Cross-country

Hello!

It's funny how i usually start composing these blogs in my head when i don't have anything to write with...or have a computer anywhere near me.

I have been a busy turtle girl for the last two weeks or so. I had a crazy week in the office and then I left for a week to Managua.

My main two...no three reasons for going were:
1) Allergy vials: For those who know me...I am apparently allergic to life and am being treated with immunology shots. The vials i picked up back in June to take with me turn out to not be mine, but of some other poor soul, and I was told this after I had already been injected once....Lovely stuff. Either way, they had to fedex me my vials. Mind you i walked through customs with these things without a problem, but when they were shipped customs demanded a permit from MINSA (ministry of health) and for me to be present there to pick them up.
Never mind the fact I live and work clear across the country....
Good news: I finally got them on Friday.
Bad news: I had to lose my temper to make them help me out more quickly.

2). ANA BANANA- My lovely friend and site leader from aB Galapagos 2011 and I had a reunion in Nicaragua! Her family has been absolutely amazing with me, taking me around to do errands and letting me sleep in their house and even better, feeding me! It was lovely to see someone from home again and not just because she brought me gummy bears! Thank you to the whole family for making me feel at home and loved!

3). Escape- Frankly, i was reaching the end of my patience here in Pearl Lagoon...
I think it was mainly a feeling of being cooped up. While i do get to travel out to the pearl cays every week, its not the same as leaving and (somewhat) separating myself from the people I deal with every day.
When you live three steps from your place of work, it is sometimes difficult to completely extricate yourself from it. And while it is convenient that I live four steps away from my office (I totally sleep til the last minute) sometimes I have to intentionally not check my email and log off of skype, even if its for a few hours, for my sake of mind.


The last week was therefore taken as a sort of vacation. I still answered some emails and such, but since the house i was staying at didn't have internet, i made an effort to stay away from work. (As the family can attest to my mini stress sessions it wasnt entirely possible as I had some fun emails and phone calls to field). But I tried. I read, I just hung out, and I danced!

Bad news: Unfortunately, my canon point and shoot died last Saturday night...and with my olympus dying two weeks ago, that takes my camera count down to....my cellphone.

Bad news: My knee decided to act out again on Friday making for an annoying and painful 13+ hr trip cross country yesterday.

Good news: Its sunny and hot out, so after i log off, I can handwash and hang dry my clothes outside and they might actually DRY! (i have no clothes left!)

Good news: I have acquired a Flor de Cana tank top and I thrift shopped and found a lovely american flag shirt....which i proceeded to wear when i went out last night with all my Canadian friends.

Good news: I figured out how to connect my cellphone to my computer as a camera!!!

Here are some pictures from my trip:

My new Flor de cana shirt! RUM!!!

Bus that I rode from Rama to Managua. 

I totally craved that rock. No idea what mountain that is. Seen on my bus ride to Managua. I WANT TO CLIMB IT!

A little gecko posing for me in Jinotepe. Quite a good shot using my phone!

Ana banana! <3

Loving the gear!

Mombacho canopy tour! Loving the height!!!

A walk in the forest...across high wire! Gave me an arm workout!!

Loving it!

A crazy night with my Nica family! BRODER....solo quiero reirme!!

Making lunch for the ladies 'murica style!

scrambled eggs, strawberries( OMG my first in over two months), turkey bacon, and biscuits!!!

I'm so talented

Had to take the long route home through Kukra Hill. At least it was a gorgeous day!!!

I'm having some difficulties figuring out how to get all my pictures off my phone. I'll have more next time.

Until then:

"I must lose myself in action, lest i wither in despair" -Lord Tennyson

Peace!

Melissa

Find your happy

Hello everyone!
It has been exactly a month since i posted an entry here.
For bit i did not post because I wasn't in the field and there really wasn't too much to talk about and then I got ridiculously busy.
But today, its a rainy day, and frankly, data entry can wait a bit longer while I update this instead haha.

The reason I take so many pictures of everything is not only because I enjoy it, but because i have a memory like Dory, it helps me keep track of what has transpired in the last month of so. I had a bunch of pictures on my Olympus "waterproof" that flooded and i havent tried it out again, I've been letting it live in the dry box in hopes it recuperates. I had pictures there of my awesome trip to Rocky Point (agricultural areas) with the Canadians which consisted of puppies, water crossings, and howler monkeys!

