The trip to Central America took about a year to plan, e-mailing each of the students to find out when would be a good time to visit each, get their current addresses and phone numbers. On January 16th, I was getting excited when there were only 2 phone #s to go and we are ready to take off to parts where the sun shine and the flowers bloom all year!!!
Our first stop was to be in Olancho, Honduras to spend almost a week with Wilson and Karla and their children Alison and Wilson David. BUT, we had not gotten a solid connection as to the day and time of our arrival at the Tegucigulpa Airport which was a three hour drive away from their house. The day was filled with apprehension and concern that we may be left stranded at the airport. Even, Jayme from San Pedro Sula, Honduras on the opposite side of the country was concerned. Our phone would not make connection with Karla or Wilson, but it would connect with Jayme. Thus, we had Jayme call Wilson, who would not be able to pick us up until dinner time about three hours from our arrival. With a true show of Honduran hospitality, Jayme made arrangement for a friend to pick us up and deliver us to his home to await Wilson's arrival. Much to our relief, when the sister, husband and baby arrived at the house, they spoke English! We had a delightful visit until it was time for dinner a
Spending time with Karla and the children was so peaceful and relaxing that we could have stayed forever, which she would have loved! She had quit working at the hospital in order to run her store, which had grown to provide most of the food items, and propane that their small hamlet needed. She even provided clean ice! Seven year old Alyson could speak English with us, but two year old Wilson David was not old enough to begin learning another language. Even so, he had no difficulty getting his desires know. Each morning he would come to our door to get 'Papa Tom' to come play with him. He was so adorable! We read books in English, played ball, paper airplanes, took walks, picked flowers, etc, etc. There was never a dull moment. I washed clothes in the outdoor sink, while Dad refurbished a small child's bike for Wilson Divid, repaired the microwave buttons and promised to make a couple of surge protectors for the refrigerators and freezers when we arrived home. Because it was Winter, the shower-head heater was not able to heat the water sufficient for taking a shower, and the daytime temperature was not sufficient to warm up the rooftop cistern, so we heated water in an electric pot and put it into a bucket which was placed on top of a plastic stool. It reminded me of camping in the woods, except for better privacy. They had given up their own room with private bath for us to use, and would not allow us to pay for anything when we went out to eat or shop. The farm animals roamed the rutted, dirt streets and the roosters and dogs awake us in the middle of the night and wee hours of the morning, when the electricity went out thereby shutting off the little, white noise fan.
Fanny has been their nanny since Alyson was little and Erica come last year to help out in the store.
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