At Night, the Ghosts Come Out

If Old McDonald really had a farm, it would be in San Francisco de la Paz.  We drove the 4 hours from Tegucigalpa to San Francisco de la Paz getting to know both Oscar, another teacher at the school, and Jose Ricardo, who is the owner of the school.  Oscar speaks English very well, but he has the personality of a Chihuahua—Cute and funny for the first 10 minutes, but rather annoying after the 4^th time he humps your leg and bites at your ankles.  Though, when he isn’t around, you kinda miss him—its one of those things. 

Olancho is the largest department in Honduras.  The territory is big and the personality is even bigger.  They call it the ‘Wild Wild East’ because everyone has a gun holstered at their hip and they are just itching to use it. 

Today, Rob and I got stopped in the street by a lady in town who heard rumors that gringos had come to teach.  We explained that we were looking to use the internet.  She told us to come to her house and she would let us use hers.  Perfect.  We went to her house and tried to connect, but the internet here isn’t exactly reliable.  I played soccer with her kids for a half hour and then we decided to leave.  Later, Jose Ricardo told us never to go there again.  Not too long ago her husband killed a man because he wouldn’t let him pass on the highway.  These people have killed for less.  You just need to watch who you befriend.    

Last night we were hanging out in the backyard when we heard a string of gunfire.  It turns out 2 people were killed over a drunken argument.  My previous experience in Central America helps me cope with safety issues and I actually feel quite safe.

It is only when the night falls that all the ghosts come out.  I keep my window open at night because it gets considerably cooler as the sun dips further from the horizon.  The noises are like sound clips from a horror film.  Dogs are fighting, roosters are crowing, guns are firing, yet there are intermittent moments of calm and silence.  The smell of damp sewage lulls me to sleep as the heat from the day is swept by the nightly winds. 

We visited the school already and the kids seem to be very well behaved and extremely perceptive to learning English.  I think it should be a welcome transition into a bilingual curriculum.

Tonight, we are being introduced to the community through local public television.  Apparently, no one believed that we were coming and some families did not enroll their children for classes because they thought it was some sort of scam.  We have become some what of a spectacle around town; like animals at the zoo.  Even adults are curious about what we are doing here.

There is so much to tell, however the internet here is completely unreliable.  I am going to try and post some pictures so you can get an idea of where I am.  I am looking to do about 2 updates a week on the blog, so if it seems like I just from subject to subject, it is because a lot of it was written on different days.  I hear there is a snow storm in Ohio.  Good luck with that….         

Pictures didn't work out.  I will have to upload them when I can.  Sorry...