Its SO hot my skin is on fire!

Some handicrafts at a local shop along the Pan American

Somoto-Chuluteca 60k

This Day goes out to my my buddy Dom. He wanted to make a dedication to his mom, Patty. Dom is also a biker, hopefully he can find a bit of time before he moves back up to the bay to meet me somewhere along the road. Dom..thanks for the donation buddy it really means a lot!



Getting back on the bike felt great. I was in the North of Nicaragua and the road to Chuluteca was flat for the most part with a big down hill section. I was a bit nervous about getting into Honduras because of what all the people were saying. "Its not safe....the people drive crazy" or whatever those people say. Crossing the border was a breeze and here I was in Honduras.

The plan was to hit Choluteca which is a bigger city in Honduras. It was about 80ks away. After a nice flat section and after crossing the border I was treated to a winding down hill section. Off in the distance there were red and yellow colored mountains. It was dry and hot as hell out but the scenery was beautiful. It was a great moment flying down the hill. It was another one of those moments where you realize how lucky you are and how far away from home you are. The T factor was totally kicking in. It was also nice to be in another country. I felt like I was making some progress...finally. Even thought I pretty much cheated Nicaragua because I rode a bit on a crazy bus and also with Horacio I felt like I was getting things done. It was great to be back on the bike...and my legs felt rested.

It was getting to be some where around 1 in the afternoon and I hadn't found a place to eat in a bit. I climbed this pretty big mountain and saw a cool restaurant and bar. Before heading down the hill I turned in to check it out. The place was super chill. Hammocks everywere, picnic tables and an amazing view of the mountains in Honduras and Nicaragua. After lunch the owner of the spot, Roberto from Honduras who studied at Texas A&M told me that from that view point you could see three volcanoes. 2 in Nicaragua and 1 in Honduras. The volcano in Honduras was even smoking. Even though no one was there it was a chill spot. Roberto finally convinced me to stay the night. Roberto and his friend, a Honduran woman who lived in Los Angeles for 20 years told me that Choluteca was hot as hell. The woman who was dressed nicely and sporting a phat gold watch said it was like Vegas in August. Ok...Ok...Ill take a room.

After a bit of reading, napping and writing I decided to make it a early Friday night and get some sleep. It seemed to already be a long day.

HOME!!!! Wait not really...

Hey Mayor Newsome if this tiny town in Honduras can get bike lanes I'm sure we can to...Ill write him a letter!

Some kids selling coconut slices with cold water. Kinda gross actually!

Choluteca - El Amatillo 120k

I dedicate this day...the longest day of the ride so far to my good buddy Eric Jones. He wanted to make the dedication to his parents. He loves them very much, and he says that his parents are truly an inspiration to him. Eric is also a big cyclist. He's done a few different long distance rides and has helped with with getting this fundraiser together. On top of that hes helping to spread the good word about the blog itself. Hopefully with his help well be able to hit our goal and I'll be able to get back to San Francisco safely!

So here I was at this cool mountain top hotel about 20ks from Choluteca. Today I wanted to make it to El Salvador if possible. Possibly even cross the Honduran and El Salvadorian border and bike another 20ks to a city called La Union on the coast. Maybe this place has a beach. For some reason I thought that from this village to La Union was about 90 kilometers, maybe 100 tops. On top of that Roberto was taking FOREVER with breakfast. I was itching to get on the road and the breakfast took about an hour to get out. Damn that central American time! All in all the information I had was a bit wrong and I was late!

So I made my way out. I already felt like I was a bit behind because I wanted to start off in Choluteca but that was another 25 kilometers away. Oh well...now worries. The hotel just so happened to be at the top of the mountain and it was a 20 kilometer down hill ride. The scenery along the switch backs through the Honduran mountains was absolutely amazing. It felt great to be alive. Cesar was running great and having a great time. The mountains kept coming in and out of view and the hill seemed to last forever. It was also super cool at the top of the mountain and for the first time I was even riding with a sweater on. It was another T factor moment. I was thinking about the kids in Nicaragua, I was thinking about family and friends back home and I was happy to be in the moment.

Well, the hill finally ended and I quickly realized that I didn't need that sweater anymore. The temperature probably changed by about 20 degrees instantly. It was cool and breezy before and now I found myself at the bottom of a valley with no wind. The sun was super intense. It was damn hot. I finally made it to Choluteca and after getting a bit lost I realized that it was already around 10 in the morning. on top of that I saw a sign that told me it was another 100ks to El Amatillo, the border. I chuckled to myself and finally realized that this was going to be the biggest day of the ride so far.

