Hi All!!
It's been quite a while since Mikell and I returned from Bluefields, and I'm sorry it's taken so long to update this blog but we were very busy with our senior design project once we returned to SCU. In this blog, i wanted to share our wonderful experience abroad and talk about the non-technical aspect of our trip.
We arrived in Bluefields Monday, March 21st after 11 hours of traveling, beginning at LAX, then flying to Panama City, Managua, and then to Bluefields. We had absolutely no trouble making it to Bluefields and we were even greeted by one of the blueEnergy employees at the Bluefields Airport. We had a bit of trouble finding a cab since they were on strike due to gas prices staying stagnant in Bluefields while the price of gas in Managua had dropped. We soon found out that the cab service is a cheap and easy mode of transportation that can be found EVERYWHERE. It is a flat rate of 10 cordobas (50 cents) per person to go anywhere in Bluefields. After 10:00 pm, that rate goes up to 15 cordobas (75 cents). As dangerous as Bluefields can be at night, it is easily worth the price.
Main blueEnergy house
These pangas deliver food from Managua to the Bluefields supermercado.
blueEnergy owns a few guard dogs. Mikell and I love dogs so we were very excited!
This is Cookie, one of the smelliest most senile dogs. We shocked everyone by giving her a bath since most people do not even touch her =(
This is Soozie, a deceivingly sweet dog. She's infamous for attacking children.
Mikell carries her home after she runs away and attacks a family.
There were many adjustments to our daily lives that I never imagined. These include throwing the toilet paper away after going to the restroom (to avoid the pipes from jamming), turning on a pump to take a shower, washing clothes by hand, being very cautious about valuables, eating food that probably a dozen flies have sat on, and spraying ourselves with Deet every morning to avoid insect bites. As normal as these nuisances are in this part of Nicaragua, it was tough to even begin complaining about them.
Here I am cleaning my own clothes...I think I made my clothes smell worse.
The house that blueEnergy has just built for volunteers is quite extravagant in terms of most homes here in Bluefields. We even had a rainwater catchment system that feeds into a piping system for the shower, toilet, and sink. Since we were getting into the dry season, the water level was quickly diminishing so we were careful to use as little water as possible. One day we walked through one of the poorest barrios in Bluefields that was right along the ocean water and all of the houses were standing on stilts to protect from flooding during high tides. Along with these homes, most homes in Bluefields are built from wood planks and sheets of metal. I believe that the type of shower and toilet we have at the blueEnergy home are fairly rare. Most people have a well next to their homes to obtain their water.
Rain water catchment outside our volunteer house.
The day after our arrival we went to Funcos, a sustainable farm. One of the main farmers who lives on the property showed us his efficient cook stove, his solar latrine, a horizontal biosand filter, his well, and the sustainable farming techniques used at Funcos. He is a very knowledgeable man that found unique ways to live a simpler life in a very tough area of Nicaragua. Although it took hard work, determination, and money to build the stove, latrine, and filter, they have helped his family live an easier life.
Efficient cookstove
They had a pet parrot!
Horizontal bio-sand filter
The farm (Solar latrine on left)
Their home
We also had the chance to go up to a Finca (farm) that belongs to one of the blueEnergy employees. I was expecting to be walking around an ordinary farm but we quickly realized it was quiet the opposite. This land had actually been bought to protect the natural beauty that was quickly being cut down by the people of Bluefields in order to claim it and build upon it. We began a 3 hour hike beginning at this Finca and then going on to a pristine forest/jungle. Some parts of the hike, we were foot deep in mud, and along with the mud, there were very steep hills we had to climb. It was quiet an adventure! We left the blueEnergy home at 6:30 in the morning and came back around 9:30 but even by then, it was so hot and humid that we were happy to return home.
There were beautiful views at the top
We made it back down..just a little bit muddier than when we started
The following day, we had the chance to build 2 bio-sand filters at Inatec. blueEnergy has a goal of producing 100 bio-sand filters by the end of the year.
Preparing the bio-sand mold
Getting the filter media ready by sieving out the right size sand
Bending the copper coil for the outlet pipe
Making cement
Pounding the sides of the mold in order to get the air bubbles out of the cement
It will be ready in 24 hours to take out of the mold
24 hours later...Removing the mold top off the enclosed bio-sand filter
Inside of the finished bio-sand filter!! Unfortunately, after we finished our 2 bio-sand filters, we found out that the cement was too old, and the filter began cracking.
There is a deep well at the blueEnergy home and each year, it must be cleaned. Mikell had the cool opportunity to do that job!
Getting tied up to the rope
Cleaning the well
2 hours later, he comes back up
All done and very muddy!
On our last night in Bluefields, we had a nice dinner down at the water.
Beautiful view from the restaurant
We had such a wonderful trip in Bluefields. We learned about an amazing foreign culture while achieving our project goals. We will update you on our actual project in the next blog. Thanks for reading!
Sad to be leaving Bluefields
Goodbye Bluefields!!
