Settling In and Exploring

I can’t describe the level of noise of the birds in the trees around the compound. Nature needs to keep it down. At least there were a dozen roosters crowing but still.
It was hard to hear the 6:15am alarm buzzing us out of our slumber. The heaviness of the humidity did not make the morning feel refreshing. WE also realized that our shampoo and conditioner was in one of the missing bags. Oh well there was other soap. More concerning was the live wire that goes into the shower head for the pressure pump. Yes it is literally call the widow maker and it makes rubber flip flops an essential bath accessory.

I have forgone all hair dryers and flat irons for this trip. It wasn’t cultural smart for a white woman to do corn Row braids and I KNOW that there isn’t enough hair product to control the fine frizz that my crowning glory becomes in this weather so it’s time to embrace it and not fight it for 14 days. I hope that is the toughest thing I need to endure.

Breakfast was the Nicaraguan version of sausage(cocktail weiners) and scramble eggs with toast and fresh pineapple. Grateful for my spice grinders to add some flavour but no complaints for simple filling food.

After breakfast, it would be early afternoon before we heard whether the rest of the luggage had arrived and the paperwork completed from the government to release the glasses and equipment so we did a quick stop drive around the city.

WE found the  highest view point looking over a lagoon and Lake Managua, both too poluted for recreational use sadly. There was also revolution square and the goverment parks.
All over the city, they are installing these multicoloured metal trees that you can see as you land in the city. Also, Christmas decorations are being put up which seems REALLY weird when it is 90F and humid like a sponge.
It was time to squeeze in some shopping at the market where we loaded up with Vanilla extract, cinnamon and fresh cocoa. Also hand woven chairs and hammocks were a popular purchase for a lot of our team.
A quick lunch of tuna sandwiches, chips, cookies and frozen yogurt go our energy up and ready to be pleasant at customs.
Back to the airport, with Pastor Hernand who had all the paperwork we needed to free our supplies. It was actually very easy and quick for us in the office as I signed papers that I really had no idea what they said but all the bags and boxes were transferred to my care.
Everyone was happy but I was about to change that. I knew that we now had more than an afternoon’s worth of work to sort and organized everything and make sure it the equipment was safe and working. It was all hands on deck to prepare the glasses and I was pleased to unpack the autorefractor intact and working.


Our test case and first patient was Beklis, a staff member at the compound. She needed glasses and we found a beautiful pair that had been donated by Rachel Hill at Personal Optical in St Catherines. She was SO happy with her new view and how amazing her glasses were. It brings so much more joy to be fitting people with new glasses, that are in beautiful frames. THANK YOU everyone for being so generous as to make this possible.
It took all afternoon to get prepared and dinner was waiting for us. A yummy meal of rice, mixed vegetables and salt water fish called curvino.
This evening, it is heavy and humid and the team is unwinding and visiting in our dinin gazebo. The crickets are singing and the barking of the guard dogs and the whistles of the guards are the sounds of the night.
We need a good nights sleep tonight. Tomorrow we are out for our first clinic.

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