The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

It is interesting to see, once we have been here for awhile, that there are some things you come to accept....and others that start to erode your soul as you observe them but are helpless to change them.

We went to Masaya market today on our day off (we take Monday's off as a family day). Riding the bus is always an experience, today the driver was crazy and although we were laughing at his antics, at one point I thought we may have to use common sense and get off as I wondered if he was high. I think he was just very happy and a little crazy.

The market is a vibrant place perfect for people watching. I guess in Nicaragua terms it's the mall, but for us, it's a dive. This despite the fact it is toted as the best shopping spot in all Nicaragua. Our first stop is always a little dump that serves amazing fried chicken. The same one eyed street dog is always there begging. Gary saves all our uneaten rice (which we can't be sure is safe...in fact you can be sure it's not) and chicken and gives it to one of the multitude of hungry small children that wander the through the stalls.

The dirty smelly market is chock full of Nicaraguan handicrafts which with a small amount of negotiating, you can get for an extremely reasonable price. Today we were looking for a Tiger Eye necklace for Nikki, she's gotten quite of love of semi precious stones and jewelry thanks to our friend Debbie who owns the Boutique in the States. I was also looking for a couple interesting pieces, still trying to rebuild my stolen jewelry collection. For the equivalent of $4 I bought a lovely fuchsia pink (!!?) chain made from Conch Shell.

After a couple of hours in the sweltering heat of the market, half of which was in the dark as they had lost power, we called it quits and headed back satisfied with our days finds, to the dusty lot where the buses wait. We were lucky, as with full sun and heat waiting in a bus is horrid, and found one pulling out of the lot for Granada.

The road out of this main shopping area is lined by tin shacks...which are the homes of the local artisans and shop keepers. The floors are mother earth and due to the drought she is bone dry and dusty. We saw a child, no older than 2, rolling around naked with his scantily dressed sibling in the front dust of their property under the watchful eye of their mom. Your heart lurches a little at first at the poverty but I tell you this, they looked happy! They know no else and Nicaraguan's really do love their children, they are usually cherished. I begin to realise that I don't necessarily need to pity them for their situation in life. I think sometimes, as they know nothing else, they are happier than some of the richest people I know back home. They have no real hope of improving their lot in life.....but they are content to find pleasure in the small things, like simple laughter and family.

Saying that, there are other things that are eroding my soul. The ladies that live across the street (we wonder if they are a house of prostitutes) have two beautiful small chocolate brown puppies that look like Lab crosses. I have gone over and petted them and at times see one of the youngsters in live in the house play on the street with them. But when one of these puppies gets in the way or does something "naughty" they beat them mercilessly with a shoe and all you can hear through my whole house, inescapably, is the loud cries and shrieks of pain as it tries to escape the seemingly unending blows. I know I can't change their world, I can't save them, in fact they are likely better off than many dogs here in Nicaragua as they are at least well fed. But it makes me break inside to hear it. It was so bad yesterday that Gary whistled at the fat ugly woman out the window and she stopped.......It makes me feel helpless to know that I can't fix it. Like the other week when we saw a dog being dragged down the street behind a motor bike. I wanted to yell and scream at the men....but sensibly the group I was with reminded me, what can you really do??

Or like two nights ago when I was asleep and woken to something crawling on my forehead which to my horror turned out to be a scorpion! It was a very small one granted....but a scorpion on my forehead in my bed none the less.

Or the stupid 4 Roosters who live next door to us and make their famous Cock a doodle do all night but particularly from 4-6 am directly outside our bedroom windows!

So, there is good and bad. I think the bad does out weigh the good....but I am also very grateful for the opportunity to grow and learn. This experience is unavailable in a book. I really believe it changes you. I don't think we will even recognise all the ways until we are in a position of hind site.

P.S. It looks like not only Gary & Nikki but I too will be on the convention program in two weeks. I'm being interviewed along with Nikki (who along with Gary now has two parts!)