Sometime after Choluteca A local guy caught up to me. We chatted a bit about the usual stuff. Where you from, where you going, are you crazy, stuff like that. He was a teacher, a 3rd grade teacher in a cool little town off the Pan American in Honduras. He had about 25 students in a small school near the main church. i could see the church towers off in the distance, the town actually looked kida cool. It was nice to chat and ride with a local for a bit. But sooner rather than later I was truckin through the Honduran countryside alone.

I was making ok time. The scenery was flat and dry and it was getting to be an overwhelming feeling because the sun was so intense. by around 2 in the afternoon I realized that I still had some kilometers to make up. I already drank at least 5 liters of water. Right around 3 in the afternoon I started to get pissed. There was a strong headwind and I still had some kilometers to make up. I finally realized that on big days like this I usually get a bit cranky around that time. I had been on the bike for at least 6 hours and it was time to get off.

Eventually I made it to El Amatillo...the frontier. And just like that I rode through Honduras. El Amatillo is a very unpleasant place. Nothing but truckers and the people who service them. With 10 minutes of checking in I saw three large women picking there nose. They were wrist deep! Damn Girl!!!! Go get it I thought! Maybe it was a Honduran welcome sign or something...hahaha! Anyway..of to El Salvador!

Check out this dude carrying the wood. And I thought my bags made me unbalanced!

The scenery down the hill from the cool mountain top village to Choluteca was amazing!

Another shot of the view. Look how dry it is!

A typical Honduran advertisment along the route.

The long hot road!

Aaron

Learning Without Fear

Some of the local kids and I after the meeting

The next day Horacio, Alcides, Fatima and I had an opportunity to meet with two more schools. This time the villages were a bit further out from the town. Again we found ourselves in Plans white 4x4 truckin through the mountains of Madriz with the Honduran border in the distance. On the ride we went over some serious rugged terrain, through rivers, over bridges that seems to be made of driftwood. We saw kids playing and working, farmers with their big hats and giant machetes. We also noticed the farms that had all different types of things being grown from tomatoes to corn and everything in between. I had one of those moments where you say, ^I'm SOOOOO far from home.^ I shared that with the group as they let out a big laugh. Hoartio turned to me and gave me a big one arm hug to make sure I was doing ok.

When we got to the first school I noticed some girls, probably around the age of 7 or so off to the left pumping water from the well. The well was labeled with a Plan logo. They would pump the water and carry the buckets on their heads to the nearby containers that were set up outside the latrines. This station was set up so that the kids would have a place to wash their hands after using the restrooms. I quickly snapped a few photos and the cute girls posed for a shot or two before they hurried off.

Before we went into the meeting Horatio told me us that Plan built 2 new classrooms, latrines and a hand washing facility for the community. We were today going to meet some of the community leaders and children to hear about some of the projects and problems that the village was facing.

A few of the kids look on before they presented a drawing to the group

When we got in I noticed that there were about 20 people in the classroom. Half kids, the other half women who were probably their moms. One of the few men, a short guy with a big personality, probably the father and teacher, started off the meeting. He said that there were only 2 classrooms with mixed grades. The students went from 1st grade to 6th. There wasn't a high school. The high school is too far to go to so instead the kids usually end up working with their parents in the farms. 12 kids in the community don't attend school at all.

This particular community leader went on to say that they had way to many kids and not enough space. They went looking for help and eventually found Plan. He was very grateful for all the help and support they have received from Plan. But he also mentioned that there still isn't enough room in the classrooms and still some children walk 5 kilometers to get to another school. I instantly thought about the rugged road we just crawled on. Those kids must take forever to get to school. During the rainy season those kids that have to walk all those kilometers cant make it to school because of the dangerous conditions. He went on to say that at this specific community there is no electricity, and he would like one day to get that fixed. He hopes to be able to one day hold class for the adults at night. His dream is to one day get a computer for the children. He finished off by saying that it was a good school with limited resources and THE BEST children. The kids sat up a bit higher in their chairs after hearing that. I thought of my three computers back home and shrank a bit more in mine.

