some confustion?

i don´t know why but this blog was not working before....hopefully it is now? pleas let me know if you can read this.

Bluefields: my perspective

You don’t have to be in Bluefields for long to see that the socioeconomic structure of the community is struggling. The streets are a collection of cement slabs, rocky concrete, and hexagon bricks. The sidewalks, where they do exist, are narrow, layered with mud and so bumpy that you trip every few steps if your eyes are not glued to the pavement. On the streets and sidewalks, trash fills every pot hole and spills over into the ditches and gutters. The smell is mostly bad, of either rotting trash or burning trash. The housing in Bluefields seems to be a complete hodge-podge mix of economic status. The concept of environmental racism and economic status based housing values do not exist here. Relatively large and well kept homes are side by side with falling in dumpy tin huts. Every neighborhood is the same, big houses, little shacks, nice architecture, and scraps from a garbage pit can all be found on any given street. The people here don’t notice they just go about their business, selling whatever they can off of their porch or kitchen. Every family has a business in Bluefields. Every one sells something, mostly clothing, baked goods, groceries, pharmacy, produce, and on and on. There are so many stores and shops and homes with their doors open, hoping someone will come in to buy, the I don’t see how anyone would ever have to go farther than one block, if that, to get any item they may ever need. I also wonder how any one shop could get any business if everyone is so poor, but as I sit in Marvin’s shop for a few minutes I see that there is a steady flow of costumers, which he individually waits on and fetches their groceries for them as they request each item. Nobody ever buys more than four or five items, and usually just one or two, but still they come and come, and one Cordoba at a time (about 5 cents) Marvin makes his living. This makes me wonder even more how this family, which seems to be one of the better off ones, makes it on such a meager business. Then I discover (which basically I already knew) the economy of the entire town is funded by the cruise ships. Almost all of the young people of the town are working or have worked for a ship. All three of Marvin’s sons are working in the industry and most likely the family is largely surviving on remittances. The shops are merely a way to pass the time in this town, to have something to invest yourself and your family into, even if it doesn’t turn much profit.

a walk with Neil

Today Neil (Marvin’s Brother) and I went for a long walk around Bluefields and showed me all of the buildings that survived the hurricane and the ones that have been built since. Most of the buildings have since been built, since many buildings were made of wood and blew down. I feel like I am starting to get the feel of the community and of this family. I sat in the store and talked with Marvin for some time, about Bluefields and his family and got to know him better. Neil seems to really be taking me under his wing, and he is constantly sneaking me cookies and treats from the store. Marvin’s son, Alex, also lives here and he works on the cruise ships and we have talked a few times as well. Last night he had friends come over and they played dominoes for a while and I watched, and he said that we would go out to party this weekend, so I am excited for that. I think it has just taken some time to get to know my surroundings and feel comfortable. I don’t really talk to Joyce to much though, and her sister is here and I talk to her none. Maybe things will change, but seems she is just concerned to make my meals. We also met a man; they call him Porky Pig, who has some roll in emergency management in the community. I talked with him for a while about hurricane Joan and the treat of more in the area, and he invited me back to talk more with him, so I am really excited for this. He will also direct me to more people to interview! I think that things are beginning to work out even though it takes time. I just need to relax and try to enjoy myself some and things will fall into place….I hope! The people here really seem nice and willing to talk and they seem very excited to share information about their community. The rain continues every couple of hours then will stop and start again, all day. The people seem to not be bothered, I suppose they are used to this rainy season.

