Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Trip home
This was a very uneventful day! We got up early, got coffee and tea at the hotel, got a taxi to Laguardia Airport, checked our bag, went through security (really easy), went to our gate. We had quite a bit of time, so we got breakfast ( pastries and oatmeal) and waited quietly til the plane loaded. Very uneventful trip, finally got to Texas, found the car and drove home. Good end to a really special trip.
9/11 Memorial and Museum
The day began with the breakfast buffet at the hotel-- remember we have a $75 credit in the "restaurant" which is not really a restaurant, but a burger/sandwich area. Anyway, their buffet included juice, scrambled eggs, potatoes, strange sausage, pastries, bagels, fruit and coffee or tea. Very complete and adequate for a cost of $28 per person. A little outrageous, but heck, we had a credit, so why not!
Our plan for the day was to go to the 9/11 memorial and museum and if we could figure out how to get there, Wall Street's charging Bull and little girl display.
We got a taxi, not having a clue how to get to the museum/memorial via subway. Taxi drivers in New York deserve hazardous duty pay-- (I've watched the Cash Cab, on t.v. and he never gets into the crushing traffic jams that seem to occur every intersection-- and everything seems to be under construction as well) We got there after a very slow ride of about 30-40 minutes. He dropped us off across the street and explained how to get there, kinda-- his English and mine aren't exactly the same. We did discover that cash is not needed anywhere in NYC-- EVERYONE takes credit cards (well, maybe not the pedicab driver or homeless folks, but everyone else) Cabs have a scanner in the back for payments.
The first stop was the memorial which is a huge hole in the ground surrounded by marble with the names of the victims etched around the perimeter.
It isn't really a fountain, I think of a fountain as a place where water spurts up-- here water was cascading down into the hole and flowing up-- a waterfall on the 4 sides of the big hole. There are two of these memorials- one for each tower.
The memorial is a very solemn place and the visitors seem quite subdued.
We had bought tickets to the museum online (via credit card) and had our receipt on the phone. We skipped the line- which wasn't that long, and were in.
Not sure what I was expecting, but it was focused on the physical items from the towers and on the people who lost their lives.
 |
| metal brace from tower |
We saw a concrete stairway which was in pristine condition at the top and looked rather melted at the bottom-- all together 20-30 feet tall. We were discussing the damage at the bottom when a docent came over to tell us that this stairway was an outside fire escape and let thousands escape before the towers collapsed. He said that the melted damage to the bottom part of the stairs happened in the recovery phrase not in the actual attack. He also let us know that over 15,000 people escaped the towers and 2,977 died in the attack. I saw written on a sign that over 400 NYC street locations have been named for victims of the attack. I guess I didn't realize that that many people who were in one of the towers survived. There was an area with names, pictures and biographical information randomly presented of those who died in the attack.
A large American flag was on one wall entirely made up of the pictures of the victims
 |
| Add caption |
A partially melted firetruck was on display as were twisted beams and footings for the supports of the buildings
We watched a short film about the re-building of Freedom Tower which I'm sure would have appealed to an engineer or constructions person-- I didn't get too much out of it. The most haunting portion of the museum were the audio files which ran constantly containing the words and voices of people in the tower phoning their loved ones telling them what was happening.
Also bagpipe music was subtly played in various parts of the museum. Several other videos were available but the entire experience was overwhelming. A person needs to take a break -- it can't be rushed through in several hours. I'm sure we didn't see it all, but it was enough-- you might say it was too much. Granted this is a NEW YORK thing which we experienced vicariously via t.v., but they lived it.
We left the museum and headed toward Wall Street to see the "charging bull" etc. After getting turned around (not really lost) a couple of times we made it and it was really disappointing.
There were probably 40-50 obnoxious tourists there before us and we could hardly see the bull-- which is quite large. Several were being more than obnoxious, but downright crude. Our niece Kinz had mentioned the addition of another statue to the area, a little girl. She mentioned that on national Women's Day- which I wasn't aware of at all, but has been since she has been there, the little girl was added. If you could see it in its entirity (without all the obnoxious people grabbing at the bull) the bull is charging, showing the strength of the country's financial system and the little girl is standing facing the bull with arms on hips glaring him down-- representing the strength of women.
I'd love to see it without the mass of humanity who were there at that point.We got a taxi and went back toward the hotel. Looking for a good place to have lunch, we happened upon Lindy's-- seemingly a landmark place. Mostly very expensive sandwiches, both hot and cold, and some hot things like fish and chips, etc. I had a chicken salad sandwich and although I was really hungry, could only eat half of it. The sandwich was tasty and approx 6-7 inches tall- had trouble getting it in my mouth. ($16.95)
I asked about the restroom and was told "down the stairs" over there. I had been walking for 2 days straight and my trick knee was giving me a bit of trouble. I walked over to where the stairs went down-- it was way steep, dark and the hand rails were wobbly and decided I could wait.
We walked to the hotel and were able to get into our room without any trouble! Thank you very much and took a nap. We knew Kinz wasn't going to see us this evening because, poor baby, she had other out of state company coming to stay with her. She's been way too popular lately, anyway I hope we didn't cause her any inconvenience. We went out looking for supper- although after our huge late lunch we weren't really very hungry. We opted for sweets. I had baklava and Nick had an apple pastry. His was better than mine. They poured syrup over the baklava and it just became gaggy sweet-- should have left it alone.
Went back to our room- repacked our luggage for leaving early on Friday morning and went to bed.
Sunday, September 10, 2017
Happy Birthday to Me!
September 6, 2017 I celebrated my 75th birthday. Why is this such a milestone for me? My parents died in their 60's and I celebrated when I turned 70, but somehow three quarters of a century sounds impressive to me.
The plan for the day was to go see Times Square, Central Park, Natural History Museum (across the street from Central Park) to have some lunch, a nap, and get ready for the play at 7. Kinz had asked to get off work early so she could come to us and we could walk to the play on 48th Street.
We checked out the subway station at Columbus Circle and found several places for breakfast. I chose a yogurt fruit parfait and Nick had a croissant with coffee. I thought the name of this doughnut shop was clever.
We headed to Times Square, just a few blocks down the street. I took a video showing all the movement in the colorful signs in the area. It's about 46 seconds long which means it's too long to send from my phone to e-mail.
We met up with The Hulk and Minnie Mouse whose living depends on conning tourists into having their pics made.
Minnie took the pic-- each wanted $ for their services. Everybody's gotta feed their family, some have more unusual jobs than others.
