handle our own, but he insisted and took us over to the border patrol.
He asked for our passports. Then he asked us if we had the little yellow pieces of paper that we got when we arrived in Honduras.
Turns out, we didn't have them.
The English speaking fellow tells us that he's going to try to help us out. He said that we might be able to work out a deal to get us in for a price. Well, of course there is a price!
At first, he tells us that it's going to be about 2,500 lempiras each (about $130 each). Then he said he might be able to get it down. The next offer was 2,500 lempiras for both of us. Well, that was better, and we definitely did not want to go all the way back home, but we didn't bring enough.
We tell him that it's too much. He tells us to give him a number. I tell him the most we could do is 200 lempiras ($10). He said, oh, well the guy is going to want at least $50 usd from each of you. We tell him that we can't, and that we'll just go home.
All this time, the guy is trying to convince us that our papers at home might be missing, or thrown away. I assure him that we know where they are, that we have an apartment and no one has moved into it or thrown it away. In between negotiations, he would go talk to his posse of fellas while smoking a cigarette.
We finally decide that it's too much and that we will just go back to San Marcos to get our papers. They didn't seem too happy, but relented. Then we asked to exchange some of our money back, and the kid who helped us in the first place was trying to be difficult. He was speaking fast, and mumbling, and wasn't too helpful when we asked him to talk slower.
Finally, we got were able to exchange our quetzales for lempiras, enough for the bus back home and then back to Agua Caliente, and then left.
We are happy that we did not get scammed, though a little irritated that our travel plans were set back a couple hours. Tomorrow, we are leaving between 5 and 6am to try to make it to Puerto Barrios as early as possible. Hopefully there will be no problems then.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Belize it is
We have decided, after much persuasion, to go to Belize in order to renew our 90 day tourist visas. We are still quite unsure how long we must go in order to renew (we've heard as little as a couple of hours to as much as three days), but we've decided to play it safe and go for three days.
We will be leaving Friday after school and will return Tuesday afternoon/evening.
We are very uncertain about how to get where we want to go, as there aren't bus schedules online. We just have to wing it and hopefully we'll find our destination on time.
We've decided to just stay in (beautiful?.. I hope!) Punta Gorda, Belize at a bed and breakfast run by a British couple. It's called Hickatee Cottages. We wanted to go on a specific date, and the room we wanted was already booked, so they upgraded us for free! It's pretty sweet.
While we're there, we will be able to see a butterfly farm and we're (hopefully if we booked it in time) going to go on a tour that involves a trek through the forest, swimming by waterfalls, and seeing how they make chocolate! It was a little expensive, but I think it will be awesome and worth it.
Like I said before, we're a little anxious about being able to navigate the buses and getting where we need to be on time (we have a ferry to catch Saturday morning, with a second chance in the afternoon). But, we've decided already that it's just going to have to be an adventure, and we might get lost, and we might have a difficult time, but we have to do it.
Luckily, if worse comes to worst, we have one more week after this to renew our visas. We might be able to just catch a flight to Florida and hang out there. That's only if we don't, for some reason, make it to Belize.
We're not taking our computer, so if no one hears from us by Wednesday then probably someone ought to call the embassy. I don't think anything will happen, but just in case!
When we return, I will post about which buses we caught and at what times, about the ferry in Puerto Barrios, our accommodations, our chocolate tour, and the food. We'll be sure to take as many pictures as we can and we'll share those as well.
Until Wednesday....
We will be leaving Friday after school and will return Tuesday afternoon/evening.
We are very uncertain about how to get where we want to go, as there aren't bus schedules online. We just have to wing it and hopefully we'll find our destination on time.
We've decided to just stay in (beautiful?.. I hope!) Punta Gorda, Belize at a bed and breakfast run by a British couple. It's called Hickatee Cottages. We wanted to go on a specific date, and the room we wanted was already booked, so they upgraded us for free! It's pretty sweet.
While we're there, we will be able to see a butterfly farm and we're (hopefully if we booked it in time) going to go on a tour that involves a trek through the forest, swimming by waterfalls, and seeing how they make chocolate! It was a little expensive, but I think it will be awesome and worth it.
