La finca de la familia de Dulce

Dulce and Carlos (my host family) invited me to accompany them and their two children, Marcel and Carlos, to the finca (farm) that has been in Dulce's family for generations. The adventure started out in a taxi that came right to the house. We climbed in with a jug of water, some bags of food, and the pet parrot who was found on the finca two months ago after he had fallen out of his nest. The cab driver is a friend who has driven them to the finca many times before and knows the entire route by heart. We went through the streets of Jinotepe and then on the Panamerican highway going south towards Costa Rica. Slowly the road turned into scattered villages and then lush farmland. Just before we reached Nandaime, we turned to the right onto a dirt road. As we passed one little house after another scattered in the woods, the road became narrower and narrower. Finally the road became so full of potholes and washed out parts that the driver had to slow to a crawl. It didn't bother him at all, though, since he had made this trip many times before. Finally we turned into the driveway of Dulce's mother's house.

La finca de la familia de Dulce

Click above to see pictures of the farm
We had definitely left the city. Horses, pigs, and about four or five dogs wandered around peacefully as well as a large number of ducks and chickens. This was the house that Dulce grew up in. Since the house only got electricity ten years ago, she had to study by candlelight or with a kerosene lamp. Now the house has electricity, running water every other day, and an antennae over the house so that they can have cell service. We wandered through the yard as Dulce pointed out the many different fruit trees in the yard. As she finished the tree tour, one of her brothers rode up on a horse and talked with us for a few minutes and then joined another relative as they brought the cattle near the house so that they could have some water (very important since it was getting very hot by this time). Dulce's father had a well built there many years ago that produces plenty of water for the animals. It was very deep with high sides to keep children out. They have about 15 milk cows, which they milk once a day at 4:00 AM. Dulce said that some of the cows produce milk for up to 15 years. On most American farms, a cow is lucky to produce milk for 3 years before it is sent to be slaughtered.

While all of this was going on, Dulce, her mother, and several female relative were busy preparing the lunch on an outside stove that was heated by firewood. Later Carlos and I were told that it was time to eat. We were served at the dining room table while the women ate together next to the outside stove. As we were eating we had to keep shooing away the flies and dogs who wanted to join us for the meal. After we finished, it was time to move into the living room. It was so hot by this time that Carlos and I slept in rocking chairs next to a fan as some children watched television and the women continued to chat outside by the fire.

It was an amazing cultural experience. Everything was so much more relaxed than the city and it was surprising how well all of the animals and children interacted so peacefully. My hope is that I will be assigned to a place like this when the different sites are given out at the end of next month. Internet service will probably be much harder to get, but the pace of life seems so calm and peaceful.