Another community leader in the room, a shy woman off to my right, wanted to point out that a big problem was a lack of running water. Plan eventually came in and installed a pump nearby...Plan fixed the problem. A not so shy girl full of confidence in the front row went on to say that in the past, usually the children, would have to walk an hour and a half to the river and carry the water back on their heads. Now the well is a 2 minute walk. She Thanked God and Plan for their help.

Horacio quickly responded, ^now the children have more time to play.^ The kids got excited! One of the parents in the back row quickly snapped back, ^now they have more time for homework.^ I noticed her daughter frown...and that joke brought a little brighter vibe to the room. Horacio finally reminded them that it was them, the people of their community that built the school and the well while Plan only helped to organize it. The gentleman in the front room nodded his head, I saw a bit of pride in his eyes.

Horacio got out of his seat and started to stroll around the room. The parents, the children and the community leaders were all seated in the school desks that were spread out in a circle in the small classroom. I noticed that my desk had a place at the top to hold a pencil or pen. It was tiny little desk. It reminded me of my exact desk I had at Harding elementary school in El Cerrito. With my Mead black and white Composition notebook open and my pen in hand I felt like a kid again. I quickly snapped out of that when I saw a few chickens wander by the door. Not to many chickens in El Cerrito. Horacio continued with another question and asked, ^Why...do you need the school?^ A few of the mothers in the back of the room responded with ^for the kids, to help the children and the school, the school is the center of the community. Before the school was in a church, before they were separated, now they are together.^ The concluded.

Community members listen to the teacher speak about the problems that the village is facing

Horacio nodded and slowly turned to the kids and asked, ^why do you need to study?^ One shy girl wearing a wrinkled and slightly dirty t-shirt said, ^because I want to study.^ Horacio put his arms behind his back and perked up with a quick response, ^why?^ Another young guy in the back shot up out of his seat, ready to answer, with a big smile on his face because it was his chance to speak...he was full of confidence and said, ^because I want a career^.

That one almost brought me to tears. I had to turn away from Fatima, my translator, I didn't want her to see the wrinkle of my brow on the reddening of my eyes. They have so little compared to the advantages that I'm used to back home. They don't have electricity and they just got running water and here this kid is sharing his hope and dream of having a career. Of making something for himself. He was a proud kid ready to tell whoever will listen and whoever can help that he dreams of something bigger and of something better.

Horacio turned to the parents, mostly made up of women, in the room and said simply, ^why?^ One mother said that before the kids were outside now they are inside. They are protected from the rain, dirt and sun. They're grateful for the help and training that Plan has provided. Before that moment I guess I never even thought about not having a school or classroom to study in.

A big problem that these villages face is that parents take the children out of school to help in the farms. Fatima said that this was common and one of the biggest problems that the villages face. I thought again about yesterday. I remembered when Fatima said there were 82 villages like this. Wow! Horacio concluded the meeting with a few points. He said that they were doing a good job but he wanted to see them use the schools in the afternoon as well. But, overall, he wanted them to be proud of their school and to keep the kids out of the farms and in the classroom.

At the end of the meeting a few of the people came up to me and thanked me for coming. Because this area is so remote they don't get many visitors. They also said that what I was doing was a great thing and they would pray for my safety. I don't think I really had a response. I was overwhelmed with the things I heard and saw. I wish I could do more. I thanked them all. Shook all their hands. Gave a few high fives to the kids and wished them luck before we ran out to our next meeting.

It was getting to be later in the afternoon.

Here we are again, bobbling around, in the back of the Plan truck. We got one last community to visit. The next morning I take off for Honduras. The next morning Horacio is back in Managua setting up meetings in another province of Nicaragua. The next morning I'm sure Fatima and Alcides will be trying their hardest to solve some of the problems that one of their 82 villages face. Theres a lot of work to be done.

I took a second to reflect. It occurred to me that without organizations like this these people would be completely neglected. They live in the margins of their societies and I don't think anyone else cares. The governments face their own problems and the cities, with all their money seem so far away. They are completely isolated.

Fatima and Alcides make their way to the last meeting of the day

This particular last community was even further away. The road, once off the paved route, was even worse. Im sure during the rainy season they would be totally secluded from the rest of the city.

When we rolled up I noticed that the school was surrounded by trees without leaves or greenery. The mountains in the distance were impressive but dry. The seen, for whatever reason was a bit more depressing. The sun was starting to set, the sky was turning, it was a lazy afternoon.

