monday 5/4 the downpour

today was like a dream! we went around to the local woodmills with 5 youngsters all family and collect madera gratis (free wood). there are many within a 5 block radius and whatever they dont use they burn in huge piles (very sad a wasteful). they take huge trees and cut them down to make little boxes for transporting vegetables as this is the place where everything is grown and sent around the country. its a ridiculous procedure and i'm sure they burn the boxes when they get where they're going. we had a wheelbarrow and got so much we ended up constructing a "wood plane" and kent and four of the boys carried the load on two of the larger pieces of wood. it was hysterical to watch lots of yelling, laughing and small pieces falling off repeatedly.

to top it all off when we were en route to the land (a twenty min walk) the torrential rain started at noon right on queue. they say the first of may the rain starts and it comes everyday at noon and its true- bizarre! we were all soaked to the bone, and the wood too. we didnt give up though we kept on truckin' until we made it to the land and started to construct a casita. we had a hammer and nails and the boys and kent made a floor while fanny and her brother set up a tarp with the bigger pieces of wood. we tied string to the trees and when the piso (floor) was built slid it under the tarp and all sat down to have a nice lunch.

while they we frantically hammering and running around i took the bike and flew down the hill in the pouring rain to get cokes and sandwiches, and some cookies as a treat! the disk brakes were so wet i couldnt stop and was nearly clobbered by a taxi (the drivers here are merciless!) but i safely returned after being laughed at by every passing local carrying or riding their bikes with umbrellas (paraguas). the boys were all shivering and wet as wet can be but we had a great time and returned to our casas after another ten min walk for sopa caliente. (hot chicken soup)