As Christmas approaches, it only seems to get hotter

Everyday is at least 90 degrees. The humidity is high, high, high. And as Christmas approaches, it seems to only be getting hotter. It seems like I have been checking Snowbird's website way too often lately. I now understand why my parents moved out of Houston when I was 11 years old . . .

The last few weeks has been filled with all kinds of interesting adventures. I visited a rural, beach-side clinic for two days and assisted the doctor there. It was amazing to lack of resources she had at her disposal. Yet nonetheless, she seemed to be accomplish so much! Her efforts in preventing malaria were especially interesting to me. She had extensive notes (in what seemed to be hundreds of cheap notebooks covered in colorful cartoon scenes of horses, schools, etc.) listing all cases that had occurred during her 8 year stint in the community. She also listed all active cases of malaria (and a few others diseases) on large make-shift whiteboards in her office. For all these cases, she sent out nurses or community members to dispense prophylaxis (chloroquine) to those living near to the infected person. In this way, she tried to stop the spread of the disease in its tracks. We also had a kid come in who had accidentally taken a machete to his arm (not pretty); so I was able to assist her in cleaning and sewing up the cut.

In other news, a group of three Swedish women I had been hanging out with since I got here left (now I have no one to hang out with!). It was sad to see them go; they were a good bunch to hang out with and speak English with when I was frustrated with Spanish.

The 7th of December was an interesting and fun holiday which is a analog of sorts to our Halloween. However, the theme is the Virgin Mary instead of ghosts and witches. People from the country side head to the cities and at night run up to houses with displays of the Virgin to scream "Quien causa tanta alegría" which means more or less "who gives us so much happiness". Then they get candy, chocolate, pencils, combs, notebooks, bags, and a whole slew of somewhat random things! This event also taught me how much I don't like Nicaraguan "fireworks" or should I say bombs, which were set off in amazing numbers at midnight. Each one was so damn loud I thought I would go deaf! Let's just say if you wanted to kill somebody with a gun, that would be the night to do it in Nicaragua.

Today, I got back today from hiking the volcano Telica near León, an awesome experience. The views from the top were great and normally you can see lava in the 150 meter deep crater (sheer drop off) but there was too much steam this time around. But I have now set myself on a mission to see real, live lava before I leave Nicaragua.

And there will be more adventures to come! The office I was working at closed last Friday for the holidays so I now have a whole load of free time on my hands. Plus, my mother is coming on the 10th of January, and we'll be heading to the awesome (or so I'm told) Corn Islands in the Caribean.

Drop me a line! Tell me what you all are up to!!!!