How El Rama Obtaines its Rocks: The Story of Bad Ass Rock Crushers.

It’s around 10:30am on a lovely and breezy Wednesday morning. After a comfortable and leisurely stroll I arrive to my intended destination. Just when I peak my head draped with long, flowing, golden locks of love into my favorite Cyber, I realize that the Power had gone out. ¨Damnit¨ I screamed in my head, ¨now what am I going to do until 11:30¨ at which time I am supposed to meet my Dutch friend Patrick to see his NGO in action.

Just when I step out from the drearily dark computer room I hear a ¨aye Jeff what’s going on.¨ Well alright, its Patrick. He was downtown buying some printer ink. He asked if I’d like to just come on by right then. Absolutely, I didn’t have anything else to do except slowly get my t-shirt more wet from sweat. We hiked up the famous hill a bit to reach his haven for children. He came to Nicaragua a number of years ago traveling, met his wife, and realized after seeing such poverty that he wanted to give back. He admirably didn’t want to give his 10 dollars, or Euros or whatever, and call it a day, so in his words he ¨got off his ass¨ and did something about it.

He started an NGO from Holland with a few friends. He has 7 employees here that help out in various functions from cooking, cleaning to teaching. He built a nice new building on the side of the big hill with gorgeous sweeping views of lower El Rama. In this building he helps 65 children in 2 shifts (morning and afternoon) in a variety of ways. He gives lessons, advice, playtime, toothbrushes, but most notably, food.

Since we arrived early before the food was ready, because I was going to dominate some food of his, we went on a tour of his property that encompasses a large portion of the surrounding hill side. After this he asks me if I have seen where they ¨break rocks¨ to which I replied ¨nope.¨

We walked along the hill to a part of town that was completely new to me. Let’s remember folks that this is the hill I have climbed 2 times before with my family, and with my friend Jessa, yet I had never been to this side of the hill. The side we climbed is a relatively gradual grade, making it accessible to hikers. The other side, which is visible from the entering highway and much of the town, is a sheer faced rock wall. We enter a poor, even by El Rama standards community led by one of the students from Patrick´s eatery where we delicately navigated rocks and ferns before emerging into Rock City.

Upon entering this other world I feel slightly overwhelmed by the stark difference from the rest of the town. From town the rock face is visible, but banana trees and other tropical vegetation mask the base of the hill. On this base lies a community of people that have set up meager little shelters for working. It consists of 4 poles and a piece of plastic overhead to protect from rain. Under their own canopy people sit down with a mallet, a small 8 inch diameter tire(where they put the bigger rocks to keep them from flying all over the place) and pound away. They collect fallen rocks that have been blown from the hill with dynamite and crush rocks by hand to produce small enough, and of high enough quality rocks, (because some of the rock is not sufficient) that will be used for concrete and other building applications. They can make about 1.5 cubic yards a week which they can sell for about 600 Cordoba’s, or 30 dollars. Nobody dares interfere with each other’s rocks and everyone respects each other’s space.

I talked with a lady who had been doing this for some years; she was the mother of the little girl who brought Patrick and me there. She said the government was going to bring in a machine to crush rocks. What a conundrum. I love efficiency, but these people will be out of work. The conditions are harsh but uneducated Nicaraguans have little to no chance of finding other work around here. The Government says it will let these people run the machine but let’s be honest; there will be little need for that many people to run a machine. I am thinking of making a machine for them if the big machine doesn’t fall through. I have some simple easy ideas for a gravity and pulley machine that could crush rocks with ease. At least the kids are no longer working there like they had been 3 years previously. Now they get to enjoy Patrick’s hard work at the school, daycare, eatery, fun palace.

What a crazy place, this rock city!

Adios

Pain Is Temporary, My Phenomenal Performance Will Be Etched Into Their Cerebral Cortex Forever!

We have no rain! usually on this side of the country during October we are inundated with water almost constantly. The west coast on the other hand is far less effected by torrential downpours. Well not this year my friends. I have been luck enough, or unlucky enough to not have rain engulfing my town. I don't like rain, but here with the sweltering heat, it brings a nice refreshing feel to the air. The west coast has had flooding for what seams like months now, taking out road, services, cultivating weird diseases, and generally making problems much more daunting for people who really don't need any more obstacles in their way. So today is hot, no rain.

last week was normal. Round 3 of the softball diaries is still having profound effects on the city of El Rama and the person of El Jeff. After missing last weekends game due to my trip to Kukra Hill, my team was in dire need of winning these 2 games in order to qualify for the next weeks games. Apparently without me they crumbled. Well look out, because I was 7 of 8 with 2 home runs, 0 errors and 3 diving catches. needless to say after such an all star performance, we won both games soundly. I am more physically in pain from these 2 games then i ever was after a football game. I am fully scraped on my arm and side from one diving catch. On another catch over my head I stepped on one of the million rocks the comb our majestic fields which has either bruised a small bone in my food, or given me a stress fracture. I bruised my heal of my other foot on an unknown rock just a few plays later. My right quadriceps is strained from my first home run, I really should stretch first. Then to top it off I cant move my right shoulder that i re-injured after anther outstanding diving catch over the 3rd base line. Oh well, my game will be talked about for months here in little El Rama. haha, but in all seriousness, I am hurting bad, I hope my shoulder isn´t to bad, but if I cant move it in a few days, Ill get a free trip to Managadad!

This week should be a busy work filled adventure as it always is. I was stood up today by doña Blancita, the tortilla lady that I'm supposed to consult. I took a taxi 20 min away to meet her at the time she specified only for her to not be there. Pretty typical Nica style though really. Ohh well.

ALABAMA NEEDS TO GET ITS HEAD OUT OF ITS ASS! That being said, if we win out and don't make it to the national championship game because of Boise state I will be livid!

Adios