Daily Archives: 22. October 2010

Harvest Moon

Tomorrow, Saturday, is the full moon.  Back home it’s cool in the evenings, even cold standing there looking up at the autumn sky, shivering, watching that beautiful full moon inch its way across the starry blackness.  The summer crops in the surrounding fields have been harvested, everyone waiting expectantly for winter snow and the holiday season.  Here in tropical Honduras there are only two seasons:  summer and winter.  The rainy period ended on October 9th.  It rained every day from May until October ninth.  But in my new life, tomorrow I’m invited to a “Full Moon” party at the doctor’s house with whom I work.  The six new Cuban doctors will be there, as well as other friends with whom I share life in my community.  We’re building a fogata, a huge bonfire to celebrate the beginning of the end of the year.  Sunday morning I’ll be joining the 80-strong Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade in Comayagua about half an hour away from La Paz to participate in a week-long medical intervention for citizens unable to pay the cost of medical treatments and surgery, somewhat like in the States, a supposedly First World country, with their lack of medical care for their own many poor unfortunate citizens unable to pay for basic preventative health care.  I will post pics of my adventure when I return on Halloween: the Day of the Dead in Latin America, an ancient annual celebration of life honoring those gone to the other side.