Pickup trucks and piñatas

Oh boy, where to start? So a lot's been going on here. All of it good.

As some of you now know, I got a cell phone! They're ridiculously cheap (10 bucks!) and it only costs me 10 cents a minute to call the states. Still can't believe that. So if I haven't called you, it's because I don't have your number. But that's easy to fix. And I don't recommend calling me cause that'll probably cost you guys a fortune. But here's my number all the same: (503-7551-7925).

In other news, I just got back from a three-day immersion visit to Morazán in the northeast highlands. Apparently, it's the most remote site there is. All my camping buddies (you know who you are) would have loved it. The PCV I visited (PCV = peace corps volunteer) lives waaay up in on top of this mountain, somewhere in the ballpark of 4000 feet up. El Sal has a pretty damn good highway system, but even flying down the pan american at 60 mph, it took me two hours in a bus just to get to a town at the base of the mountains, and another three hours in the back of a crazy crowded pickup truck to get up to his community. It was absolutely brutal on the ass but once we got there, I realized why my PCV, Mike, loved it up there so much. The air was cool, the water pure (no chemicals and sh*t when you're on the top of a mountain), and because the climate is perfect, there are coffee and banana plantations everywhere. Unfortunately, for safety reasons, I couldn't bring my camera. But we used his and I'll post the photos when I get them from him in May at my swearing in ceremony.

It was an epic trip, so I couldn't possibly cover it all. But here are some highlights: taking a ¨shower¨ in a stream, sleeping in hammocks, watching a bull get slaughtered (yikes!) and eating steak (him!) and eggs for dinner, and getting buzzed on cuba libres and talking about politics until sunrise. For the record, the bull slaughter was my least favorite moment of the trip. I threw up a couple times and felt all around sh*tty. But it was an experience and that's what this is all about, right?

Something else you guys might enjoy. Two weeks ago we threw a surprise birthday party for my buddy Umberto, the (now) 70 year old Italian dude who I shared a room with back in DC. I mentioned to a few of my friends, Betsy and Lauren, that I was going to buy a cake and some scotch for him. It was, after all, his 70th bday and he was having it without his wife and kids back in New York. Well, the next thing I know, the girls have mobilized the entire PC crew. Cakes are being ordered, decorations are being made, drinks and snacks are being bought. Each community contributed something. It was fantastic. Plus, I got a piñata, which is sort of everyone’s childhood dream come true. It was really fun.