Day 8

First off, we wanted to thank everybody for keeping up with our blog, unfortunately this is the last one, but today couldn’t have been a better day to spend the “longest day of the year,” the summer solstice. We woke up around 6:30am, and enjoyed the typical breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant, French toast and eggs with an assortment of fruits. We then boarded the bus for an hour-long journey to Tela, where we would board our boat to snorkel and go on the Eco Tour. Little did we know, the company lined up to take us out on the tour must have decided they wanted to watch the Honduras soccer game instead, leaving us to find a new guide and boats. After relaxing on the beach and swimming, Nicola and Kevin arranged a great tour company. While we waited, both Dyson and Mark got their hair braided by some ladies walking along the beach; they looked really good...check out the pictures.

We took our boat about 40 minutes out into the water and arrived on the beautiful Punta Sal Island, a national park occupied by two Garifuna families. We snorkeled for about an hour, saw some coral and a barracuda. Our tour guide gathered coconuts and sliced them open for us to drink the fresh coconut milk while we floated in the water. The Garifuna family on the island prepared fresh fish for us caught just before we arrived, delish. We wandered along the beach, climbing on the rocks surrounding the island, and then boarded the boat again to go to the other side of the island for the Eco Tour. We traveled through the rainforest, saw some hollar monkeys that made some frightening sounds at us, threw acorns at us and attempted to pee on the teachers. The noises they made sounded like ferocious dogs. Right before we left, we made a quick stop at a natural tunnel formed through the mountain, where some of the brave swam through to the other side, pretty exciting. After the tour, we got back on the boat and returned to the mainland.

The island was gorgeous not only because of the tropical scenery surrounding it, but because it was completely isolated and practically unoccupied with the exception of the two families. Our lunch was cooked on a mud stove, and then served to us as we sat at rustic homemade tables while looking out at the Caribbean. A few of us even got to eat while lounging in hammocks.

Tonight’s dinner was at a restaurant that has become a trip favorite. The food was similar to lunch, freshly caught fish with rice and fried plantains and beans. Some were even brave enough to eat the eyes of the fish…yum…

With our final day approaching, we’ve all been thinking about this experience. Being here has led to us having a greater appreciation for the things we take for granted back in Richmond, such as money, food, and our families. Although we have only been with the ProNiño boys for a short time, the bonds that have been created seem as if we’ve known them for years. Meeting them was not just a simple acquaintance, but the experience of breaking the language barrier and getting the boys to open up to us. Friendships were made and strengthened throughout the week, and leaving them tomorrow will be difficult. We all hope to continue helping the boys through fundraising and donations while we cannot physically be here with them, we can be a part of their lives, forever.

Thanks for reading and we all look forward to seeing everybody when we get back!

----megan, colscon and emma

Thanks to our families for allowing us this incredible opportunity.

A special thanks to Lindy and Erica for all the great pictures they’ve taken throughout the week, and to John Charles for uploading them and managing the blog!!!!!

For more pictures from day 8 click HERE

Day 6-7

Hello from Honduras blogazoids. The past two days we have haggled with street vendors, walked the cobbled streets of Copán, and conquered a portion of the Mayan empire. Cramped in a 26-passenger bus we begin this epic 45 minutes from Hotel Casablanca at the San Pedro Sula Market. We anxiously dove into the throng of street vendors and unexperienced tourists willing to pay full price for the various goodies, trinkets, and useless novelties. Some vendors set ridiculously high prices but with some prodding we were mostly able to succeed in lowering the cost. Next came the City Mall for lunch and some free Tiempo. Lets just say Time magazine in Honduras has very effective advertising tactics. After our short respite we hopped back on the bus for our luxurious four-hour ride to Copán with only a quick bathroom break before hitting the mountainous roads. This perilous trail entailed rockslides, voraciously hungry children who were only quenched by our tossing dulces out the windows, and the ever present look from the locals, which means “hey look, gringos!” Finally, we made it to Copán only to encounter a gushing mountain stream blocking our path. Despite our encouragement, Carlos, our driver, decided this blockade was too peligroso for the bus to handle. We made our way up the steep slopes of Copán and arrived at La Casa de Café. This sleeping facility included complimentary hammocks for our every relaxation need. We made our way into the busy streets filled with vendors anxious to rip us off, but most of us found our every souvenir need in the world’s best, most awesome gift shop ever. After our wallets were depleted, we returned to the hotel and got ready for dinner. The chaperones forbade us to eat with them so we dropped our heads and hobbled through the pouring rain in groups to various restaurants. The rest of the evening consisted of games and senseless babbling late into the night. We may have gone to bed at a reasonable time if Lindy, Nicola, and Erika had been mature enough to keep the practical jokes to a minimum. Their 1:30am escapades left us tired in the morning, as several of us had to retaliate and therefore our 6:30am wake up call was rough. After a hearty breakfast we jumped into three wheeled taxi-go-karts, which was very similar to Mario Kart. Team José in the 58 BMW kart were victorious by great margins in both trips. We finally arrived at the famous Copán ruins where we met Marvin who referred to himself as Marvin the Martian. We’d say that nickname is accurate. This corn-filled guide was both entertaining and extremely knowledgeable. Next came a quick lunch then we loaded back up on the bus for the long journey back to Hotel Casablanca. The long bumpy, cramped bus ride ended at Nelly’s, a restaurant next to our hotel where we finished our day with ice cream from the shop next door. Our day wasn’t completely without service however, as a boy came begging for money and we shared our food, sending him home with a full stomach. That’s all for days 6-7. See y’all tomorrow.

