Monday, January 5, 2009
As sun appeared in the sky, I had a nice sleep. The rooster seems to be silent for this morning unlike my first night in Copan (01/03/09). For my first night in Copan, the rooster sang every ten minutes from night to morning. After I finished packing my belonging, I ate a banana for breakfast. Around 7:30am, we rode in a packed van to visit Copan Treatment Plant, SANAA (Contact: Gullermo Asturas 9926-3538). The operator Denis explained how the plant works. It was typical water plant with sedimentation tank, flouccator,etc. Sarah pointed out to me that this plant used the honeycomb idea. In plate settler research group, Sarah, Colette, and I used a honeycomb idea in the sedimentation column. Denis also explained how he got the job through seminar training. He also said that he worked 12 hours shifts. The main control room for this plant consists of one huge controller (length≈6ft; width≈3ft; height in the back ≈5ft; height in the front≈4ft).
After the Copan water plant tour, we drove to Gracias for about three hours. We arrived at Hotel Rosario and I roomed with Nadia in room 7. When we finished unloading the vans, we rode the vans to a restaurant and I ordered some vegetables, pork chops, and rice. The next destination was to visit Gracias's distribution tank and potential sites. The distribution tank that we visited was very dirty and wet. Henry ended up covered in mud as he climbed up and down the distribution tank. Climbing up the tank posed no problem for me and some other individual. However, climbing back down the tank was a problem because the steps for the ladder are not even spaced. Despite the poor maintenance, I avoided slipping and getting mud on myself. The distribution tank has moss/mold growing everywhere. Since the exterior of the tank is in poor condition, I doubt that the interior of the tank is in any better condition.
Next thing on the schedule was: to visit the municipality, to meet the Mayor Eliseo Villanoeva, and to leave a turbidity meter with Health Center (Contact: Marco Tulio Santos 9976-3294). The Mayor seems to be a sincere person. However, like some politicians, they may have two faces. My only hope is that my concerns will not be reality. However, life is filled of unexpected things.
We headed back to the Hotel Rosario (656-0694) to change into our swimwear for our trip to the Aguas Termales (natural hot springs). I enjoyed moments of peace and fooled around in the spring. I played chicken with Sarah and lost. I also tried to pull and scare Nadia and Lalo. Due to my lack of swimming skills, I stayed on the low end. For Aguas Termales, I paid 30 lempira for about four hours. That's cheap. However, Henry and Anastasia and others witnessed many children peeing into the dark end of the spring which eventually flow into the hot springs that people bathe in. Surprising, yet not surprising. Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel.