A Little Something to Lighten the Mood

Okay, so since I have probably really depressed all of you, I have a couple of stories for you.  Feel free to laugh at me!

We (Janet, her daughter Steph, Annie, Steph’s kids Christian and Emma and I) were driving back from Teguc to Santa Ana the other night, and drove past a new restaurant – Denny’s.  We were discussing how Hondo is pretty Americanized – Wal*Mart has invaded the country, and I said, “look guys, Denny’s is open for 24 whore-as!”  Yes, the great Spanish-speaker that I am said “whore-as” instead of “ora’s” for hours.  Steph, Janet and Annie laughed uncontrollably for a few minutes – I’m happy I can entertain everyone.  I really need to learn Spanish people…

 From the left: Janet, Annie, me, and Maggie

Janet invited some of Christian and Emma’s friends over for lunch after church on Sunday.  Their parents, Dennis and Marta, came too.  Dennis introduced himself to everyone, and then started asking Janet about me.  He was slow to say start, but he asked who I was.  Janet said that I was her friend.  He then asked where I was from, and Janet told him from the States.  He was completely perplexed, and then said, “oh…I thought only white people lived in the United States.”  Whoa!  Janet was like, no way!  There are many different races that live in the states.  It turns out that Dennis thought I was Cuban.  At least he thought I was Latino…no one else does.

I’m starting to think I’m a walking spectacle here in Hondo.

Now I have caught you up to last Tuesday - eek!  I'm still a week behind!  I have access to the internet again, so hopefully I'll have more posts soon.  These should keep you satisfied for a few days though!

Have a good night!

Karla's Story

This story touched me the most, and there is a lot to it.  Please take your time reading it, and feel free to take breaks because there are many dark moments in Karla’s story.

When Karla was a little girl, her parents sold her to another family who changed her name – all of this was illegal.  When she got to be about 10-years-old, Karla started asking questions, and her adoptive parents got nervous and took Karla back to her parents because they did not want to end up in jail.  By this time, Karla’s mom had had five more children, and her father would beat her mother and the kids.  Karla’s mom hated her for some reason (probably because she is so beautiful), and told Karla she would kill her if she ever saw her again.  Can you imagine saying this to your child?  To your 10 or 11-year-old daughter?

Karla left her mother and father’s house and went to her paternal grandmother’s house to live.  She lived there for about a year and a half, and did really well there.  She enjoyed school, and got as far as the third grade.  Eventually, Karla’s mom got fed up with the domestic abuse, so she left her husband and the other five children.  Karla’s father did not want to deal with five children, so he sent for Karla, who was 12 and a half.  His idea was to make Karla the mother of the kids, and his wife, so he put a machete to her throat and raped her.  Karla’s father raped her every day for a year and a half, would give her cigarettes so she could deal with the stress of it all, and alcohol to make her more compliant.  He made her go on birth control because he did not want her to get pregnant.

The birth control made Karla sick though, so she stopped taking it.  Unfortunately, Karla got pregnant.  Somehow the police found her, and they called Gracie because they knew she was pregnant and only 12-years-old – she was really 14…not that it’s any better.  The police found Karla’s mother, who had another baby who was four months old.  Karla’s mother, her new baby, Karla, and Karla’s five other siblings spent the night at Gracie’s refuge.  Karla’s mom wanted Karla to tell the police that she seduced her father, and that it was consensual sex.  She also wanted Karla to tell the police that the baby was not her father’s, and that she had a boyfriend.  Gracie’s caretaker overheard this conversation, told Gracie, who then proceeded to ream Karla’s mother out.  Karla did not listen to her mother - told the truth to the police the next day.

Prior to Karla getting picked up by the police, Karla’s father had given her something to terminate her pregnancy.  This “antidote” caused Karla to vomit blood every few days for two months.  When Karla got to Gracie’s, Gracie had fed her an ounce of Pedialite in five, ten, or fifteen-minute intervals for six hours so that she could keep some nutrients down.  Finally, Karla got the “antidote” out of her system, and began her recovery.

Karla’s father was taken to court for special rape, which is when a family member rapes a minor in the family.  The judge ordered a paternity test for Karla because her father denied that Karla was his daughter.  He also denied that Karla’s baby was his.  Both Karla, and the baby were Karla’s father’s children.  The courthouse where the trial was being held was about 40 minutes away from Gracie’s house, and the road Gracie and Karla had to travel was very mountainous.  When Gracie and Karla were at court, all of Karla’s father’s family was there and they threatened to murder Gracie and Karla on their way home from court.  Because this could actually happen, the police escorted Gracie and Karla home.