~Leslie, Brant, and Kevin

P.S. Feliz Día de Padres - Happy Father’s Day for all you who haven’t discovered google translate yet!

For more pictures from days 6 and 7 click HERE

Day 5

Hello followers of our bloooog. Today was another fascinating and adventurous day for the handsome and beautiful workers of Collegiate. The day started off with a thrilling US World Cup tie, watched on the “ProNino Plasma.” Following the game, we moved old, heavy railroad ties to the new bridge connecting the new soccer field sight to the rest of the ProNiño grounds. Lindy did most of the heavy lifting. After the grueling haul, 5 girls went to paint the divider separating the different age groups eating areas. There was a green backdrop with rainbow ProNiño written across the whole thing. The 2 centers names were also painted with the Spanish words for peace and love. They were muy guapo. For the majority of the day, we didn’t have a whole lot of work to do. The workers who help us with the projects refused our help because of their “pride.” We all think it was because they get paid by the day and our efficient skills cut their work time significantly. Although this made us slightly bored it gave us significant time with all the boys, which was probably more fulfilling than manual labor. At the end of the day we finally scraped up some work. A small group dug up one of the heavily cemented soccer goals and replaced it with a brand-spankin new goal fit with even more cement. The best part of the day was definitely our Fiesta. 30 pizza hut zas and 3 liter Pepsis filled our stomachs, quenched our thirst, and jacked the kids up on caffeine. Their energy fueled the dancing and laughter that followed the feast. After a fabulous day, we regrouped and met in room 202 of the Casa Blanca Hotel for some of Peavey’s famous relaxation and reflection.

For those following us we will not have a blooog tomorrow because we will be heading to Copan for some R&R. Enjoy VA.

Hola!

Love, ELISE, RILEY, and dyson

P.S. Cipro has eased our queasy stomachs and we are feeling much better.

For a lot more pictures from day 5 click HERE

Day 4

Ever tried cutting your grass with a machete? We hadn’t either until today. But from personal experience, we highly recommend that you stick with a lawnmower...
Today began like any other Honduran day - the morning birds squawking through our doors, a British wake up call from Nicola, and a savory mix of fresh fruit and eggs awaiting us at the breakfast table. Continuing with our morning routine, we sleepwalked onto the colorful bus and headed our merry way to ProNiño.
Unfortunately, we had a bit of difficulty actually entering said establishment, for it seemed as though the entrance gate was locked. After sounding the horns of our multiple cars many a time, not a person was in sight to let us in. Little did we know, we didn’t actually need their assistance. The gate wasn’t even locked. We didn’t realize this until an eight-year-old child quizzically walked our way, then opened the gate with ease. Oops. Yet, despite our rocky start, the day quickly emerged into another one we will always remember.
After saying a quick hello to the boys, we got right to work. Our strength was immediately put to the test as soon as we began our cinder block assembly line, and was further tested as we macheteed our way through the swampy vegetation. Feeling like Indiana Jones fresh out of the rain forest, we put down our makeshift grass cutters and took a much-needed break.
As always, the highlight of the day was when we got to play with the boys. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing the immediate smiles on their eager faces as soon as they see us coming their way. Always ready for a hug or a game of soccer, our time together seems to be the highlight of their day as well. Both of us, along with many others, received colorful homemade bracelets from them - including some that were even personalized with names and phrases on them.
Today another group of us took a trip to the orphanage and nutrition center. After taking a tour of the orphanage, we joined the adorable children for a snack of watermelon, then we went outside with them to play. Next, we headed to the nutrition center. We arrived during bath time and right afterwards we played with the freshly cleaned toddlers. We stayed there a little longer than planned because Nicola made fast friends with a little girl with pink shoes.
After a quick stop at Super Jugo, we returned to the hotel. We were told to meet for dinner at 6:45, even though we weren’t actually going to eat until 8:00. This mysterious time gap had us all guessing what was in store for the night. Much to our surprise, we had the delight of being the first to see the ProNiño boys’ production that they have been rehearsing for since February, which received a well- deserved standing ovation.
After the play, we went to dine at the famous “Parrilla Uruguay”, where we enjoyed a smorgasbord of various meats. Though we could clearly tell that there was chicken and beef, we refrained from eating the other unidentifiable selections on the platter. We closed our experience there with a group-wide game at the table. Finally, we headed back to the hotel, and after a brief group meeting, we headed our separate ways and bid each other goodnight. Adios amigos.

Carolina y Julia (aka Caroline and Julia)

P.S. from the chaperones – We have had the usual queasy stomachs, and fortunately they have quickly run their course!

