Cohetes

One of the first things that surprised us when we first arrived was the frequency of loud explosions. Actually, ¨surprised¨ is a light word; for the first two days or so, I was ready to duck under the table every time I heard them (and they were fired at least 3-4 times per day, usually on the hour). It turns out that the explosions are actually fireworks (rockets or cohetes) being launched in celebration of saints´ feast days. The situation reminds me of the retired navy captain firing his cannon from the roof in Mary Poppins. As one religious leader noted, ¨It´s always a fiesta here.¨ This week has been quiet as the feast days have passed for now, but I am sure the avid rocket-firers are busy hoarding up more explosives for the next opportunity.

It´s this spirit of communal celebration, I think, that has contributed to the support for Proyecto Puentes. People have been genuinely excited to push the project forward and contribute to the health of their neighbors. I am humbled by their work and I think it serves as a model for our own community commitments in the US. It´s a good thing we have so many people coming in this week for our work in Pozos, because given its size and level of interest, they will likely be quite busy.