Fortunately, this story has a happy ending.  As I mentioned before, Karla, now 16-years-old, made it to third grade before she had to drop out.  With the help of Gracie’s teacher, Karla finished fourth grade in five months with a 97% exam grade.  She is on track to finish fifth grade at the end of June or the beginning of July, and so far she has gotten 97%, 95% and 95% on her quarterly exams.  Clearly, Karla is doing very well in school, and she told me that she wants to become a lawyer and help women who have domestic violence committed against them.  It’s wonderful that she wants to be able to speak on behalf of women who don’t have a voice, and who are forced into situations like the ones she was in.

Karla’s baby boy, Alejandro, is beautiful!!  He is eight month’s old and loves to play, laugh, and bounce!  I should mention that Alejandro did not like me when he first met me.  Karla would let me hold him, he would take one look at me, make a really angry face, and would start wailing!  Karla – or any Hondo for that matter – would take him from me, and he would stop crying immediately.  It was so upsetting because I wanted to hold him!  I can only imagine his thoughts…”whoa Mommy, who are you handing me off too?  Who is this?!?! She’s no Hondo!  What’s going on with her hair? GET.ME.OUT.OF.HERE!”  Poor Alejandro…so many emotions. Fortunately for me, he got over his fear of fro’s, and we became novio et novia (boyfriend and girlfriend) the next day.

Ahh!  What a heart-breaker!

He sleeps...this is the only time when he's not bouncing!

Look at the cutie!!

Karla and I had a great time Monday night too.  Gracie told me that she loved doing nails, so I asked her to paint mine for me.  I told her she could pick whatever color she wanted, and I ended up with blue nails.  I said they were mucho bonita (very beautiful), but I’m pretty sure a 25-year-old shouldn’t be walking around with bright blue nail polish on.  Oh well, she had a fun time designing them!  Karla has beautiful dark curly hair, and she asked me (via Melissa) about my hair, and if I could comb it.  I told her I could, and let her touch it – she giggled.  I guess not too many people rock the fro around here in Hondo.  I haven’t seen one since I’ve been here – what’s up with that?!  It’s crazy to me that Melissa, Karla, Marta, Leslie (the caretaker) and I (Karin went to bed early) were able to have such a great time, when I don’t speak any Spanish, and they don’t speak English.  I promised them all I would come back, and that I would learn Spanish!  Karla has started to learn English as well. 

When I left Gracie’s house last Tuesday, Karla gave me a big hug and said, “I love you!”  I told her I loved her too.  It just amazes me that we had only known each other for a short period of time, but somehow we connected on a deeper level, and we could both tell that we meant a lot to one another.  I cannot wait to come back here again and see her and how she is progressing.  It was all I could do to not take her and Alejandro back to the states with me!  Gracie has a loving home though, and they are doing very well.  I’m just jealous that she gets to be with them everyday!

I got to see Karla and Alejandro last Thursday, and luckily my new boo remembered me – no tears!  We laughed, played, and bounced for a while at the reception.  He gave me lots of baby kisses too – he’s such a sweetie!  It was great seeing Karla again too.  As soon as she saw me she came running up and gave me the biggest hug!  She said, “I missed you!” and then handed me Alejandro.  I introduced her to Janet, Lori, and a few other people, and she sat right next to me at the table, looped her arm through mine and held my hand.  Lori said that I had a new friend, and I said that she was mi amiga et mi hermana (my friend and my sister).  She gave me a big smile, a kiss, and then laid her head on my shoulder.  I did not want to leave her!

I seriously cannot wait to see Karla and Alejandro again.  I know she is going to do something great with her life, and I’m excited to see how well she does!  Mama Nove – pack your bags, we’re coming back to Hondo ASAP!

Moises' Story

This is baby Moises!  If you couldn’t tell, his name is Moses in English.  Gracie adopted him after his mother, who remains unknown, had him, saw the growth on his body, and left him in a box outside.  Moises was placed in INFHA (Honduran child services), and they gave him to Gracie to take care of.  I believe Moises is around a year old, and the technical name for the growth on his body is a macrocystic lymphatic malformation of the trunk, or cystic hygroma.

