Workaway, Recovery and Projects

Workaway
Some of you have met us through the Workaway program or have read other posts about Workaway. For those that do not know about the program, it is a program for people traveling that either want to travel on the cheap or want to learn more about the places they are visiting other than the typical tourist visit. It is a cultural exchange program where travelers work or help out with projects for a few hours a day in exchange for room and board. The idea is that the sponsors and the travelers learn from each other.

We have had some great experiences and have made life long friends with many people through this program. Each person has left a mark on this farm. Each time we look at the compost bin or the fireplace, we are reminded of James and Maddie. When we are making coffee soap or driving on the road up to our house we are reminded of Dale and Shane. When we look at the herb garden we think of Alex and Ashley. Evening fires and banana bread reminds us of Lucy....I could go on and on, but this post is about Mona Lisa and Lea.

​Two physiotherapists from Germany contacted us through Workaway. What great timing! I need to recovery from my Achilles tendon surgery and they were here traveling through Panama. 

They were tough on my physical therapy and I will always remember them as I gain my independence back. (They even helped Rick with his knee and back.) Hopefully the nightmares of them yelling to keep my head up, hips rotated, feet pointed a certain way, bend my knee, 5 more times and all of the other things that I was doing wrong will fade. :)  Military drill instructors should look at recruiting these 2!

They hiked the volcano here, practiced their acrobatic yoga, went the beach, learned all about coffee, taught the expats here how to do a proper Oktoberfest cheer and have now moved on to have more adventures. We wish them luck and hope they know how much we appreciated their time here.

Recovery
I can now hobble around more and even walk fairly normal for limited amount of time. I am only a few degrees away from getting my flexibility in my ankle back. I have no muscle tone in my leg yet and my balance is not back yet, but I am getting better each week. People with access to the live-feed cameras might actually see me slowly walking around once in a while. :)

The outdoor spa in the mornings is my favorite time. It helps loosen everything up in the mornings and I might enjoy it in the evenings if would stop storming at night.

Project
​Just when we think we are catching up, something has to go wrong. After hours of checking wires and problem solving why one of the camera systems is down, Rick has determined the system works great EXCEPT for the internet connection. Which means that it is worthless to us if we cannot fix it. This is the project of the day. Hopefully the company will have a fix for us. 

We are still working on the roasting house, but getting much closer!

Extra Pictures

• Rick eating at the Oktoberfest, not sure how authentic the food was, but it was my first time out of the house where I was not going to the doctor or a therapy session.
• A little lizard that has managed to hide from the farm cat....yay lizard!
• A batch of dark, oily coffee beans that I spent the day hand-sorting
• We decided to do a polished concrete floor in the new roasting house. This picture was taken after Rick spent a little time working on it. He was getting the girls to use kinesio tape on his knee not long after this picture was taken.
• The farm dogs have such a hard life!
• Last, but not least, another example of Rick's sandwich and apple art. Our son was not impressed. :)