Several times as we walked around the area, I noticed Smart Car Police cars. I quit counting when I got over 10. They park them just wherever and I saw one officer in one pursuing a car. Traffic doesn't go very fast cuz of the horrible congestion and a Smart Car can pull between two larger cars with no problem.
We wandered around Central Park for awhile- got lost a couple of times, found the zoo and bought chickadee a little animal thingy. We then headed to the Natural History Museum.
Since I've seen all the "Night at the Museum" movies, I was expecting certain exhibits. Movies and life are usually different and this was no exception. We met a very friendly docent who showed us there to find particular areas of the museum. The majority of the museum is centered around experiences of Theodore Roosevelt. The docent insisted that we take a picture with the President.
Nick was interested in acquatic animals, so we went there first and took quite a few pictures. This is a place we could have spent not only hours but days.
A unique area of the museum was the Hayden Big Bang theatre which was a short presentation explaining the creation of the universe scientifically. Well done and very interesting, After a couple of hours we decided that lunch was important. We headed toward our hotel sure that we could find a good place for lunch. We ended up at Big Nick's Pizza and Sandwiches. Not wonderful, but filling. We got to our hotel about 2 and we were planning on taking a nap before getting ready for the play tonite.
We put the key in our lock and nothing happened, so we went to the desk to have them rescanned. We went up to the 15th floor to use the new keys and it still didn't work. We went back down to report the problem. The clerk called the security/maintenance office and said someone would be there to fix the lock shortly. We waited by our door talking to the cleaning lady, who was really embarrassed that she hadn't been able to clean our room. We waited and waited until the repairman came. He used a "rebooter" machine on the lock and it didn't work. He sent us back to the lobby to wait for him to either repair or replace the lock. When we got back to the lobby we told the original lady who had worked on our keys, that we were still locked out. She was astonished, called the maintenance man-- he told her that the lock would have to be replaced and would take a little more time. Turns out she was the desk manager and gave us a credit of $75 in the restaurant/bar for our inconvenience. After 2 1/2 hours we got into our room with no time for a nap.
We got ready for the play, waited for Kinz to meet us and walked to the Longacre Theatre on 48th Street. We had checked on the weather prediction and expected 90% chance by the time the play was out. When we were planning this trip we decided we didn't want to see any play we'd already seen. That let out Cats, Chicago, Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, School of Rock. We decided to see "A Bronx Tale" and it was an excellent decision. Kinz, was involved with theatre in high school, but had never experienced theatre of this caliber.
From the first note of the first song to the end of the play, we were entranced. WOW! this is probably the best theatre experience I've ever had.
As we exited the theatre, rain was pouring down. We had decided to take Kinz to the Hard Rock Cafe after the play and it was too far to walk in the rain. Gathered in fromt of the Longacre were several "pedicabs" ( bicycle powered 3 seater rickshaw things, with plastic covering to keep the rain off the passengers). Transportation in the city is expensive- unless you use the subway and this was no exception, but it was a unique experience. I'm so glad it was raining, so we could share this event with Kinz.
We've eaten at Hard Rock Cafes all over the world-- London, Australia, Hawaii, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Barcelona, Scandinavia- and now New York-- they are pretty much the same, with identical menus and "rock" memorabilia. I think Kinz enjoyed it and I know we did.
It was a wonderful and unique birthday that I'll remember forever. Great Day!
The plan for the day was to go see Times Square, Central Park, Natural History Museum (across the street from Central Park) to have some lunch, a nap, and get ready for the play at 7. Kinz had asked to get off work early so she could come to us and we could walk to the play on 48th Street.
We checked out the subway station at Columbus Circle and found several places for breakfast. I chose a yogurt fruit parfait and Nick had a croissant with coffee. I thought the name of this doughnut shop was clever.
We headed to Times Square, just a few blocks down the street. I took a video showing all the movement in the colorful signs in the area. It's about 46 seconds long which means it's too long to send from my phone to e-mail.
We met up with The Hulk and Minnie Mouse whose living depends on conning tourists into having their pics made.
Minnie took the pic-- each wanted $ for their services. Everybody's gotta feed their family, some have more unusual jobs than others.
Several times as we walked around the area, I noticed Smart Car Police cars. I quit counting when I got over 10. They park them just wherever and I saw one officer in one pursuing a car. Traffic doesn't go very fast cuz of the horrible congestion and a Smart Car can pull between two larger cars with no problem.
Since I've seen all the "Night at the Museum" movies, I was expecting certain exhibits. Movies and life are usually different and this was no exception. We met a very friendly docent who showed us there to find particular areas of the museum. The majority of the museum is centered around experiences of Theodore Roosevelt. The docent insisted that we take a picture with the President.
Nick was interested in acquatic animals, so we went there first and took quite a few pictures. This is a place we could have spent not only hours but days.
 |
| Huge octopus |
 |
| Giant Whale |
 |
| Sea worm things- discovered in the 1970's |
A unique area of the museum was the Hayden Big Bang theatre which was a short presentation explaining the creation of the universe scientifically. Well done and very interesting, After a couple of hours we decided that lunch was important. We headed toward our hotel sure that we could find a good place for lunch. We ended up at Big Nick's Pizza and Sandwiches. Not wonderful, but filling. We got to our hotel about 2 and we were planning on taking a nap before getting ready for the play tonite.
We put the key in our lock and nothing happened, so we went to the desk to have them rescanned. We went up to the 15th floor to use the new keys and it still didn't work. We went back down to report the problem. The clerk called the security/maintenance office and said someone would be there to fix the lock shortly. We waited by our door talking to the cleaning lady, who was really embarrassed that she hadn't been able to clean our room. We waited and waited until the repairman came. He used a "rebooter" machine on the lock and it didn't work. He sent us back to the lobby to wait for him to either repair or replace the lock. When we got back to the lobby we told the original lady who had worked on our keys, that we were still locked out. She was astonished, called the maintenance man-- he told her that the lock would have to be replaced and would take a little more time. Turns out she was the desk manager and gave us a credit of $75 in the restaurant/bar for our inconvenience. After 2 1/2 hours we got into our room with no time for a nap.
We got ready for the play, waited for Kinz to meet us and walked to the Longacre Theatre on 48th Street. We had checked on the weather prediction and expected 90% chance by the time the play was out. When we were planning this trip we decided we didn't want to see any play we'd already seen. That let out Cats, Chicago, Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, School of Rock. We decided to see "A Bronx Tale" and it was an excellent decision. Kinz, was involved with theatre in high school, but had never experienced theatre of this caliber.
From the first note of the first song to the end of the play, we were entranced. WOW! this is probably the best theatre experience I've ever had.