When doctors in Honduras first looked at him, they said he could not be saved, and would die soon.  Gracie did a lot of research, and found doctors in Boston and Virginia who specialize in the type of surgery he needs, and were willing to help Moises.  We were all having lunch with Gracie on Tuesday, June 21, 2011, when the First Lady of Honduras’ sister called Gracie and said she had a meeting with the First Lady the next morning to discuss Moises healthcare.  The First Lady had been following Moises’ progress, was very impressed and moved by Gracie’s work, and said she wanted to do whatever she could to ensure Moises received the necessary surgery.  I got to see Gracie last Thursday, and she said the meeting went extremely well, and that the doctors in Boston are reviewing his medical files and are formulating a plan.  They are still in the beginning stages of everything, but if everything works out, Gracie, Moises, and Moises’ nanny, Marta, will be traveling to Boston to get the surgery!

He’s such a wonderful baby!  He’s so cute and happy!  There is literally nothing wrong with him other than this growth, but because Honduras is such a poor country, they don’t have the knowledge and skills to help him.  It’s crazy to think that a mother would just leave her baby outside in a box.  I’m so happy he’ll be able to have the surgery, grow up in a loving home, and have a real chance at life!

He's very flexible

Janet holding happy baby Moises!

Karin's Story

Karin is 19-years-old, is deaf, and was found living on the streets of Teguc because her family did not want her.  Gracie wanted her though, and she has been living with Gracie for over a year now.  She has huge scars all over her body, and Gracie can only imagine what kind of abuse she suffered because she was alone and could not hear or speak.  Gracie hired a teacher who is working with Karin on her math, spelling, and reading.  They are progressing with their communication with Karin as well because Gracie knows sign language, and Karin can read lips a little bit.

When I first met Karin, she was a bit standoffish, but she started smiling more in the afternoon.  We took a walk together, and she would smile at me, and let me take her picture.  When I left Talanga on Tuesday, she gave me a big hug and a big smile.  I was able to see Karin this past Thursday at an opening of a new girls home, and she seemed excited to see me.  Again, I got a big hug and a big smile from her.  Hopefully, Karin will continue to get better as time goes on, and Gracie will be able to find out more about her past.

Me and Karin!

Karina's Story

Karina has worked for Gracie for about a year and a half as her Victim’s Advocate.  She is 24-years-old, but she got married for the first time when she was 16-years-old to a guy who was very violent and mean.  They got a divorce, and Karina went back to school and did very well.  When Karina was 18, one of her older friends asked if she wanted to work in a restaurant.  She and her family thought it was a good idea, so they agreed to let her do it.  Around 11pm one night, her friend took her to catch a bus, but put her in the back of a truck with a bunch of other girls and two men in the front seat.  The men took the girls to a club called “Dance in the Night.”

Karina was very scared, but could not get away.  The men made her wear skimpy clothing, and wanted her to strip and have sex with the men.  Karina said that some of the men who were at the club were police officers and prominent men in the community.  Karina’s “friend” was eager for Karina to pick a man to have sex with because if she agreed to have sex with any of the men, Karina would get some money, and her friend would get a bonus.  Karina refused to have sex with anyone, and was able to escape from the club.  She ran to the nearest phone and tried to call her boyfriend, Joe, but the connection was bad.  She then called her mom and told her to tell Joe that she was trapped at the “Dance in the Night” club.  Her mom had never heard of the place and did not understand that her daughter was in trouble, but Joe did and rushed to get her out.

When Joe arrived, the owners of the club locked all the girls inside, and made Joe pay them money to get Karina out.  Joe was extremely angry because he had told Karina that her “friend” was trouble, and should not be trusted.  When, Karina 21, she and Joe got married and they now have a son.  She told me that her “friend” is now living somewhere in the United States, and actually had the audacity to call Karina and offer her work.  Needless to say, Karina was not interested.

Karina and me at the Special Crimes office

The Story of a 30-Year-Old Woman

Within a couple hours of arriving in Talanga, Gracie took Melissa and me to the pharmacy where a woman and her family were waiting for her.  The woman, who is 30, but looks younger than 20, had been held captive by her mother and father for many years.  Her father raped her repeatedly, and she has had five of her father’s children.  The woman recently had a baby boy, but because he was sick, she and the baby had to stay in the hospital for longer than anticipated.  The woman’s aunt – Gracie was not sure which side of the family she was on – came to the woman’s rescue, and helped her and her five children escape once she was released from the hospital.  The aunt brought the woman to Talanga where she lives, and Gracie is now helping them pay for the medicines the children need.

