Our Man in Granada

Muralistas making restaurant progress

Pictures of CafeChavalos volunteers decorating the new restaurant.  Chavalos Blog here.  More info here.  Explanatory film here.  More pics here.

I'm still here, honest

My apologies for disappearing and somewhat dropping the ball on the Great Turtle Race (which even more embarrassingly my turtle won).  I will do a final round up.

In short, things got busy, I've briefly lost internet and my blogging time is limited. 

Normal services will soon be resumed. In the meantime, enjoy the movie which updates current progress at CafeChavalos.  Please watch, post, share, digg, and spread the word (and visuals).

We need the money.

Can you see what it is yet?

The already impressive CafeChavlos is starting to take shape.

The Chavalos themselves have been in there, over this Easter weekend, doing a spot of painting.

For the uninitiated, the restaurant, when it opens around June, will be staffed by a small group of young Nicaraguans who have found their way to the initiative via the Building New Hope program and it's founder Donna Tabor.

Their backgrounds are not pretty.  Gangs, fights, drug addiction and jail are among the low points in these kids' lives. 

What do you get when you fall in love...

Reality checks are good. Right?

I have a habit of going overboard. I convince myself how good everything is. That I’ve found paradise, fallen in love, won the jackpot.

What the heck. I have. This is it. The good life. The volunteer project is incredible. The set up allows me time to write too – and all from the comfort of a rocking chair on a shady terrace.

Side note: has anyone else ever tried typing in a rocking chair? It works perfectly. No bad backs, no cricked necks. Anyway...

Blogging it for the Chavalos

You might have spotted the Nica Blogging section on the right is starting to take shape.

There are a couple of new additions but, in particular, I'm chuffed to see my new employers Cafe Chavalos joining the blogosphere with this.

Hopefully when I finally make it over there (five days and counting) I might be able to help update it from time to time. 

In the meantime, it's all about the link love.  More details on Cafe Chavalos here.