When I jumped into the taxi in Santa Elena, I had no idea where San Luis was, much less where in San Luis I needed to go. When the driver asked “A donde?”, I told him “El Centro (downtown).” We both laughed, and luckily he knew where La Finca Bella was.

Much has happened since my arrival, and I have very little access to the Internet, so I am going to hit on the highlights thus far:

- My Spanish has been improving rapidly. Many of the laughs in the household are because of jokes, not because of how horrible my Spanish has been (at least I think that’s true).

- I am living with a great family. The mother is Jenny, a wonderful mother and cook. I am going to put on at least ten pounds while I’m living in her house. She has three children that live with her: Jessica, Jacqueline, and Josue. They are awesome. We have kindled a close relationship, and they have been especially helpful with my Spanish development.

- Speaking of food… Oh My God! Bananos, platanos, naranjas, limons, and on and on and on. They all grow across the street. And the coffee! I NEVER drink coffee… I’ve always said that if it tasted as good as it smells, I’d be in trouble. Well, I’m in trouble! Apparently, there is a fermentation process that occurs in the local beans that removes the bitter acid in the coffee. I’ve been fortunate to limit myself to two cups in a week.

- And speaking of moderation… those of you who always want to see me drink missed the opportunity when I needed to take a shot of tequila to enter a family birthday party.

- (Mom, don’t read this bullet.) On my second day in San Luis, Jessica and her friends (high school aged) took me to the local catarata (waterfall). Three of us went for a dip before getting ready to depart. Jessica asked if I wouldn’t mind going to the top of the falls. Always game for an adventure, I replied, “Si.” I partly assumed that there would be a path. Well, for all of you outdoor educator’s out there, I then had an afternoon that many of you have dreamed about. The six chico/as led me up the side of a 60 or 70 degree hill (no exaggeration). We had to dig through the mud to grab the roots of trees to make our way to the top. At one point, a 150 pound rock came lose, glanced off one of the girls shoulders, allowing me enough leeway to duck and miss having my body thrown off the side of the hill.

- The trip got me to thinking… what might be different if kids in the U.S. could take such risks? I have to say that I have never experienced such a wonderful environment for kids… and it shows in their behavior. I have yet to see a single small fight, squabble, argument, etc. take place with any of these kids. They are extremely happy, valued, and wonderful. When I have kids, I want them to grow up in an environment like this.

- The timber framing workshop has been great thus far. I am learning tons about wood and framing, as well as gaining invaluable experience. My highlight has been scribing a post to fit exactly atop a stone that we buried as a foundation.
- We took a trip to a local hot springs that is an almost complete antithesis (as least for a developed hot spring). The six of us were the only ones there. I had several great conversations in the back of the cattle truck that we took for 45 minutes each way on a road that makes those at Baxter State Park look like the interstate.

Well… that’s my time for today. I hope to post photos as I go, though most have been taken with my 35mm camera. Keep watching for updates and thanks for the comments!