Like I said before, we're a little anxious about being able to navigate the buses and getting where we need to be on time (we have a ferry to catch Saturday morning, with a second chance in the afternoon). But, we've decided already that it's just going to have to be an adventure, and we might get lost, and we might have a difficult time, but we have to do it.
Luckily, if worse comes to worst, we have one more week after this to renew our visas. We might be able to just catch a flight to Florida and hang out there. That's only if we don't, for some reason, make it to Belize.
We're not taking our computer, so if no one hears from us by Wednesday then probably someone ought to call the embassy. I don't think anything will happen, but just in case!
When we return, I will post about which buses we caught and at what times, about the ferry in Puerto Barrios, our accommodations, our chocolate tour, and the food. We'll be sure to take as many pictures as we can and we'll share those as well.
Until Wednesday....
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
dodging poo
Yes, I should say that Alex and I are pretty good at dodging the poop that litters the streets of San Marcos.
Everyday, we walk to school. It's about a 10 to 15 minute walk, depending on how energetic we feel.
And everyday we must always look down at our feet and the two and a half foot semi-circle around us to make sure we're not endanger of stepping in any poop.
A lot of times, the poop is easy to spot. This would be the cow poop.
It's in huge piles and is generally black when wet. When it dries, it looks like dead grass, I don't mind stepping on it.
Other times its dog poo. This poo can look very different from pile to pile. Sometimes its normal brown. Other times we've seen it babypoop yellow and green.
Then there is poop that kind of looks like dog poop but maybe is too big to have come from a dog. I suspect that it may be human poop, though I've never seen anyone poop (though I have seen plenty of males pee in a bush or wall) around here.
Luckily, the only time I have stepped in poop is when I was in the cow pasture during my milking adventure.
And thank god.
Poop is gross.
Everyday, we walk to school. It's about a 10 to 15 minute walk, depending on how energetic we feel.
And everyday we must always look down at our feet and the two and a half foot semi-circle around us to make sure we're not endanger of stepping in any poop.
A lot of times, the poop is easy to spot. This would be the cow poop.
It's in huge piles and is generally black when wet. When it dries, it looks like dead grass, I don't mind stepping on it.
Other times its dog poo. This poo can look very different from pile to pile. Sometimes its normal brown. Other times we've seen it babypoop yellow and green.
Then there is poop that kind of looks like dog poop but maybe is too big to have come from a dog. I suspect that it may be human poop, though I've never seen anyone poop (though I have seen plenty of males pee in a bush or wall) around here.
Luckily, the only time I have stepped in poop is when I was in the cow pasture during my milking adventure.
And thank god.
Poop is gross.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
I've been exposed...
... to Honduran culture, that is!
This post contains two stories in one. Though they happened on the same day, they are very different. I have separated them by many spaces.
Friday, when I arrived at school, the kids in my 7th grade class told me that a student's grandfather had died. The student did not seem particularly upset. It was sort of strange, so I said that it was terrible and went on into teaching class.
A couple class periods later, Marco asks me if I have class at 11:20am, to which I reply no, and then asks me if I would like to go with him, Ms. Lorena, and the seventh grade class to pay respects to the family. I say yes, of course.
The group of us walk to the student's house. There is a large Tecate tent outside, taking up the entire street, and chairs under it, with a mountain of pine needles spread out under them.
The door is open, and there are many people inside the first room as we enter, which I assume is the living room area, along with the casket, candles, a crucifix, and pine needles all over the floor.
Most people were sitting there quietly, just looking at the casket or the floor. Some were talking to each other. Nearly no one was crying. We spoke with the student's family, expressed condolences, and then sat and followed the cues of the others in the room.
After about 15 minutes, we got up and left, finding the students outside under the tent. Later, I was told, there would be a precession to the cemetery. We would go, I told them.
We met Marco and Ms. Lorena at her store and started walking toward the precession that had already begun. There was a truck with a clear casket display in the bed. There were many people (definitely over 50) and they were all in the street, taking up the entire way so not even a little red taxi could pass.