Juliana's Story - Told by Her Great-Grandmother

Juliana was an 18-month-old girl, whose stepfather, Rudy, would molest and rape her.  Her mother, Ana, knew this was happening; however, she too was being abused, and felt that any abuse done to Juliana’s took some of the abuse off of her.  Their neighbors knew what was being done to Julianna as well – they would hear her screams at night.  On June 12, 2011, Juliana’s stepfather raped, and then suffocated her.

Here's the link to the news story - it's in Spanish obviously, but I wanted to share it.

Rudy drove Ana and Juliana's body to her great-grandmother’s house in Talanga, dropped them off, and drove away.  Her great-grandmother, who is 80 or 90, was so upset and thought she could save her, not realizing she was already dead.  Julianna’s neighbors ended up calling the police because they knew she had been murdered, and that her mother and stepfather were trying to get rid of her body.  They waited until AFTER she was dead to speak up.  Night after night, they could hear Julianna being abused, and did nothing to stop it.

I had the opportunity to meet Julianna’s great-grandmother on June 20, 2011.  This old lady, who is dirt poor (literally) and gets maybe a few grains of rice a day, lives in the worst conditions.  Two of her grandsons live with her, and both are drug attics.  She also takes care of two of her great-granddaughters – one is in the picture below.  They barely get any food, and the little girls teeth are completely rotted because she is extremely malnourished.  The great-grandmother has two sons, both of whom work in construction, give her money for food when they can.

Fortunately, the police questioned everyone involved, found Rudy and Ana, and the trial was conducted the following Sunday.  Rudy received 20-30 years for murder, and an additional 15-20 for special rape, which is when a family member rapes a minor in the family.  Because Ana was an accomplice to the murder, she is getting the same sentence of 20-30 years.  They are both being sent to special detention facilities because in Honduras with a case like this, they would both be raped and murdered by other inmates in a very short time.  It’s great to know that both of these people are in jail; however, it is obvious that Julianna’s mother was being victimized as well.  I personally believe that the stepfather should get a life sentence for murdering an innocent child.

Juliana's Great-Grandmother and one of her great-granddaughters

Her drinking water...

The back of her house...

Her kitchen

The hallway

A living room/bedroom

Melissa's Story

Melissa was my interpreter for the two days I was in Talanga.  She is 21-years-old, a high school graduate, speaks English rather well, and does not have any children -that is something to brag about around here.  Melissa has an older sister, and a younger sister who is still in high school.  Their mother died when Melissa was very young, and after that, her father did not care about the three girls much.  When her older sister was 14, a Mexican woman said she could get her work in Costa Rica, and would take care of Melissa and her younger sister.  Their dad, eager to get rid of them, agreed.  The Mexican woman sold Melissa’s older sister to a man who got her pregnant, and then sold the baby in Costa Rica.  Once the baby was born, the lady sent Melissa’s sister back to Honduras.

Melissa and her younger sister were trafficked, and sold into child pornography.  Melissa told me that she was only about 5-years-old at the time, but remembers some things and knows that it was really bad.  I’m not exactly sure how long Melissa and her sister was held captive because I did not want to press her on information.  I do know that it had to have been a several years though.  Luckily, someone helped her and her sister get out, and they were placed in INFHA, which is the Honduran child services.  Melissa and her younger sister were then put the Good Shepherd children’s home, which is where I had a chance to visit earlier in my trip.  She and her sister stayed at the children’s home for about seven or eight years – until Melissa turned 18.  Melissa’s sister did not want to stay there by herself, so she left with Melissa, and they both went to live with their older sister.

Melissa’s older sister now has three children – all by the same father.  Unfortunately, he is a very violent man, and Melissa pleaded with her sister to move away from him.  She said she would rent an apartment for the three boys, and the three sisters to live in if her sister would leave her husband.  Now Melissa, 21-years-old, supports her older sister, her sister’s three boys, and her younger sister.  The older sister does not work because her youngest son is still an infant.  Her younger sister, now 16-years-old, is still in high school.  She tries to get interpreting jobs when she can, but the rent and bills are all mainly Melissa’s responsibility.  Can you imagine being 21-years-old and having to take care of three nephews, and two sisters?  I’m not sure how big their apartment is, but I have a feeling it’s a fraction of the size of my two-bedroom/two bathroom apartment in Philadelphia.  Situations like this make me realize how lucky I truly am.

The good news is that Melissa has a great head on her shoulders, and once her older sister can go back to work, she wants to save up money to go to university.  She hopes to get her degree in English.  We are now Facebook friends, and I promised to keep in touch with her, and to come back to Honduras and see her again.  I’m hoping to see her a couple of more times before I leave Honduras too.

