that's how I would describe my experience at the landfill today.  My translator Carmen and I grabbed a cab to take us to La Chureca.  Unlike our driver yesterday, the driver we had today was scared to go inside the landfill.  This was after the first two cab drivers told us they would only drive us to the entrada (the entry only). 

When we got inside the landfill, there were puddles everywhere from last night's rain storm.  Mind you it's Nicaragua's rain season right now and imagine if you will the stench of wet garbage.  The cab driver told us he cannot drive us to the center, which was a quarter of a mile walk, because his car will be stuck in the mud.  When I opened the door on my side I was greeted with wet mud about three inches high.  Through luck, my flip flop did not get stuck and I did not completely covered my feet with the mud.  Of course I knew I was stupid for going in the landfill wearing flip flops and worried enough that I might get some infections/ringworms.

We stopped and photographed a family and interviewed a woman.  She warned us to make sure I hide my camera because there are theives that will rob me for my gear.  We continued with our adventure throughout the day by visiting the landfill, photographing the workers and interviewing them.  I saw Wilfredo my student.  He gained some weight and he said it was because he finally quit glue. I was worried that I might not see him because they said he has not been to Los Quinchos for awhile.  There was a really strong stench to where I was walking towards and it finally dawned on me that the stench came from the corpse of dead cows piled up to about four-five feet high and spread out to maybe 30-40 feet wide.  There were hooves and skulls and other burnt body parts of cows everywhere. 

The day ended with my meeting of Norlan at the center of Los Quinchos.  Norlan is a fourteen year old boy addicted to glue.  He's been sniffing glue since he was five years old.  He said he ran away from home because his alcoholic and drug addict father physically abused him.  He sleeps in the streets with his friends at night and the only meal he eats is the food served at Los Quinchos, otherwise, he finds food at the landfill when a truck full of spoiled food from restaurants would get dumped there.  He said sometimes the food has maggots in them.  We asked him if he feels safe sleeping in the streets, he said sometimes, and shared with us how some of the boys in his group would get raped by men much bigger and stronger than them.  It is a heartbreaking story...but the same ones that I have been hearing alot lately about the children of La Chureca, but just different faces.

Norlan and his glue bottle. skull of a cow and the corpses behind it.