Though the it wasn't far away, it took about 20 minutes to get to our destination. When we got there, we saw a cemetery like none we'd seen before. Nearly all the deceased were in cement tombs, some stacked three high, and painted various colors. It was definitely more neat than creepy.
*Note: We don't have pictures because we thought it was kind of inappropriate to take our camera in this circumstance. Though, we have decided that we need to go on another, not so sad, occasion to take pictures.
We tried to see what was going on, but there were too many people. So, we walked over to Ms. Lorena's family's tomb and she told us a little about each one. Afterward, since we couldn't see anything, we walked back to the park, where we went our separate ways.
Later, we met at Doña Olga's house for a dinner she was hosting for the Literature Society.
We arrived a bit earlier than the rest of the guests, so we went ahead and ate. She was expecting many people, so this arrangement was better for her.
We were served chicken tamales, rice, chicken, refried beans, and salad.
The chicken tamales were different than what we were used to. They had many things in them, like olives, corn, meat, etc., and were cooked in green banana leaves instead of the corn husks we're used to. This made them very mushy, though it wasn't unpleasant.
After we ate, the people started arriving in groups. We helped greet and seat them, and then served them their food and drinks.
When they were done eating, these writers presented our Olgita with a certificate. I'm not sure what it was exactly, maybe an appreciation, but it seemed to be an honor for her.
All of this is for the 21st annual Juegos Florales. I'm not really sure what it's all about, but there was a sort of talent-type show that night, which followed our dinner.
Then on Saturday, there was some other festivities that occurred near the park, including a parade and an appearance by guest of honor, José Francisco Saybe. We were invited, and almost went, but we missed the opportunity to take a shower when we got locked out of our apartment. Thus, we opted to keep our stink to ourselves and have a relaxing day at home.
The end.
This post contains two stories in one. Though they happened on the same day, they are very different. I have separated them by many spaces.
Friday, when I arrived at school, the kids in my 7th grade class told me that a student's grandfather had died. The student did not seem particularly upset. It was sort of strange, so I said that it was terrible and went on into teaching class.
A couple class periods later, Marco asks me if I have class at 11:20am, to which I reply no, and then asks me if I would like to go with him, Ms. Lorena, and the seventh grade class to pay respects to the family. I say yes, of course.
The group of us walk to the student's house. There is a large Tecate tent outside, taking up the entire street, and chairs under it, with a mountain of pine needles spread out under them.
The door is open, and there are many people inside the first room as we enter, which I assume is the living room area, along with the casket, candles, a crucifix, and pine needles all over the floor.
Most people were sitting there quietly, just looking at the casket or the floor. Some were talking to each other. Nearly no one was crying. We spoke with the student's family, expressed condolences, and then sat and followed the cues of the others in the room.
After about 15 minutes, we got up and left, finding the students outside under the tent. Later, I was told, there would be a precession to the cemetery. We would go, I told them.
We met Marco and Ms. Lorena at her store and started walking toward the precession that had already begun. There was a truck with a clear casket display in the bed. There were many people (definitely over 50) and they were all in the street, taking up the entire way so not even a little red taxi could pass.
Though the it wasn't far away, it took about 20 minutes to get to our destination. When we got there, we saw a cemetery like none we'd seen before. Nearly all the deceased were in cement tombs, some stacked three high, and painted various colors. It was definitely more neat than creepy.
*Note: We don't have pictures because we thought it was kind of inappropriate to take our camera in this circumstance. Though, we have decided that we need to go on another, not so sad, occasion to take pictures.
We tried to see what was going on, but there were too many people. So, we walked over to Ms. Lorena's family's tomb and she told us a little about each one. Afterward, since we couldn't see anything, we walked back to the park, where we went our separate ways.
Later, we met at Doña Olga's house for a dinner she was hosting for the Literature Society.
 |
| The wall of antiques in the dining room. Outside is the porch. |
We were served chicken tamales, rice, chicken, refried beans, and salad.
The chicken tamales were different than what we were used to. They had many things in them, like olives, corn, meat, etc., and were cooked in green banana leaves instead of the corn husks we're used to. This made them very mushy, though it wasn't unpleasant.
