Here in Puerto Cabezas, my American and Nicaraguan friends
helped me celebrate my 30th Birthday!! The day was filled with smiles and joy. I was told to be ready at 10 a.m. We were going to the Beach! Our first sight of water since we had arrived
in this Atlantic coastal area. Excitedly, I prepared, putting on my swimsuit,
grabbing my sarong, sunglasses, and a good book. But a trip to the beach was just the
beginning of my adventurous birthday.
We all piled into a yellow school bus owned by the local
church. Before I knew it, we were
4-wheeling (uhm, I mean 6-wheeling) in the yellow school bus, rapidly dodging
potholes, rolling over mounds of dirt “road,� with nothing but dirt and shrubbery
in sight. Finally the bus stopped. We were ushered off the bus. Good thing too, because I was getting a bit queasy
from the jostling. I looked up. There was no beach in sight. I strained my eyes. Oh yes, I see a little bit of water WwwwAaaaYyyyy
over there. We start heading toward the mirage-looking
water.
After a little hike, we made it to the water. Issue:
It’s water alright, but it’s more like a river. In order to get to the beach, we have to
cross two rivers, with a plateau of sand in between the rivers. Fortunately, we had our swimsuits on, so we
took off our outer clothing, held our belongings up high, and started crossing
the river. The second river was
deeper. I had to stand on my tiptoes and
hold my plastic bag filled with my sarong, etc, above my head. (I’m the second one from the front in the photo to the left, with my plastic white bag over my head.)
Once we arrived, we celebrated in victory–we’d made it to
the beach! We jumped into the water,
threw around a football, body surfed. Then
we ate our picnic lunch and bathed in the sun. Somehow, one of the Nicaraguan boys borrowed a
canoe, so I was able to go canoeing around the inlet of the Atlantic Ocean.
When we got home later that afternoon, my teammates Lauren,
Mark, and Sarah exclaimed “Happy Birthday� (we’re not a singing bunch), giving
me a small pre-dinner vanilla ice cream (one of my favorites, since cheesecake
and strawberries were nowhere in sight).
Then they and Katey (who had prepared in advance, since she’s in
Granada) gave me cards and little gifts, wrapped in a bag left with us by Cricket. As a tradition in my family, I prayed for the
4 of my teammates before opening the bag, which reminded me of my dear family. Oh, and throughout the day, several of my squadmates gave me random letters that Lauren made out of popsicle sticks. I was slightly confused what it spelled, until about two days later when the last letter was given to me. It spelled “Esther rox” (rocks)!
Dinner was amazing.
Our Nicaraguan friend Horracio cooked a special meal: a curry type dish, filled with chicken,
potatoes, and LOTS of veggies. Rice was
involved too, but no beans. A special
treat! (Beans and Rice are staples here in Nicaragua.)
Who knew that a simple trip to the beach would be filled
with off-roading, hiking, rivers, canoeing, followed by fun team time filled
with treats and a special dinner. Can’t
quite say that I’ve done that in America.
Then again, I am on the World Race.
Why wouldn’t I expect such a 30th birthday adventure??
Thanks to my family and friends for praying for such a
special day! And thanks to my WR friends
for making it a day to remember!
