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So we decided to fix the emptied tank as best as possible for the sake of experimentation. The inauguration was in a day and a half, so we had little time to waste. We started removing lamella and placing them under the stock tanks very carefully. It was a mission because of all the wind up there. After a few were out we had to jump in to inspect the tank and finish removing the lamella more easily. Lotta fun. After going in, we saw that the inlets into the sed tanks were also incorrectly made. The cuts on the elbows were totally incorrect -- another simple error with very negative effects. We called the other group that had gone to a hardware store in Tegucigalpa and asked for tie wraps--the second greatest quick rig invention in the world (second to duct tape). We did a few nerdy engineer things involving shoelaces, rocks, and a calculator to figure out the angle we were going to place them in and then got to work. We replaced them and tied them up with tie wraps.
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Tela Water Treatment Plant: While in Tela, we visited the water treatment plant. The Tela water treatment plant was really sad. Apparently when it was built in the 1940's, they had a clean-ish water source, a rudimentary filtration system, and chlorination system. Now, farmers have moved uphill of the plant, so farm animals are polluting the water source, there is no filtration system anymore, only chlorination. Chlorination doesn't work if the water is dirty (with a turbidity of more than 30 ntus) because then the chlorine just attaches to the dirt and becomes a carcinogen instead of cleaning the water. In the rainy season the water is usually over 100 ntus. Also, the distribution system and pipes are not documented anywhere- they're "saved in people's heads". I wasn't really convinced by that, it really sounded like a mess.
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The Mennonite Water Bottling Plant: One of the many stops that we made was to a tiny little water bottling plant. It was in the room the size of a typical living room, and bottled enough water for a Mennonite congregation and some town's people. It was somewhat impressive. Then started talking to the minister as people were drifting back to the vans. We were wondering why on earth the minister had bought so much land, just to use the tiny little room for his water bottling enterprise they They had bought an old I forgot exactly what it was, either an old warehouse, an old airplane hangar- whatever it was, it was a gigantic piece of land- which they were able to buy by selling off the steel that was currently on the property. He started explaining that the water treatment plant for his parish was only the first part of his vision. (Please keep in mind that he is making this happen in Honduras, with NO money.) The next parts of his vision included a university, a market place, and several other buildings to help his community. I was struck by how he was making it all happen- as if by magic. Through all the corruption and poverty, he is slowly bringing his vision of a better world to life. He is definitely one of the most inspiration people I met on the trip.
I hope everyone else fills in the other water-treatment related adventures we had in Tela because I'm drawing a blank- oh there was the house with the swastika on it. I'm not sure anyone else caught it as we walked up to the Tela water treatment plant- but it was really frightening.
Tela Adventures of a Non-Spanish Speaker: The girls were all together at the restaurant next to the hotel chatting up a storm one night for dinner. I wanted to order another Coco-cola because we'd been sitting there for a couple hours. I asked the waitress for the drink, and she left. Then I sat for a minute and looked at my comrades and said- "did I actually order a Coke?" They all look at me and say- "No, you ordered a coconut". So I ran after the waitress and changed my order- which she and everyone else thought was hilarious. ::sigh:: I really wish I'd learned Spanish before the trip!
Traveling to Ojojona: We crammed 23 people into two vans with all of our luggage. These vans were the tall skinny vans that look very similar to the DHL delivery vans- and are probably even a bit smaller. We were jam packed inside for many hours...
Stefan trying to get on Laurie's nerves
Stefan: "Are we getting close yet?" ever 15 minutes
Laurie: "We're closer than we've ever been before." patiently EVERY time
Oh, and don't forget the "Johnny Johnny Johnny" game! Or the "Who's Wearing the Hat" game- two of the most obnoxious games to play for hours and hours and hours at length in the car until EVERYONE gets them. And riddles galore.
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