Happy Trails!

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”
― Terry Pratchett

 

We are off island for a grand journey to Cuba, Mexico, and then the United States. It has been a busy week. I won’t be posting from Cuba, but when we get settled in Mexico, prepare for a hundred shots of the old cars of Cuba. On my first date with my husband, he picked me up in a 1950 Chevy! And it got better…on our second date, he picked me up in a 1956 limo. We are old car lovers.

Here is a review of our past week.

Robinson opened his Island Cafe restaurant. It used to be the American Cafe and Hotel. We wanted Robinson to name it Robinson’s Crusoe, but he felt more comfortable calling it the Island Cafe and Hotel.

What a change paint makes! The restaurant used to be off white with red plastic chairs and blue plastic tables. Now, it is so chic! 

Robinson bought a fancy espresso machine. It is going to be a big hit on Ometepe Island.

Last Friday, the Fuego y Agua Survival Run took place. We worked the check station in Los Ramos. Fifty one runners started and only two finished. It is a brutal competition with twelve challenges in addition to running up and down both of our volcanoes.

The runners had to carry a five gallon bucket of water for about three kilometers up hill from Los Ramos. Actually, this was a daily task for the locals who lived in Los Ramos.

They rented bicycles from the other side of the island and rode to the check in station before us, where they had to swim and dive under a boat and pick up a rock on the bottom of the lake. Mind you, this was the second day of the race. They had already climbed Maderas volcano the evening before.

At our station, they had five tries to hit a target with a homemade sling shot. Paul, in this photo, was the winner of the race after more than 24 hours.

There is a new chicken bus on the island! The name cracks me up!

Today we had a celebration and a goodbye party for Emilie, a Canadian volunteer, at our La Paloma Elementary school.

The kids danced, sang, and partied with Emilie!

We sure will miss her! Happy trails Emilie.

Why do we go away? So we can come back, of course! We’ll see Ometepe Island with new eyes and lush green colors because when we return, the rainy season will have started.

Meanwhile, enjoy some of my past posts. The internet is hard to find in Cuba and when we do find it, it is expensive, so until April, I won’t be posting. Yikes! I will be in internet withdrawal.

Hasta Abril mis amigos!