The Road to El Harino...

... is WICKED bumpy! I will just tell you that first, sorry for my absence, but second, I am really enjoying where I am, even if it is really hard to travel in and out of my community at any given time, especially if there is enough rain that has fallen. It's super slippery and I will tell you that in the first week that I was there, I fell TWICE! I have fallen since then as well but the first week was rough. I don't know why I thought I could go anywhere without my giant rubber boots on, again, especially after the rain! This is quite the site to see: me covered from head to to with giant rubber boots on! I don't know how the people in my community do it, and I know this happens all over the place, but they never seem to get dirty!! NEVER! I have so many clay mud stains on my clothes but they have really clean clothes all the time! Eventually I will learn how to not get filthy... one day.

I have also figured out how to walk up and down the giant hills without getting too much out of breath so that is a plus! Sadly, it's just walking really slow and trying not to look down- even though I should really do that to make sure I don't trip over a rock! HA! But I have something to say about that too! If you are somewhere really high, like say on a roller coaster or somewhere scary and someone tells you 'Don't look down!', you automatically do it anyway and you are instantly mad at yourself for doing it. Here, I like to say, don't look up! Two reasons are because if you do, you can easily trip over a rock, step on a snake, or step into a giant hole created by rain runoff or 2.) you will that the giant hill you are a about to climb is extremely steep and you can't see the top from where you are standing and you sort of feel a little dejected ;) It's much easier and almost faster to climb the hills if you don't know what it looks like. Just follow the person in front of you and it won't be so bad... unless they walk really fast, then you're screwed! HAHA!

Sometimes I feel like I'm in Jurassic Park though... and I know I'm not the only person who feels like that either! You'll be walking to go visit someone but the path to get through to their house is like this foot wide space with jungle on either side with crazy noise making birds all of the place. There is one that they call a Fudodo but that isn't the real name but it makes the craziest noises EVER!! I can't even describe what it's like but just think Jurassic Park. I also feel this way when there is thunder off in the distance... it's like that scene where they hear this loud ass noise and the ground shakes the mud puddle and they know it's the T-Rex coming... it only sounds like that but it's still crazy!

All kidding aside, I really do like my community and the people there are so nice! Every time I go to someone's, they fill me up with food, coffee, or things to take home with me! They are really excited to have me there and they really are looking forward to starting projects or revamping the ones they already have going. I think this is going to be a great 2 years!