Jul 11

Just a couple of more stories. I am looking forward to being home , spending time with you all. I am feeing especially close to Naren, who is one class away from a degree in biology and Mollyrose, who has shown so much courage in leaving Florida and trying new things and in being an incredible friend to those who know her. I am so proud of
them both.


The first story happened in the early part of the trip while crossing the border from Costa Rica to Nicaragua We take the bus to the Border, get off with our stuff, walk a couple of hundred yards with all our stuff and then wait in line, get our passports stamped and pay
an exit fee. Then we walk and wait in more hot lines and get stamped again and pay an entrance fee to Nicaragua. Most people at this point get back on a bus( but we have been walking now and let go of our bus) or find a cab to take them to the next
town. It is very hectic with people and buses and cabs and beggars and figuring out what to do next. Because we have been through this a number of times, we know what to do. We walk away from all the chaos, pass the makeshift fence that everyone else enters to get a bus or cab and these people get charged $1 for what they call a ¨municipal
tax which is a made up way of screwing tourists out of money. (Yes, yes, I know it is only a dollar. It is the principle!!) Jim and I walk on by and do not go in and are spotted and chased and told to pay the money. We refuse and a big argument begins. Jim,
with me cheering him on, explains that we already paid our official tax and will not pay this made up one. Did I say it was pouring rain.¿¿? Did I say that a large crowd was gathering??? Just as I mentioned to Jim that we may end up in jail, a cab stopped with a couple of surfing kids from England we met earlier and the doors opened and away we went.




The next story happened a few days ago on one of our day trips from Leon. We went to the beach. It was a beautiful beach with powerful waves and we had decided to heed the sign, in English and Spanish, warning all not to swim because of danger. So we walked and we sat and we walked. We had gotten off the bus and decided to walk the couple
of miles to the end of the beach. Ahead, we saw 6 or 7 people swimming in the water and Jim mentioned this as this might be a safe place to swim. As we got closer, we realized that a body was being pulled out of the water. Without hesitating, Jim ran ahead and caught up with them and began working on trying to save this young person. After about 15 minutes, the old women said, ¨¨ya no,Poppi. ya no which means,enough. The young man died, probably in the water. Jim helped to carry the body to a car of his friends and we continued our walk. Here, in this country, it is clear that
death is just a breath away.

Love,
Rory\Mom