The fan was a lie

I can only get internet access in Lethem, which is generally only a once-a-month trip. I get a few hours in town (Peace Corps does not spring for an overnight trip, even though the drive there is usually about six hours round-trip, barring any problems). In these few hours, I have to hit the bank, do all my shopping for the month, visit any other volunteers that are there at the same time, and use what wifi I can find, usually at a little bar. Bad luck has struck ever since the Country Director's visit. Since then, the wifi town-wide has been out every time I go to Lethem. The two times I had to go to Georgetown, it's been down in the hotel there too. No internet. Since Easter. For those of you at home right now, surfing for memes while you watch Netflix, download some more music, and read this at the same time, just imagine that. No internet. At all.

So, what's been happening since then? The Rodeo was a mixed bag. About nineteen volunteers total came up to the region to see it, so we had more company than we're used to having. ALL of the Region Nine volunteers were there, which is a rare occurrence. Usually we miss each other by a matter of days, so only two or three of us will be in town at any point. There was lots to see, with bucking broncos and bull riding, and barrel racing, and every other event a rodeo should have. The downside was that there was a stabbing, where some guy ran up to one of the female riders after the barrel race and stabbed her in front of the entire crowd. She was taken to the hospital, along with another cowgirl who had taken a nasty spill off a horse and not gotten back up, and a few cowboys who were stepped on, kicked, or slightly gored. I'd love to tell you how they're all doing, but since I don't know them, I have no way of knowing. At least one horse was killed, too, which was the worst of it for me. One of the bucking bronco was lassoed after he threw his rider, but he reared and fell hard, breaking one of his forelegs so badly that it just dangled. He had to be shot. I, being right up against the fence, had a front-row view, and burst into tears.

In good news, a visiting research assistant who had been studying frogs at Kaieteur Falls for the last month, came and couch-surfed with me for a few days, and we took some of the students out searching for frogs. The students had a great time catching frogs and toads. I'm counting this as a win, because most people here are afraid of frogs, and I had them not only touching them, but catching them. Several students even turned out to be particularly adept amphibian-catchers.

Another day, my host-sister Ryiela, showed up in my house after lunch with a big rice sack. She handed it to me, but when I went to open it, said "you should probably hold onto it, or it will escape." Inside was a mid-sized iguana! I had some issue getting it out of the sack, but I had great fun showing it around. The students were convinced that iguanas are dangerous, because they'll whip you with their tails, or bite off your fingers. Despite some minor scratches from his tree-climbing claws, this iguana was remarkably well behaved, and even submitted to tentative petting by some of the braver students.

Even better, another Giant Anteater made an appearance. I was in the shower, of course, because I have excellent timing. A few students came by to tell me they'd seen one, so I jumped out, dressed as quickly as possible, and we ran out into the savanna after it. Marlos, one of the first-year students, took off running faster than the rest of us, and actually chased it closer so I could get some really good photos.