Nicaragua Day 5: dykes in the wilderness

Hi Loopy!!! I miss you!!!!

So, tonight we're in Estelì, tho we weren't sure we were going to make it here. Tonight's internet place has red walls and a teenage guy at the cash drawer, under a sign saying (in spanish) "God bless this business." When we first arrived he was playing extremely cool-sounding euro-techno music, but almost immediately he switched to one of those whiny women you like (Bjork or the Cranberries or Lisa Loeb or something) and now it's Meatloaf's "I would do anything for your love but I won't do that," which of course makes me think of that Dr. Pepper commercial where the boyfriend is buying tampons. It's very stinky in here, like acrid sweat, but I'm not sure if it's me, my fellow travellers, some piece of the furniture, or what. It could easily be us, after today.

OK, so, your questions. I can't tell how the pieces of wood are attached to the pigs, but it seems very secure (I've never seen them slipping or slipped down) and also doesn't seem to bother the pigs at all. It's like an X on top of their neck, if that helps imagine it. Today I also saw some cattle with the wooden X's. Hmm. It's hard to get a good look at (never mind photos of) any of this because we're always moving quickly, either horizontally down the road or vertically through the potholes. It's not really a sight-seeing trip after all...

OK, other questions. I'm mostly sleeping enough. Last night I went to bed much earlier than usual (finally dodging the temptation to stay up late talking with my roommate Susan about what to do with the rich after the revolution) and actually woke up before my alarm. I'm definitely drinking plenty of water. There's always a big thing of water on the bus and every time we stop at a gas station I go in and buy my own 2-liter bottle so I won't be all weird about using "more than my share" of the water. And as far as I know we're all getting along great. It's a very nice group. Very different people, but generally friendly, mellow, tolerant, laid-back, etc. I'd say that even if they weren't going to be reading this.

Oh shoot, they're all saying they're going back to the hotel in a couple minutes and I haven't even started on today. But if I don't answer your questions I don't feel like I'm communicating with you at all!

OK, so, the highlight of today, I'll cut right to the chase: I met a lesbian who's organizing young women in a rural community! (She was extremely hot & you would have been jealous, lovey, and you will be when you see the photos, but don't worry--she's attached and everyone was very proper and appropriate).

She had a tattoo of her and her girlfriend kissing, right out in the open on her upper arm. I asked about it and she bravely said, "that's me and my partner," and kissed her arm and then babbled a little about how it's an unusual tattoo (I do the same thing after coming out, it's like I want to fill up some airspace so the other person can get that look off their face and think of something not-stupid to say).

So I showed her my tattoo of our names, and told her the story of how mine is the chicken-shit version, and yours goes all the way round your leg in four colors.

I think we were both happy to meet each other out there an hour from the main road...I had a thousand questions for her (like, do your students or their parents give you any trouble, how do your parents feel, how many others of us are there in this area, how do you meet other lesbians, etc. etc.) But, before we could talk further, the meeting got started--but we exchanged email addresses and I promised to send her information on a whole list of topics in the US, from salary disparities to domestic violence to women in politics to Latina lesbian support groups. So I can ask my thousand questions later. :-)

OK, my companions want to leave so I will too. There's a lot more to tell, like how the bus broke down (this is a new bus) and we had to push it to get it started, and how we ended up riding in the back of a pickup truck for a mile or so and my back was fine and I was so proud of doing all my exercises to be ready for just such an event, and how the group we visited today was absolutely the most amazing thing ever--they just put me and my whining about men in Solidarity to shame! What they've done here, it's really inspiring. I wish I could write more about it.

OK, gotta go... love you lovey love, be well.