As we exited the theatre, rain was pouring down. We had decided to take Kinz to the Hard Rock Cafe after the play and it was too far to walk in the rain. Gathered in fromt of the Longacre were several "pedicabs" ( bicycle powered 3 seater rickshaw things, with plastic covering to keep the rain off the passengers). Transportation in the city is expensive- unless you use the subway and this was no exception, but it was a unique experience. I'm so glad it was raining, so we could share this event with Kinz.
It was a wonderful and unique birthday that I'll remember forever. Great Day!
Saturday, September 9, 2017
NYC here we come
Since I will be celebrating a landmark birthday this week, I requested a special trip to mark the occasion. Nick decided NYC and a Broadway play filled that bill and he made all the arrangements (plane and hotel) I was assigned the task of finding the play and buying the tickets.
An added bonus to this destination was the opportunity to visit with our niece, MDL who is in the city on an internship for 6 months-- ending in October.
We left Love Field Sept 5 (Tues) with no excitement-- a little awkwardness finding a parking place, but remembering the construction mess at DFW, really no problem. I like Love Field, but I don't particularly like driving there-- Dallas isn't my favorite destination-- hate the traffic and confusing roads.
Getting luggage checked, easy, going thru security simple and not crowded at all, Plane trip calm, uneventful, almost pleasant. Everything was great! Landed, gathered our purple suitcase and called the hotel for advice about getting from Laguardia to W 57th St. They gave me a phone # and website for a bus service that they contracted to bring guests to the hotel. Then the FUN (?) began. Using my phone, website wouldn't accept my credit card info and when I called the #, the message stated that the phone was not being answered right now. After 2 more phone calls to the hotel, the desk person suggested getting a cab (for what she said would be about $40). We walked outside to do just that when a man asked if we'd like to take a bus to our hotel for $15 each. He did say we'd have to change buses before getting to our hotel on 57th St. But he said the second bus would be waiting for us where we changed. We paid him and got on. And drove and drove and drove til we got to a sort of bus stop area (I wished I'd checked out the address, but it didn't occur to me to do that) we got off and talked to the little man who was sorting people onto various buses to continue their trip. some went to the train station, others-to various other parts of NYC, but the bus to take us to our hotel wasn't there. He said it'd be there in 5 minutes to 45 minutes. Do you want to guess how long we stood there waiting for OUR bus? 55 minutes. If we'd known where we were, we would have been able to walk there in that amount of time.
FINALLY we got to our hotel which had a really fancy lobby. We checked in and got a room on the 15th floor-- didn't know at the time that this hotel has an outdoor terrace on the 15th floor. A really pretty rooftop area with lots of sitting and greenery and tucked into the far corner, a bar area.
A lovely place to sit, get some fresh air and relax. I thought I took a picture out there, but I guess I didn't. Take my word, it was pretty and green and relaxing, when it wasn't raining.
Our room was tiny with a queen bed, a little desk, a wine cooler which didn't work, and the strangest bathroom I think I've ever seen.
There was a glass window between the bedroom and the bathroom right over the bathtub that had a gauzy curtain over it. Why? Who knows, Kinz, our niece thought it might have been re-configured and the window left in rather than walled over. Again let me say, who knows? Just a really strange feature. And it was a left handed facility. Standing at the bathroom sink, brushing teeth, combing hair, etc, my right arm kept hitting the open door. I tried doing these things with the door closed and my arm still hit the wall. Cramped quarters, to say the least.
After work, Kinz joined us and we talked for awhile and then headed out to have supper. Right down the street in the same block was a place called Fluffy's Cafe. They offered sandwiches, pizza, stir fry, just all sorts of food. Kinz and I had burgers that were really good and Nick had a cheese steak sandwich that wasn't. He filled up with an eclair. After walking around a bit, we said good night to Kinz and went up to bed. She had about 35-40 minutes on the subway to get home to Brooklyn.
An added bonus to this destination was the opportunity to visit with our niece, MDL who is in the city on an internship for 6 months-- ending in October.
We left Love Field Sept 5 (Tues) with no excitement-- a little awkwardness finding a parking place, but remembering the construction mess at DFW, really no problem. I like Love Field, but I don't particularly like driving there-- Dallas isn't my favorite destination-- hate the traffic and confusing roads.
Getting luggage checked, easy, going thru security simple and not crowded at all, Plane trip calm, uneventful, almost pleasant. Everything was great! Landed, gathered our purple suitcase and called the hotel for advice about getting from Laguardia to W 57th St. They gave me a phone # and website for a bus service that they contracted to bring guests to the hotel. Then the FUN (?) began. Using my phone, website wouldn't accept my credit card info and when I called the #, the message stated that the phone was not being answered right now. After 2 more phone calls to the hotel, the desk person suggested getting a cab (for what she said would be about $40). We walked outside to do just that when a man asked if we'd like to take a bus to our hotel for $15 each. He did say we'd have to change buses before getting to our hotel on 57th St. But he said the second bus would be waiting for us where we changed. We paid him and got on. And drove and drove and drove til we got to a sort of bus stop area (I wished I'd checked out the address, but it didn't occur to me to do that) we got off and talked to the little man who was sorting people onto various buses to continue their trip. some went to the train station, others-to various other parts of NYC, but the bus to take us to our hotel wasn't there. He said it'd be there in 5 minutes to 45 minutes. Do you want to guess how long we stood there waiting for OUR bus? 55 minutes. If we'd known where we were, we would have been able to walk there in that amount of time.
FINALLY we got to our hotel which had a really fancy lobby. We checked in and got a room on the 15th floor-- didn't know at the time that this hotel has an outdoor terrace on the 15th floor. A really pretty rooftop area with lots of sitting and greenery and tucked into the far corner, a bar area.
A lovely place to sit, get some fresh air and relax. I thought I took a picture out there, but I guess I didn't. Take my word, it was pretty and green and relaxing, when it wasn't raining.
Our room was tiny with a queen bed, a little desk, a wine cooler which didn't work, and the strangest bathroom I think I've ever seen.
There was a glass window between the bedroom and the bathroom right over the bathtub that had a gauzy curtain over it. Why? Who knows, Kinz, our niece thought it might have been re-configured and the window left in rather than walled over. Again let me say, who knows? Just a really strange feature. And it was a left handed facility. Standing at the bathroom sink, brushing teeth, combing hair, etc, my right arm kept hitting the open door. I tried doing these things with the door closed and my arm still hit the wall. Cramped quarters, to say the least.
