Elated

Elated, excited, in-awe, enchanted, tired, fatigued, overwhelmed, grateful, uncomfortable, flattered, embarrased, anxious, hopeful, expectant. Can one person feel all of these emotions at once? Here we are, nestling into our foam bed for the second night in Nueva Segovia, and we are feeling all of this and then some.

Our new home, located near El Jicaro, Nueva Segovia, couldn't be more perfect. Our hose is right off the hightway at the base of a hill used for grazing cattle. The landscape of low, rolling mountains resembles the perfect, idilic scenes that dreams are made of. A small pine forest, with a little stream and a pond, lies just around the bend. A blend of fruit trees, palms, bananas, pines, cyprus, cedar, and tropical deciduous share the hillsides with fields of pasture, corn, beans, and sugar cane. The highway to El Jicaro is receiving a face-lift, with thousands of concrete bricks in the shap of fat, little crosses, waiting on the sides, ready to pave the was for decades to come.

Our host family is even nicer than the last, if at all possible. Our host father is in his mid-30s, with a youthful, soft, rectagular face. Not tall, he has a trimmed, dark mustache and muscular arms, with gentle, kind eyes. Our host mother is also youthful in appearance, with fair skin and bright, gentle eyes. She is pretty and has a rounded face, but isn't overweight. She is, however, very strong-looking. Both are apt to smile and do so often, a trait they have passed on to their children.

The eldest daughter is eleven, skinny, fair-skinned, very pretty, with ears a little too big for her face. She's in second grade, loves to play, smile, and laugh, and often has a few friends over. She almost always includes yer excitable younger brother in the fun, in which he is only too happy to partake. 6-years-old, He is still in preschool and can't yet read. However, he has the most enthusiasm to do anything and everything, including learning English, which delights him to no end.

The last two days, Kris and I have been taken around the delightful little city of El Jicaro multiple times by our host father. He is a diligent guide, showing us all the important places and introducing us to all we meet. He has a 1978 Toyota Land Cruiser, which makes getting to El Jicaro a breeze. We visited the cemetary for the Nica "Memorial Day" (called Día de Los Defunctos, or simply Día de Los Muertos). We also took a tour of the city, made a call from the Enitel station to test our Emergency Action Plan, and then walked for hours around our sprawling rural community, meeting everyone we could and constructing a rough map on our little 3" x 5" notebook as we walked. We were exhausted by the end, but still had enough energy for a climb up our hill to take in the panoramic scenery. It took our breath away, with the golden rays of the setting sun gleaming off miles and miles of rolling countryside as far as the eye could see. Afterwards, the kids and their friends grabbed us to kick around a ball a while, which sucked away all remaining energy, yet was more fun than the whole time in Managua with cable TV.

So, tomorrow´s another day, and we need rest. Until then, peace.