Picasso Dreams

Majagual

See more photos of Playa Maderas and Majagual here.

 

Riding into the sunset

Sunset seen from my friend Fred's development, Encanto del Sol.  It's the prettiest place on the coastline to watch the sunsets.

 

 

Volcan Concepcion

 

The volcano has been smoking a lot lately.  (These are not clouds of ash in the above photo)  I am surrounded by five active volcanoes, the closest of which is Concepcion on Isla de Ometepe, about 25-30 miles east of San Juan del Sur.  When I am swimming in the lake with the volcano puffing away, I smile and remind myself that's why I live here.  I just hope I am not living here when they do erupt.

Two Faces

My camera is a great ice breaker. Rarely have I met a kid who doesn't like to pose for the camera and then squeal with glee when their image is revealed on the viewfinder.  I am about as important as the Virgin Mary in some communities, having taken hundreds of photos and getting them printed for people who have never seen themselves in a photo, let alone owned a copy.  I feel guilty about this, that dozens of little kids know my name and I will never, ever remember the majority of theirs, and they are so grateful for an act of kindness that cost me less than $20 to have 200 photos printed in the States. It stirs up many emotions.

Anyhow, I was trying to get a good shot of this girl sharing her breakfast with the chickens when she turned her head and saw me.  I changed it to black and white because it looks better that way.

 

Then she sees me.  She sees my camera.  She screams, "No! No! No! and runs to her mother, crying hysterically. 

 

 

I haven't had a child react that bad to me since I dressed up as Medusa for the Haunted Hay Ride in Phoenix.  

After a few frightening minutes, the mother said that a few months ago, doctors had come for a free child wildness program.  The doctors befriended the kids, took pictures of them on their digital cameras, had a good time - and then gave the kids vaccinations.  This little girl thought because I was white with a camera that I was a doctor and would give her a shot.  She didn't calm down.  I had to leave.

I returned a few months ago and reminded the woman of the vaccination story when all of a sudden the girl saw me and started screaming, "No! No! No!"  I had my camera.

I returned a couple of weeks ago to pass out pictures to the community.  I stopped at this house, but left the camera in the car.  The girl loved her picture, even the crying one.  "Recuerda me," I whispered.  We tried to explain the camera story to her and the vaccination scare.  When she heard the word, "Vaccination," her head jerked around, but I was unarmed.  We left on friendly terms for the first time.

Playa Escamequita

 

Playa Escamequita, about 8 miles south of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua.

Me and my horse, Pablo Picasso

Playa Coco

Playa Coco is my favorite beach in Nicaragua.  I took these photos on an early, stormy morning walk yesterday.

 

Morning Notes

It was never my intention to me in Nicaragua this long, just two months shy of five years.  Even now I can still feel the magic of the mornings - the cacophony of birds and roosters vying for positions of importance in the avian kingdom, accompanied by the waves crashing along the sandy shoreline and the howl of the monkeys not too far away.  I look around and cannot believe that I am watching the bright orange and yellow-spotted orioles dart through the bare branches and the pair of exquisitely blue and green colored guardabarrancos dangle like pretty earrings in the orange-blossomed malinche tree next to me. 

 

 

I feel as if I am on vacation.  Those moments appear now and then, transporting me back to childhood vacations in Florida or my first trip to Nicaragua.  It still feels magical, even with the cynicism of five years as an expat in the second poorest country in the hemisphere. The frustrations are momentarily forgotten as I enjoy the light breeze sweeping across me as I write slunk back in a chair while looking at the brightly colored boats anchored in the harbor  and the men riding their bicycles to the port.  Thanks to the generosity of my landlord, I am sending the week at the nice house surrounded by curving walkways and tropical plants with a view of the harbor, a large covered patio and more importantly with air conditioning to combat the oppressive heat.  We live in a tiny two-bedroom cottage with bad air flow.  It’s small, but it works.  For the moment I am spoiled, as the three-bedroom house with the view also has a table for twelve in the living room.  We are tempted to upgrade our living environment, but at the same time we like our affordable rent that includes internet, cable, utilities, on-site security, and twice-a-week maid service.  I am not sure of the view (which for some reason reminds me of California) is worth the increase in rent.  For now, we are just enjoying sleeping in a cool room.

We live on the hill overlooking San Juan del Sur, exactly one kilometer from our store.  It’s not too difficult a walk into town, but the walk back includes an ass-kicking finale - a hill that requires 4-wheel drive to ascend.  We live at the top of the hill.  I look for any excuse to add hydrocarbons to the atmosphere, as walking up the hill with a bag of groceries in this heat is a prelude of hell.  Despite the climb, other friends have made this little community their home.  Our friends Eric and Stephanie, who own Pan de Vida and make the best wood-fired bread in the world, live here with their cat, Toots, and dog, Bruiser. Sarah and Justin live here as well, until just recently wit their dog Cooper.  A few weeks ago, Cooper passed away, surrounded by our little group of friends.  We are all animal people and leave our doors open most of the time, so our pets have decided to broaden their bases and at almost any given time, Richmond is asleep in Stephanie’s closet or Nicky is sprawled on Sarah’s table while Cooper is sleeping in my kitchen, waiting for food to be dropped onto the floor while Bruiser cleans every morsel from the cat bowls.  All the animals get along.  It’s strange without Cooper.

Our compound is covered with trees.  In a month the foliage will return and the temperatures will drop and I will be so much happier.  The end of the dry season is the most miserable time of year.  It’s like cabin fever in the winter, with oppressive heat replacing the snow.   I try to look on the bright side and appreciate the random flowering tree and the chance to see the birds normally obscured by leaves.  Last night I saw three parrots with yellow bellies in the tree above the house we actually rent.  Each morning and evening a squirrel comes to chat with the cats, following their every move.  Each night a skunk or two make their way down the hill, looking for scraps.  Occasionally I see a possum, too.  

Right now I am gazing at the bay, oblivious to all but the moment.

 

 

Colors

 

 

I can't quite articulate what draws me to this photo, but for some reason it is one of my favorites.  I suppose it has something to do with the juxtaposition of colors.  The ball was donated by the Dawson Creek Canada Rotarian Club.  The kids live in the jungle, more than an hour by horseback, more than two hours from the main road, and still another ten miles to San Juan del Sur.  

Managua in Black and White

 

 copyright Kelly Ann Thomas

All rights reserved.

Scenes from San Juan del Sur

This weekend was the start of Semana Santa, San Juan del Sur's biggest week of the year.  These are a fews shots I took today.  You can see more photos here.

 

 

All photos copyright Kelly Ann Thomas.

All rights reserved.

Dos Chicos

Two boys hanging out at the basket ball court in San Juan del Sur.

copyright Kelly Ann Thomas

All rights reserved.

 

Sunsets galore

 

Perhaps the best part of living in San Juan del Sur is the nightly treat of spectacular sunsets.  I have so many photos of sunsets that I needed tocreate a special album.  You can see more amazing sunsets here.  

Fire and Water

Another fire dancer picture.

 

 

Fire and Sun

It's always nice to sit on the beach and watch the sun slide behind the horizon.  It's even more fun with fire dancers.  These are a few of the photos I took this evening.  You can see more in my newly updated San Juan del Sur photo album. 

 

All photos copyright Kelly Ann Thomas.

Scenes from the Water

 

This is why I live here!