Goodbye Bluefields!

It's finally that time- we're leaving Bluefields for Monkey Point tomorrow! The past 48 hours have been totally hectic with last-minute meetings, shopping trips, and packing. In spite of the exhaustion I'm very excited for the trip. We have so many plans for the stay in Monkey Point- teaching, organizing, empowering, and just living with people, learning from them, and giving back what we can. It's going to be awesome!
I'll miss the yummy meals at the blueEnergy house, the air-conditioned office, the cold beer, the camaraderie of the fellow volunteers, and the Bluefields culture that I'm coming to love more and more. Yes, this city is an interesting, lively place. But what can compare to living in Monkey Point? Beans and rice fried in coconut milk, fresh fish, johnny cake, swimming, beach soccer, mangoes, not to mention the work we'll be doing with the Energy Commission and in the school. We're going to be busy! But it's going to be a good, fun busy. I can't wait!

So goodbye to Bluefields, the blueEnergy office, workshop, and volunteers. Goodbye to cars, loud music, cold beer, ice cream, pavement...the good and the bad... See you in a few weeks when we're back for a quick break.

Rondon!!!

I had some serious cabin fever until the miracle of rondon at Eloise's house occurred on Sunday. The blueEnergy house/office in which I generally spend 20-24 hours a day was just getting a bit old. I was going stir crazy! I can't spend that much time in front of a computer, sitting in a plastic chair, or in my bunkbed with the fan blowing on me, even if I am reading the final Harry Potter without going crazy! David and I have been going on the occasional run recently, which has helped. But its quite hard to motivate to run when its 80-90 degrees out from 8 am - 8 pm, or pouring down rain and the teensiest bit cooler. And of course the Palo de Mayo festivities have shaken things up a bit in the city. Its been fun attending the parades and concerts, seeing a bit of true Bluefields culture. But the festivities also meant that the streets have been even more packed than usual, with more drunk men and even louder music than usual! Of course that's Bluefields and I appreciate it for what it is. However, I was getting grumpy and needed a change of pace, and Sunday's lunch at a beautiful and quiet home on the lagoon cured me!

Julie (a fellow community relations volunteer here at bE) and a Spanish friend Monica went early to Eloise's house with red snapper, prawns, coconut, and lots of breadkind (plantain, yucca, quiquisque, and other starchy vegetables) to begin the long process of preparing rondon, a traditional coconut milk-based stew that is now my favorite thing about Bluefields! David, Seb, Charles, and I arrived later in the afternoon to find them still working hard- grating the coconut, preparing the fish, peeling shrimp and breadkind. Its a long and arduous process! But before long Eloise had everything stewing in a pot over some charcoal and we all retreated to the porch overlooking the lagoon with Toña and Flor de Caña. We lounged, chatted in Spanish, English, Creole, and French, drank in the view of the lagoon and jungley cays, and enjoyed the breeze coming off the water. I hadn't felt this good since we got back from Monkey Point!

When the rondon was ready Eloise served us each up a heaping bowl and we dug in. This has got to be the best meal I've had in Central America so far! The rich but not too rich coconut milk broth, the surprisingly flavorful and firm breadkind, the red snapper and prawns, and the smoked meat which Seb had brought along and added a wonderful flavor, was altogether amazing! It was so nice to be with friends on the water, eating good food. Its something I've missed. Sort of brought me back to my days in Peru, where Sundays were all about sharing huge plates of ceviche and beer with friends on the waterfront. I love food culture! Particularly coastal food culture... Its the most delicious!

So I've now fallen back in love with Blufields and am feeling better than ever! Getting away for the day and spending it in such a lovely way was more refreshing than I could've imagined. Just one more week here at the office and I'm now really trying to make the most of my time. Preparing materials for classes on energy and water and sanitation, shopping for supplies to last us 2 months in isolated Monkey Point, getting trained in the Yo, Si Puedo literacy system which David and I are going to be teaching, finishing up a report on the water situation in Monkey Point, figuring out a million little details (logistical and other), and of course taking the time to be in touch with friends and family who I'll be unable to contact throughout the remainder of the summer.

Hopefully we'll be leaving for Monkey Point on Monday, June 9th. I can't wait! Give me the beach, the jungle, mango trees, and fresh air!