Skip to main content

San Cristobal: A Remote Island with an Unexpected Beauty


Yesterday we braved the waves and slowly took our time to navigate around the reef and eventually found ourselves setting foot on Isla San Cristobal (named after Christpoher Columbus who landed here).

San Crisotbal is largely peopled by the Ngobe Tribe.

We met a couple kids on the dock and handed out lolli-pops.

We walked up the path to a little store (and by little I mean it looks like a drive through window--well a walk through--where you can buy a few things you see behind the counter) They didn't have any water so we bought a cold coke.

Kids followed us.


The village is poor. Very poor. Most of the houses don't have complete walls. But bananas and chocolate grow everywhere.


We walked to the soccer field and Lee played with the kids. Its his favorite thing to do.


We saw this tiny girl carrying a heavy water bottle.


And then we saw a familiar face. An older Ngobe man we'd met in town on the main island.

He invited us in.

We sat in really comfortable rocking chairs while his grandchildren played all around us and his wife popped in and out showing us things she made. I bought a seed and shell necklace from her. We chatted for a while and the old man explained he was working on a new bathroom for his home. We may go back and help him with it. We may even move in next door for a month.

I want to spend more time with these people.

I want to learn more about how they make chocolate


and how they make things from the thread they make from the long leaves of the pita plant.


And I want to get to know these people better. I want to understand the way they live.


I want to get to know their names.


Finding Beauty in Unexpected Places,
laura


Please check out our FULL WEBSITE at www.PovertyProjectInternational.com
If you want to chat, you can email us at povertyprojectinternational@gmail.com
Or if you want to help us out and DONATE, you can go to PAYPAL and send your donation to  povertyprojectinternational@gmail.comAll donations are tax deductible.


Live is an adventure, Live it!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Refuse to be Safe!

I refuse to be safe. I have been back in The States for about 6 weeks now and I keep hearing this phrase everywhere. "I'm so glad you're safe" Does this mean I wasn't safe before? I keep hearing it everywhere, not just directed at me. Everyone is saying it to everyone. Like Zombies walking around asking each other, "Are you safe?" "Yes, I'm safe."  "I'm so glad you're safe." What has happened?! Is the world such a big scary place out there?  I see all over Facebook people talking about how they are afraid for people who are traveling, especially going over seas. I see people saying they will never go anywhere. LORD< SEND ME! How can we change the world if we are safe? I believe this is all by design. I believe the powers that be want you to stay home and watch your TV. I believe they want to distract you, disconnect you, instill fear in you. PARALYZE YOU! Don't let them. Get out of your comfort...

A Community Works Together

Clean up day started out wet. But no matter, adults and kids alike turned out to pick up trash and at the end of the day over 860 big black bags of garbage were hauled away. What an impressive beginning! I think I was most impressed by the smiles and the willingness of everyone to pitch in and help.  Working hard,  laura Please check out our FULL WEBSITE at www.PovertyProjectInternational.com Connect with us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/povertyprojectinternational/ If you want to chat, you can email us at povertyprojectinternational@gmail.com Or if you want to help us out and DONATE, you can go to PAYPAL and send your donation to   povertyprojectinternational@gmail.com All donations are tax deductible. Live is an adventure, Live it!

What is This Poverty Project Thing? The Real Story

It isnt about doing elaborate projects. It isnt about throwing money everywhere. It isnt about working with groups of volunteers It is a lifestyle experiment What on earth does that mean? I left the States for Mexico 5 years ago after the death of my husband. We had been there previously and fell in love with a little Mexican village. We planned to retire there, but unfortunately, it became his final resting place. I sat on every park bench in the park in that little village. My Spanish was terrible, but I attempted to talk to the locals as much as I could. I started to build some friendships. I ate a lot of street food. And I cried a lot. Eventually, I met Lee. He had been traveling for almost a year and had been to the most unlikely, off the grid places you can imagine. He took me to the "other" side of town. He was not afraid to swing in a hammock in a home the size of a closet watching old westerns in Spanish with a Mayan mechanic. He was not afraid to g...