¿Y Entonces...?

Translated to "Summer Plan: Day of the Water 'Resorts'"

Today, my colega and I, along with several other nurses, a hygenist and a fellow licenciada (college graduate) went to different balnearios in Jalapa to make sure they were up to health and safety standards. We reminded the dueños (owners) that they need to add a certain level of cholorine to their waters to make it safe to swim in, and if they served food at their location, the kitchen and sitting area needed to be clean of any roaches or any unsanitary things.

The majority of the balnearios in Jalapa are created with the water from the river that goes through the valley, Rio Lindo. River water can be quite dirty, with people bathing in it, washing their dishes, their clothes, and animals using it for natural reasons, it's very important that MINSA (Ministry of Health) does this check and make sure that everyone that goes to enjoy themselves during the summer are doing so safely.

Our first stop was at a place called Verano Feliz (Happy Summer). We got their fairly early, and people were already swimming and the water was quite dark. We left a nurse there, so she could supervise the swimmers, as well as talk to the dueños when they came in.

We then headed to a place right down by the river, a little farther out of town. We talked to the owner of the restaurant and looked at his pool area. It was quaint and the entire property was closed in. He says that a lot of teenagers and families like to come there because it's a very friendly atmosphere and because it's safer than going down directly to the river to enjoy the water. His establishment passed the test and after picking up some Cruz Roja (Red Cross) life guard volunteers, we were on our way to the pueblo of El Limón.

What a bumpy ride! We picked up a local doctor and she traveled with us to La Reforma, an ecotourist area that has several pools to play in. This was the first area in which we saw there were security guards, aka police. It was very comforting to know that they keep the place safe. We walked around, talked with some of the workers. It's a very nice little area and I'm kinda bummed I forgot clothes to swim in!

Side Note: I have noticed that the majority of women here swim with all of their clothes (shorts and tank top) on. I asked my colega why and she says they are very shy to "reveal" any of their skin. There were a few with actual swimsuits, but males were the only ones comfortable enough to be walking around in normal swimming attire. I was also told that "machismo" (machoism) is still very prevalent here up north, and that may be adding to the conservativeness of the females here.


After La Reforma we went to my favorite place of the day: Son Zapote. It's the closest thing to a water park I've seen here, with little waterfalls, hammocks, swinging tree chairs and a water slide! Mom, Dad and other people who are planning to come and see me: we're coming here when you visit! The establishment was very secure, sold no alcohol and was up to all standards we were checking for. The dueños were also very nice: they gave us free lunch!

It was a very successful morning/early afternoon and when I returned home, after taking a quick shower and doing my laundry (by hand!), I turned into sloth-mode. I've been fighting a cold for a few days and I'm trying to get over it as soon as possible.

¡Hasta pronto!