This is Melissa and me with Colonel Osorio of Talanga, Honduras.

My Trip to Talanga, Honduras!

Buenos!

First of all, I want to apologize for my lack in blogging.  I have not had access to the Internet since last Thursday evening, so I couldn’t post anything.  I know that some of you have been calling my parents non-stop because you haven’t heard from me.  If you could stop the threatening them, I would really appreciate it.  They’re old, and all they want to do is sit on their back porch, drink some sangria, and knit/smoke a cigar.  Thank you kindly!

As I mentioned before, last week I had the opportunity to travel to Talanga, Honduras and meet with Gracie Murphree, who runs The Heart of Christ organization, and a women’s refuge.  Even though I was only there for two days, it felt much longer, and the things I saw and heard will never leave my memory.  I have several stories of young girls I want to tell, but let me preface with a few statistics Gracie gave me that are specific to Honduras.

·      In 2005, a woman was murdered every three days.

·      In 2010, 400 women were murdered, which means more than one woman per day

·      90% of Honduras has no police, phones, or vehicles – how is anyone, let alone a woman, supposed to get help?

·      Only 12% of special crimes (domestic violence, family violence, rape, murder, child pornography, human trafficking, sexual exploitation of minors, and child abuse) ever make it to court

·      Only 1% of special crimes ever get finished in court because the preservation of evidence is horrible

·      More than 50% of women will give birth before the age of 18

·      1 in 3 girls will be sexually abused by age 12

·      50% of women will have had sexual violence committed against them by the age of 18

·      More than 50% of all households have violence in them

·      Less than 10% of domestic violence victims report it to the authorities

·      70% of all households have single mothers

·      70% of all women and children who migrate illegally to the United States fall into human trafficking

*These statistics came from the UN report on violence and the National Institute of Women, as well as the World Bank.

Now that you have some background information, I’m going to make you more depressed.  I cannot apologize for this though - these stories need to be told.  I hope you are moved as much as I was.

Gracie and me before I left last Tuesday!

I'm Back - And I'm Safe and Sound!

Hello All!

I've been MIA for the past few days because I took a trip to Talanga, Honduras, where I spent time with Gracie Murphree at her women's refuge.  Not going to lie...I was pretty nervous to go!  Gracie works with the national police of Honduras to prosecute men who have victimized women and children.  Needless to say, it was a tough couple of days.  Talanga is an extremely poor town, and not many "gringa's" (American women) go through there.  To say that I stuck out...is an understatement.

My experience in Talanga has had a big impact on me, and I'm still trying to digest what I witnessed, as well as the stories of the women and children I met while I was there.  There is so much to tell, and I think I can best do this in segments throughout the rest of my time in Hondo.  It's getting pretty late here, and I'm drained, so I won't start tonight, but I'll hopefully tell my first story tomorrow.

I do have some exciting news though...I, Quinn Emilienne Novels, built a house today!  How exciting!  Okay, I didn't single-handedly build the house.  I did have some help...from about 20 other people, but I got in there!  I even have some war wounds from the day!  Mama Nove doesn't think I'm very handy, which is true, but booya!  I did it!  Here's a little treat for you!

Check out my workin' boots!

Oh yeah...get it girl!  I helped put in the entire floor on the house!

That's one of the interpreters, Daniella, looking at me like I'm a weirdo.  She's not wrong in her assumption...

Finished house!  Woop woop!

I'll post more in the near future.  I have homework due on Friday, so after that, I'll post more regularly.

Goodnight!

Fresh Food Market and Children's Home in Zan Marano

Hey There!  I am on a role tonight!  Don't get used to it though - Mama Nove sent me an email wondering why I haven't been posting, so I need to update her on life over here in Hondo.

Yesterday we all unloaded ALL of the pottery Janet and I bought on Thursday.  Luckily, only one box of pottery ended up breaking - good news!  It's too bad the pottery is a bit fragile, because it would definitely sell big time in the States.  Oh well...

Today was really fun though.  We left at 6:30am (yes, I woke up that early...only b/c food was involved) to go to the fresh food market!  20 of us ended up going, and we bought mucho produce to pack and hand out to poor families in rural villages this afternoon.  Here are some treats!

The little green things are called minones, which are cousins of leche fruit.  They are a bit more sour, but delicious!

Plantinos!

Some random birds for sale...

I liked the nun.

