Enjoying A Trip

Living in Honduras offers many opportunities to see beautiful scenery and experience new adventures. It is hard, sometimes, to think of what I am doing certain moments as work. This last week was filled with such moments.

On Wednesday, I flew to Belize City to attend a conference on Aquaponics (raising fish and vegetables together). The conference featured Nelson and Pade Aquaponics founders and was something I had hoped to attend for some years. Having it in Belize City was a real opportunity.

 

Holding the post up while Jimmi does the work - I did carry the gravel and dirt ... just so you know

The short flight to Belize was in a twelve-seater plane. Flying in small planes is so much more fun than large ones. We were able to watch all the dials and maps on the pilot console and, because we flew so much lower, able to see the gorgeous reefs, islands and empty shorelines clearly. A bank of cumulus clouds made the trip more exciting as we dodged through the openings.

Belize is a British colony and features Her Majesty's picture on their currency. I felt right at home. The difference in culture between the two countries is really amazing. Language is, of course different with a mixture of English, Garifuna, Creole and Caribbean dialect instead of Spanish. The food is different as well - a mixture of English, Indian, African and some Spanish. Many more spices and flavours are part of the diet. For a Prairie boy, mashed potatoes was a wonderful treat.

The conference was enjoyable although not as informative as I had hoped. Our focus in Honduras is finding simple ways for the poor to grow food, address nutritional concerns and find new sources of income. They don't need large systems with a heavy reliance on technical equipment and large sources of energy.

 

A ferro-cement tank being built by my friend Glen - I helped with design ideas and taking him to see some already-made tanks (so ... get part of the credit ... enough to post a photo anyways)

It is very difficult for people who have not lived any length of time outside of their culture to appreciate the need for food systems that are small, simple but utilize good science and a modicum of technology. Our culture is a mono-culture based way of thinking - in agriculture, in business and, often, in religion. To switch to a poly-culture, integrated and multi-use way of thinking is a struggle.

Fortunately, I was able to spend a day with Jimmi and Sandra, a couple who have a small aquaponics system in Belize and who are looking at ways to make it more integrated and multi-faceted. We discussed many ideas and how to implement them - both in Belize and here in Honduras. Jimmi has several years experience and has learned what must be done and what can be left undone. As well, because we have talked for some time, he is interested in using his waste streams to better effect. Despite the efficiency of his system, he has room to easily double or triple his income by utilizing the waste streams of plant material, fish carcasses, fish manure and space management.

 

Karen showing her purse (lined with a zipper top)

We spent a couple of hours making some wicking beds where Jimmi will try growing alternative crops. That was enjoyable although, at 2.00 p.m. in the greenhouse rather warm.

The flight back was as enjoyable as the first flight. It was nice to be home in good time to have a few hours of Sunday rest.

Karen finished her first crocheted purse. I am so impressed with the way in which students are learning how to crochet and the way in which Yeni, Ana and Maricella are teaching them.

TTYL

BB

Already Home

This morning, we organized four separate groups of people to go to Plan Grande, the site of our next building project. We were only one hour behind schedule when we left. That is a miracle in itself.

In Plan Grande, we met with the families that will be participating. They were introduced to each of the players in the project and we talked about the potential and the work that lies ahead.

 

Christopher and Catarin Nuñez - 2 of our students

After the meeting, we went to look at the land. Edgar and I had prepared a bunch of plants to start in the property (read that, "Edgar prepared and Bryan paid wages and organized"). I took one of my homemade planting shovels and, along with several of the men, headed to one edge of the property and began planting.

In the next hour, we planted over 200 cuttings, slips and plants. Trying to imagine what it was like for people to plant something on what will be their own property. It was, I am quite sure, the first time in their lives to plant anything other than maize, beans and cassava. Two kinds of Chaya cuttings, Vetiver grass and Lemon grass slips, and Arachis pintoi plants all found a new home. In addition, we left several hundred seeds for Pigeon Pea, Moringa, Mucuna, and Tephrosia. It will be great if they plant them.

 

Johnny learning to crochet - Hurrah - Yeni's Teaching is Paying Off

These people have seen this land all their lives. They have walked, harvested firewood and played on it. But, today, for the first time, they were looking at it with new eyes. It was, now, home.

How many times in my life have I looked at horizons, packed to leave, sought alternatives ... when I was already home. How much of religious activity and energy is spent fruitlessly ignoring the home and the Continual Present Tense that surrounds and invades us.

 

You can see them if you squint hard enough

Last weekend, on a trip to Belize to renew my visa status, I talked with a man (named Bryan as well) about a Mayan plant Calaloo (Amaranth family). He took me upstairs and showed me two other Mayan plants that have highly nutritious edible leaves. Wow. He is going to organize seeds for me to collect the next trip to Belize. So many resources already available.

Fish are still living and growing. Today marks a month in the tanks. Tomorrow morning we hope to harvest some (mostly to give space to the others) and cook them in a pressure cooker to make sardines. Will see how they taste.

 

Edel and Anna - close second (but ... since they won the Spreadsheet contest the day before the judge ruled against them )

Yeni and Manuel hard at work. Chepe looks on in admiration.

Last Wednesday was PowerPoint Competition day for the Staff. Yeni and Manuel won.

TTYL

BB

Waiting

We were told to be at a meeting of the Municipal Board this morning in regards to the land for our next housing project. The time to be there was set at 9.00 a.m. We arrived early in order to set up our projector and have it ready for our presentation.

All was going well when a young man wearing a phone in his ear - always a danger sign in my mind - arrived to tell us that we couldn't set up the equipment before our presentation and that the presentation wouldn't be until 10 or 10.30. The Board meeting started at nine and, for some odd reason, they couldn't have a projector sitting on the table while they met. It is 11.00 now and we are still waiting. Not sure how the presentation will go because we have to go through the rigmarole of setting up computer and projector while one of us talks to the group.

One of the frustrations of working here is the reluctance of so few to help out. There seems to be a feeling that, since expatriates have recourse to unlimited funds, we should pay for anything and everything and at an inflated rate. Totally frustrating.

Post Meeting.

The presentation went fairly well. Manuel and Chepe did their usual stellar job of presenting our program and telling where we wanted to go with the next project. The Board was somewhat interested but only after the intervention of a fairly impassioned plea by the Mayor did there seem to be any indication that action should take place quickly.

Afterwards, we met with our lawyer to discuss cost of documents and so forth. Once again, we were taken completely aback with the cost suggested. Using a simple calculator, the lawyer was asking for what would work out to a million dollar a year income. She was genuinely puzzled why I would think it rather exorbitant or why I would have trouble getting the money. After all, we would just pass on the price of the lawyer fees to the people in the project ... in other words, we would just ask the poor to pay more for their homes - the equivalent of one month's minimum wage for each home owner for each document ... and no saying how many documents we would need finally. The solution, in the lawyer's mind was that we could pay later ... didn't have to pay up front. I missed the point of the solution as it would still have to be paid. The lawyers' union has, evidently, set prices for certain types of transactions and you are supposed to pay those rates regardless. When land is involved it is partly based on the amount of land involved - so ... more land, more cost.

Enough griping.  Won't help find the solution. It has been one of those weeks with frustration after frustration by people who want to milk the cow without feeding it.

TTYL

BB