Once inside the classroom we quickly took our seats. The people had been waiting for a few hours, they were prepared to meet with Plan and were excited for the opportunity to meet with the director. I noticed that this time the room was filled with more people, mostly men and kids. It was a different atmosphere than the last. The last visit to the school seemed a bit more casual. People were a bit looser. Here, maybe it was because of the men, it seemed to be a bit more formal. People here seemed to be a bit more nervous...maybe even desperate.

In the classroom hung the children's pictures of rabbits, reindeer's and penguins. There was of course a large drawing of the Nicaraguan symbol in the back. A pyramid with some other figures in it.. The sun filtered in through the dusty windows behind me to my right. You could hear the dirt and dust crack under the peoples feet as they took their seats.

I sat directly in the front of the classroom looking out into the large group from the community. The rest of the Plan group was with me, or course, in the front of the room. A teacher, who looked so young, off to my right started the meeting. She was very professional and had a few things to say. She started off by saying that there were 160 children in the community. She continued and said that Plan has helped with training, has brought in materials and has helped with the school gardens. She then went on to say that the community is facing a good number of difficulties. She said that theres not enough room for the students in the school, theres only 2 classrooms. We were sitting in one classroom that was made of brick with a metal roof. It could probably hold around 25 kids, tops! She pointed to another building across the yard. It looked like a shack. It was made op of some type of metal pieces. It looked like it was about to fall over. ^Its full of snakes, its not safe^. She paused. Everyone was silent.

Snakes in the classroom...Jesus!!!!!

After a minute or so some of the kids came up with a presentation that they had been working on for the past few hours. They presented a drawing of their current school and another drawing of what they wished for. The second drawing wasn't much different than the first. All that really changed was a cleaner looking second classroom, a garden, some trees and a playground. It was so modest. They didn't want much.

Horacio got up to speak. An ugly looking dog slowly walked in and took a seat in the middle of the room. Obviously the dog didn't care if Horacio was the cleaner or the director...he was going to lick himself right there. Horacio chuckled and continued. He thanked the kids and told them job well done. ^Why do you want a new school?^ One of the fathers in the back blurted out ^for the children^. ^Why?^ Horacio asked again. Right then a chubby little baby stumbled and trotted through the room mumbling to himself and blowing spit bubbles, the cute little guy broke the silence in the room. An older farmer spoke up. He was wearing some bad ass black leather boots, all green cloths, a wild looking hand made belt, some gold aviators and of course a perfectly white cowboy hat, this guy looked cool and commanded a great amount of respect from the room, he had confidence and a certain easiness to him. The people were waiting for his answer, and he said that he wanted a new school to protect the children from diseases. Horacio slowly took off his glasses and gave everyone in the room a long look before turning back to the man and said, ^exactly! To protect the children.^

Horacio finally turned to the kids and asked the same question, ^why?^ One of the kids was quick with a reply and he said something that will always be with me for the rest of my life...^because I want to be somebody in this life!^

Aaron
Wait your turn!


Some of the local girls waiting to get some water

Plan and there local groups

We also had the opportunity to meet with other non profit organizations in the Somoto area. This particular organization works with kids that are displaced and out of school. They help those kids to gain real world education. One specific accomplishment that this particular group mentioned was that they were able to get some youth gang members to hand over their guns in exchange for training and education.

The middle lobby of the main school in Somoto.

I took this picture during our meeting with the Ministy of Education. You can see her on the right behind the desk. Alcidis is listening closly as she thanks Plan for there envolvement and help. Both the Minister and Plan agree that more needs to be done. They dream that one day the school will be seen as more of a community center where kids will learn during the day and parents and older children will come at night to take classes.

Aaron

Los ninos todos tiene dereche

At the end of the meeting the community leaders and I were able to take a quick pic. How did I get that cowboys hat?

Its been too long since I wrote. Ive been desperately looking for an Internet cafe for the past few days. Ive been to a few different towns in the South East of El Salvador like Ulsultan, La Union and Zacatecaluca (I love that name) but I haven't found many options for Internet shops, actually I only found one but they only gave me 10 minutes before they closed up...at 7:00pm..what the hell...good ol Central American time I guess!

