This is paradise…besides the 90 degrees with 100% humidity, the huge bugs, the biting insects, the power outages, ants crawling in everything everywhere, and having rice and beans for every meal. Honestly we do love it here (Is that sweat or a bug running down my back…who can ever tell.) It is humbling to go to radically different environments that you would not choose. I feel that my attitude back in the states was always, “We have a choice, it is a right, I deserve this.” I feel that back home we cannot “live” without things, we will die without them. LOL. How funny that seems now. I went to town the other day here on the island and went to use the pay internet (15 cordobas which is about 0.64 cents per hour) and there was air conditioning. I was shocked it has been months since I have experienced air conditioning. I was actually surprised that I was alive and doing perfectly fine living without air conditioning, which I would say was not doable before the race. I guess I am really just saying there are millions of people living without “stuff” that we would say as American’s is “not livable” and they are doing just fine and they are happy. It didn’t take a new Nintendo game to make them happy or air conditioning or new toys. They are happy just because. It is surprising at how much “stuff” it takes to make an American happy and I am glad to say that I am learning to do without all the stuff. Let’s face it; I was born in 1985 which means 13-19 years old there was cable tv, high speed internet and cell phones. I grew up surrounded by my comfort technologies. BA DA DA TA DA!!! The rest of the world doesn’t look like this. Life is so different here if it is not practical or functionable people don’t care about it down here. Things are not bought for being pretty and not bought for fun. First it is about functionability, practicality, and living.
Random cool guy shaving in his motocicleta mirror! Who doesn't want to try this! Awesome
It is wonderful at the orphanage playing with the kids and working on the grounds. We are working on three projects, construction of a building, gardening, and kitchen duty. The garden is run by an American man, Robert, who is originally from California and lives here for a year at a time. Robert is big on self-sustaining agriculture. We are planting and watering and weeding the garden which is about two acres of land. Every day he brings in food to be used by the kitchen to go towards breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So our efforts are going to the meals for the children and ourselves. The kitchen group cleans dishes and helps prepare meals, with 19 children at the orphanage, 2 adults, and 14 world racers every meal is started hours before it is served and once you finish the first meal you start making the next. So kitchen is a full time job (we each do it once a week). The construction is currently working on an outdoor building gazebo by the water putting in steel so it will last a long time. After that we will have to see what we will be working on next. The children are at school during the day and then are everywhere at night. Jacob McLauftry bought a basketball and so we have been playing a game or two with the kids. The children crawl on you (I, Ty, being a nice size jungle gym) and run all around you. It is amazing.
Our bus today was some sort of fruit truck that we road in back of that had holes in the floor and you could see the pavement below you! Hang On 😉
So despite it being radically different than “normal” life we are working very hard, having fun, loving the children, and hopefully making a huge difference in their lives.
The bus has a flat….No Problemo! Just change it on the side of the road 🙂
FYI We NEED donations really bad right now. We are at $3,348.85 needed to go by October 1st otherwise we will get sent home so PLEASE donate! It will have to be online donations (on this blog site under donate) because check mail in takes too long. That money will be used for transportation, living quarters, and food for the next THREE months of our missions trip Romania, Bulgaria, and Thailand.
So please donate, on our website blog (tyrelandbeccasteines.theworldrace.org) on the left hand side of the page click on SUPPORT US. Thank you
