Things are still rumbling in Telica. I was there last Monday. At that time there hadn’t been an eruption for 24 hours, but things acted up again later in the week and have not ceased. The super-heated boulders that are getting flung from the crater are the newest rage, and certainly concerning. I know the people (including René) from the video that live right under the crater. My Instagram picture of the kids playing hopscotch – those are René’s kids and others – and that was taken 50 yards from where some of the rocks fell.
Telica took a day off on Monday
Nuevas Orientaciones, the NGO that released the video, has been working in the communities for years, especially in access to water, agriculture, and tourism development. I’ve been working with them on the tourism side of things, but all of their work interests me (on my next visit, which is scheduled for Friday – we’ll see if it happens – I want to visit one of their model farms where they teach improved farming techniques). I think they are very concerned about this eruption, even though the government keeps saying that things are safe for the local people.
At first I believed the government, but I am getting a little weary. Coincidentally, a participant of my work down at Poneloya, whom I had previously explained works for the Red Cross and was at Mina el Límon, has also visited the communities in Telica. She is much more concerned than the government, especially with regards to health. She says that people are having breathing trouble, and people in old-age, pregnant and nursing mothers, diabetics, people with high-blood pressure, or anyone with pre-existing breathing conditions, should be evacuated. Remember, there is no health post for these communities. No doctors, no nurses, no mid-wives.
As for the other disasters, natural and otherwise, that I talked about a few weeks ago, the waves are still strong, but not quite as bad, but the fishermen are still having a lot of trouble and the price of fish is very high, when you can find it. Luckily though, things have completely calmed down in La Mina (subsidized electricity was fully restored).
I’ll see if I can get out there on Friday and visit the communities (I don’t really fancy getting smooshed by a smoldering boulder). In any case I will be meeting with the NGO on Thursday.
Eric- are getting a little “weary” or a little “leery” , or, now that I mentioned it to Mom,did you mean “wary”? Be safe, bud
Wary, I suppose
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