After work, Kinz joined us and we talked for awhile and then headed out to have supper. Right down the street in the same block was a place called Fluffy's Cafe. They offered sandwiches, pizza, stir fry, just all sorts of food. Kinz and I had burgers that were really good and Nick had a cheese steak sandwich that wasn't. He filled up with an eclair. After walking around a bit, we said good night to Kinz and went up to bed. She had about 35-40 minutes on the subway to get home to Brooklyn.
Saturday, July 15, 2017
Summer 2017 adventure #2- fishing
 |
| Can't you just hear the Andy Griffith Show music |
We took a family trip to the Duren Hotel cabin to initiate Lil into the "fun" of fishing. It's about a 3 hr drive and I hadn't seen the cabin before, only having stayed in the actual hotel. It's pretty and set far enough away from the hotel, that we seemed to be there by ourselves.
The only time we saw "other folks" around was when they drove in and parked and when, while we were walking to the Pike dock, they waved from the back porch.
N and I went to pick up the jon boat he keeps near there and we fed the stray kitties who live in the vicinity of the pond where the boat is kept.
As we waited for the Thompsons to arrive, I explored the cabin (has 4 bedrooms- 3 upstairs)
and read and had an interesting lunch of strawberries and "hot" fritos. Very healthy.
My one "cooking" project for this trip was to make homemade ice cream, so I had brought the freezer, ice, salt, and the already mixed "cream" mixture (made at home before we left). It usually takes 45-55 min for the churning to take place and then 1 1/2 to 2 hours ripening time.
I put the freezer outside in the shade to ripen, with a towel over it to hold in the cold.
While I was doing these things, N was walking the shoreline, looking for fish- didn't find any.
After they arrived, Lil needed to explore the cabin and the area around it. This place is perfect for kids (except for the large number of stickers) with all kind of places to play
Her final count of the day was 17 teeny fish, grandpa's was 9 and I'm not sure B counted the ones he caught. They had fun and convinced Lil to "catch and release", so the little fish could grow bigger for the next time we came. If she'd caught a really big fish, I think it would have scared her-- her teeny fish were the perfect size for her.
We had barbecue and side dishes for supper and HOMEMADE ICE CREAM and eeverything was wonderful.
Fishing folk went back for a second try and did okay, but not as well as earlier. While they fished Nki and I hiked back and forth from the cabin to the dock, and back to the other end of the property. It is not straight smooth trails, but up rocks, and embankments and of course through goathead stickers which stuck to pants and socks.
We settled in for the night, got some sleep and probably the most contented I felt the entire trip, was getting up before everyone the next morning, having my cup of tea on the porch and reading a good book.
 |
| My view from the porch early in the morning. |
My Thompsons had an appointment to go see the Lake Leon Thompsons for lunch, so we had breadfast, cleaned the cabin, stripped the beds, loaded the dishwasher, etc. and got away by 9;30 or so.
Lil loved her fishing excursion and we'll probably do it again before the year is out.
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Sunday--- going home
I rarely sleep well or long in a hotel and this was no exception. Even tho' I went to bed way past my usual bedtime, I still woke up too early. When I tried to check the Ranger's baseball score on the computer, I discovered something not quite right. The hotel's wifi system was down. Went downstairs to check with the lady at the counter, and she verified that it was indeed not working-- she blamed the problem on the storm the night before.
Packed up my belongings and got ready for breakfast. The morning before I had been conservative with breakfast (yogurt and dry cereal), this morning I decided to "go for it". Enjoyed a Texas shaped waffle with chocolate chips sprinkled over the batter and it was really yummy. Then I had some fruit and yogurt--which was the only "good" food I had all day. When I travel by car, I 'm usually just not hungry.
I had filled Fred Ford up with gas the previous afternoon, so I was ready to hit the road.
I drove and drove and drove some more-- stopping at rest areas to get out and walk around. At one convenience store where I got gas, I got some Chex MIX and I nibbled on them and a diet Dr. Pepper all day as I drove and drove. After declining but thanking BR for the offer of a place to rest in Abilene, I found the radio station with the Tx. Rangers game and listened to it all the way home. I either listened to the radio or my music CD's the entire drive to El Paso and back. Did lots of singing. Folks have asked me why I didn't listen to a CD book, and the honest answers are I enjoy the music and the voice of a person reading a book drones and puts me to sleep. That would NOT be good.
The first number, 1294.9 is the total number of miles traveled in the 3 days of my trip.
Obviously, the second number is the miles per gallon used, not bad for a Ford Explorer.
Third number, 22:12:08, is the actual number of hours/minutes I drove including my Saturday morning exploration of Clint, Horizon and El Paso. At times I got really lost.
It was a long tiring trip, but I'm so very glad I went.
Packed up my belongings and got ready for breakfast. The morning before I had been conservative with breakfast (yogurt and dry cereal), this morning I decided to "go for it". Enjoyed a Texas shaped waffle with chocolate chips sprinkled over the batter and it was really yummy. Then I had some fruit and yogurt--which was the only "good" food I had all day. When I travel by car, I 'm usually just not hungry.
I had filled Fred Ford up with gas the previous afternoon, so I was ready to hit the road.
I drove and drove and drove some more-- stopping at rest areas to get out and walk around. At one convenience store where I got gas, I got some Chex MIX and I nibbled on them and a diet Dr. Pepper all day as I drove and drove. After declining but thanking BR for the offer of a place to rest in Abilene, I found the radio station with the Tx. Rangers game and listened to it all the way home. I either listened to the radio or my music CD's the entire drive to El Paso and back. Did lots of singing. Folks have asked me why I didn't listen to a CD book, and the honest answers are I enjoy the music and the voice of a person reading a book drones and puts me to sleep. That would NOT be good.
Obviously, the second number is the miles per gallon used, not bad for a Ford Explorer.
Third number, 22:12:08, is the actual number of hours/minutes I drove including my Saturday morning exploration of Clint, Horizon and El Paso. At times I got really lost.
It was a long tiring trip, but I'm so very glad I went.
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
The Reunion
Had some hotel reservation difficulties, when they were alleviated, I took a nap and read . The Reunion is scheduled for 6-7 happy hour, 7-10 dinner, program, pictures and ,10-12 dancing. It is being held at Cattleman's Steakhouse Party room, which is north of the Fabens exit off I 10. The Reunion is for graduates from Clint High School's classes in the '50's, '60's, and '70's. So I had the possibility of having taught half of the '60's graduates and all the 70's folks.
I arrived about 6:30 and the hugging began. My guess is that I received and gave more hugs in the next 4 hours than I ever have. I repeatedly had someone come up to me asking if I remembered them-- I always said yes, altho it was not always the truth. The name tags helped some, but during this time frame I probably taught 400 to 600 students.