the river at 4 am on the way to bluefields

the family i am staying wiht

The Taylor family
The family I am staying with is the Taylor’s. They are not Latino, but of African descent. They speak both Spanish and English, which is good and bad for me. Good because I can very easily communicate and makes me feel more at home and secure, but bad because I am not really working on my Spanish very much. In the family, there is Marvin Taylor, his wife Joyce, their son, his son’s 2 children, some woman that I don’t know if she is Marvin’s son’s wife or not because she looks sort of old to be, and Marvin’s brother. The house is nice, maybe 2 bedrooms and then the guest room I am in, and a kitchen, dining room, living room, and large porch area. I sort of feel bad in this big room with 2 beds to myself when I think the whole family shares the other 2 rooms, but I guess that is what I am paying them for.
Marvin is very helpful, he says he will make me a list with names of people to interview for my project, take me to the library, and get me a good book about Bluefields and other things. I am so glad that I am staying with them, because otherwise I would have no clue how to start this project. So I already have interviewed Marvin’s brother and although he was not in Bluefields for any hurricanes he did experience one while in Jamaica. He was born in Bluefields, and he also spent much time working in the Cayman Islands as a carpenter. Marvin was a teacher here in Bluefields and also in the Corn Islands. He now has a morning radio program at 7 am for 1 hour; I have not gotten up early enough to listen to it yet. The family also runs a small store which is very nice right next to the house, it’s attached actually. They sell all types of things including Rum which I met the distribution man for today.
Today is Marvin’s son’s birthday so we are going to have seafood soup….yum. The food has been really great so far, so I am excited for seafood too. I am really anxious to start my project and interviews, but Marvin says relax, get to know the community, and the people and then you will be able to talk to them. I guess this is a good idea. I will just feel better when I am able to get started though, so I know that things will work out, before that I will continue to be anxious.
The town is actually sort of big, not in area but in amount of people. You can walk anywhere, and there are taxis all over. Marvin’s brother says there are 500 taxis in Bluefields. The houses are all right next to each other and there are people all over, walking and biking. People leave the doors open and you can always see some people sitting and watching a TV in every home. Marvin has told me this is an autonomous region, and while they are a part of the Nicaraguan government, they also have their own government. Marvin’s brother says that the Nicaraguan government doesn’t much care about the community of Bluefields, for hurricanes or other. They mainly only care about Managua he says. However, he says that the local government is very good about taking care of the people and they do very well in preparing people. Marvin and his brother both seem very up on things. I talked to his brother today about American affairs such as Obama and the war and the flooding in Illinois and Iowa. He says he watches CNN and really does seem to know what is going on, which is nice. He has a son in Florida, so maybe that is why he has an interest in American news. Although he only went to school to the 6th grade, he has traveled a lot, spending time in America, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica and other places. I am very excited to learn more and more about this place as well as the people. Walking down the streets it feels very safe in the daytime and the streets are bustling. There are school children in their uniforms everywhere. There is a large market that takes up about four streets. I mostly hear people talking in Spanish, so I wonder how many also know English. It has an interesting feel, the air is very tropical and hot, and the vibe of the community is warm as well. Very laid back, I am not really sure where people go or what they do all day, since there is really no place to go. There is a big park near the Taylor home and always lots of people and children there.

