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From the USA to Nicaragua
Stay tuned for a post on our wild and crazy experience of being filmed for a popular TV show in the states.
“We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill
I can think of no better way to describe Johnson than through Winston Churchill’s quote. My mother always said there are two types of people in this world: givers and takers. Nicaraguan takers may eat more than gallo pinto, but Nicaraguan givers sleep peacefully through the crowing roosters. Johnson, an incredibly talented athlete, embodies my definition of a Nicaraguan giver.
We met Johnson many years ago on Ometepe Island. I knew the minute I laid eyes on him, that he was special. This humble, gracious young man strives to be the very best in everything that he does. From working in the plantain fields with his father to training for an ultramarathon, to learning English, Johnson strives for perfection.
In February 2013, Johnson won his first grueling Survivor Run in the Fuego y Agua Race. For over 16 hours, he raced up and down volcanoes, dug holes, swam with a raw egg strapped to his head, carried a 20 ft. bamboo pole up Maderas volcano, climbed coconut trees, carried a live chicken, and hauled 50 pounds of firewood on his back. After the race, I asked Johnson, “Are you tired?” He replied, “A little bit,” with a sheepish grin on his face.
That’s Johnson..remarkably cool, calm, and humble after competing with world-class athletes. Johnson never had any formal training. He just likes to run. So, with the help of several sponsors, he has now entered a new realm…a new world…much bigger than his tiny tropical island home. He is training and practicing in the U.S. for six months with a goal to return to Nicaragua and compete for a spot in the 1216 Olympics.
I am so outrageously proud of Johnson! I know he’s a little homesick and it will take a while for him to adjust to such a different world beyond Ometepe Island. He told me he learned how to make gallo pinto, but not like his mother’s! I told him that was a good skill to learn because his body is craving the life force of Nicaragua. I have no doubt that Johnson will return a winner. He has been given an opportunity of a lifetime and I have faith that he’ll return to proudly represent Nicaragua in the 2016 Olympics.
Wish him luck! He’s competing in his first race this weekend: The Spartan Race in Texas! Go Johnson!
Read more about Johnson, here: La Prenza
It only seems fitting because I am from the International Storytelling Center of the World, to ask you for your patience in telling my sometimes off the wall stories about living on an island in the middle of the an enormous lake, in the middle of Nicaragua, in the middle of Central America.
This week is ridiculously crazy, so stay tuned for more unusual posts from the land of the not quite right. We’re alive and well, but lately we’ve been consumed with a new adventure. I can tell you it involves the words, “Cut”, “Again”, and “That’s a wrap.”
See you soon! Hang in there. I’ll be back next week with more stories.
That’s a wrap.
“When a woman teams up with a snake a moral storm threatens somewhere.”
― Stacy Schiff, Cleopatra: A Life
Marina shouted across the fence, “Ron, Ron ven aquí rápidamente! Hay una serpiente en mi cocina.” “A snake?” Ron shouted back. As usual, it was after dark on a Sunday night, and we lost our electricity. I swear, the weekend electricity guys flip a switch every Sunday night leaving us in the dark for two hours. I picture them snickering and snoring in the Union Fenosa office.
Ron and I grabbed a couple of flashlights and squeezed through the barbed wire fence separating us from Marina’s house. Marina was standing on a plastic chair in her kitchen waving the only light she had…her cell phone. “Quick, help me trap the boa constrictor in the wall,” she ordered. “We’ll kill it tomorrow.” Stumbling around the dirt floor kitchen, we spotted some bricks and covered the top holes in the cement block wall. Trapped for the night! We lent Marina a flashlight and whispered, “Sweet dreams” (because their three grand babies were sleeping) and headed home shaking our heads wondering what the next morning would bring.
Early the next morning Marina shouted, ” Ron, Ron ven aqui.” With machete in hand, she was determined to capture and kill the giant boa sleeping in her kitchen wall. Now, we are not snake killers. If they are not poisonous, we trap them and set them free. Boas are beautiful and they eat rats, which is probably why it was in her kitchen wall. But, tell that to Marina, a protective grandmother. A moral storm was brewing.
