It's Another Beautiful Day

It is another beautiful day in San Juan Del Sur and we all took some time this morning to get our beauty sleep. After a delicious breakfast catered by Roxanna, many of us met Rachel at Villa Isabella for a tour of her unique home. The house was positioned on top of a mountain and, since we are all young and in great shape, we opted to catch a ride in one of the trucks and arrive in style. Shipping crates made up the frame of the home, leaving space for a beautiful patio and pool, and recycled tires were stacked, creating a rubber band like wall, high against the steep hillside they had dug to make a sturdy foundation for their dream home. While the design was interesting, the sustainability was incredibly impressive. The roof boasted a solar powered hot water heater, while every window air conditioner had solar panels pointed away from the hillside. A rain collection system was set up to funnel water from the roof down into underground water barrels where it could be stored in case the well ever stopped functioning or became strained as more people move into the area. The coating on the containers served as an exceptional insulation and kept the inside relatively cool, while breezes swept through the industrial looking windows. Unfortunately, the monkeys that frequent their trees where not around to greet us, but the view from the roof was stunning enough.

The groups split up to work with their respective entrepreneurs after each grabbing a variety of local dishes at restaurants or supermarkets nearby. My group in particular met with Michael Roche, who backs a micro finance company and takes a trip down to meet with the family running the operation and those who have borrowed money each year. During the house calls to his clients, we were able to get a better sense of the town. While the many brightly colored buildings stand out the most, the simple houses with dirt floors, tin roofs and genuine people also made an impression. No matter what their financial situation, everyone is proud of what they have and somewhat unlike in America, they take great pride in themselves, being always presentable even for a small outing.

We also were able to experience the extreme hills and the hazards even seemingly paved roads present. Michael drove a little, red sedan right up the side of a hill that looked as though it went straight up and would tip us over if we ever made it to the top. However, tipping over was not what proved an issue, the fact that a giant hole and the end of the pavement was waiting at the peak took us by surprise as we strained the engine and hoped rather loudly that we would make it. The view from the top was breathtaking, as you stood opposite the Jesus statue and looked out over the whole of San Juan Del Sur.

Then came dinner time when we went out for what promised to be a delicious meal; however, we became considerably grouchy, grumpy and impatient when the food took two hours and we were not offered refills on our drinks during that time. While threats of writing bad restaurant reviews and canceling our orders were tossed around the table as viable options, we ended up staying put because we're from Maryland and we finish what we start. Never say die....Even when you are starving and have an empty glass.