BIG SPIDERS

I haven't been able to get to an internet connection for a while now, so I have a lot to tell ... as the title of this little note says, big huge hairy spiders have entered my life, and I am making a big stink about it because I am seriously afraid of spiders and snakes. But now there are on every window, on the ceiling, next to me on the table, on the wall, above the sink, on the floor ... and they are LARGE. Elvin has decided that I'm very brave for coming here even though pretty much every slithery skittery buggy thing gives me the creeps, but I think I would never be able to live it down if I left just because of the bugs.

This place is a big change from the town where we were before - we somehow managed to come during the biggest party weekend of the year, apparently celebrating the patron saint of the town. We took a long walk to one of the lakeside beaches a few days ago, and accidently participated in three different parades going down the main street, just by trying to get by! Since we were on foot (and totally not in a hurry) it was fun for us, but probably not so much for the huge line of trucks and buses and motorcyles honking their horns behind every parade ... it was a funny sight. There have been rodeos every night (that was a new one for me) and EXTREMELY loud music coming from all over the place until the middle of the night. And then for some reason the marching band starting playing again at 5:15 AM on Sunday morning. WHY!?

But now all we're hearing is crickets and howling monkeys ... as I probably made clear before, we've arrived to the jungle now - we're at Totoco Eco-Lodge halfway up Volcano Maderas on Isla Ometepe. We're working as 'volunteers' to earn our keep, just paying $4 a day for food, which is a great (necessary) situation for us financially. They're given us a little loft space above the kitchen with a mosquito net for our room, which dumped dead termites on us last night (I was NOT HAPPY) but is otherwise comfortable and has an incredible view. So far we've been cleaning the communal kitchen, learning about all of the vegetable/herb gardens, cleaning the outdoor shower ... the owners of this place are very nice and have been hanging out with us a lot. They're from Holland and Spain, and started this project by building a 2 km rock/cement road, by hand, halfway up this volcano in dense jungle. Impressive! They have rooms ranging from $8/night 'luxury' hostel dorms to $90/night cabanas ... its absolutely worth the $35 (!!!!) taxi/bus ride up here from Moyogalpa to stay if you're ever in this area.

Tonight is apparently pizza night, and Martijn and Patricia are down at the kitchen making pizza in the brick/cement oven. Elvin and I walked all the way up to the lodge to get this internet connection (huffing and puffing), but I should probably get off so that the people who work here can keep doing their spreadsheets!! More soon - xoxoxo