Day 8 (Jan 27)

​Today was our Cultural Day - a day for our team to do the touristy thing without the children. It was a bit cooler - a pleasant respite from yesterday's heat with a high of about 21 Celsius, and a threat of rain.

Our day began with a visit to the Monteverde coffee plantation where owners Gabby and her father, Omar, promptly put us to work picking beans. Some of us have a promising career as coffee pickers should we ever lose our current gigs.
Gabby and Omar demonstrated how the coffee beans are separated from the husks, explained how the good beans are separated from the lesser quality beans, and showed us how they are dried on black tarps laid on a concrete surface, and then where they roast the beans. Our labour was rewarded with samples of two very delicious, aromatic coffees meticulously brewed by Gabby.  

From there we went for lunch at La Carpa de Doris, aka The Dirty Chicken, where we had the choice of a quarter or half chicken with fries or plantain chips. Like other restaurants we've eaten at this week, it was essentially an open air restaurant with a metal roof to protect from the elements. We were grateful for this as we had a brief rain shower as we arrived 

Shopping at the market was next. I've never seen so many piles of shoes or backpacks for sale!!! It was a maze of tiny shops crammed into a huge warehouse space. Everything and anything was on offer - toys, tools, hammocks, clothes, cookware and all kinds of souvenirs.  
From the market we walked over to the chocolate shop we had visited after the movie the other day because some of us felt it was too good the first time to miss out on the chance to go back.  

We concluded our time in downtown Siguatepeque with a short trek to the central park area where we had our team pic taken in front of the Siguatepeque sign.  
There is always something interesting or bewildering to see as we travel around - like the guy juggling machetes in the intersection, or this truck with at least 20 people crammed into the back. There seems to be very few traffic rules here when it comes to driving.

Our last stop of the day was the Spanish Institute, the largest Spanish language school in Honduras. Kaylie, Emily, and Isaac have all taken Spanish lessons remotely through the institute and were each able to meet their instructors in person. Some of us took the opportunity to observe a couple of classes in progress. Who knows, the Institute may have a few new students on our return.
Mercifully, with the exception of the one brief shower as we pulled up to our lunch spot, the rain held off until we were leaving the Spanish Institute. For the most part we've been blessed with better weather than anticipated.  

We returned to Cerro de Luz around 5:15 and spent some time prepping for our activities with the kids tomorrow before enjoying our last supper here at Cerro.  
Melo joined us for devotions this evening, and we took the opportunity to pray for her. We were able to ask her many questions about her role at the home and hear about some of the challenges she faces.  

It is hard to believe that tomorrow will be our last full day in Honduras. It will be an emotional day for all of us as we say goodbye to everyone at Casa Hogar.

-Tracey & Doug