For more pictures from day 4 click HERE

Day 3

Today we were able to sleep in until 7:30 because of the World Cup however some of us woke up at 5:30 to catch the game. Once awake and dressed we headed over to the restaurant near the hotel to eat breakfast and pack our lunches. Kevin arrived a little after 9 and our day at ProNiño began. We divided into our families and each received different tasks. Some were gardening while others were mixing cement. While the rest of the group continued with these tasks we along with Leslie and Caroline went to fetch water at the market. For this we were rewarded with delicious fruit juices. While ordering our juices we bumped into Mark H, Riley, Dyson and Brant who had been picking up metal pipes to build soccer goals. By the time we returned back to ProNiño, everyone was ready for some lunch. We sat in the shade and enjoyed our peanut butter sandwiches. After a quick bite to eat and siesta once again we were divided up and sent to different places. We went to La Montaña with Mark H. and Colscon, with Mr. Saine driving a truckload of 10 kids and loads of lumber. Quite honestly, we did not think we were going to make it to the top of the mountain with all the weight we were carrying. Luckily, Mr. Saine’s wonderful driving skills got us there safely. When we got there we unloaded the wood and watched the crafty boys prepare it for the building of the divider walls. While they were finishing up, we got a more detailed tour of the campus. Meanwhile another group had the opportunity to go to the Nutrition Center and then the Orphanage to see the children. Those who went had a great experience, they said it was amazing seeing the before and after pictures. They now appear so much healthier after spending time in those centers. The third group stayed at ProNiño. They got to spend the afternoon talking and playing with the boys. The simplest games bring them so much enjoyment. Caroline and Óscar were able to create a game using only a glove that remained fun for a lot of time. These simple games are easy to create yet provide lots of laughs and bonding between the boys and us. A little after 4:00 our workday finished, each of us having a different yet equally enriching day. We all met back at the hotel and got ready for dinner. We then headed off to Mr. Taco were we enjoyed chicken and steak tacos. After dinner we headed back to the hotel for our final gathering of the day. We had a chance to add to our journals and have a deeper time to reflect on each of our adventures of the day. We wrapped up our chat and headed to our rooms for bed.

Annie and Walker

For more pictures from day 3 click HERE

Day 2

Woke up at 6:30 :( We had some breakfast which was quite delicious. There was a plentiful supply of fruit eggs, and pancakes. After breakfast we prepared lunch for ourselves and got on the bus. As we arrived at ProNiño many of the boys were out and about and quickly turned their attention towards us with excitement. We played with them for a half hour or so and went to work. Our main job while at ProNiño is supplying the boys with a new soccer field. Unfortunately there is a 10 foot wide ditch, creek, moat….we don’t really know what to call it. Anyway, to cross the moat we need to build a bridge and today consisted mainly of planning and moving various supplies over to the bridge area. The main supplies we needed were three huge railway ties approximately 250 meters from the bridge. Amidst the ties we found 3 massive tarantulas and two mice. Using a recycled section of an old fence to hoist up the ties, as a group of roughly 15 we carried 3 ties engulfed in not-friendly ants. Around lunchtime it started raining and we all had a nice break to talk and joke around. After the rain we had time to hang out and play with the kids. For the second day in a row we Americans played a soccer game against the ProNiño boys and were again victorious. Tired, practically zombies, we made our way home in several trucks and truck beds. The ride home was interesting and cool. Very interesting, but definitely cool. Straight from the trucks we stampeded into the pool, which was possibly the best pool dive-in ever. We ate at a cool little outdoor restaurant a few minutes down the road from the hotel. We had the chance to eat with a judge and ProNiño founder, the equivalent of the State Attorney General and her daughter, a rising senior. The judge deals with many of the juvenile issues in Honduras. Hearing her stories and first-hand wisdom was awesome. Dinner over, we have returned back to our cozy hotel to reunite with our lovely beds.

Mark H, Timmy, Stephen

For more pictures from day 2 click HERE

Day 1

Day 1

6/14/10

Woke up at 3 am. Arrived at the airport and got our “families”. Got to Honduras successfully almost missing our connecting flight having to sprint through the Houston Airport. Lindy’s phone wasn’t working so our apologies about the phone tree being delayed! Got on a rickety bus with a few pro nino boys carrying our luggage. Rode to hotel, checked in, went to lunch at mall food court. Drove to Las Montanas looking at the painfully poor neighborhoods on the way up the mountain. At Las Montanas there were a lot of kids our age learning a trade such as carpentry, medal shop, electrician, etc. After Las Montanas we went to the Las Flores and met all the kids of pro nino who greeted us with open arms. We played soccer for hours and were victorious over the Honduran 12 year olds. We came back to the hotel and swam in the pool and then got ready to go to dinner right next to the hotel. Dinner was chicken and mashed potatoes with vegetable rice. It was delectable. Then we had a terrific meeting to reflect on our day. Now everyone is very tired including us bloggers wanting to go to bed.

Mark, Ellen, Meredith

For more pictures from day 1 click HERE