New Years Day

While passing an idyllic day at our property on the first day of the new year we found ourselves in the middle of a beach party.  First one truck arrived carrying twelve passengers in the back, then a motorcycle with an entire family.  Next came two buses, more trucks, and then my chin dropped as a tractor trailer pulled in and backed into the brush.  Out came the people, the hammocks, the chairs, the food, the children, and it was an all day beach party.  For the entire day there was a continuous stream of people, and vehicles coming and going. 

Our lot is fenced, and we have a sign indicating it is private property, but there is a public access road to the beach upon which all these people were gathered in a manner not unlike a typical night in the volunteer camping area at the Hillside festival in Guelph (meaning...it was mayhem everywhere and people were tucked into any available vegetative space upon which to hang a hammock and settle in for the afternoon).
This phenomena answered a lot of questions for JD and I.  We constantly see a lot of garbage through out the property and along the beach access road and have often wondered where it comes from.  Since we are in a relatively remote location we assumed the garbage was being washed up on the shore from the ocean.  Little did we know that we have a coveted spot where all the folks from miles around come to enjoy the day at the beach and get away from it all.
But there is a price to pay.  Not many Nicaraguans have figured out that a clean place is a better place.  Garbage is an issue..at our lot, in town, on the sides of the road, basically they leave a trail of garbage everywhere they go.
So, being grossed out by it, we attempted to set an example.  We pulled out some garbage bags, and started picking it up.  We only made a small dent in the flotsam and detritus but it was a start.  Many Nica's giggled at our efforts and thought we were a wee tad strange and perhaps even laughed because they thought it was futile.

However, we continued and started two fires to burn the garbage.  Over the course of two hours we burned about twenty full bags.  Much has still been left behind, but we have devised a plan to hire the locals kids to help clean up and will eventually set up a couple of garbage bins with a sign "Welcome to MiraFlores, keep it clean"
I guess we will only be able to tell if it helps when we return in years to come.