With a mirror, flashlight, and a ladder, Ron spotted the boa near the top of the hole. He tried pouring warm water down the hole to flush out the boa, but it only aggravated the enormous snake and it retreated farther down. So, Ron chipped a small hole in the cement block, found his tail and started p-u-l-l-i-n-g.
Meanwhile, Adioska was screaming, Marina had her machete in her hand, and Don Jose was comforting his grand babies. This picture is priceless. You can just feel the fear!
But, Ron kept p-u-l-l-i-n-g. That was one strong boa!
Success! Isn’t it a beauty! Marina rushed forward with her machete. “No, Marina,” I explained. “We’re not going to kill it. We’ll put it in a sack and take it far, far, away from your house.”
Marina wasn’t sure. “You’ll take it far away? she whimpered. “Certainly,” we promised. Meanwhile the boa was getting restless. It tried to wrap around Ron’s arm and he lost his grip on the boa’s head. It only bit him once. Jose ran forward with a big sack, and Ron dropped it comfortably into its temporary home.
I have no fear of losing my life – if I have to save a koala or a crocodile or a kangaroo or a snake, mate, I will save it. Steve Irwin
“Stephen, do you want to see the boa?” Ron said reassuringly. But, Stephen ran for his life in the opposite direction. “Dustin, do you want to see the boa?” Dustin took a few tentative steps toward the sack. He peeked in and soon wanted to touch it. Maybe a new snake whisperer is born.
Ron took the wiggling sack to the new airport. Just as he set the sack on the ground to release the boa, a big, fat rat ran across the path. “Perfect,” Ron told the boa. It looks like it’s lunch time.
Have you seen the movie, Snakes on a Plane? Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we never hear the quote below. LOL
From the movie, “Snakes on a Plane” : Neville Flynn: [TV edit] Enough is enough! I have had it with these monkey fighting snakes on this Monday through Friday plane!
“Family faces are magic mirrors looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future” Gail Lumet Buckley
Faces in the community of Los Ramos. Thanks to Santiago and Ever for the photos.
“Masks beneath masks until suddenly the bare bloodless skull.” ― Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses
“His dress told her nothing, but his face told her things which she was glad to know.”
― A.A. Milne, Once on a Time
“For a moment at least, be a smile on someone else’s face.”
― Dejan Stojanovic, The Sun Watches the Sun
“Age should not have its face lifted, but it should rather teach the world to admire wrinkles as the etchings of experience and the firm line of character.” ― Clarence Day
Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow. ~Helen Keller
“When I look at the smiles on all the children’s faces, I just know they’re about to jab me with something.” Dan Castellaneta
“Every child needs a champion.” ― Hillary Rodham Clinton
In the evening, as the brutal sun was sinking into the sweet sea for its nightly nap , a freshwater giant was lurking in the shallow waters of Lake Cocibolca. These gargantious alligator gar have few known predators, mainly because the prehistoric relatives of the megafish have tooth-filled mouths and heavily scaled bodies.
Yet, one unfortunate menacing-looking behemoth couldn’t contend with Julio and his missile-like aim.
With a swiftly flying rock, he pounded the alligator gar into deadly submission. This toothy giant didn’t have a chance.
This gargantious gar may look fierce, but attacks against people are unknown. Tell that to little 8 mo. old Braydon, whose mother just finished bathing him in the lake.
Julio chopped up the gar with his machete throwing twinkly flying sparks….seriously! Then, the big hunks of meat were distributed among the neighborhood. Some say that gar is a tasty treat, others say that gar is bony and tough. The only fact I know about gar is that the eggs are poisonous to humans if ingested.
Stay tuned for my gar recipe. In the meantime, I think I’m taking a break from swimming in the shallow waters of our sweet sea.
Five Tips for Raising Water Towers
1. Think creatively. When one lives on a primitive island that lacks cranes and pulleys, it helps to think outside of the well when raising a tall water tower.
2. Be Positive. Marvin said, “Don’t worry! I’ve raised water towers many times. I never use machinery.” Also, it helps to be a good boss using clear directions.