The reunion was organized by members of the class of 1967, celebrating their 50th anniversary, with classes from 1948-79 invited. The organizing committee did an amazing job of gathering alumni from the various classes, communication, and managing the nuts and bolts of an event this size. 113 actual graduates attended with family, friends, and teachers in attendance.
Cattleman's Steakhouse is "famous" throughout the area for it's steaks and sides. When we lived here, this was a place to go for special celebrations. This meal did not disappoint. Their menu changes slightly for parties as opposed to ordering from the restaurant. Party steaks are not as thick as restaurant fare and large baked potatoes come with the restaurant meal. For the party we were served beans, potato salad and coleslaw to go with our 10 oz. steak.
After we ate, the "program" continued, with a professional photographer on hand to record everything. I talked to ex-students who were doctors, nurses, career military, owned comanies, and worked with computers. Particularly interesting were the young women who were retired from law enforcement. Realize that when they began their careers, it was not usual for women to have that job.
I heard much about how fortunate the graduates felt to have lived in a small town with a strong educational system. We talked about the fun they had in speech class, doing plays, pantomime, and International Phonetic Alphabet. Several told me that their skill in writing and grammar had served them well in their careers. One man reminded me of his and his partner's winning first place medals in the UIL State meet. We talked and hugged and discussed their favorite (and least favorite) parts of my classes. One recent retiree has decided to get involved in community theatre and is having a blast. Another ex-student told me he is making "Austin weirder" and I believe him. Some people I recognized immediately and others, I had to read name tags to know who I was talking to. I did ask about where the new Clint High School has been built- and the info is "down Alameda toward Fabens". Heard this on Sat night, didn't take the time before I left to check it out. Guess I'll have to believe what I was told.
I would have stayed longer, but a freak rainstorm had descended on the party room and I still had a way to go back to the motel, so I dashed out to get my car and got drenched in the process. Drove back to the freeway and then to the Clint exit, where my motel was waiting. I got to bed by 11:30, much later than my usual bed time.
I arrived about 6:30 and the hugging began. My guess is that I received and gave more hugs in the next 4 hours than I ever have. I repeatedly had someone come up to me asking if I remembered them-- I always said yes, altho it was not always the truth. The name tags helped some, but during this time frame I probably taught 400 to 600 students.
The reunion was organized by members of the class of 1967, celebrating their 50th anniversary, with classes from 1948-79 invited. The organizing committee did an amazing job of gathering alumni from the various classes, communication, and managing the nuts and bolts of an event this size. 113 actual graduates attended with family, friends, and teachers in attendance.
Cattleman's Steakhouse is "famous" throughout the area for it's steaks and sides. When we lived here, this was a place to go for special celebrations. This meal did not disappoint. Their menu changes slightly for parties as opposed to ordering from the restaurant. Party steaks are not as thick as restaurant fare and large baked potatoes come with the restaurant meal. For the party we were served beans, potato salad and coleslaw to go with our 10 oz. steak.
After we ate, the "program" continued, with a professional photographer on hand to record everything. I talked to ex-students who were doctors, nurses, career military, owned comanies, and worked with computers. Particularly interesting were the young women who were retired from law enforcement. Realize that when they began their careers, it was not usual for women to have that job.
I heard much about how fortunate the graduates felt to have lived in a small town with a strong educational system. We talked about the fun they had in speech class, doing plays, pantomime, and International Phonetic Alphabet. Several told me that their skill in writing and grammar had served them well in their careers. One man reminded me of his and his partner's winning first place medals in the UIL State meet. We talked and hugged and discussed their favorite (and least favorite) parts of my classes. One recent retiree has decided to get involved in community theatre and is having a blast. Another ex-student told me he is making "Austin weirder" and I believe him. Some people I recognized immediately and others, I had to read name tags to know who I was talking to. I did ask about where the new Clint High School has been built- and the info is "down Alameda toward Fabens". Heard this on Sat night, didn't take the time before I left to check it out. Guess I'll have to believe what I was told.
I would have stayed longer, but a freak rainstorm had descended on the party room and I still had a way to go back to the motel, so I dashed out to get my car and got drenched in the process. Drove back to the freeway and then to the Clint exit, where my motel was waiting. I got to bed by 11:30, much later than my usual bed time.
Saturday, June 24, 2017
Saturday- re-exploring El Paso
My trek began looking for our old house in Clint. Because of several pipe gates, I couldn't get very close, but could tell that lots of changes have occurred in the 30 or so years since we lived here. There was a crew picking up the hay bales in the foreground, our house is among the trees. Can't tell much about it from here.
Next to check out the little apartment we lived in when we first married. It's not there anymore and where it was is a large brick bldg behind a large pipe gate. Just down Alameda I should have found Clint High School, but it wasn't there. The bldg is there (and larger), but it is labeled Clint Junior High School. Hmmm! Wonder where the High School is. That's one of the first things I'll ask when I get to the Reunion tonite. I did find the church we attended, Bond Methodist and it is right where I left it and there were no big pipe gates. Clint was/and is/ a little town, but it has 2 Dollar stores.
Next on my memory lane journey is Horizon City and Desert Hills Elementary School. As I entered the southern part of Horizon, it didn't look as though much had changed, but the farther I drove north, the changes were astounding. I had read about a "prison" being built out in the sand hills and I saw it, But the farther up Horizon Blvd I went the stranger it looked. Not only does Horizon have a WalMart, but there is a hospital!! When I worked there, it was a bedroon community with very few businesses. The population sign bragged about 5,000+ residents and any type of thing (food, service, etc) a town of that size would need is there and more. Impressive. The area has changed so much I drove right by the elementary school where I was principal without seeing it. When it was built, the land was empty between the school and Horizon Blvd--- no longer. I had to backtrack and finally found it. Really looks well cared for.
The last house we lived in in El Paso has fared better-- It looks well taken care of although the huge palm in the front yard is gone.
After finding our houses, I headed to find Desert View Middle School where Nick was principal for many years. I used the panorama function for this picture to include it all, but I really should have gotten a bit closer. N says the parking lot is much bigger than he remembers.
My last project for looking around in El Paso was a pic of Eastwood High School being demolished, to be rebuilt. When I got there, the demolition must have all been inside, cuz the interior seems to be intact.
I headed back to the motel at this point to nap and have lunch.
