Quick update.

I guess not that much has happened in the last month. I have been wandering around my town everyday meeting new people and finding different houses hidden in the woods. I got stung in the foot by a scorpion one night when I was sleeping. I went to San José with the other RCDers for a week of training in a nice hotel. We learned a lot of relevent information and had a lot of fun too. My host dad cut the inside of his hand where the fingers connect to the palm with a machete, severing the tendons connecting all but his pointer finger. He is in the hospital now in San José to see if they can reconnect them. I was there when it happened...it was pretty gross too say the least. I am going to have a meeting next week about starting english classes for the community. A lot of people say they want english clases but we will see how many are actually willing to walk through the rain and mud to sit in a classroom for 3 hours twice a week. I will keep you updated. Enjoy the pictures.
Pura Vida
Heath

Right now there are bananas and plantains hanging all ove the place.


This is the center of my town were most of the infracture is. The houses are all over the surrounding mountains. You can see the soccer field, school, community center, health center and police station. The little store is at the bottom of the picture behind the trees. My house is way way to the left off the picture.




Pastor Martín (by the window) and Alanso (the guitar player) waiting for church to start.

Carlos and Eric praying about something.

Some of the highschool kids.

Alejandro showing me how to us the trapiche (sugar cane crusher) to get sugar cane juice...which they then boil and make molds of dulce (blocks of crude natural sugar) which they sell or use to make agua dulce "sweet water" a traditional drink sometimes used as a substitute for coffee or during holidays.

You dont wanna get your fingers stuck in there.

Pure sugarcane juice. They filled me up a big glass (with dirt, cane-fiber and who knows what else still in it) and made me drink it on the spot. It doesnt really taste as good as you would think.
They attach 2 oxen to the trapiche to turn it and crush the sugarcane.

Alejandro standing on a big pile crushed sugar cane.

There are definitely more people who get around on horse than car.

I like the way this picture came out. On a clear day you would be able to see the ocean from here. This is Carlos, my "counterpart" and president of the local development association. The same guy in the church picture.


The church in Nicoya built around 1600. This picture is during the festive when there was a concert going on to the right.

The the only boys in RCD Tico 18. Rob, Matt, and me.





Some nice Italian place we ate dinner before we went out.

A bunch of us went out with Sylvia (our old boss) in San José to say goodby. She left Peace Corps to go to grad school in Spain.