After cycling about 390 kilometres through Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador I finally made it to San Salvador. Ive seen some beautiful landscapes including dry flat desert lands, cool mountain top villages, smoking volcanoes and beautiful churches of all sizes. I was hoping for an easy 60 kilometer ride into San Salvador but I didn't get so lucky. It was a long uphill battle littered with sugar canes and wild El Salvadorian drivers that love the triple pass on the narrow 2 lane freeways. I'm pretty tired at the moment but San Salvador looks like a good place to get some rest and check out a sight or two before my meeting with Plan El Salvador.

At the moment I'm taking a second to write this from a small cafe in San Salvador's Colonial Flor Blanca district. I'm enjoying a nice Pilsner ^La Cereza De El Salvador^ and listening to some gun shots ring out in the distance. No worries...the shots are coming from the National Stadium down the street where El Salvador's Olympic Sharp Shooting team practises, or so I was told by the owner of my hotel. It would have been cool to catch a soccer game here for sure. I'm a huge fan....and it just so happens that the US and El Salvador face off in a month at this exact stadium for a World Cup qualifier. By The Way...I saw US beat up Mexico the other day. Good job boys! Colonial Flor Blanca is a cool part of town with some classic buildings from the 30s and 40s. These buildings are a great break from the shabby buildings that Ive seen the past week.

So, where did we leave off last? Ok...ya...Northern Nicaragua in a small town called Somoto.

A pic of the broken and rusted playground outside the school.

Quick note here before I get into it...A guy just walked into this cafe with a sawed off shot gun. I'm not quite sure if hes on the Olympic sharp shooting team with that one. I'm sure hes one of the many security guards from the various hotels, restaurants or street vendors around here. Everyone has a freakin gun around here! The other day I was at a Texaco and there were three guards with 2 guns each. Other than there hand guns they were carrying an automatic assault riffle and one dude had a nasty looking machine gun. Freakish!

Anyway...back to Somoto!

I met with Horacio Torres, he is Plans Director of Nicaragua, in Nicaragua's capital, Managua. The day after our initial meeting Horacio and I drove (yes...I didn't ride the bike...I hope you still love me) up to the frontier town of Somoto, Nicaragua to visit with the Plan Program Office. It was going to be a full 2 days. Horacio has just been assigned to Nicaragua so this was my opportunity to go with him to meet the Plan Program Office, Plans other non profit associates that work in the area, the Minister of Education for the State of Madriz and of course the communities themselves. It was a perfect opportunity to get involved and get a better understanding of what Plan is doing on various different levels.

My first visit with a Plan community was truly an emotionally charged day for myself and I'm sure for the people living in this small village on the outskirts of Somoto. To access the town we had to take a 4x4 truck down through a serious dirt roads over boulders and through dry river beds. This place was seriously remote!

One of the girls gave us all a presentation at one point. Here she is showing us a map she drew with the other kids of the village.

The object of the meeting with this particular community was to meet with the ^community leaders^. The community leaders are usually made up of volunteers from the community who act as a go between from the people and organizations such as Plan. This way the meetings can be efficient and organized. Great idea! Alcides, The Director of the Somoto Project Unit Office, set up a diverse schedule for Horacio while he was in town. For Horacio and I it was our first chance to meet the people, for the leaders of the community it was there opportunity to tell Plan what projects they were working on and what they're concerns were.

The meeting was held in the community school. The field outside was dusty and dry. A donkey wandered around in the distance. Some kids were playing but when they saw us they quickly found shelter back in the school, I'm sure they were a bit shy. There was a playground to the right and in front of the school but the toys and equipment were broken and rusted. A few chickens clucked and squirreled around us as we walked by. As I entered the school I noticed a small horse tied to the fence surrounding the field, no doubt its one of the farmers horses.

I used to be in Real Estate finance and this was a complete different atmosphere than any meetings we held on Montgomery street in San Franciscos financial district! I took a deep breath. I was a bit nervous because never before in my life had I had the opportunity to hear first hand the issues that people living in poverty are facing. I was also a bit nervous not because of the language, luckily I had a translator with me, but because...well...I just was! Fatima, the translator and Plans Public Relations Director was a super sweet lady who never missed a beat. She made sure I was always up to speed with what was going on. So...I took a deep breath and entered the classroom with the rest of the Plan people. I felt a rush of energy and calmness because I knew I was with good people.