After we ate, the people started arriving in groups. We helped greet and seat them, and then served them their food and drinks.
When they were done eating, these writers presented our Olgita with a certificate. I'm not sure what it was exactly, maybe an appreciation, but it seemed to be an honor for her.
All of this is for the 21st annual Juegos Florales. I'm not really sure what it's all about, but there was a sort of talent-type show that night, which followed our dinner.
The girls in the middle, wearing white shirts, are students that wrote very good poems. They were being recognized for their work, and the one on the right was given a flower, which I think means she won.
One of the main acts was a group of teachers from a public school. They danced and sang. Though they weren't very good, they were entertaining.
Then we saw an internationally renowned choir. They have traveled all over the world and won awards.
There were two soloist in this song, one of which was this guy. I do not know what he was saying, but his facials were enough for me to be entertained.
Then on Saturday, there was some other festivities that occurred near the park, including a parade and an appearance by guest of honor, José Francisco Saybe. We were invited, and almost went, but we missed the opportunity to take a shower when we got locked out of our apartment. Thus, we opted to keep our stink to ourselves and have a relaxing day at home.
The end.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
how sweet
After informing my 7th grade students that we're going to be doing Life Skills once a week, one of my students came up to me and told me this:
Miss, I just want to thank you for giving the study class
I don't want you to think that I'm a lazy person; I study
It's just when I see your quizes, I don't remember anything
So, I'm very happy that you're going to teach us how to study
Thank you
This is one of the best students in class. She actually doesn't get the best grades, but I can tell she pays attention in class and she does her homework.
I am not going to lie... this interaction definitely gave me the warm fuzzies.
Isn't that sweet?
Miss, I just want to thank you for giving the study class
I don't want you to think that I'm a lazy person; I study
It's just when I see your quizes, I don't remember anything
So, I'm very happy that you're going to teach us how to study
Thank you
This is one of the best students in class. She actually doesn't get the best grades, but I can tell she pays attention in class and she does her homework.
I am not going to lie... this interaction definitely gave me the warm fuzzies.
Isn't that sweet?
Thursday, October 28, 2010
it's the end of the partial
Oh yes, I realize that it has been a couple of days. And I know I said that I was going to write everyday.
Oops.
This week is the end of the partial, or quarter, for Green Valley. We also received our contracts this week and are still waiting to talk to someone about the specifics; we have questions and qualms.
Additionally, we are approaching our 90 day mark of being in Honduras, which means we must leave the country soon. I have found conflicting evidence on the internet about how many days we must leave, and where we must go. It has been frustrating.
On top of that, we are deciding whether we'd like to go back to America for a little while or go to Punta Gorda, Belize (the closest, and southernmost city in Belize) to have a weekend with some British people in the jungle.
Yes yes... everyone says Belize! But here's the breakdown.
Florida - Delicious food of all different types, especially, and most importantly, sushi! Costco! We definitely could pick up some things that we left back home and are running low on. Swimming in the warm ocean. Drinking alcoholic beverages! Oh man, we sure do miss a cold beer. A bit more expensive than the alternative.
Belize - The place I found, and where we'd stay, is situated in the actual jungle and run by a Brit couple. Butterfly farm. Waterfall and ocean swimming. Probably decent food, and definitely drinks. A bit less expensive than the alternative.
It's Alex's birthday. We want to do something awesome and have a good time. I think it's really just deciding what we really want/need out of this vacation, and then choosing. And there is a deadline. We must leave by the weekend of the 12th. Which means if we're going to go to Florida, we ought to purchase our tickets by the end of this week. Awesome.
Time is making me crazy right now.
Oops.
This week is the end of the partial, or quarter, for Green Valley. We also received our contracts this week and are still waiting to talk to someone about the specifics; we have questions and qualms.
Additionally, we are approaching our 90 day mark of being in Honduras, which means we must leave the country soon. I have found conflicting evidence on the internet about how many days we must leave, and where we must go. It has been frustrating.
