This morning we went to La Tigra to celebrate The Day of the Child with the kids there. I don't know the kids in La Tigra very well, but I have always really liked them. They live in poverty, but it is a different kind of poverty than the Los Pinos kids. Their household income may be little or nothing and their homes are very simple, but they generally have a more supportive family life and live in a safer environment. They have difficulty accessing resources because they are so far from the city and most don't own a vehicle. So they have their own struggles.
Their party was more simple. They had piñatas that they had made themselves, a fruit salad and a little paper bag of gifts. They played traditional games, had scavenger hunts, jumped rope and played soccer for hours. Lad and I joined in.
I told Lad he had to get his picture taken at the on the overlook because every member of K2 who has been to La Tigra has this picture.
I thought we were taking a walk to show Lad where many people from K2 (including me) were baptized, but we ended up doing the ropes course which is new and improved. I did skip the mud pit and walking on the tree, but we did a rock climb and a tight rope walk that wasn't there before. It was really fun. Gerardo, who is the head of everything in La Tigra now, Erik, my landlords, Lad and I all went. We ended up at the place where I was baptized. I was trying to get a better view of where the water goes after if flows out of the pond and down the ravine when I slipped and fell into the water. I almost slid right down and got washed away, but caught myself. It was scary. Then I had wet pants for the next 2 hours.
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| Erik on the tightrope |
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| Lad rock climbing |
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| Carlos, Lad and I after I almost slid down the ravine |
After a quick shower Hermida fed us homemade chicken soup and bread. Then we headed down to the jovenes group. It was a nice meeting about the traditions and culture of Honduras. Walter and Jose talked to the kids about being proud of their culture and their beautiful country. That was very cool. They showed movies of all the beautiful places in Honduras, but then talked about how the kids could also experience culture within their own city. They served a traditional meal with 3 entrees, 3 deserts, horchata and coffee. Lad is starting to see the same kids repeatedly, so some faces are familiar to him.
Don Juan had invited us to his house for dinner. We almost didn't go because he doesn't live in a great neighborhood, but we considered the fact that Don Juan does not invite people to his house. This was a special honor. So in the end, with some counsel from Carlos and Hermida, we decided that it was something we should do. Don Juan really, really likes Lad. Well, everyone really, really likes Lad. But Don Juan is a person who normally sits back and observes. He told me that Lad is the nicest Gringo he has ever met. He told Carlos something similar.
So we went to Don Juan's house for dinner. It was a great meal - tacos Honduran style, which is a tortilla wrapped into a tube, stuffed with meat and deep fried, topped with a cabbage salad and cheese. By this point my tummy was bursting. I explained that I loved the food, but was full and Lad finished mine. On the way home he said that he was not at all hungry, but that if he had to "take one for the team" that was not a bad way to do it. We talked with Don Juan, his wife Dora and their 2 kids Moises and Nancy for a while. Then we got a text from Hermida, which meant it was time to head home. I called her to say I was on the way home after we left. She was relieved.
But then we got lost. And I hit a big pot hole which could have popped a tire. (We are hoping it won't be flat in the morning.) Then I got more lost. I considered calling Hermida, but I didn't even know where we were and I didn't want to freak her out. I knew the city lights were on the right hand side and they should have been on the left, so we turned around. Then I saw a sign for El Anillo which is the road I wanted, but I thought it meant to turn there and really it meant to stay straight. We got really turned around. At least we were lost in a wealthy neighborhood. There were security guards and police all hanging around outside a gated community. I asked for directions, and they told me to go back where I had come from, but they didn't seem too sure.
I headed back and thought I knew where I was, but got nervous and stopped at a gas station. The guard told me the only way to get home was to go downtown by Hospital Escuela. I told him I can't go there at night, there has to be a different way. So he called over his buddy. Thank God his friend knew exactly where I needed to go. He said if we get lost again, only ask directions from taxi drivers. Don't stop and ask just any person because it's not safe. We got all oriented and it ended up I was headed in exactly the right direction. Turned out I was really close to the same route I drive every day. If I had driven 3 more minutes I would have known exactly where I was. Finally we were headed home, almost an hour later. I called Hermida to tell her we were lost, but now were found. She sounded extremely worried. I felt horrible because Lad has to preach in the morning and we both were exhausted, but at least we made it home safe and sound in the end. And at least I wasn't all alone. That would have been scary. Now I realize what I did wrong and won't make that mistake again. It was a long day, but a really good one.
Sorry if there are typos. I am too tired to proof read this tonight.
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