July 25, 2008 - Copan, Honduras
"The most basic health problem we have is the water. The water we have isn´t safe to drink. I countryside, the people drink water wherever they can get it - whether or not it´s safe. Sometimes there are even snakes in the water, and frogs. Those are things they can see. But what about the things they can´t see? Because it´s those invisible things, those parasites, that get us sick. It´s the parasites the give our children those big, bloated bellies."
- Elvia Alvarado
Our first week of classes ended today, so my one-on-one teacher, Carmen, and I said our farewells. Even though Carmen is a teenage college student working for tuition, I learned a great deal from her.
As is true in much of Central America, family comes first. Carmen has never traveled more than 30 miles from her family home in Copan, including to University and a visit to Guatemala. She would like to travel, but explained that there is no rhyme-or-reason to who gets a passport. It appears that one must be, or sponsored by, a prominent member of Honduran society in order to receive a passport or visa.
In the two year - Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua became a Union of countries, so their citizens may cross these borders with nothing more than personal I.D.
If Carmen is ever able to travel to the U.S., her priority destination is Las Vegas. Many locals also ask about Las Vegas. One member of our group explained that Las Vegas is considered by some to be the b-tt hole of the U.S. I guess if the U.S. is shaped like a cow, this would be the correct anatomical position.
Our Friday also included a trip to Aguas Termales. A hard scape architect arrived in Honduras at some point to turn a beautiful hot spring into Paradise. Set upon a hillside of tropical rainforest, the amenities included a walking stone foot message, mud bath, steam shower, and a cascading waterfall of hot springs ranging from hot at the top, to cool near the bottom. The intended effect is that 'nature intended' this perfection. However, while laying in a hot bath where bubbles messaged my back, looking into the forest canopy, it was realized that a 'la nature, sadly, could not have made this so convenient.
Finally clean and running water for the town returns.
