Feria de Salud, El Chorro, and Infiernillo

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Yesterday there was a party at the Health Clinic for the community of Principal. It was a health fair which offered free health care for everyone. Free vaccinations for children under 5 and for dogs and cats. There was a bone density test for osteoporosis. I took the test and passed, but the doctor still gave Jose and I a prescription for Calcium.
I met an American girl named Anna. She is in the Peace Corps and is visiting until Friday, then going back to Carambe, which is her training site, and then April 21 she is coming back to Principal to live for 2 yrs. and take over for Mateo, who is going to work in Quito.
Anna and I hung out together all day. We both won at Bingo at the same time and we won Strainers!
Jose nad I invited her to come to Gualaceo with us. She came along and took a lot of pics. I took a pic of a woman roasting guinea pig on a stick.

Today:
Mateo and Anna invited me to hike with them this morning after their meeting with the straw weavers. I went with them and Mateo led us to a waterfall called "El Chorro" which was Beautiful. Then we hiked 10 minutes further to a place called "Infiernillo" or "little hell". It is in the water, but very rocky and almost cavern like with water flowing through. The water is very warm - I know this because I fell in. We climbed up the rocks as high as we could go before we could no go any further because the water was too high and it was starting to rain a little.
As we began to hike further, a flock of parrots flew overhead. Mateo said they come at certain times of the year to eat the fruit on the trees. The parrots live 13 miles away from here in the jungle. I did not realize we lived that close to the Amazon Jungle.
Mateo told us Principal is called "Principal" because it is the first in agriculture. Principal has its own special climate because the village is completely 360º surrounded by mountains so it creates a lot more rain than even the next town away, which makes it the ideal climate for growing crops. Everything here is always very green and the soil is very good.
The Peace Corps people call Principal "The Happy Village".
Next, we hiked to a newly constructed bridge and a cabin. The cabin was built for tourists to stay in, but it is not finished because it has no floor and no bathroom. Mateo suggested to Anna that maybe she can restore the cabin and she seemed interested. Their main focus is the environment and teaching classes in conservation and also promoting tourism and helping the straw weavers sell their products more directly to buyers.
Next, we hiked to the trout farm to see the fish. Finally, we hiked back up to our street, and then we parted ways to have lunch.
Jose and his dad rented a horse today for $10 to use to carry the heavy bags of manure up to the garden in Gausal. Joses mom and I carried one 50 pound or maybe 100lb. bag of manure up the hill to the other street so that the horse would not have to come down the hill. The final time the horse returned, I rode him to the owners house where we left him. I did not want to leave him. Then Jose and his dad bought a cold beer at the store and a raspberry popsicle for me.

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Photos

lady outside of market
cooking a guinea pig

El Chorro
isn't it beautiful!

cabin
built for tourism

cabin
built for tourism by peace corps

the trout farm
you can fish for trout here and buy them for $1 / lb.

me riding a horse
for the first time in my life