3. Have a basic knowledge of physics. Plus, it helps to have strong ropes, thick gloves, and many strong men.
4. Know when to let go and NOT to let go of the ropes. It could save lives.
5. Celebrate the raising of the water tower! Gaseosa! Coca Cola!
Enjoy the video of Marvin Raising the Water Tower. It was an amazing feat of strength and ingenuity.
The Water Tower from Debbie Goehring on Vimeo.
The Survivor Run of the Fuego y Agua Ultra-marathon held on Ometepe Island, Nicaragua on February 16, 2013 was an incredible event. We volunteered in the Survival Run and were fortunate to be able to follow the Global News crew from one obstacle to another, up and down Maderas volcano, through the cloud forest, and across the beach. I still can’t imagine running up and down the volcano, climbing and chopping down trees, carrying a chicken, then carrying 50 pounds of firewood (after being handcuffed by the police), balancing a 20 ft. bamboo pole for miles, digging a hole on the beach, and swimming to an island inhabited only by monkeys in the dark, dark night of the sweet, sweet sea. Twenty hours later, two racers arrived alive. Out of 37 racers, only two finished the race…Pac and my hero, Johnson, the winner. By the way, the other racers survived…barely!
The family that volunteers together, stays together.
The Global News video of the Survival Run is HERE. I hope you enjoy a glimpse of our island of peace and these amazing racers. It is a well-done 25 minute video. Enjoy.
Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.~Joseph Campbell
Last year, Cory and Sam spent 5 months in Los Ramos developing cultural tourism programs for OutMore Adventures. They made brochures and a website for Los Ramos Tourism.
This year, the indigenous community of Los Ramos is embracing rural tourism and opening their homes to tourists so that they may experience a slice of daily life on Ometepe Island.
Since it was time for me to exchange my lending library books in Los Ramos, I decided to take their cultural cooking class. Oh, what a wonderful experience it was!!
Francisco’s mother displays all the ingredients for nacatamales.
Then, it was time to head into the banana plantation to pick the best banana leaves for wrapping the nacatamales. Along the way, Ever shows us the Guanacaste seeds…beautiful for making jewelry. The fruit surrounding the Guanacaste seed is also used as soap…just add water..and voila..clean clothes.
Rebecca carries ten perfect banana leaves back to the kitchen.
Ever shows us the outside bark of the banana plant that will be used to wrap the nacatamales. It’s called burreo…I think! We need to soak it in water, then rip it into small strips, like ribbon.
On the way to the kitchen, we stop to gather some achote…the prickly little brown balls. Inside are tiny red seeds we grind for flavoring the masa ( flour) for the nacatamales.
We also discovered that the achote seeds make a fine, natural lipstick.
Next, we peel, dice, and slice all the fresh vegetables for the nacatamales.
It looks like we are really into slicing carrots.
Francisco’s mother adds the onions to the grease. She gave us a choice of vegetable oil or homemade rendered pig lard. Of course, we chose the homemade pig lard.
Tina adds the achote flavored chicken. Most nacatamales are made with pork, but they hadn’t slaughtered a pig, so we made chicken nacatamales. I’m just glad we didn’t have to slaughter the chickens. They slaughtered them early in the morning.
She prepares rice for a topping of the nacatamales. And, the most amazing thing..she’s wearing the apron my mother made for her 2 years ago.
The chicken is ready. Rebecca stirs the masa harina, while a one-eyed dog, and 2 baby chicks peck around the dirt floor. Little Lupita, Fatima’s daughter, enjoys helping her mother and grandmother cook.
Rebecca gets to load her nacatamale first.
Then, we wrap it in a banana leaf..kind of tricky..and add the strips of banana bark to hold it all together.
Cory’s nacatamale wins the grand prize! Plus, it must weigh a ton!
Into the pot of boiling water they go.
Meanwhile, grandpa serenades Cory and Tina with a love song.
Watch out! Steaming, hot nacatamales are on the way!
Boy, are we hungry! They smell rico!
My perfect nacatamale.
After a trip to visit the school, deliver my books and new school supplies, and a side trip to see our friends the brick makers, we head up the long hill to catch the bus back to La Paloma. The end of a perfect nacatamale day!