The community leaders of the village were sitting in a semi circle. Horacio apologized for being late. I think they had been waiting for a few hours but they weren't about to go anywhere. I could see that they were smiling and seemed happy to have the chance to get to meet the director of Plan Nicaragua. There were probably about 10 people in all and a few of their kids, who I mentioned earlier, were quietly playing in the back of the room. We got straight to business.
Horatio is working the floor!

The community leaders started off by saying that they had spent $200 on a school garden, which Horatio strongly advocates, but because of a lack of money they cant afford a fence to protect it. Animals eventually ate all the vegetables in the garden. They also were thankful for receiving different fruit trees but they had another problem because they had to carry the water, a long way and sometimes the kids job, from the well to water the trees. The community leader representing the mothers of the village, a cute women probably no older than 20, was grateful for the chickens because they can give the baby chickens to the other families outside the village. Almost all of the community leaders were really concerned because not all of the children in the community were sponsored. This made funding short. They need more sponsors so they can buy more chickens, more seeds to plant fruits and vegetables. I could see in their faces that they needed more help. One of the men in the group, a farmer in an orange button up shirt and a huge cowboy hat and a wide smile that should get him a role in any country western movie, representing the farmers, stressed that they needed help fixing the broken wells.

After the initial round they all thanked Plan and said over and over again that without Plans work and generosity they wouldn't have the chickens or the seeds or the guidance. Horatio quickly responded, ^So, now we can Leave.^ Then threw on a big smile! ^No, no, no!^They said, getting the joke!

Horatio turned the joke into something a bit more serious. ^Why?^ What if Plan did leave?^ Its actually an important question, and it wasn't rhetorical, he wanted to hear there answers. One of them said something like, because Plan helps when theres a natural disaster. Horatio asked the same question again, ^Why?^ The farmer in the hat responded, ^because we want to get out of poverty.^

Did I just hear him say that...culture shock was setting in?!

Someone else added, ^because we have rights.^ Horacio pressed on as he was slowly strolling through the middle of the circle. Another woman, a strong looking woman with her hair pulled back, nervously answered, ^because of the children in the community.^ ^Correct, because of the children. The children have rights. That's why were here. We are responsible to ensure they obtain there rights. ALL YOU DO (he gave each one of them a long glance as he said this with emphasis) is for them. Feed them, protect them, raise them. They are not objects, instead they are people with rights who need to be protected.^ He paused for a moment to let the message sink in. Then he said, ^the children are the heart of you, not just a slogan or something to use.^ He said this as he drew a heart on his chest. They community leaders were getting the point.
Im trying to pay attention to the lecture in spanish...please help translate Fatima....please!!!

One of the community leaders raised a question. I could tell he was also a bit nervous about asking something, as if he was volunteered to ask the tuff question. He said that not all the children have sponsors (from the US, Canada or wherever). They have limited money and resources. He wanted to know if the children who are sponsored get the benefits of the funds that come from the child sponsors. But what about the children that aren't sponsored, he wanted to know?

Horacio paused for a moment. There was truly a tension in the room. This was their children, their families they were talking about. Of course it was a deeply private matter and they had to bring it up. The people from the community were obviously looking for help...looking for a bit of guidance. Horacio continued, ^Plan is here because of the rights of the children. Not just the sponsored children but all the children of the community. ALL children should have equal rights otherwise we are separating the sheep's from the goats. Affiliated or not they should be respected. Respect the rights universally. Its not about more but about equality. Children are not the future but they present because they are here now. We must not wait until they are adults because than its to late.^

Horatio isn't as concerned as much with the seed bank, or the chickens, or the fence or the well project as much as he is concerned about getting the message across to the people...the children need have have their rights respected....today. Horatio defiantly has an aura about him. Hes been doing this for about 25 years. He could probably be on any financial board of any bank working on million dollar deals or he could be a professor of any highly recognized University in the US. He is a total professional. But better than that he uses his skills and talents to help educate and promote the rights of the children who need it most. He is their banker, their professor, their leader. On top of that he also wears another hat proudly, he is a father and husband. Throughout his speech he mentioned his family and especially his three children and used their accomplishments as examples for the people in the village. I could tell that the community leaders instantly found a great amount of respect for Horatio, not because he was the ^Director^ but because everyone could tell that he was there to listen and to help. Horatio ended his talk with the volunteers of the community with a single slogan, ^its today...not tomorrow^.
This community leader is showing Horatio and ALcedis an aerial map of the community. He said that Plan has helped the community learn more about natural disasters. Now they feel prepared and confident when its the rainy season. Before they would just hope the river didnt flood.

