Day in the mountains

Today we traveled to the sleepy little village of San Miguel. This is a picture of the valley below the town, which is tucked into the mountains in the SE part of the valley. The village itself is tiny, but has a few small coffee farms which provide the bulk of the employment and income. After touring one of these facilities and peppering the owner with questions, we went into the tiny little town and had lunch at the local school. After lunch we volunteered on some renovation work that they needed done. We dug a new garbage pit and sanded and painted some steel posts that they want to use for a new building that they are preparing to put up. Once all of the work was done, some of the local kids challenged us to a soccer game. I'm happy to report that we made a good accounting for ourselves. In the end we lost 5-4, but I had a goal and a couple of really pretty saves during my turn in the box. It was a big event for the people who rarely see outsiders and by the end of the game, most of the town was out watching and cheering. The kids had a blast and so did we. All in all, it was one of the most rewarding days that I have spent here. Special thanks to Helen Temple for setting it all up.