It's a new year

Happy New Year to everyone! 2010 is officially over, and the new year just beginning! I wish everyone the best. I awaited the new year with the kids at the hogar. We ate a feast of turkey, and then later had cake and ice cream for dessert. The kids put on an awesome program of singing and dancing, of which I was the judge for the talent show. Some of the highlights were Venancio and Moises's mock fight/ dance in which they selected some lucky volunteers from a group who is visiting to dance the them. Extremely funny. The smaller girls danced a punta together, and Rosa did a solo dance while Maribel sang. Everyone did beautifully and fun with it. Later we all had some time to talk and dance and play, while we awaited the new year. Finally it came with the sounds of hundreds of fireworks and a fireworks show right in front of us. We clapped and celebrated and I got 5 new years kisses from the kids. I truly can't believe that it is 2011. Even with the celebration, it doesn't feel like it has changed! But so it is.

Thursday was an amazing day, and definitely a highlight so far of my entire experience. After classes, Ethan and I stayed with the jungle school kids and the two of us took 4 of them on a hike to the waterfall. Even though they live right by, none of them have ever been to it, mainly because it costs a little over a dollar to enter the park (for a Honduras- foreigners are more of course). Denia, Nelson, Geny and Alan all went with us for about a 2 hour uphill hike. The waterfall was just as beautiful as last time. It is so tall, and when you go under the spray it is an extremely exhilarating feeling. The kids were all freezing cold, but they were amazed by it. When I heard them telling the story later, I could tell in their voice how happy there were to have gone. Geny seemed completely stoked on life. Oh my goodness. Nelson found 2 dead snakes at the base of the waterfall. One of them was enormous. Over 8 feet long if not more. It was a big black boa of some sort, and both of them must have fallen from the top of the waterfall. The poor things. Imagine just swimming in the river and then suddenly the river ends and you fall. Well one of them thought it would be a good idea to put it around my shoulders. Let me tell you- not a good idea. I would almost prefer an alive 8 foot snake. It was just dead weight. Ethan's face though when he picked it up was absolutely priceless. A mixture between amazement, disgust and sheer terror. Eventually we headed back and stopped to swim in the river an hour later. I was happily soaking my feet since I was dry when they decided that wasn't enough and threw me in. Somehow Ethan avoided that fate though even though he was sitting right next to me. Must have been because he didn't react when they splashed him. ha. Oh we also saw 2 tucans which was exciting. Ethan and I spent the entire way back arguing with the kids that there aren't tigers in Honduras. They are convinced that there are, but we keep telling them that they are Jaguars, not tigers! They don't listen. Compound that with the fact that I told them that the 'birds' they see are actually bats, and they definitely think that I am crazy.

We didn't get back to the houses until about 6, so it was just getting dark. Even at the base of the road there is still a good 20 minute hike up to Geny's house. We started up, stopped at Nelson's house and then continued. I am so glad I thought to bring a gallon of water. Last time Ethan and Natalie stayed in the jungle, Natalie got really sick. They were careful to use our water for us to make any juices because of that. Last night though was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Truly. Living how they live is foreign to me, and the people are so generous and kind. Geny's house is a dirt floor shack with an tin roof and a woodfire stove. It has one section of the room portioned off for sleeping, where there are 4 beds. 9 people live in the house. And they gave Ethan and I each our own bed. Of course they wouldn't listen to any of our protests. Also, I have never felt so bad eating food in my life. They fed us so well and it was absolutely delicious also. Chicken, beans, cheese and tortillas. I could tell though that everyone else didn't get nearly as much as we did. I felt like I was in a movie or a painting, or something the entire time. Outside of the house there were bugs and frogs making their nightly noises. The stars shone brightly and there was a slight glow in the sky. From the path you could see the light from La Ceiba. Inside the house, the only lights were two gas candles. The ladies were huddled around the table making bread from the wood stove/ oven. They stalked coals into the oven portion, put in the pans with bread dough in, and then closed the oven with a special type of leaf to keep in the heat. The entire room flickered from the light and I just sat there in amazement, attempting to realize where I was and what I was seeing. It is so strange to think how they live every day, how they grew up living and probably will live in the future. There is no light except the candle. No water except what you haul from the river. Nothing to cook with unless there is plenty of wood. No food unless you have money from some sort of work that doesn't make much, unless of course you can catch something yourself. It is truly incredible, and to be part of that for even one night was an amazing experience.

We woke up, were served another delicious breakfast in which they gave us way more food than they should have, and then went to visit Lucia's house. It was about another 20 minutes further up the mountain, but there was one point where we came to a clearing and you could see all of La Ceiba, and the ocean beyond. It was a perfect day out and the view was amazing. Geny climbed a tree to get us Coconuts, we went back down to Geny's and said our goodbye's and thank you's, left some money and then headed down to the road to go back to the house. We of course managed to miss our bus so we hitchhiked with Denia, Geny, Glenda and Carlitos down to the road. Denia and Geny came back to the house to skype with Ana and Natalie, and then we got ready for the fiesta this night. Quite amazing. Everything.