I felt at that moment so many different things. There was so much to do, so much overwhelming work. One could spend a year, or a team of people could spend a year or even longer helping this community. There was so much to do! I turned to Fatima and asked her how many villages were in the area. She said in this area alone there were ^82 villages!^

82 villages! What the F/&K!!!!!! Unbelievable! 82 villages with 82 sets of problems. I was completely overwhelmed.

So here I am, completely flushed with emotions I have never even thought of, hearing the stories and meeting for the first time the people. I'm not going to lie...I felt a bit guilty at times. There concerns were about animals eating there vegetables, not getting chickens, not affording seeds, or worried about safety from the weather, or safety for there children as they fetched water for the plants. My concerns back home would at times be about losing the keys to my car or finding a cabin in Lake Tahoe for a ski weekend with friends. With all of the difficulties they and there families faced they were still full of hope, still smiling, and still willing to do whatever work it took to help there families. It was very difficult to hear the cowboy say, ^I want to get out of poverty.^ Thats something I only heard on TV or in the movies...thats something I will never forget. But to shake this mans hand, to look him in the eyes and to hear his story was truly and inspiration and emotional time.

There was a parallel theme between these talks and this ride that I'm on. Horatio said to the community leaders that the children should be taken care of now not later, its about doing it today. When I set off on this journey a month ago with my good friend Mike we told ourselves to take it one day at a time, to be in the now, to not think about tomorrow or Mexico or San Francisco but to think about today. This was and still is a slogan of the trip. When Horatio said that his words really spoke to me.

Community leaders looking on.

As the meeting was ending the people were coming up to me and thanking me for my support. They were so exciting and happy to have a visitor. Because there community is so remote they never get any visitors. One women gave me a long hand shake, looked me in the eyes and blessed me. She said that God was watching and will help me on my journey and that she was happy to meet me.

It was all an unforgettable experience...

Aaron

Plan Nicaragua

Horatio Briefing his team at the Plan Program Unit in Madriz.

This is Horacio Torres The Director of Plan Nicaragua. Horatio and I met in Managua, Nicaragua for a brief period the day before this picture was taken. He gave me a break down of what Plan was doing in Nicaragua. Horatio has been with plan for about 25 years. He just got assigned to Nicaragua before that he was the director of El Salvador. This guy is a total pro...he knows the Ins and the Outs of the organization. It was great to meet with him and hear about the challenges and difficulties that Nicaragua is facing when it comes to poverty amongst children.

The Plan office in Madriz.

The staff here was extremely nice and welcolming. They got a big kick out of my adventure of cycling across Central America. Madriz is a State in Northern Nicaragua about an hour drive from Honduras. The office is in the small frontier town of Somoto which has about 17,000 people. It has a laid back small town feel to it. Beautiful mountains surround the entire town.

Got my Plan shirt...ready for my briefing!

Horation in the white shirt with the glasses on the right. Next to him Alcidies the manager of the office and the region.

This was Horatios first visit to the field in Nicaragua. The team had prepared a few things for him so it was a great opportunity for me to listen in. Of couyrse it was in Spanish so I only caught the main points.

Aaron

Medardo is his name

His name in Medardo. He lives in a small village in Guatemala. Medardo is a child that I sponsor for $24 a month through Plan USA.

This fundraiser is about change.

This fundraiser is about giving back.

This fundraiser is about making a difference in children's lives that need it most.

A few months back when I was in Santiago de Chile I decided to take a chance and create an opportunity for myself and others to help make that change in the lives of children living in poverty. A few months back I decided to work with Plan USA and to sponsor a child. A few months ago I had a rough idea of what this adventure was about. But after these past few weeks this dream that I had has become a reality and now I'm seeing first hand what that change is. Today, through this blog, you are all getting to put a name with a face (and a cute one at that).

Friends and friends of friends have written to me giving me their support and have written amazing letters full of inspiration. People from Asia, Europe, North and South America have logged into the blog and firstgiving and have donated money. An amazing gesture, especially during this time when even a buck is hard to come by. Over 225 people have joined The Cause The Last Hill Before Home on facebook to express their backing of this wild adventure and fundraiser. But just this past week another exciting chapter has opened up for me and this cause. Today I'm proud to be sponsoring a child through Plan USA.