Next to check out the little apartment we lived in when we first married. It's not there anymore and where it was is a large brick bldg behind a large pipe gate. Just down Alameda I should have found Clint High School, but it wasn't there. The bldg is there (and larger), but it is labeled Clint Junior High School. Hmmm! Wonder where the High School is. That's one of the first things I'll ask when I get to the Reunion tonite. I did find the church we attended, Bond Methodist and it is right where I left it and there were no big pipe gates. Clint was/and is/ a little town, but it has 2 Dollar stores.
Next on my memory lane journey is Horizon City and Desert Hills Elementary School. As I entered the southern part of Horizon, it didn't look as though much had changed, but the farther I drove north, the changes were astounding. I had read about a "prison" being built out in the sand hills and I saw it, But the farther up Horizon Blvd I went the stranger it looked. Not only does Horizon have a WalMart, but there is a hospital!! When I worked there, it was a bedroon community with very few businesses. The population sign bragged about 5,000+ residents and any type of thing (food, service, etc) a town of that size would need is there and more. Impressive. The area has changed so much I drove right by the elementary school where I was principal without seeing it. When it was built, the land was empty between the school and Horizon Blvd--- no longer. I had to backtrack and finally found it. Really looks well cared for.
Then I decided to try to find the first house we bought (for less than $10,000). It looks so sad and unloved. We had a huge tree in the front yard, flowers, hedges and a wonderful garden, but now it just looks sad. I hesitated to stop and get out and take the picture. I know if I saw a stranger taking a pic of my house, I would not be happy, so I took it from the drivers seat of Fred Ford.
The last house we lived in in El Paso has fared better-- It looks well taken care of although the huge palm in the front yard is gone.
After finding our houses, I headed to find Desert View Middle School where Nick was principal for many years. I used the panorama function for this picture to include it all, but I really should have gotten a bit closer. N says the parking lot is much bigger than he remembers.
I headed back to the motel at this point to nap and have lunch.
Adventure 1- Summer 2017- El Paso
Clint High School Reunion--
I taught English, Speech, Drama at Clint H.S. from Sept. 1964-1984 (I think) . I'd have to look at yearbooks to be definitely sure. (I retired in '98 after spending some time as asst principal, principal, and central office all with the Clint district) When I first came here to teach in '64, I began in a one building K-12 school. The district grew while I was here adding schools until when I left there were 3 high schools, 3 middle schools and 3 elementary schools. Many more have been added in the ensuing 20 years.
I am in Clint (El Paso area) for a reunion arranged by classes of 70's which will be at Cattleman's Steakhouse tonite (Saturday June 24). I came a day early to look around and browse to see how much Clint and EP have changed in the almost 20 years since I retired and left the area.
I didn't want to fly (it's such a hassle, altho' much faster) and I don't mind a long drive, so rather than come in my 9 year old Smart Car, I was convinced to bring Nick's 1 yr old Ford Explorer.
We (Fred Ford and I) had a fine trip yesterday. It was hot outside (ranging from 99-113), but comfortable inside. At one point, driving thru Sierra Blanca, we experienced a sudden rain shower and the outside temp went from 106- to 76 in about 4 minutes. As soon as the rain was over, the heat soured up to 106 again. The forecast for today is a "cool front" where the high is expected to be only 96. I've been out walking this morning and it is quite pleasant with a little wind-- to be expected in west Texas.
As I was driving, I saw quite a few people pulled off the side of the road with car trouble - mostly tire problems and over heating. So glad Fred behaved and got me here without incident.
I'm staying at the Clint Best Western hotel. Who would of thought? Not only is there a Best Western, I see from my window, 2 other motels which weren't listed on my internet search. Oh, when we lived here last there was an R V Park at the Clint exit road and a restaurant whose name I can't remember- Maybe Boll Weevil? Anyway the restaurant is now Mamacita's Bar and Grill and this area is really growing.
Breakfast on Saturday at this hotel doesn't begin til 7 and when I finish eating my plan is to drive into Clint to scout around, then on to El Paso to see places where we lived and check out the demolition of Eastwood High School. I've heard the old Farah manufacturing plant has been turned into an upscale mall and thought as long as I'm here I'd check it out.
I taught English, Speech, Drama at Clint H.S. from Sept. 1964-1984 (I think) . I'd have to look at yearbooks to be definitely sure. (I retired in '98 after spending some time as asst principal, principal, and central office all with the Clint district) When I first came here to teach in '64, I began in a one building K-12 school. The district grew while I was here adding schools until when I left there were 3 high schools, 3 middle schools and 3 elementary schools. Many more have been added in the ensuing 20 years.
I am in Clint (El Paso area) for a reunion arranged by classes of 70's which will be at Cattleman's Steakhouse tonite (Saturday June 24). I came a day early to look around and browse to see how much Clint and EP have changed in the almost 20 years since I retired and left the area.
I didn't want to fly (it's such a hassle, altho' much faster) and I don't mind a long drive, so rather than come in my 9 year old Smart Car, I was convinced to bring Nick's 1 yr old Ford Explorer.
We (Fred Ford and I) had a fine trip yesterday. It was hot outside (ranging from 99-113), but comfortable inside. At one point, driving thru Sierra Blanca, we experienced a sudden rain shower and the outside temp went from 106- to 76 in about 4 minutes. As soon as the rain was over, the heat soured up to 106 again. The forecast for today is a "cool front" where the high is expected to be only 96. I've been out walking this morning and it is quite pleasant with a little wind-- to be expected in west Texas.
As I was driving, I saw quite a few people pulled off the side of the road with car trouble - mostly tire problems and over heating. So glad Fred behaved and got me here without incident.
I'm staying at the Clint Best Western hotel. Who would of thought? Not only is there a Best Western, I see from my window, 2 other motels which weren't listed on my internet search. Oh, when we lived here last there was an R V Park at the Clint exit road and a restaurant whose name I can't remember- Maybe Boll Weevil? Anyway the restaurant is now Mamacita's Bar and Grill and this area is really growing.
Breakfast on Saturday at this hotel doesn't begin til 7 and when I finish eating my plan is to drive into Clint to scout around, then on to El Paso to see places where we lived and check out the demolition of Eastwood High School. I've heard the old Farah manufacturing plant has been turned into an upscale mall and thought as long as I'm here I'd check it out.