On top of that, we are deciding whether we'd like to go back to America for a little while or go to Punta Gorda, Belize (the closest, and southernmost city in Belize) to have a weekend with some British people in the jungle.
Yes yes... everyone says Belize! But here's the breakdown.
Florida - Delicious food of all different types, especially, and most importantly, sushi! Costco! We definitely could pick up some things that we left back home and are running low on. Swimming in the warm ocean. Drinking alcoholic beverages! Oh man, we sure do miss a cold beer. A bit more expensive than the alternative.
Belize - The place I found, and where we'd stay, is situated in the actual jungle and run by a Brit couple. Butterfly farm. Waterfall and ocean swimming. Probably decent food, and definitely drinks. A bit less expensive than the alternative.
It's Alex's birthday. We want to do something awesome and have a good time. I think it's really just deciding what we really want/need out of this vacation, and then choosing. And there is a deadline. We must leave by the weekend of the 12th. Which means if we're going to go to Florida, we ought to purchase our tickets by the end of this week. Awesome.
Time is making me crazy right now.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
weekend with Ms. Lorena (San Pedro Sula and Puerto Cortez)
Nothing has been going on. I promise. We literally left our house three times: once to go to the market, once to go to Doña Olga's house for lunch, and then once to pick up our clothes from the lavanderia.
Because of this, I shall share some pictures from the time we went to San Pedro Sula with Ms. Lorena, a teacher at our school, and stayed with her sister.
Really, I meant to post these a long time ago, but we got busy and I didn't know how to use Photoshop.
During our time in San Pedro Sula, we managed to make it to nearby (1 hour by car) Puerto Cortez. We spent the day at the beach swimming and eating. The beach we went to was called Puerto Caballo.
Because of this, I shall share some pictures from the time we went to San Pedro Sula with Ms. Lorena, a teacher at our school, and stayed with her sister.
Really, I meant to post these a long time ago, but we got busy and I didn't know how to use Photoshop.
During our time in San Pedro Sula, we managed to make it to nearby (1 hour by car) Puerto Cortez. We spent the day at the beach swimming and eating. The beach we went to was called Puerto Caballo.
It's difficult to see, but gas was 67.49 lempiras. That's $3.57 USD.
Lorena's niece showed us these little bugs that are on the trees.
She said they make really loud noises when they're alive.
This one was not alive.
We set up shop under one of these little forts.
Alex and I took to the water for most of the time.
Some of the palm leaves are gigantic!
We did not make that structure, it was already there.
But, we used it to hang out towels and clothes.
Looking over to the actual port.
Looking in the other direction.
Alex's first time in ocean water that did not threaten hypothermia.
Alex took this shot on the way back from the beach.
The trip, at the time, was much needed. At that point, we had been stuck in San Marcos for a month and were getting frustrated with the transition.
In San Pedro Sula, we were able to hang out in an American style kitchen, eat food that we were more used to, watch MTV, and just hang out and get to know new people.
I have to admit though, the heat was pretty terrible. At night, we would lie in bed, nearly naked, spread out, slathered with bug repellent, with the window open and fan on full blast trying to keep cool. Then comes that part of the night where it actually is cold, right around 3-5am, and you regret not having a blanket nearby.
We survived though, and actually had a really nice time. Ms. Lorena, her sister, and her sister's kids are very nice and welcomed us like family.
I would definitely brave the heat again for another nice weekend in San Pedro Sula with the Espinoza family.
Friday, October 22, 2010
browser
For the longest time, I have been using Mozilla Firefox. I started using it as an alternative to Internet Explorer, which I just hate. I refuse to use it. I don't know when this started, or why, but it's just a fact.
Recently, we've also tried Safari. I liked it enough, but I am a huge fan of bookmarks, and I just could never get the hang of how they worked for that browser.
Now, we're trying Google Chrome. I don't have any opinions of it yet, as it is merely 30 minutes new to us, but I have found that I love the little star by the address bar to make a bookmark. Convenient!
I want to know which one you use and why (favorite features, least favorites features of other browsers, etc).
Leave a comment, if you so choose, letting me know why.
I like hearing what you guys think!
