A small slice of paradise inhabited by a sweet little library and an artistic oasis near San Isidro, Intibuca, Honduras

Details

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  Description

  Hi! My name is Aura. I arrived in Honduras 12 years back to live amongst and work with children and families here in the mountains of a coffee-producing region of Honduras.
  At the present time, the houses and garden that i tend host a small library and creative hub that is open and available to the community children as well as travelers that have a hunger to share their intellectual and creative gifts, and soak up the same from our end.
  My goal with the library/creative space is to keep games, puzzles, dolls, skateboards, cooking and baking supplies and many other special activities on hand aimed at giving the children diversity in their life experience.
  My basic hope in these days of heavy cell phone usage, is to keep children connected to the magic of childhood- off line.
  
  One of my passions is art- especially painting and sculpture.
  At present, we're working at painting murals in the village's public school, health center as well as within and without the antique building in the town's center, - I welcome, with open arms, any traveler that desires to contribute to this endeavor. I love to learn more about art through the perspectives of other creative people.
  At the school, there is 1 large wall and 2 partial walls still available to paint. And as far as the antique building goes, it is a great big, open, and inviting canvas, ready to receive it's embrace of color and form.
  
  I'm also very grateful for volunteers that can bring fresh energy and enthusiasm for helping the teachers of the public school with their English classes (and any other type of tutoring you may be interested in) a few times per week.
  
  I very much appreciate any hand and heart that can help integrate beauty, music and nature into the place here.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Charity Work

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Teaching

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  House and pet sitting
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  Interests

  

  Sustainability

  

  Charity work

  

  Animals

  

  Carpentry

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Writing

  

  Plant care

  

  Photography

  

  Music

  

  Hitchhiking

  

  Gardening

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Books

  

  Astronomy

  

  Art & design

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Nature

  

  Mountain

  

  Hiking

  

  Camping

  

  Beach
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  I speak fluent english and spanish that is fluent, but not perfect. A visitor will have language and cultural immersion, as well as many opportunites to accompany the natives in their daily life activities. There is a mine of cultural gems that could be discovered by those that are willing to explore and relate.
  
  This is "coffee country", and is nothing like a glitzy Starbucks. We have mud, dust, horrible roads, beautiful creeks and forests, steep inclines, and gravity defying declines, bugs, sweat, laughter, and tears.
  
  April and May are hot, dry, dusty and smoky.
  The remaining months are a comfortable 60°-85° F, often rainy, and quite pleasant.
  In any season, we all love to play baseball, soccer, and swim in the river.
  
  Come with your heart on your sleeve and leave with it full of sounds, colors, love and strength.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  There is a new acoustic guitar that lives here with me. I don't have a clue how to play it, but I would love to help bring music into this community. There is also a resident keyboard here that is just waiting for gifted fingers to dance over it's keys.
  
  During the months of march thru october is the perfect time for you if you are a volunteer with the desire to spend a couple of hours with the native children here at the library every afternoon. Just simply being a friend to them, engaging in projects with them, and showing interest in their activities.
  
  For artístic and creative spirits, the current mural painting project down in the public school and antique building is a wonderful opportunity to explore your creative freedom.
  
  I have a large-ish garden that is a magnet for hundreds of amazing butterflies, all types of bees, birds, and 2 small resident bats that come out at night. The garden vegetables and local fruits provides variety and flavor to our meals. Any garden lovers are welcome to help keep up with weeding, watering, planting, redesigning and reorganizing, In this climate zone there are many wonderful types of plants and trees- for any one interested in learning more about Central American botany, this is a great place be.
  
  Lastly, I will say that it is very important to me that any volunteer can take basic instructions and decide for themself how to execute a task according to their own creativity, strengths, and talents. I don't like to think and decide for others.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  There are two houses on the property, and to my volunteers, I offer a private bedroom with a padlock in the guest house, which also houses the library/learning center. Depending on which room is available, you will be given a double bed, or single bed and semi-private bathroom with hot, running water. Visitors are welcome to share a meal. (I usually only cook once a day, and otherwise eat "on the fly") or cook and eat on their own time and in their preferred space. I try to keep a well-stocked kitchen. But the truth is, everyone up here eats "typical mountain food"-eggs, chicken, fresh milk, homemade cheese and yogurt, beans, corn tortillas, rice, bananas, other seasonal fruits, vegetables and delicious fruit juices and yummy local coffees and tisanas. We have electricity, and Wi-Fi, but during rainy season frequent lightning storms often cause power outages.
  The library house hosts a fully-equipped sewing room that is available to work and create in, or simply learn to sew, if that's something you desire to do.
  The dogs, Ama and Susie, are real charmers and balls of happy energy, they will fall in love with you in a matter of minutes.
  I tend to be a quiet person. I am calmly wild, and, vice-a-versa wildly calm. I very much enjoy spending time on my painting, time with the children that come to the house, as well as play soccer with them in the late afternoons. I also especially enjoy hiking and camping, and am usually ready to launch out on fresh adventures...
  I often leave my volunteers to their own ideas and projects and step back to give then room to practice Spanish, get to know the local people and customs, and soak up the love and culture of this community.
  I encourage curious volunteers to get out and meet the natives. The locals enjoy meeting outsiders: and as we live in a safe area, folks are generally out and about doing their visiting until about 8 p.m. And in mentioning this, please understand that this is a very rural, typical mountain community that wakes with the rooster's crow, and sleeps with the coming of the star-filled, quiet night. It gathers and chops firewood for cooking, keeps chickens, rides horses and mules to work, washes clothes by hand, build houses from hand-made adobes, and plants everything by hand without tractors. There are very few places to shop, and no restaurants. That being said, the are daily busses that come and go to the larger towns outide of these mountains. The bus rates are cheap, and I encourage volunteers to get out at last once to explore: or, get up further into the mountains to explore the forests and rivers.

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  What else ...

  Nature lovers are encouraged to enjoy trips to the river, and hiking excursions in the mountains, as well as outings to pick mangos, oranges or whatever the seasonal fruit may be. Playing soccer is another favorite pastime here in the village, where ever a game may unfold.
  
  The sunrises, sunsets, and summer thunderstorms here tend to be amazing.
  Camping is easy to arrange in the mountain forests.
  
  There are a few daily busses that come and go from the nearest town an hour away, as well as to the next larger town 2 hours away. Bus fare is $1.50-$3 each way. The new international airport XPL is an easy 2-3 hour bus ride from home. I am about 4 hours from Tegucigalpa, 4 hours from San Pedro Sula, and 2 hours from Siguatepeque.
  
  I am ready to answer any questions you may have, and give as many more details as you may need about the area and lifestyle.
  
  The area is beautiful. The children are brimming with love. And I can promise that your experience here will be unforgettable.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

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