Friday, May 19, 2017
Traveling home
La Costena's plane this time was one of its largest. Couldn't see the pilots, we even had beverage service. Arrived in Managua 3 hours before we needed to leave. This was the only flight from Managua to Houston today and since we were so early, the check-in desk was not manned. We waited in line for 34-45 min and checked our luggage in. At that time, we were told that the plane would be leaving 1 hour later than scheduled. We walked across the street to the Best Western breakfast buffet and enjoyed being with our Virginia partners for the last time in a year. As we got back to the airport to go through security, we were told that our flight was expected to be 2 hours late. We were scheduled to have a 3 hour layover in Houston, so we thought we could squeak through and make our flight to DFW. We waited for awhile upstairs after clearing security and saw on the arrivals board that our flight was 4 hours late and ,of course, there would be no way to make that flight. Harry talked to an airline employee and got us changed to a later flight which we could barely make if we ran.
We flew from Managua to Houston finally and had to pick up bags, go thru customs, give bags back, go thru security, get new boarding passes for our new flight and high tail it to Gate E30. When we got there with our new boarding passes, they were cancelled because the airline/computer didn't think we'd make the flight. The wonderful lady working the gate, reinstated our reservations and gave us better seats. We made it on the flight with maybe 5 minutes to spare. Y E A!
Home --Nick picked Harry and me up and we got on the road. Tons of traffic- maybe because of the baseball game maybe not-- anyway we landed at our house at midnight.
The end to a very productive mission trip.
We flew from Managua to Houston finally and had to pick up bags, go thru customs, give bags back, go thru security, get new boarding passes for our new flight and high tail it to Gate E30. When we got there with our new boarding passes, they were cancelled because the airline/computer didn't think we'd make the flight. The wonderful lady working the gate, reinstated our reservations and gave us better seats. We made it on the flight with maybe 5 minutes to spare. Y E A!
Home --Nick picked Harry and me up and we got on the road. Tons of traffic- maybe because of the baseball game maybe not-- anyway we landed at our house at midnight.
The end to a very productive mission trip.
Friday- last day before flying home
Our goal for Friday was to BlueFields to have a chat with the Moravian Bishop and to meet with Father Tony whom we had met at training. We took the early panga from Pearl Lagoon and the weather was threatening. I had heard when rain began on a panga ride, tarps were used to keep passengers dry. Had heard about it, but not experienced it til this morning. Three rows of passengers in front of us were obviously tourists, standing up to take pics and taking selfies and applying make-up during the ride. When the rain began, no one had clued them in on how to behave. What we had been told is-- lean over after the tarp (large piece of plastic) is in place so the driver can see where to steer the boat, No one had told them this and the driver had to stop one time and screamed at them to bend over-- and they never really got it. He was screaming in both English and Spanish and these folks were Hispanic. I took a video to show the chaos inside the tarp as we were going, but I'm having trouble getting it in here. Maybe later/ or not. The folks pictured are the ones in front of me.
The rain stopped and we arrived in Blue Fields in time for our meeting with the Bishop, but first we went to breakfast at the Galleria. Very good food, service lacking --ordered a sweet roll to go with my omelet-- never got it. Could have insisted, but wasn't worth the effort.
Our meeting with the Bishop concerned the two water systems here and their need for filters and other maintenance supplies. Many topics were discussed, along with the possible impact of the new concrete road being constructed between Managua and Blue Fields. The workers need water, so they had a 300 ft. well dug for their own use. When the road is finished, the Bishop has heard that the construction company will give the well to the Moravian church. It is 30 minutes out in the country, but may be available for use at some time in the future. Reports from the filtration systems were discussed, maintenance supplies and the possibility of a mini-warehouse for eastern Nicaragua. Renewing covenants was mentioned and we met Juliette, the Bishop's secretary who is the person to contact if assistance or info is needed. We received her e-mail for this.
After visiting the Old Bank filtration system (named for the neighborhood it is in) we visited with Father Tony at his church. Father Tony is the priest for 27 churches, most of them small towns like Pueblo Nuevo and Orinoco. He answered some of our questions about Pueblo Nuevo about sustainability and communication. He also said he thought there was a Ciber Cafe there-- which no one of the folks we talked to mentioned. He was supportive of our installing a system in one of the two communities. Told us that the Catholic church would be able to assist either town to become self sustaining. He is a positive gregarious person who worked in San Diego in air quality control in his former life. He seems to thrive on his many challenges and all we've talked to appreciate him greatly.
To celebrate the end of a successful trip (so far) we went to a very new and fancy restaurant with white table cloths and filtered water. I ordered a dish called Dedos de Pollo. We had plantain chops on the table (like tortilla chips at home) the food was good and the service excellent. We were staying at the Caribbean Breeze and Yobeth stayed in my room. Flying out in the morning for Managua and eventually home.
The rain stopped and we arrived in Blue Fields in time for our meeting with the Bishop, but first we went to breakfast at the Galleria. Very good food, service lacking --ordered a sweet roll to go with my omelet-- never got it. Could have insisted, but wasn't worth the effort.
Our meeting with the Bishop concerned the two water systems here and their need for filters and other maintenance supplies. Many topics were discussed, along with the possible impact of the new concrete road being constructed between Managua and Blue Fields. The workers need water, so they had a 300 ft. well dug for their own use. When the road is finished, the Bishop has heard that the construction company will give the well to the Moravian church. It is 30 minutes out in the country, but may be available for use at some time in the future. Reports from the filtration systems were discussed, maintenance supplies and the possibility of a mini-warehouse for eastern Nicaragua. Renewing covenants was mentioned and we met Juliette, the Bishop's secretary who is the person to contact if assistance or info is needed. We received her e-mail for this.
After visiting the Old Bank filtration system (named for the neighborhood it is in) we visited with Father Tony at his church. Father Tony is the priest for 27 churches, most of them small towns like Pueblo Nuevo and Orinoco. He answered some of our questions about Pueblo Nuevo about sustainability and communication. He also said he thought there was a Ciber Cafe there-- which no one of the folks we talked to mentioned. He was supportive of our installing a system in one of the two communities. Told us that the Catholic church would be able to assist either town to become self sustaining. He is a positive gregarious person who worked in San Diego in air quality control in his former life. He seems to thrive on his many challenges and all we've talked to appreciate him greatly.
To celebrate the end of a successful trip (so far) we went to a very new and fancy restaurant with white table cloths and filtered water. I ordered a dish called Dedos de Pollo. We had plantain chops on the table (like tortilla chips at home) the food was good and the service excellent. We were staying at the Caribbean Breeze and Yobeth stayed in my room. Flying out in the morning for Managua and eventually home.
Orinoco Island
After our visit with the community of Pueblo Nuevo, we loaded up our panga and went back the way we came to the island of Orinoco. Before meeting the community members and seeing the well and facilities, we needed to have lunch. I should have skipped this experience. During the whole trip I have been challenged to find "non fish" entrees cuz I really just don't like the taste or texture of fish. At this restaurant there were no menus and they did not provide bottled water. The waiter guy said we could have shirmp- fried, boiled, sauteed in butter or steamed. All meals come with rice. I ate about half the sauteed shrimp and drank water from the bottle I carried. NOT MY FAVORITE MEAL of the trip.
