a day at the waterfall

last night, as i sat talking with my counterpart and friend rovin about my decision to head home, we put a few plans into action. realizing some important things i had yet to do since arriving at site, and that he just couldnt let me leave without experiencing. most importantly: visiting the local waterfall and learning to make some things out of tagua (or vegetable ivory as it is also known - a seed from a sort of palm that amazingly resembles ivory)

and today, we started with the first. setting off from the village accompanied by various members of the extended family, we hiked down down down the mountain, across the river, and up the other side (seemingly the way one arrives at any location surrounding the community) until we found ourselves on an outcropping of rock exactly in the middle of a 200m or so tall series of three waterfalls. powerful water rushing over the rocks, pounding into anything it met. the perfect little back massage standing underneath the level we stood near. a reward after the hike.

this photo is of what i would call my host niece, the two year old jamie. a painfully adorable little girl who just so happens to be stuck in the worst case of the terrible twos i have ever seen. but when shes happy, boy can she be a hoot! unfortunately during this trip, she set her hand down on a poisonous caterpillar. at which point she started screaming bloody murder. powerful painful screams. as rovin quickly killed the little bugger and rubbed some of its guts on her little hand (apparently always the solution to touching annoying caterpillars), she never once let up. before long we started the hike home, and before we made it back to the house, she was smiling again. boasting as we walked in the door "un gusano me pico!!!"