Two days after returning from the Pueblo Nuevo medical
brigade, I was forced from my home once more. Monday morning, I took the early
boat to Bluefields, where I ran last minute errands for a conference I’d been
helping to plan over the past few months. Although I was excited for the
conference – a workshop and ideas exchange for individuals living with HIV from
Bluefields, Chinandega, Masaya, and Managua – I was already exhausted and sick
from the brigade. I prayed that everything would go smoothly, that we would
have good traveling weather, and that I could manage to keep from infecting
others with my cold.
Tuesday morning began at 4:30 AM, with a hurried bucket bath
before heading down to the wharf to meet the Atlantic coast participants.
Although our boat was scheduled to leave at 6 AM, the entire group had arrived
by 5:45 AM. I was impressed; maybe my prayers had been answered. The trip to
Rama was trouble-free; a mid-way stop along the banks of the river provided us
a snack of fresh, sweet oranges. Likewise, the bus travel between Rama and
Managua, and then to Pochomil Beach were pleasant and uneventful. We arrived at
the Oceanside hotel and conference center at 4 PM.
The next two and a half days were packed with informational
sessions. As so often happens with conferences, the beauty of the venue was
underappreciated; we rarely left the conference room before 5 PM. Yet we
managed to enjoy the beach during early morning walks, a sunset yoga and
meditation session on the first full day, and a bonfire and dance party on the
second night. More importantly, the participants seemed to learn a lot from the
session facilitators and from one another about how to manage their disease and
their general state of wellbeing – physically, mentally, emotionally, and
spiritually. HIV is still a highly stigmatized disease in Nicaragua; most of
the participants have to hide their status not only from strangers and
coworkers, but from friends and family. This isolated, beachside venue provided
a rare opportunity to openly discuss their lives and their disease. Questions
were finally asked and answered, experiences were shared, and new friendships
were formed.
Early on Thursday morning, we packed our belongings into the
bus, ate a quick breakfast, and said our goodbyes before starting the long trip
back to the other coast. An excellent, though brief, trip. And I think I
managed to keep my cough to myself.
Word of the week: bienestar - wellbeing
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