Thursday, February 24, 2011

An Inauguratory Ride

The 3:00 sun was beating down on the earth with such strength that it pierced my skin to the bone. The day before I had promised Na Adria that I would visit her. I had yet to visit her since she lives back in the fields behind the trees and I only recently knew her home existed. I didn't know exactly where it was so I asked my 9 year old host brother, Gustavo, to accompany me. The day before my bike had arrives and I was anxious to take it for a spin.
So with the power of the sun piercing our skin we set out on our journey, he on foot, and I on my new bike. It was a release to be able to zip through the Kokue (fields) after 2 months of going everywhere on foot. But the caminoe (path) is not as smooth as it used to be. The grass has been padded down and browned by traffic. The soil is exposed and when it rains the dirt is washed away. The motos and oxen carts beat it down and it has become uneven. I had to stop myself several times so I wouldn't fall. I heard Gustavo running behind me as I struggled over the rough terrain.
We passed the mandioca field and my small demo plot where my corn and beans are growing well. We passed a Senor's field of corn that I had watched go from being disced to my height in a short time. We passed sugar cane that is starting to reach harvestable height. When we reached some trees I decided we needed a rest. I was glad I had filled the water bottle (came new with the bike!) with water.
I climbed back on the bike and we continued. When we reached part of the ride along a barbed wire fence that is cow pasture I decided to walk to prevent falling and cutting myself on the wire! Gustavo, like a good Paraguayan "man" offered to walk the bike. He had told me a couple of days before my bike arrived that he would use it to go to school, so I told him to hop on and try it out. He did, and his short legs barely reached the pedals, and he was sitting on the bar instead of the seat. He continued to ride on the smooth road we had entered. As much as I wished to be the one to initiate my bike, I allowed him to continue. The sun had worn me out and there was no shade on the road, so I made the call to enter into Grandma's house for a rest. She welcomed us in, even though she was bathing her children, and we refilled our water supply with cold water.
We entered the Kokue again. Gustavo rode and I followed until we reached Na Adria's house. She invited us in for Terere and she and I chatted about her life, her children, and her crops while Gustavo rode back to get something from Grandma.
After a while it was looking like the visit was coming to a close (the pitcher of water was empty and the Yerba had lost its flavor.).
I hopped on the bike and Gustavo followed, but this time our hands were full. Gustavo carried a bag of things from Grandma and the winter squash Na Adria had given us. I carried a bag of Peanuts that she had also given to us.
The path was smoother and I was starting to get the hang of it, but Gustavo was falling behind, so I offered to let him ride for a while. When we reached the big hill, that I call the Montana (mountain), Gustavo kept trekking on up until we reached the top and I asked to switch. I wanted to finish the inauguratory ride I had started. The journey was all down hill and Gustavo was carrying our winter squash so he was left in my dust, litterally. After I arrived home and dropped our peanuts off, I turned around and met him on his journey. I sent him off on the bike and caried his things the rest of the way. We were each a part of the end of the bike's first journey through tercera calle! Gustavo followed me into my room to put the bike to rest until our next journey!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Splish Splash, bucket bathing

In my community there was a really "guapo" (hard working) volunteer about 4 years ago that helped bring running water to the community. I have been blessed to have cold showers and sometimes use a toilet to do my business. Well, a couple of weeks ago the community water tower broke, and it took a whole week to resolve the several problems associated with it. This meant that bathing was no longer showering with running water.

How to bucket bathe in Paraguay
Step one: aqcuire water from the well.
So the day that the water went out our really well made bucket from the well broke. It had bones tied to the sides to weigh it down and help it submerge in the water. This means that I had to swing the rope back and forth until the bucket would tip over and fill up with water. Then I had to hoist this larger bucket back up the 21meters. Uffduh! It´s a workout.

Step two(optional): Heat up water over the fire
If you want a warm bath, which is actually a luxury from the cold showers, this is a good option, also, the week that the water went out was cloudy and the well water didn´t heat up like it had been doing.

Step three: guard your bucket of water from the neighbors and host siblings while you wait for the bathing area to be vacant.

Step four: Bathe
I had to ask for instructions from my host mom for this part. There are two buckets, one has the well water in it, and the other is an empty "tub" like bucket that you pour some of the water into. Squat outside the tub and splash the water onto you to moisten your body, then suds up. Splash more water onto you to remove the soap. If you run out of water pour more water into the tub. Washing my hair was a challenge and I never seemed to get the suds removed from my back. I ended up lifting up the buckets of water and pouring them over my head (not Paraguayan style). Near the end of the week my host mom told me that when the other Peace Corps volunteer lived with them he had a pitcher that he used to bathe. I wish I had known that sooner because then I would have felt comfortable bringing a cup into the bathing area with me. Now I know better for next time.

Step five: Dry off. You´re clean!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

A Paraguayan Bean Harvest

The rainy afternoon had kept me closed up in my house all afternoon reading about Frank McCourts challenges as an Irish American immigrant. I was beginning to feel restless. Somehow our journeys seemed similar, entering an unfamiliar land all alone and trying to adapt. When the rain finally stopped I walked over to my neighbors house for a visit. Na Flora invited me in as she always does and I was given a chair. We chatted about the weather and her pollitos. She asked about my recently planted beans. Then she asked if I wanted to go harvest some beans with her in her kokue (fields). "Ko´aga", now? "Si!" She said. "Jaha" Lets go!
So she grabbed her harvest bag and I followed her. She, barefeet, me in my chaco flip flops. We reached the gate and I knew this wouldnt work. The red dirt had turned to mud and I knew the instant I crossed the gate I would sink into the mud or slip and fall. I kicked off my sandals and passed through the gate into the kokue. We walked through cow poop, grass, and tall weeds. I was nervous that I would get pikay, step on a prickly weed, or encounter a snake. Na Flora continued on and I followed, my feet squishing in the mud, as we passed the old Bitter orange trees, sugar cane, and Mandioca. We arrived at the bean field. It was like an ocean covered with mature bean plants. It reminded me of my days picking beans on ploughshare farm. Na Flora showed me which ones to pick. "The yellow ones" which yellow ones? I was lost. This was new territory for me. I thought Paraguayans only harvested the dry ones. As I followed Na Flora trying to pick out the yellow ones she pointed to another group of beans to pick, but these were purple. Then she kept pointing to others that were ready but I couldnt seem to follow her finger. I was frustrated by my lack of knowledge, like the first time I picked beans on Garys farm, except that Na Flora didnt scream and shame me for my lack of knowledge and experience. She patiently pointed out the ready ones. All the while my bare feet sinking into the mud, becoming caked in soil.
Once we finished we headed back to the house with a full bag of beans in hand, although I am sure most of the picking was done by Na Flora. I asked what you can use them for. She told me they were for me. I have no idea what to cook with them, but she told me that my host mom will be able to cook something.
I bid farewell, jajatopata! and carried my back of beans home, satisfied with my visit and excited about trying a new type of bean.