Pigknapping

I just almost had photos to show you, but for some reason I can't explain the internet refuses to cooperate. So I appologize, and Mom I promise they are coming some day. Anyway, about the pigknapping. The other day this sow gave birth to piglets out in the monte, which is the overgrown hillside. The sow belongs to a farmer named Pedro, who wants to bring the piglets back to the house to raise them. So he hands me a motete, which is like a basket that you wear as a backpack, sort of like an adirondack pack basket. And we grab some machetes, and track the mother pig up the mountain through the brush to where she's stashed her little porquitos. Pedro lassoos the sow and wrestles her to the ground, shouting, "quick molly! grab the piglets!" So while he and the sow are in an all out hand-to-hoof combat, I run around the monte trying to grab up the seven fat and sneaky little porquitos and pop them in my basket. When I get the last one, Pedro yells, "now run!" And I book it down the jungly mountainside, with a load of squealing, writhing piglets on my back, and the furious mother hot on my trail snarling and hurtling down after me in hot pursuit. Needless to say, I ran pretty fast, fairly convinced that my adventures were about to be ended by several hundred pounds of enraged pork. Luckily I made it to the house without falling into a mud pit or getting stuck in a fence, and here I am to tell you all the tale of my pigknapping adventure.

Pigknapping

Interior decoration in Candelilla




















smoked iguana for dinner mmm......
















Outside the school at my first community meeting!




















The successful huntress of shrimps















Hanging out at the tienda















80 100lb sacks of "name" we hauled to cucunati on horseback





















The view from where we were throwing our machetes one day




















The 6 foot equis (okay it might have been 5...I didnt have a ruler)















Making bollo (corn logs, basically)
















Cowboys, hammocks, you know. Good times.















Me and Elsie with our coco locos on Isla Grande

















Zach dangles Sammy and Jess my their hair. This si my community's favorite photo of all time.
















According to my host family, we look just like twins.

The asSASsins!

Pilaring corn, dang its a work out.

Swimming for hours and hours and hours in the quebrada and then posing for photos is always a productive way to spend the day.

My village!

Suzanne and Zach cook up teh chickens we raised into delicious tacos!

What can you do when teh quebrada floods except for hang out taking gangster photos?

Paulina daring me a cuento

Marc and Jes cook Guacho for our Panamanian Fiesta

I pose as the ninja while Ruby draws, for our bear/ninja/hunter asSASsin team t-shirts

Zach and joe prepare to head off on a beach trek- a plan that was foiled by the maliante gangsters from Colon.

Pina coladas, ceviche, friends, beach....I hate to complain, but Peace Corps life is so hard sometimes.

Magic Cirlces! One of our favorite sassy techniques. We'll teach you how to make your very own. All you need is some plantain plants...

This is the house I lived in in Santa Clara during training

I'm not sure why Pablo's eyes are so wonky, but hey, its art.

Pressing sugar cane juice



I did it! Dont expect any more for awhile though....