Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Up at 4AM, gently awakened by a brief rain drumming on the corrugated metal roof.
Looking over the quiet valley and the little lights I try to count the number of roosters crowing….forget it there are way too many….not close thankfully.
A few dogs barks…and what is it with the horns a occasional staccato of horns. Back to bed. Up again at 8. Looked horizontal to the top of a rainbow in the valley.
The Junkers immediate hot water heater with 5 minute timer about 8”x 12” x 18” has pilot light and igniter hidden on bottom. Worked ok with low flow shower head.
Internet provided via cell service from valley below.
Liza just went to shower building wearing many clothes which she slept in including my sweater, says she was still cold, with a laugh.
The Germans left, traveling for 16 years, they appear to have the travel process down pat.
Shoes, clothes, backpacks, clean efficient. Chris coming in covered with dirt into the lodge getting water for the work crew.
“Andy come and look at the dirt-bag staff housing we are building.” I go to find some of the regulars and a campesino filling and stacking bags of dirt btween posts on th hillside, a very steep hillside.
Looks precarious but at least has only 20 feet of overburden hangin over it, not hundreds.
I suppose they are preserveing the little available flat land for activities, buildings and farming go on the hillside.
We ask for help carrying our bags to the top, Brinna has a helper available nd he gets to it.
We follow, it is very steep and meet him at the top, Q15.
11:56 PM
Just came down from the mountains, Liza wanted to do a bit more shopping and I would like to do more volunteer work if possible.
Going through our pics I liked the ones of us working. I suppose the juxtaposition of that and the lounging hippies at the mountain camp. Lunch again at our favorite Café Contesa, probably high at Q105, $14 for 2, but very good.
Minestrone soup, fresh whole wheat bread & butter, limeade, orange juice, Liza had a salad which turned out to be red pepper, cucumber, shallots, baby leafs.
We were returning to Hotel Cortez but prefer to have wifi and a bigger bath and nicer? Liza has gone out to search, her first time out alone, what stories will she return with? Our hotel for tomorrow night is full so we popped across the street where the rooms are a tad nicer, they have WiFi, court yard full of kids, maids sluicing something, dogs, puppies, parrots, turtles and many conversations in many different languages, so not quiet at least at 4:40PM. The volcano rumbles quite a bit.
Liza ventured out on her own to the Mercado.... We will see, should be back soon. Leg was fine till 3rdday of volunteering, then many stairs and hills.... Then at night roaming the towns streets then the Earth Lodge on a mountain where it is all inclines and stairs.
Liza is back, Yeah. Got sick of merchants "how much you pay?.... Business is business...special price just for you!" was fun at first but after 500 it gets old. She did get a bracelet for q11 after bartering reluctantly down from Q40. Q7.5 per dollar We been going on the cheap cept for some meals.
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