details of trip

Day One in Bluefields.Quite an adventure to get here, but nothing beyond my original expectations, which were based on my previous travels in Central America with a little more fear and annoyance added in, and a little more of the Monica factor (you know….), since I am completely alone this time. The day started with a 2 am wakeup call from my mom on Sunday morning, which was less than desirable since I had stayed out past my curfew to hang out at the Corner Bar…not a good idea. So, on one and a half hours of sleep, we go to the airport, which I slept most of the way to. I get to the airport and go through check in, and then I start to wake up, and not feel so great. I barley make it to the ladies room, and get sick. Great, I am thinking, perfect start to my trip! Same thing happens again on the plane to Miami. I try to go in the bathroom, but it is full, the stewardess is sitting near, she gets me a bag just in time…. Despite the way I was feeling I still made conversation with some people sitting near me and find one girl, Kate, who is going to Nicaragua to research as well. She is a PhD student at the UofM doing research for [something] international education [something], in Managua. She has done travel research before, but seems very impressed/astonished that I am going all of the way to Bluefields, alone, with little Spanish, for thesis research…..Then I start to wonder, “Is this a good idea?”But I am half way there so too late for second thoughts. The flight to Managua was scheduled to leave just 30 minutes after landing, so not much time to chat, but Kate gave me her e-mail and wished me luck. We board the plane to Managua and get ready for take-off when to pilot says he has found a leak and needed the mechanics to check it out. Then it started storming and the mechanics couldn’t check it because of the lightning, so 3 hours later we are still sitting in the plane at Miami! The even worse thing was that I was stuck sitting next to this old man that smelled really bad! I still manage to sleep most of the time and finally we get to Managua. I had been planning to fly to Bluefields, since I heard that the bus was at night and dangerous. However, due to the delay, I missed all of the flights for that day. I could either get a hotel and go the next day, or be adventurous and go for the bus/boat trip. So I decided bus/boat. I get a taxi to the station, arrive at 5 pm and the bus doesn’t go until 9pm. So I wait more. By this point I am starving after eating nothing all day, but see no place for food and don’t want to venture out since it is starting to get dark and this bus station is very dodgy looking. So I wait more with a growling tummy. For the most part I felt safe; only one freaky man approached me. I think he wanted my phone number, but couldn’t figure out what he was saying. First I ignored him, but he kept asking and went and got a piece of paper, so then I thought he was maybe part of the bus company so I tried to understand him and be nice. But really I think he was just a creepo, and finally he left me alone. Finally 9 pm comes and we load the bus. With luggage on the top, this scares me a bit, since to lonely planet book warns of thieves on these night busses, but what is there to do? Not much but hope for the best, and pass up my bag. I am lucky on the bus, it is not completely full and I get a whole seat to myself. Oh, and the bus is an old school bus, no luxury. I am happy that I have traveled Central America before to [somewhat] prepare myself for the journey. The ride was not so bad, I slept as much as possible until my legs or arms would fall asleep from the cramped seating. We did come across an accident on the way, a fuel truck had gone off the road into the ditch which was very steep, and they were attempting to use a crane, or something to get it out…very strange. We then continue on and later stop at a break station for food and bathrooms, its about 2 am. I get a bag of platinos, my first food in over 24 hours, yum! We arrive at the boat station at 4:30 am and it starts to rain. There is a place to sit under cover and watch horrible Spanish soap operas. I am so confused by this time, because I don’t know where the boats are, if we have to walk there, or when they leave. I must have looked very confused and lost, because one woman tries to tell me to just stay where I was and the boats didn’t leave until morning. More waiting. Morning comes and I can see the river now just across the street, it is wide and dirty with mud and trash. We line up to get on, one man from the Corn Islands speaks English and talks to me, and he is very nice. We all cram on two boats. They are small, wooden; open toped, powered by huge 200 horse power motors. The boat ride is 2 hours it is cold and starts to rain. When the rain gets hard we put a thick sheet of plastic, like a clear tarp, over top of all the people, it doesn’t attach to the boat, so everyone just holds on to it. Then the rain stops and the plastic is taken off, this happens 2 more times as we run into sporadic tropic showers. Finally we arrive in Bluefields!!! I made it!!! Just as we get off the boat the rain starts again, very hard. I stop under the overhang of a store and watch and wait. My plan was to find a telephone and call the Marvin Taylor place I had arranged to stay at. But the rain doesn’t seem to stop. It’s 9 am, and I am so tired I decide to just find a room to sleep in for a while and then call the Taylor place. I grab a cab and find a dingy hostel. I don’t think the electric works at this time, everything is dark and there is not water. I wanted to brush my teeth so badly too. I pay for the room (about $9) and sleep until 3:30. Finally I get up and find a phone to call Marvin Taylor. I say that I am here and will come tomorrow, he says come now and any cab driver should know how to find it, just say 3 cross Marvin Taylor. Ok, go back to get my stuff from the room I didn’t even spend a night at. I ask 5 cabs if they know where Marvin Taylor is, all say not. Oh great! Finally one says to get in and it starts pouring rain again. The streets flood, but we drive through. We pick up and drop off 4 other people and soon I get the idea that his cab driver doesn’t know where Marvin Taylor lives. He is trying to talk to me but knows no English and I can’t understand him. Finally figure out he just wants to know where I am from. We have to stop and ask people where Marvin Taylor is and finally find it. The place is nice. From what I gather so far there is Marvin, his wife, some kids, and maybe Marvin’s dad. So it is a full family I am staying with. They speak both English and Spanish, they are very nice and seem like they will take good care of me. I fell asleep again when I got here, then Mrs. Taylor (Joan) made me flour tortillas and hot chocolate. It was so good since it was the first meal in 2 days. The room is $15 per day, but not that I have seen other hostel conditions that seems ok. My room is big, with 2 beds and my own bathroom and shower. They will make me breakfast and for $20 per day I can have all meals. Tomorrow I will find internet and a bank that hopefully has an ATM (if not I may be in big trouble since I didn’t take out much money before coming here). Then it is on to research.

made it to Bluefields

i made it!!! was only a 2 day journey....air, bus, boat. not to much bad happened. i wrote a long account of my jounry, but cant get my usb to work on this computer, so i will try tomorro. but just know that i am safe, the family i am staying with is really great. so nice. and they speak english and spanish. the town is sort of crappy, but the people seem ok. not a tourist town so that is sort of nice. nobody is hastling me. i hope to start research tomorrow and finnish quick so i can travel some too, everyone tells me the corn islands are so nice. so i would like to go there for some time. it has rained here a lot! the streets flood very quickly. more to come soon.

Bluefields Map

prepare for trip

I have been attempting to physically and mentally prepare myself for my upcoming trip to Nicaragua for the past few weeks now. I have been fortunate to have made a few contacts with others that have been to Bluefileds or are going to be there when I am. Although I have had some travel experience in the past, this trip will be a whole new challenge, as my main objective this time is to conduct research. another concern I have is the language barriers. I am making feeble attempts to learn Spanish, but that has been difficult. And Bluefieds also has many other native languages, as well as Creole English. As I prepare for the trip I am attempting to put all of my fears behind me and look ahead, although as the days count down, this becomes increasingly difficult to do....