Recently, we've also tried Safari. I liked it enough, but I am a huge fan of bookmarks, and I just could never get the hang of how they worked for that browser.
Now, we're trying Google Chrome. I don't have any opinions of it yet, as it is merely 30 minutes new to us, but I have found that I love the little star by the address bar to make a bookmark. Convenient!
I want to know which one you use and why (favorite features, least favorites features of other browsers, etc).
Leave a comment, if you so choose, letting me know why.
I like hearing what you guys think!
the children are stalking me....
The first day of school the kids here asked us if we had Facebook. We told them yes, but that we were not willing to be "friends" with them until we were done teaching here. I like to have healthy boundaries with the people I'm trying to help.
They would beg us for our emails, phone number, and ask us how we spell our names. I don't know why, but they really want to be in our business.
Yesterday, a male student with whom we hang out quite a bit (going to the market; his mother teaches me how to cook), finally found me on Facebook. He really does not have boundaries, and does not understand that even though we hang out with him, he is still our student, not our friend.
Because of this, I've had to try to redirect his behaviors in class, being a little more harsh than I usually am to make it known that he is my student. This is a difficult situation, but I think that he's starting to understand.
Anyhow, I did not accept him. He told me today that it was really difficult to find me, and that he tried many different forms of my name. And then, he couldn't tell it was me due to my profile picture. I told him I wasn't going to accept his friend request.
He then asked me how many friends I had - thousands? Well, I don't know, but not thousands. He told me that he only has 6 friends. Then I felt kind of bad. But, just for a second.
If I let one in, I have to let them all in.
I want them to just stop trying to stalk me.
They would beg us for our emails, phone number, and ask us how we spell our names. I don't know why, but they really want to be in our business.
Yesterday, a male student with whom we hang out quite a bit (going to the market; his mother teaches me how to cook), finally found me on Facebook. He really does not have boundaries, and does not understand that even though we hang out with him, he is still our student, not our friend.
Because of this, I've had to try to redirect his behaviors in class, being a little more harsh than I usually am to make it known that he is my student. This is a difficult situation, but I think that he's starting to understand.
Anyhow, I did not accept him. He told me today that it was really difficult to find me, and that he tried many different forms of my name. And then, he couldn't tell it was me due to my profile picture. I told him I wasn't going to accept his friend request.
He then asked me how many friends I had - thousands? Well, I don't know, but not thousands. He told me that he only has 6 friends. Then I felt kind of bad. But, just for a second.
If I let one in, I have to let them all in.
I want them to just stop trying to stalk me.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
layout
As you can probably see, unless you're color blind, I have changed some things around the site. Actually, I changed just about everything.
New layout, new colors, new fonts. What have you.
I was using an older layout, and it wouldn't let me update it with the new features, so I just decided I'd just go for it and change everything. It kind of needed a face lift.
The only thing that's bothering me right now is that I can't get the darn picture at the very top of the page centered. I have no idea why. I'm investigating, though, because it's really driving me crazy.
Alex asked me why I changed it now, since I'm probably going to be switching over to wordpress. I don't know, is the real answer. Mostly, I think, I just wanted to change some things, and I couldn't without changing most everything.
Darn present layouts. If only I were better at HTML. But, that's another story.
In other news, Alex and I bought chicken today for the first time since we arrived. First we didn't have a fridge, and then we moved to the new place that had a fridge, I was afraid that I'd have to take the guts out of a whole chicken. But, alas, they have chicken parts by the pound and that's what we got.
Tonight on the menu: Fried Chicken and French Fries.
I'm going to be buying some vegetables this weekend that I haven't seen in the States. I will probably put up pictures and recipes, though you won't be able to use them. It's payback for all the recipes and dinner descriptions I have to look at while I'm here and don't have the proper ingredients to make them.
Pataste. The first time I had this, it was in soup form, served in its outer shell. I was unsure at first, but grew to like it over the course of the meal.
These are in their raw, though steamed, form sprinkled with a little salt. Absolutely delicious! They are firm yet melt in your mouth. The taste is unlike anything I've had while living in the United States.