First off...THIS thing came into the house!!! Haha. I have been working on my fear of spiders for years. And i promise you I have gotten slightly better. BUT THIS WAS NOT NICE. And according to someone, we have a lot living in out backyard...YAY. But my boss Victoria caught it and we let it out. No matter how scared i was of it, I still didnt really want to kill it, i just didnt want it in my house!

TARANTULA MONSTER. 

 After the monster was caught, I was in the field for five days, right before my birthday. And it was a gorgeous five days, not a lot of rain, plenty of sun and turts!!!

We have a lot of these guys on Crawl Cay where we stay. They always startle me a bit when they hop around, but thankfully I am not afraid of grasshoppers.

Selfie in the water. 

Bunch of these guys hanging out on the point.

This little dude lives on Grape Cay. BY HIMSELF. The watchman is rarely there and he never comes onto the beach, except he did this time, because i am pretty sure the little guy was STARVING. We now feed him and make sure he has water. I have ranted many a time about what a b*tch the woman is who brought him to a freaking island and left him there. Tourism can def. be harmful, and b*tches can be stupid and cruel. I'm done. 

STARFISH! My team found him for me and brought him over. He was safely back in the water soon after this was taken! Columbilla Cay! 

This little guy was stuck in a nest i was excavating, survival was doubtful but we tried.




I went snorkeling when i got back after survey a lot that week. SO many of these starfish and sea urchins as well. Those i didnt pick up haha.

And a sea cucumber :D. Unfortunately, there has been an influx of Chinese into pearl lagoon that have started new markets in sea cucumber and actually, jellyfish. This puts even more pressure on the ecosystems here.The sad fact is, there is money in it, and the job market is so bad in Nicaragua, that people will do anything.

                                         

I stayed up most of the nights in hopes of seeing the nest this little guy came out of, hatch. Only saw four hatchlings, but personally walked this little guy to the water :D <3

Mama hawksbill on Bottom Tawira

Juvenile hawksbill on Savanna.

Baby calipers for the juvie!

Watched these guys break into conch. I understand people have to eat, but I'm 100% sure there is no control of take of conch in the cays...

SO thats what that looks like

Waltar Cay. Had a bunch of tanks for diving here.

Team Leader Nexlor. My team fishing for dinner!

After a crazy five days in the field I got home and with Victoria and Laura walked to Awas, a nearby town on the water to watch the sunset. And drink some beers of course.

Mother and Daughter team

    The following day i turned 24! Haha...yeah. Another year, another turtle project, another country! Had a great group come out!

With my great boss, Victoria!

With my neighbor and friend, Lillieth!

Haha. Greg was awesome and bought everyone beers and drove us over to Awas! The guy on the left is from Oregon and talks like a native!

"Nicaraguan tradition" of eggs and flour!

Blue steel look with my favorite Canadians. 

WCS ladies :D

Everyone enjoying the drinking games!

My banana, ginger, cinnamon, cake.

YUM!

The Canadians brought over some wine!

We got a panga ride back to Pearl Lagoon from Jimmy. 

Day in Awas followed by a lovely dinner on the back porch with everyone!

Onion rings, breadfruit, chicken and rice and beans!!! YUM!

Thanks everyone! It was fun!!!

               It was a fun birthday for sure. I wasnt at all homesick like i though i would be because I am surrounded by amazing people here in Nicaragua!

Luckily not only do we have hawksbills nesting here in the Pearl Cays, but it is a foraging ground for greens, leatherbacks, and loggerheads. So i have the chance to see four species while here....and hopefully have some time to go to the Pacific to see my first Olive Ridleys *crosses fingers*

Juvenile Green turtle

Two of my team members, Harvey and Boyd!

Tan as F! haha 

I dont eat turtle!

Gorgeous!!!

Fishermen on the Lagoon on the way back from the Pearl Cays yesterday.

            I have been having a blast here in Nicaragua. I miss everyone dearly but this has been a good way for me to get out of South Florida and explore, meet new people, and reduce the hate on Miami enough to tolerate it when I get back ;). I am about to hit two months here (can't believe it!!!) and that means i have 7 months left. I party hard, i work hard, and i play hard. Life is good.

Until the next time.

Melissa