This was our cart boy for the morning, Walter.  He followed us around all throughout this farmers market.  We were all very impressed by his skills and strength, and he was a good haggler too!

Nice product placement Coke...I told you before the Hondurans love their pop!

We went back to pack up the produce, and then we went to Zan Marano to hang out at the children's home for the afternoon.  We took them lunch and ate with them, and I got to pass out some of the toys I brought.  They were all so excited!

These kids were standing in line for new t-shirts.

Annie and her friend Leslis.  She met Leslis when she was here three years ago, and was excited that she got to see her again.  Leslis remembered Annie too - probably because of that red hair and her blue eyes!  Leslis grew about five or six inches since the last time Annie saw her.

I've never seen a boy so excited to get a new t-shirt.  Such a cutie!

This is Janet's granddaughter Emma.  Quite the diva!

Yet another beautiful view!

After we left the children's home, we went up a mountain and delivered our produce to a poor village.  Typically, we would walk the buckets of food to the different houses, but all the women came running down to meet us, and took the food up themselves.  It's nice to know that a few families were able to eat well tonight!

Tomorrow we're headed to Los Pinos (The Pines), which is a really poor community, to go to church.  Then we're headed to the oldest church in the Western Hemisphere called Santa Lucia, and it was built in the 1500s (I think...I probably just made that up though).  We're also going to Valle de Angeles to do some tourist shopping.  I'm sure I'll find something interesting there!

Adios!

P.S. Mama Nove - I hope you're satisfied with all of the posts tonight!

OH - HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!  LOVE YOU DAD, SIM and PAP!

Scenic Pictures of Trip Back from El Salvador

Hello Again!

Two-for-one special tonight!  I was in awe of the scenery on my way down to El Salvador, that I forgot to take pictures.  I took some one the way back though, but a storm was a brewin' on all of the mountains, so they aren't as clear.  I hope you enjoy them anyway!

I was pretty impressed with my picture taking abilities with this one.  Drive by foto!

We climbed up and down so many mountains on our trip to the pottery place!

Here comes the storm!

Literally, the cows were coming home!

This river barely had any water in it on our way down, but it filled up since it was raining at the top of the mountain.  So much water!

It's crazy that we could actually see all of the rain on the mountain.  Unfortunately, we had to go up that mountain...

Trip to El Salvador to Buy Pottery!

Buenas Noches!

So sorry to leave you all hanging with my lack of posts.  I know you probably live for my blog - just kidding.  Things have been a little hectic for the past few days!

Let me back up to Thursday.  Janet and I went down to El Amatillo, which is about 5 miles away from the El Salvadoran border to buy pottery for the Mi Esperanza store.  We had such a great time!  I realized on Thursday that I may or may not have a shopping problem.  Imagine going to a store, and just saying, "I'll take everything you have, and let me place an order for more as well."  That's exactly what we did!  Keep in mind, the most expensive item we bought was $5.00 - things are very cheap here in Honduras.

For those of you who don't know, I'm an experienced potter - I've been known to throw a pretty sweet pot or two.  Again, catch the sarcasm.  Either way, I took about 80 pictures while I was there because I was extremely excited!  I won't make you look at all of the pics, so here are the highlights.

This is a whole hut full of greenware, which is pottery that has been dried out, but not fired.

This is the first kiln that you put the greenware in.  Janet told me that in order to make this kiln, they pile up a huge mound of cow manure.  Then they pack wet clay on  top of the big mound.  Once the clay dries on the outside, they light the mound on fire.  All the cow pooh burns off, and they're left with a kiln!  How resourceful!

After the first firing, different colors of slip are used to decorate the pieces.  The pieces then go into the kiln that burns green leaves.  Just as a side note - it was extremely hot here because we're way down in the valley.  Add to that the heat from the kilns...so hot!

This is what the pieces look like once they go through the second firing.

This woman's job was to scrape off the ash from each piece.

 Finished product!  Such beautiful pottery!

One of many rooms filled with pottery - I wanted it all!

Name of the place we bought the pottery.  The store and the workshop were on both sides of the street.

Only some of what we bought...

The Mi Esperanza crosses - specially made for the store!

A random lizard a woman took about five minutes to make while we were there.

Elsa!  She's the head woman of the pottery co-op.  She was so nice and incredibly excited about the amount of pottery we bought.  Since we were such good shoppers, she let us pick out a gift for ourselves :-)  Oh yeah!

Cute little skittish puppy!  I swear there's a dog everywhere I go...I think it's a sign that I need a puppy in my life.