Las Mesas, Nicaragua

Today has been a long day.

Due to unexpectedly cold weather (probably in the lower 50s) and my lack of any kind of sleeping gear, I lived through an arctic hell. I was lucky if I slept an hour.

Finally got out of bed at 6am (this is about the time I went to bed my second-to-last night at Gettysburg). I went out to the cornfields, walking at least two kilometers up and down rocky roads, and then through overgrown footpaths. After that, I did monotonous work for six hours cleaning and sorting corn. It is hard to believe that people don't go insane here. There is ample opportunity, though, because of time and isolation, to ponder every last subject known to mankind. In some ways this may a bad thing, but in other ways a very good thing.

These people are very proud of their village and its surroundings. I asked a farmer how he felt when woke this morning. He answered by saying that: "Tenia ganas de trabajar." That short statement exemplifies the attitude of these very modest, but proud, people.

The meals here have been wonderful: rice, beans, maguey, eggs, salsa de tomate, peppers, onions, cabbage, noodles, and lemonade and coffee for drinks. The coffee is nothing like the coffee in the United States. Here the coffee is thinner and sweeter. It almost tastes more like a juice.

The children here have become friendly and comfortable with me. They are always asking me to tickle them. It makes me feel very comfortable that they know my name and use it freely.

Today, on the fields, a gentleman asked my companion and I to accompany him. We went to see a three-toed sloth. That was very interesting.

One final thought: the panoramic view of the stars is absolutely astounding. For every one star one can see in the U.S. sky, one can see at least 25 in the Nicaraguan sky. It is utterly breathtaking.

Well, off to bed to rest up before picking coffee tomorrow. (Hopefully I won't die of hypothermia tonight!) Hasta manana!