Mucho Mezcla

Gooooood morning, Santa Rosa de Copan...

Day 2 of the build commenced after our usual 7am group breakfast at the hotel. The alarm clocks weren't going off at 6am like they were the previous day, getting a sense that everyone was tired from the extremely hard work we put in yesterday. After a couple cups of Honduran coffee, some protein, carbs and laughs, everyone was in great spirits for the busy day ahead. Going around the room asking how everyone was feeling, the consensus seemed to be achy and sore...yet happy and smiling, and ready to take on the day!

Max arrived to pick us up, and on the bus we went. No last minute snoozes, we were all excited and energetic to get to the build. Lots of laughs are had along the 20min drive to the site, arriving with big smiles on our faces. The drive definitely wouldn't be the same without the jokes and awkward moments of silence had by the back of the bus (you know who you are lol).

Dropping off our backpacks and water bottles, we got the lowdown on the day's itinerary. We were separated into small groups, each doing different jobs. Wheelbarrowing seems to remain a constant job, lifting adobe bricks weighing 25lbs each times however many you can carry, into wheelbarrows, back and forth from pile A, up the hill to pile B.

If I have to do one more day of this wheelbarrowling....%$&@!

Jenny from the Block... and Jenn...

Other jobs included mixing mortar (mezcla), laying bricks, and loading and unloading wheelbarrows.

The crucial first row..

Anyone got a ladder for me for row six?

Paula playing in the mud...

Eben Melissa, Mason Extrordinaire!

I wonder if this is environmental mud?

Carolyn unloading...

Today was relatively hotter than yesterday, and the word has spread that Miss Paula has not been drinking her minimum requirement of water. The poor girl was harassed for the majority of the day, stressing the importance of staying hydrated.

Bring on the agua!

The local kids from the neighbourhood were playing around the site, each of us taking turns entertaining them with colouring books, stickers, photographs, etc. Lots of laughs were had by all.

So happy to have the Canadians here!!!!

By lunchtime, row one of bricks had been laid around the entire house, and TONNES of bricks had been moved. We were progressing quite well, time for an energy boost with some fried chicken, Oreo cookies, and Coca Cola. Nice little break with the group and the kids hanging around, but we were back up and at 'er...with a switch in jobs for the afternoon. The brick carriers and loaders and unloaders got swapped out to lay bricks and mix mortar, and vice versa. Nice change for all.

When Max pulled up at the end of the day, we had progressed extremely well, none of us wanting our jobs to end, and we didn't rush over to the van like we probably expected we would. We finished 2 rows of bricks around the entire house, and left feeling like we achieved something.

The worksite never looked so fashionable!

Saying Hasta Mañana to the masons and helpers, as well as 2 of the home owners that were there to assist us today, we loaded up the van and waved adios to the building site, taking our exhausted bodies and burnt noses back to Santa Rosa de Copan.

Stopping at a local family-run cigar factory on our way back to the hotel, we were shown the process on how to make cigars all the way from drying the leaves to packaging and selling.

Dragging our exhausted bodies back to the hotel for showers and a bit of relaxation time, we reconvened for a group dinner at a local bakery. Carb-loading for tomorrow´s hard work, we consumed heaps of pasta and baked bread, along with cakes and truffles. As if we weren't tired enough as it was, Michelle challenged us to see who could hold their right arm up the longest. The proved to be quite a challenge, as our arms were in agony from the wheelbarrowing and heavy lifting the past couple days. And drum roll please...the winner of the arm holding up contest is....Carolyn Smith :) Though I don´´t seem to recall seeing her wheelbarrow at all on day 2, so maybe she had a slight advantage ,)