paradise

PARADISE

my wife she and i spent the last week in nicaragua
got to use my passport for the first time
check that off my bucket list
i have only been to mexico once otherwise ive never
been to a foreign country except for california

(ok i was joking-that was for my wet suitcase sisterinlaw
and surfer dude brotherinlaw-he of course is more than
a surfer dude but he did get me in trouble with his wife
that time he allowed me to put that bag of plants in her
suitcase that almost ruined her expensive new clothes-see
this blog about that)

we are at their house on a beach in southern nicaragua
of course we always have enjoyed being on the beach
just veggie out slugging out relaxing contemplating planning
dreaming reading sleeping naps with no particular schedule
or sense of time or place

(well i did keep my watch on set to the local time
but no one else did
but thats me)

thats what beaches are for you know
and vacations
sometimes i see people taking vacations to relax but they
seem to be working too hard to have a good time
nicaragua time is what i call it here
slow pace friendly people

one thing that fascinates me is the traffic
it seems so disorganized but it all work so well
there are few or no red lights and few stop signs in these towns
and the traffic just seems to flow fluently
like the spanish language

why cant we learn this in the us
there is a lot of honking here but its friendly honking
no pissed off drivers when you are honked at just a
friendly reminder hey im behind you or im about to pass
you
yep in the us there would be a lot of mad folks on the road
road rage is not present here
driving is done here with nicaraguan rules
cars cows pigs horses suicide chickens bikes pedestrians
motorcycles trucks lots of buses taxis all share the rode
they all have equal right of way
(no bike car confrontations like happens in austin)

my surfer but more than that brotherinlaw was made for this
traffic way of life in nicaragua
in the us he probably just makes folks mad or they make him
mad but here he just drives like everyone here and it works
so well

the people here are so friendly and accepting that you dont
know the language
my wet suitcase sisterinlaw did all of the talking
and did a good job
made it easier on us to get what we wanted
think the nicaraguans appreciate that someone takes the time
to learn their language spanish and uses it while here

when i look around this countryside-those dirt roads with
those ruts we use to call corduroy roads when i was growing
up in rural arkansas and those dusty roads that blow dust all
over you if you are walking or live close to the road
your house face hair lungs get covered with dust

yes it does look somewhat like rural arkansas when i was younger
i think thats why i felt a sudden kinship to those people

there is poverty here like there was in arkansas
i look at the kids out playing baseball and soccer and
everyone sitting on the porches and except for the dark
color and the shorter populations (well i did have some short
sisters and brother) if i close my eyes i imagine my younger
brother -the one with alzhiemers and my younger sisters and my
history brother out there playing baseball making the same noises
and really having a good time with each other

yes they seem to be where we were several years ago
and maybe those were better times in a way
because as i look around here
i do see changes coming
for the best economically or for the worse as a way of life here
there will be changes

more cars more americans and other foreign visitors that want
things like they have at home but at a better price
do we really make things better when this happens

yes nicaragua is a paradise
no wonder people like hemingway liked these countries
we in america dont have paradise any more
weve seemed to ruin it at times

im sitting here on a porch in a chair writing this looking out over
the ocean with the waves crashing
thats all i hear
it so relaxing
its paradise

next
what i call the nicaraguan mardi gras

the organicgreen doctor