Two links from my blog:
1. Want to make Nacatamales? Check out the recipe here.
2. Want to learn more about rural tourism? Check out my post here.
This week, I’m delivering my lending library books to the schools. In addition to the books, I have a box of school supplies for each school. This morning, I found an easy to make mosquito trap. Since Dengue is a huge problem in Nicaragua, I’m going to make a trap for the schools, then teach them how to make them.
So simple, yet effective. This would be a wonderful project for volunteers in Nicaragua. Spread the word.
Ron returned from the states yesterday bearing gifts for all. This morning, after completing my outdoor chores, my two favorite girls came to visit. Lourdes wanted to make cupcakes for Semana Santa. So, I sent her to the side porch to see if there were any eggs in the box. “Dos huevos,” she shouted. “Perfecto,” I responded. Just enough for cupcakes. She mixed, blended, and gleefully decorated two dozen cupcakes.
Then, Johnson and his girlfriend arrived. Last week, Johnson came to my house to visit. He pulled a plastic bag out of his backpack and said, “I have a present for you. It is something for your house.” His gift to me was his Survivor Run trophy mask. “Johnson, are you sure you want to give your trophy mask to me?” I said kind of teary eyed because I was so touched that he would give his trophy to me. “Of course,” he responded as if I had asked him if he wanted a glass of water.
Johnson is the most humble and gracious person I know. He never complains and works extremely hard to better himself. His goal is to be in the 2016 Olympics as a marathon runner representing Nicaragua. Yet, he has no good running shoes. “Johnson, come here,” I said as I directed him to my laptop. “Pick out a pair of good running shoes. I’ll order then online and Ron can bring them back from the states.”
Today, Johnson tried on his new running shoes. They fit him perfectly. I am so grateful that I can do just a little thing to help him meet his goal.
Next, Marvin and his daughter, Lauren stopped by with a warm, delicious bowl of alvimer. It is a traditional Semana Santa dish of sweet mixed fruit. In exchange, we gave Lauren some Mardi Gras beads that Ron found at his sister’s house in the states.
Soon, Cory, Tina, and Sam arrived. It was a hot afternoon. We are on our second day without running water. AGAIN! It was either go swimming or eat watermelon and play spoons. We opted for both. After teaching all of our Nicaraguan visitors how to play spoons, we joined the crowd swimming on our beach.
At sundown, we watched to cormorants chatting with each other. Then, everyone headed home. Ron and I settled down to a light supper of toasted cheese sandwiches. We still don’t have any running water and I didn’t feel like using my bottled water to wash any dishes.
This evening, I voted for my Cradlepoint Entry. I was trying to win a mini-iPad for Ron, but he bought a new laptop in the states. Now, I have a new goal in mind. I’m trying to hep my young friend, Ever, win this mini-iPad. Ever is the head guide in the Los Ramos rural tourism program. He really needs the internet to communicate with tourists interested in the Los Ramos cultural immersion programs. Presently, my son does all the communication. So, if you can find it in your heart to vote for Ever, please go to this Facebook page to vote. You must have a Facebook account to vote. You can vote every 24 hours until April 12th. Thank you so much for your help.
I’m working on my Weekly Photo Challenge post..a day in the life of…while Ron is passed out on the couch watching basketball games.
It has been a good Friday. Full of love, friends, gifts, and fun. It would have been perfect if we had running water! Feliz Semana Santa!
Chayules…swarms streaming…clusters congregating…gnats gathering…masses mobbing
My house is overflowing…jam-packed…filled to the rafters…overrun with chayules.
To complicate matters, we haven’t had any running water for two days now.
This is the price of paradise. Living lakeside creates some challenges: Chayules are my number one challenge. Two times a year, when the wind shifts and blows from the lake, millions of chayules hatch. They live for 3 days and cover every surface. Nothing is sacred. Nothing is out-of-bounds.
They are relatively harmless little gnats if you don’t mind breathing, eating, and sleeping with them. Lacking running water, the rinse water for my dishes is now a swimming pool of gnats. I had chayule flavored coffee this morning, as I picked them out of my ears and nose. Unable to cook, I ate sandwiches on the beach yesterday. Oddly, they weren’t swarming on the beach…only in our houses.