His name is Medardo. His picture is above. Hes 7 years old and lives in a small village in Guatemala. He is one of the children that lives in this village that Plan sponsors and helps on various different levels. Plan helps the people in the village from topics ranging from Health to clean water to education. The money from this fundraiser is actually going to help support Medardos village. the funds are going to real life solutions that are going to help Medardo to receive real life solutions in a world full of uncertainties.

I don't know much about Medardo yet but I'm extremely excited because this fundraiser is going to allow me to meet this little guy. At some point in the near future Ill be taking a detour from the pan American and cycling to a small town near his village. From there a Plan representative and I will travel to his community to meet Medardo, his parents, his two sisters and his brother.

I do know that Medardo and his family live in ^a house made of straw and mud with a tile and slate roof. He attends pre-school. Is in generally good health and uses an open field or public area for the latrine.^ The main source of work in his village is agriculture and there are some that make a living through pottery and stone work. One problem that the village faces is that there are not enough water sources for everyone to live in a healthy environment.

The children of the village dreams include an improved education in the schools and for there to be more green areas, teachers for every grade, desks and pretty classrooms. We also want the opportunity to study for a career.

This fundraiser is starting to turn a new leaf.

Can you donate today to help Medardo and his village?

http://www.firstgiving.com/lasthillbeforehome

Can you sponsor a child to help make a difference in the lives of these children?

http://www.planusa.org/sponsorachild/

Aaron

A few days rest in Grenanda, Nicaragua

A Nicargauan couple cuddles on the steps of one of the many churches in Grenada, Nicaragua.

Its nice to take a few days off from the ride. I probably did something like 500 kilometers in 6 days. Ive been going pretty fast but I feel good so why not push it a bit? My last stop was in Los Chiles, Costa Rica. From there I took a short boat ride across the border and into San Carlos, Nicaragua. From there things got a bit grey. I was supposed to take a boat across Lake Nicaragua to Grenada but I wasnt sure when that boat left. I dont have any information on Nicaragua other than this crappy Dollar Rent A Car map. No Lonely Planet, nothing. Anyway, it turns out that theres only one boat per week. Luckily it left the next day. After staying in a roach INFESTED hotel I quickly made my way to the dock.

No boats were leaving for Grenanda because apparently one capsized due to bad weather. No way was I going back to the insect infested room so I decided to take a bus on Nicaraguas worst road. The bus ride was a freakin nightmare. There was no leg room what so ever for my sore legs, the guy next to me had a nap sack full of chickens under his legs, the aisles were overflowing with coffee bean bags, and some dunk dude behind me pissed his pants. 13 hours of misery.

I got dropped off in the middle of town on some dark alley with the bike at 3am. Luckily I got a cab who took me to his friends hotel who was nice enough to charge me 3 times the cost for the room. Awesome! Ok Ok enough complaining because Grenanda was well worth it. Beautiful city!

Grenanda at dusk.

A quick note from the World Bank...

The international development community has moved towards viewing development as a process of realising peoples rights rather than distribution of welfare. The need for equity and social justice as a necessary prerequisite to poverty reduction, security and stability is now being recognised more widely.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child sets uot 54 articles on child rights under four pillars of rights.

- Survival- Through the provision of adequate food, shelter, clean water and primary health care.

- Development - In a safe environment, through the provision of formal education, conservative play and advanced health care.

- Protection - From abuse. neglect and explotation, including the right to special protection in ties of war.

- Participation - The opportunity for the child to participate in social, economic, cultural, religious and political life, free from discrimination.


Chillin with a hand rolled cigar.

The colors of Grenanda are a great break from the drabness of the Costa Rican buildings.

The weekend farmers market in the middle of Grenanda was bustling!

Many of the buildings in Grenanda need some serious work. When I got to Nicaragua I could instantly tell from the buildings alone that Nicaragua is a developing country facing some serious problems.

The main plaza in the center of town.


Some crazy wild birds along the Rio Frio on the Costa Rican and Nicaraguan border.

This guy was giant.

Farmers living along the Rio Frio.

One of the only border crossings in the world done by boat.

Waiting for the boat took for hours. I asked three different people when the boat was supposed to get there and got three different answers. Central America time I guess!

Aaron