Rio Coco Revisited Part II

Rio Coco Revisited, Part 2 of 3

I just returned from my third venture to the Rio Coco in the remote northern border of Nicaragua. Here are the facts:

·         Goal: Three days, six communities

·         Purpose: Take Christmas gifts and candy to about 800 children and distribute eye glasses to about 90 people those whose eyes warranted them based on a previous trip.

·         Theme: Rain

It was the best of times. It was the wetest of times…

Sunday, Day Three: La Esperanza and Pankawas

     To no surprise at all we awoke to rain. We packed up our belongings, said our farewells and set our sights for an hour downstream to La Esperanza. The school made a nice setting for the piñatas and gifts because the rain never let up. It was a dry place to do the work ahead of us.

     It appeared that there would be a brief respite from the rain as we traveled to these mid-trip communities. Appearances can be deceiving and its wasn't long into the short 40 minute trip that we found ourselves in the middle of the river in what can only be described as a deluge.

     Pankawas, one of the places I had visited previously- I think I will have to deem as my favorite. Not only is the community just a step higher on the aesthetic scale based on how it is perched high on the banks of the Rio Coco with an incredible backdrop of mountain peaks, but the people are friendly, welcoming and engaging.

     This is where I met 104 year-old Cesar Something Something. (I never could quite understand the second and third names and he was not sure if he is was 104 or 105.) The church building where we made our temporary home in Pankawas is an elevated structure as one might expect to find along a river. The steep steps up to the entrance are spaced wide and are made of bamboo. This is done so animals, such as the multitude of dogs, pigs, horses and cows cannot enter the building. It is difficult climbing for most everyone over the age of 45 or so. Cesar climbed the steps as we were handing out the last of the glasses. It was no small task for the hunched-over centenarian who walked with a long stick. But he placed his stick next to the steps and pulled himself to the raised floor. I did not remember recording an age like his when we listed eye glass recipients. I asked him if we had checked his vision on our last visit and he said, through Marwell, “No. My vision isn’t great and it’s not going to get any better, but I won’t need it much longer.”

Cesar

     My heart softened even more for Cesar as he explained that he had heard there were other Christians in the area and he wanted to just come and welcome us and thank us for visiting him and his community.

      Time in Pankawas wrapped up as three little girls who lived next to church wanted pictures taken so they could see themselves in the three-inch screen of my digital camera. I went one step further by showing a video of them all dancing earlier. The best part was how they laughed and hooted as they watched themselves dance around and be silly. My favorite part was when they would try to dance then run around and see themselves before their image left the screen. They were great.

Mugging for the camera

     Using a generator to light the place so we could work and Deyra could cook provided the community with an added benefit. I noticed small group after small group enter the preacher’s home – a place too small to hold too many – and finally gave into the curiosity to see what was going on inside. The preacher owns a TV and DVD player! Electricity means entertainment had come to the village in electronic form. So what do the indigenous people of the Rio Coco watch? Are there movies available on DVD in the Miskito dialect? Is there at least a Spanish option so a few of the villagers will understand the plot? NO! Crammed into a very small space was about twenty mostly Miskito-speaking people watching as Chuck Norris (pronounced Chooook by the locals) rescued all the people in the movie using only his hands, feet, smarts and English. They watched the whole movie without subtitles or translation of any kind. Fortunately, Chuck Norris movies seldom need dialogue to follow the plot. And it rained. Movies are good for rainy days, especially if you have electricity.

     Bath #2 was just me and the Huggies. “Now More Refreshing” declares the packaging. “Sufficient” declared my mindset.