My neighbor’s kids spent the day at the beach. They helped me gather trash that had washed ashore. We played and bathed in the lake. Marina started a fire on the beach and cooked rice. It was a pleasant afternoon, as long as we stayed out of our houses.
But, when darkness blanketed our beach community and we turned on the lights in our homes, the chayules were unforgiving. Fans swirled the gnats like little tornadoes. A whispering buzz filled our homes, warning us of an impending attack. Babies cried. My cats swatted the gnats relentlessly. There was no escape until the lights went out.
At seven o’clock in the evening, La Paloma was dark. We all sought refuge under our mosquito nets ( those of us who have mosquito nets). When I awoke this morning, all was eerily quiet. Mountains of dead chayules dotted the floors. Carcasses clung to the walls and spiderwebs like curtains.
It’s time for the leaf blower. Living on the beach is challenging at times. Yet, I’m determined to make the best of it. We’re going to invest in a water tank and a pump. It’s easier for me to deal with the chayule attack than to live without running water.
You are probably wondering why we continue to live here. Honestly, the challenges of third world living have made me a better person. I’m more flexible and less stressed… more giving and less greedy…more tolerant and less unforgiving. The intangible qualities of life attract me. Soothing…speculative…mythical qualities. Sometimes it’s like living in a fairy tale.
Well, back to reality. It’s leaf blower time! Maybe today we’ll have a dribble of water. The price of paradise. Is it worth it? You betcha!
Last July, we had a rat problem in the garden. We didn’t want to use poison because we have ten free-range chickens, plus all the neighbors chickens and other critters come to our gringo house to graze. Instead, we contacted a friend who lives in Granada to see about getting a cat.
We consider ourselves to be dog people, and we weren’t too familiar with the ways of cats. We only wanted one cat, but things didn’t work out that way. “Will you take two kittens?” Carol asked. “They are brother and sister. Poor babies were thrown in the Granada dump,” she pleaded. I relented. What’s one more kitten?
A few days later, the foster mom of our two kittens called. “I just got another kitten about the same age as the brother and sister,” she said. “They love one another. This little kitten was thrown over a wall in Granada and left to die,” she pleaded. I relented again. What’s one more kitten?
When the kittens were old enough to be spayed and neutered, our foster-mother took them to a free clinic in Granada operated by Donna Tabor. See her blog here with heartwarming stories.
Last September, we became full-fledged cat people. Our cats have adjusted to life on Ometepe Island. There is never a dull moment with Black Jack, Queenie, and Ocho.
The weekly photo challenge is all about lunchtime. Check out the weekly photo challenge HERE. All of the photos, except the vegetable truck, were taken with my new-to-me iPhone 3Gs. It’s lunchtime on Ometepe Island, Nicaragua! Everyone helps to prepare lunch, the largest meal of the day for a Nicaraguan family.
The vegetable truck comes to our door every Friday. We choose the freshest veggies, all homegrown on the island.
Don Jose, our 78 year young neighbor, hacks away at our fallen tree with his machete. Our neighbors need firewood to prepare lunch.
Stephen gathers our sweet mangoes, while his grandfather cuts firewood. The mangoes will make a tasty dessert.
Meanwhile, Dustin snacks on a juicy jicote, similar to a plum. ( I had to retouch this photo. Dustin wasn’t wearing any underwear or pants. jeje)
Our chickens wait in line to lay eggs under the pollo grill. We never lack fresh eggs around the finca.
Rafaela isn’t neglected either. She’s neighing for a fresh carrot from the vegetable truck.
Black Jack, one of our three rescue kittens, inspects our produce. “Anything good to eat here?”
The avocados will have to wait for tomorrow’s lunch. They aren’t quite ripe. But, the tangerines are ready!
Don Jose stokes the fire. Lunch is almost ready. “Hora de amorzar?” the kids ask.
Lunch is almost ready. A big pot of gallo pinto, a fresh egg omelet, and lots of handpicked fruit. Everyone helps prepare lunch in Nicaragua. It’s my favorite time of the day, the hora de almorzar.
