Breakfast at 8am...beans, rice and bit of bacon with toast. The bus picked us up at 9am. We met Elisa from Habitat Nicaragua. She and Adrian took us to see the hilltop site of the former presidential palace of the dictator, Anastasio Somoza. The palace was destroyed by the 1972 earthquake that leveled much of the city. We also saw the notoriously brutal prison on the grounds of the presidential palace. We learned about the recent elections and how difficult it is for the average Nicaraguan to have a fair and just vote.
We then departed for the town of San Rafael del Sur. Our trip took us through the beautiful countryside. The ride was very bumpy because we realized the whole highway is paved in interlock bricks rather than ashpalt. Much cheaper! Our hotel is in the nearby town of Masachapa which is right on the Pacific Ocean. Beautiful beach and very quiet.
Following a nice lunch and a very informative orientation by Elisa, we headed to the housing development called La Gallina to meet the families we will build for. We saw where they are living now. Their new homes have the footings poured already so we have a good start. Both families will be working with us and we will get to know them better in the next few days. The community is full of shanty homes, a few completed Habitat homes, and beautiful lush greenery and hibiscus flowers. It was nice to see that even though these people are living in some of the worst conditions, they still try to make their "home" a home.
We returned to the hotel for some relaxing time. Many of us took walks along the beach and enjoyed the beauty of Nicaragua. There were many local families enjoying their Sunday on the beach. We had a dinner of chicken tacitos which was delicious and are spending the evening with lots of stories, laughs and even a game of Euchre!! Good night to all at home.
Rita
No comments:
Post a Comment