The other LA

I am writing from a computer lab in Los Angeles de Nandajure, Guanacaste. I´m here with 7 other CED volunteers on our technical visit observing a volunteer who has been working here for the past year and a half. It is really hot and dry here but really beautiful. We are in the mountains on the Nicoya peninsula, so you can see both the gulf and the Pacific Ocean, and the vegetation is really luscious and colorful. I have heard, but not yet seen, a bunch of monkeys so hopefully there will be a siting some time within the next 5 days.

After three bus rides that began at 5 am from Tarbaca with a stop for lunch in Carmona, we arrived a little after two and were met by Derek and some guys from the town who were drinking beers at the bus stop. We dropped our bags off at his old host family´s house and went up to the soccer field, where they were setting up for the evening cabalgata, which is a party that people come to on their horses or in cars and drink and eat and dance to raise money for some cause in the community. This time it was for the new high school that just opened a few months ago. We took a little hike and played some soccer with the kids before the guests began to arrive around 5 pm. All of a sudden there were men and women on horses and the music started and the food and drink began to flow. The volunteers were helping out at the bar and restaurant, so I got to bartend for a couple hours, which was a fun way to meet people without having to sustain long conversations. Nicole and I danced cumbia for a couple songs with my host sister, who is 21, and some of her friends. It was a really cool scene because EVERYONE in the community and neighboring communities comes, so there are the old guys getting drunk and the little kids running around and drinking Coke and everyone in between.

Last night was the most glorious cold shower I´ve ever experienced, followed by a very deep night´s sleep. This morning we got up to help clean up after the party, but most of it was already taken care of, so we hiked down and along a river and some waterfalls. The water wasn´t high enough to swim, but we got our feet wet and scaled some serious rocks. We each retreated to our various family homes for lunch. Rice and beans is a lot less appetizing when it´s 90 degrees out, but fortunately I got some salad and a refreshing drink as well. Now we´re catching up at the computer lab that Derek runs and teaches classes out of, and this afternoon we are going to meet the director of the elementary school here to talk about a potential project we can do with them this week. Tomorrow the real work begins, when our language teachers and Program Training Director show up. We are going to be attending lots of community meetings, helping teach English and computer classes, and have some Spanish language class as well. All the while being evaluated by the staff to see if we have what it takes...