Arrivals

An understated awe built throughout the day’s travels. Travis’s first plane adventure went off smoothly and he marveled at the views from above the clouds. Ms. Wilds and I had many small celebrations at take off, landing, and finally at arrival at our hotel. Painted a bold mix of yellow’s and oranges, the place is an excellent center for our small operation. We have our own dining area as well as a good natured cook who generously prepared a smack of papaya, bread and black beans and a massive dinner of chicken rice, plantains, cabbage salad, and more beans. There was of course some vegetarian alternatives for the Californian.

A walk before dinner revealed a city that looks strikingly similar and yet very different from what we are all used to in Pittsburgh. Wide open plazas punctuate almost every block it seems, and cars race through the streets. Huge holes gape wide open at too many curbs, threatening to swallow up some of our smaller members. Despite rain, the mood is upbeat and playful. We are all happy to have arrived and true to usual form. Felicia demands that more Spanish be spoken. Frances takes charge and clears the table after dinner. Trevor talks economic theories and tries to keep from passing juice through his nose while laughing at the dinner table. Alex is dependably quirky and helpful with the technology and research. Travis marvels at international differences in graffiti and eats huge quantities of food. Britney is full of energy one moment, falling asleep in mid-sentence the next. Stephen is calm and quietly spreading his steady influence. Crystal exudes goodness and offers help to the bitter end when she uncontrollably drifts into a deep sleep.

Exhausted, full of visions and food, we each retreat to the cool clean comfort of our rooms. Tomorrow will be our biggest day of interviews for the entire trip. We begin first thing with Historian Clotilde Obregon, then break for lunch before running out to interview 2006 Vice Presidential candidate Epsy Campbell, and 2006 Presidential Candidate Alvero Mejia. Each one has been a major critic of CAFTA and is pushing for the winner, Oscar Arias, to scale back or renegotiate the free trade agreement with the United States. Nothing like starting huge. It was a late and sleepy night of editing interview questions, but regardless, and more than anything else, we enjoy each others’ company. Out of the strangest combination of people you might ever imagine, we are moving toward a sense of unity that is effortless and mostly unspoken. Nine more days to see what else is possible.

Oliver