At the Catholic church, we met several community folks
who had been at the training on Wed. They showed us around the Sunday school facility across the street from the church and also showed us their well
. This is an entirely English speaking community which would make our training jobs much easier. They already have a building that could be used, but which would need some renovation--
drain added, roof strengthened for the tank, plywood walls removed,
All needed changes but
Really minor changes compared to building from scratch.
The well has not been used much but is 22 feet deep, has a 3.5 ft well diameter and contains 6 feet of water, with no pump-- Water is accessed with a bucket. Hardness of the water was 034.
When questioned about how we could communicate with them, it was discovered, while all have phones no one has e-mail or data for phones. In this community water is only available in quarts/liters-- larger bottles are not available. Occasionally they pour clorox in the well to kill bacteria. No mail service is available or hardware store for replacement parts. The local responsibilities for the installation were spelled out to the group. They will need pumps for well and system and the tanks would need to be purchased locally (in country)
We did remind them not to begin renovating until they heard from us
and our decision wouldn't be made immediately, but after discussion and research.
We left Orinoco after looking at the facilities for visitors to stay, I'd hardly call it a hotel, just marginally better than Pueblo Nuevo-- it did include a window in each room and had mosquito netting available. Bathroom facilities were available in the owner's house-- no clue where that was.
After returning to Green Lodge, we discussed the pros and cons of each place and were invited to think our decision over.
At the Catholic church, we met several community folks
The well has not been used much but is 22 feet deep, has a 3.5 ft well diameter and contains 6 feet of water, with no pump-- Water is accessed with a bucket. Hardness of the water was 034.
When questioned about how we could communicate with them, it was discovered, while all have phones no one has e-mail or data for phones. In this community water is only available in quarts/liters-- larger bottles are not available. Occasionally they pour clorox in the well to kill bacteria. No mail service is available or hardware store for replacement parts. The local responsibilities for the installation were spelled out to the group. They will need pumps for well and system and the tanks would need to be purchased locally (in country)
We did remind them not to begin renovating until they heard from us
We left Orinoco after looking at the facilities for visitors to stay, I'd hardly call it a hotel, just marginally better than Pueblo Nuevo-- it did include a window in each room and had mosquito netting available. Bathroom facilities were available in the owner's house-- no clue where that was.
After returning to Green Lodge, we discussed the pros and cons of each place and were invited to think our decision over.
Thursday we visited Pueblo Nuevo
Two or our goals met, we traveled on Thursday to the small villages that had been previously selected by the co-ordinator. Pueblo Nuevo is about an hour away from Pearl Lagoon via Panga. And Orinoco island is about 30 minutes from Pearl Lagoon.
This time we had to hire our own transportation because there is no regular panga service to either of these areas (that tells you how remote they are). Yobeth arranged for our personal panga to take us traveling.
We went to the farthest community first.--Pueblo Nuevo.
This community is situated around a really high, steep hill. The only modes of transportation here are by foot and by horse.
We saw no bicycles, but I'm not sure if we did see bikes, that they could make the steep climb to the top. A cement sidewalk is available to walk on and is helpful because the ground around it is mud (and horse poop). All of a sudden (about 3/4 of the way up) the sidewalk ended and what was left to finish the climb up the hill (that seems like a mountain) was the mud mixed with poop. (Remember the rainy season came early this year)
We got to the top of the hill to find our main contact who was at training the day before. He showed us the well, the surrounding area which include a church building,
another building for refuge in natural disasters and lots of empty fields.
Some in our group have concerns about a well on the top of a hill and
they ask questions about the amount of water pumped out in one day. We were told 500 gallons a day, some doubted that.
He told us where they plan to build a place for the water filtration system and that they have plans to put an electric pump on the well. The well was measured at 46 feet deep with 6 feet of water standing.
A whirl pack test was done to see if bacteria is present and a hardness test (24-25). The Whirl pack test must have 24 hours for bacteria to grow and develop, and Yobeth will check with them via phone on Friday.
A side note here, after talking to the "water committee"(interested community members) we learn that they all have phones, but not all have water or electricity in their houses. The small stores- in the front of various residences-- offer phone charging for a fee. One of the larger stores sold hand-made tack and saddles for the horses.
We moved to someone's house, where we sat in the shade of a tree and asked the questions we needed to ask to find out if they could sustain a water system.
There are maintenance costs and operator's salary to consider. We got the impression that most of the commerce in the area was of the barter type. (Our discussion later with Father Tony, Catholic priest/missionary, gave us a better understanding of the financial standing of the community) These people desperately want and need the water system, but we were concerned if they had the resources available to be able to sell the bottled water to keep the facility functioning without subsidy. Their main question of us is when will we know, so we can begin constructing the building for the filtration system.
We asked them where a group of 5-7 of us could stay for a week and where we could eat while there. They showed a place (I got no pictures, cuz it was not lit and the only illumination was through the boards in the walls. There were 6-7 rooms with a bed in each, no window, no electricity, no water-- just a room. They said they would cook for us at the church, but there would be a charge. We saw no bathroom facilities, but I am sure they exist.
An interesting very primitive place
We went to the farthest community first.--Pueblo Nuevo.
This community is situated around a really high, steep hill. The only modes of transportation here are by foot and by horse.
We got to the top of the hill to find our main contact who was at training the day before. He showed us the well, the surrounding area which include a church building,
A whirl pack test was done to see if bacteria is present and a hardness test (24-25). The Whirl pack test must have 24 hours for bacteria to grow and develop, and Yobeth will check with them via phone on Friday.
A side note here, after talking to the "water committee"(interested community members) we learn that they all have phones, but not all have water or electricity in their houses. The small stores- in the front of various residences-- offer phone charging for a fee. One of the larger stores sold hand-made tack and saddles for the horses.
We moved to someone's house, where we sat in the shade of a tree and asked the questions we needed to ask to find out if they could sustain a water system.
We asked them where a group of 5-7 of us could stay for a week and where we could eat while there. They showed a place (I got no pictures, cuz it was not lit and the only illumination was through the boards in the walls. There were 6-7 rooms with a bed in each, no window, no electricity, no water-- just a room. They said they would cook for us at the church, but there would be a charge. We saw no bathroom facilities, but I am sure they exist.
An interesting very primitive place
 |
| a family residence in Pueblo Nuevo |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)