New layout, new colors, new fonts. What have you.
I was using an older layout, and it wouldn't let me update it with the new features, so I just decided I'd just go for it and change everything. It kind of needed a face lift.
The only thing that's bothering me right now is that I can't get the darn picture at the very top of the page centered. I have no idea why. I'm investigating, though, because it's really driving me crazy.
Alex asked me why I changed it now, since I'm probably going to be switching over to wordpress. I don't know, is the real answer. Mostly, I think, I just wanted to change some things, and I couldn't without changing most everything.
Darn present layouts. If only I were better at HTML. But, that's another story.
In other news, Alex and I bought chicken today for the first time since we arrived. First we didn't have a fridge, and then we moved to the new place that had a fridge, I was afraid that I'd have to take the guts out of a whole chicken. But, alas, they have chicken parts by the pound and that's what we got.
Tonight on the menu: Fried Chicken and French Fries.
I'm going to be buying some vegetables this weekend that I haven't seen in the States. I will probably put up pictures and recipes, though you won't be able to use them. It's payback for all the recipes and dinner descriptions I have to look at while I'm here and don't have the proper ingredients to make them.
 |
| Orange Carrots and Green Pataste |
These are in their raw, though steamed, form sprinkled with a little salt. Absolutely delicious! They are firm yet melt in your mouth. The taste is unlike anything I've had while living in the United States.
 |
| Boiling Yuca |
Yuca. It is a root, much like the potato but with the texture of hardy potato and sweet potato mixed. I don't know if that actually true, but that's the best way I can explain it right now. Most times, this root is boiled in water, then fried for a loooong time until it's golden brown. Then you eat it!
When I make these this weekend, I will post pictures and give recipes. It ought to be delicious!
Oh, chicken's done!! Must feed my face.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
yes, I milked a cow - pt. 2
Proof. Check it out for yourself. And yes, there is a method and it is difficult.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
yes, I milked a cow
Yesterday was an interesting day for us here in Honduras.
Like I intended, I made plans with people that would put me into interesting situations, sometimes with people I didn't know.
Last week, when looking for some fresh milk to make butter, Alexander, a student from school, introduced us to a lady who has a couple of cows. She explained that there wasn't much milk coming from her cows, but that she would sell us some.
We were happy that we had found milk so easily. But, I had one more request: Can I milk your cow?
She laughed at me. She laughed, I'm sure, because the thought, the images, of this white girl (who goes around town petting cows and horses, calling out to little piggies, and trying to find a pet chicken), milking a cow for the first time is hilarious. So, she agreed to have her cow milker teach me how to milk a cow.
Here I am, a week later, learned in cow milking. I also learned some other valuable lessons along the way.
Like I intended, I made plans with people that would put me into interesting situations, sometimes with people I didn't know.
 |
| Gate Keepers |
We were happy that we had found milk so easily. But, I had one more request: Can I milk your cow?
She laughed at me. She laughed, I'm sure, because the thought, the images, of this white girl (who goes around town petting cows and horses, calling out to little piggies, and trying to find a pet chicken), milking a cow for the first time is hilarious. So, she agreed to have her cow milker teach me how to milk a cow.
Here I am, a week later, learned in cow milking. I also learned some other valuable lessons along the way.
Here, I learned "Don't stand too close to a cow, even if (s)he moves toward you first."
This guy, gal actually, tried to gore us about 3 times.
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| The Cow Whisperer bringing in the lost cow for milking |
They allow the calf to suckle on the utter for a second, then pull him away.
This is a process that happens for a couple of minutes.
I'm going to guess that it's in order to get the milk flowing.
I learned that its easier for me to milk a cow when there is a little calf spit left over
First, I let him show me how to do it. He was really, really good. I mean, come on... Look at that stream!
Then I tried. You can't see it here, but sometimes I actually got some milk!
When we were done, the calves got what was left over from our pillaging.
I also learned that it is not a very wise decision to wear open toed shoes to an animal farm.
Oh yes...
That is definitely cow poop between my toes.
Some of that milk was from my hard work. And that hard work got me some free milk.
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