Mangoes and Heat

Here in Managua there are two things that seem to be pervading all other parts of our lives. Mangoes and the heat. It is mango season here and there are a number of mango trees where I work so the ground is covered in yellow mangoes. The tree directly above our office is always dropping the mangoes onto the tin roof so that I jump out of my chair at least five times a day as the mangoes bang onto the roof. I really shouldn't be complaining though, eating fresh mangoes everyday can't be beat. People sell them out of their houses for four cordobas (about $.25) a dozen. The other thing is the heat. We are in the middle of the summer season here and the winds are fierce and hot. They blow the dust around so that everything is covered in a fine dust, even if you try to clean daily everything is covered again by the afternoon. The rainy season will start again in May or June, and then it will rain everyday.

Because it's the dry season water is scarce. There are a number of wells in Managua that are not functioning and so the government is continually cutting the water to save as much as they can. Mostly they cut water to the poor communities and the community where my work is does not have water during the day, and it barely comes on at night. I'm not sure what people are doing for water at this point, we have access to a tank that people take out to fill everyday. Most people don' t have access to such resources.

I have moved out of the host family's house that I lived in for my initial five months. I am actually living in a house in a community about fifteen minutes away from my work. I am working as a caretaker at this Quaker house that serves as a boarding house for visitors who come from all over the world. My job is fairly easy, I basically am there to watch the house and when guests arrive I give them keys and answer any questions that they might have. I haven't had any guests all month, but I am expecting to have some soon. It's been a good change for me, I am closer to Managua which means I feel more free to be able to go out and spend time in the larger community. It's interesting too because when I do have guests I get to meet people who are generally doing neat work in the world and in Nicaragua in particular. I'm hoping that somehow I'll be able to get a hook-up for a job when I leave and am ready to come back to the United States.

I am actually currently in the US, it is Friday, April 28th, I arrived here last night. I will be in the States until the 8th of May, when I will go back to Nicaragua until the end of August. At that point I am planning to come back and live in the States, although we'll see what actually happens. Plans are still up in the air.