Extracts from Piers' Diary

Fifth day 20th Jan.

It�s a great time, better than I ever expected. Lovely people, incredredibly supportive in all things & very collective.

It�s fantastic that 32 people can stay in a dirty old hut without an proper facilities & still get on so well. I hope it stays like this for the rest of the time.

Had a fun Saturday night, everyone let their hair down & boozed on rum. We talked star signs & age, marriage & partners. All very interesting.

Lots of people are separated � So many that Ken felt left out & invented "Barbara" his ex-German wife who couldn�t even speak English!

Then we were told twice to keep quiet by someone & move on!

We all sat in the middle of the hill & laughed & laughed & let barriers drop. Great fun & games.

Everone giggled & it felt a lovely close family with no one feeling threatened. Already the Brigade feels like a family & I know it�s going to be really sad saying goodbye.

Jan 25th

Marion is so sweet. A wonderful Motherly and open figure � like Tony is Father � it would be great to see them drop their barriers and get drunk at the party tonight too.

Tony & Marion have taken on the burden, and probably unnecessarily, of trying to hold us together.

Only 2 weeks to go, if it only stays half as good as this it will be perfect.*

After last day of picking

Mig, Ilana, Sar & Me headed up to "Cptn Knobbly Rock" to take in the last sunset. We missed it but the mountains were beautiful in the mist as the sun disappeared. Beautiful green lush fields & tropical rainforests covering the mountain. Very clean & open and I wish I only had time to walk in the hills before. What a shame that this is the last day. Ig & I talked and with the mist swirling we headed up the steep path towards "Picnic at used Knobbly Rock". We all sat at the top of the rock & Sarwan got out his rum and we passed it around. We lay in the grass & watched the mountains slowly fade to black. A nice last relaxing view before we headed down towards the final fiesta.

12th Feb Managua

We hit the Jazz club for our last "Brigade session".

Sarwan & Ken had been rejected by the Thought Police and were sitting outside soaking up the vibes.

We had a hilarious time playing fuzzy Duck/Ducky Fuzz.

Hector came out and joined in and had a ball which was lovely to see. He said that we were the partying-est brigade and wildest bunch ever!

Thank God I wasn�t on the other brigades then. I�ve had enough troubles with the Thought Police as it is!!

Alex, Ann, Alison, Gordon, Hector, Ian, Me, Ig, Ken, Sarwan, Mig, Mark & Claire all getting drunk on fun & games with music in the air and the promise of the beach tomorrow.

We played Bunnies, Vikings, Dambusters, & Romans thrown in for good measure � absolutely brilliant.

I wished lovely Merle a happy 59th Birthday � the band played happy Birthday & we all sang to her. She was very happy, gave me a lovely cuddle & I bought her a beer & apologised for being drunk & having fun. She thought it was "right on" and where she should be for her Birthday! We then headed down to the Disco & Merle came too!

After all Merle really is a Pleasure Bunny which we suspected all along! We all danced past 1am & stumbled home.

Arrived at the Hotel at 2.am only 2 hours after hotel curfew � oops � luckily there was a hole in the fence and we all crawled through.

What a great night. The holiday starts here!

Brigade Dances (by Ken & Piers)

1. Coffee Pick
2. Where�s Jairo?
3. Gusano
4. Middle Eight
5. Ice Cream Man
6. Gay-Lee
7. Trowel/squat
8. No toilet paper!!
9. Hole fill up
10. Marcos� Dog
11. Ice Cream Man
12. Sax Solo
13. Canasta Shake
14. Green Bean bag
15. Empty Canasta

Slightly less popular but still a winner

1. Stomach Cramps
2. Walk to latrine
3. Bang on Door
4. Clench Buttocks
5. Waiting
6. Into Latrine
7. Bang head on low door
8. Squat
9. No Toilet paper
10. Shoe falls down toilet
11. Rush out to fresh air

"A Day at The UPE"

• 2am � Stomach Cramps! Back to sleep
• 3am � Stomach Cramps! Back to sleep
• 4am � Clench buttocks! Back to Sleep
• 4.30 � Tortilla banging starts � Back to sleep
• 4.45 � First alarm, goes off � Back to sleep
• 4.50 � Someone else�s alarm goes off. Louise gets excited. Back to sleep
• 5.00 - Another alarm beeps. Norman struts & looks evil. Tortilla still pounding. 4 Horsemen still asleep � no movement in top flat Iggy & I rub heads, Back to sleep.
• 5.15 - My alarm beeps. Marion shoves garlic in my hand. Someone shouts "Malaria Pills." Most people up & moving. Norman struts around in his jock-strap complaining that it�s too tight & giving us the evil eye.
• 5.25 � Everyone up now. Jump straight into boots & trousers, grab my �designer� Canasta Dodge the queue for the latrines. Tie on green bag to keep trousers from falling down. Whip brush across my teeth as I rush for breakfast. Can�t miss the yummy bread.
• 5.30 - Breakfast. Loaves of bread for the Brigade. �Thought Police� grab it off me & say it�s for �The Sickies� & ration me to a miserable crust & jam, Lots of coffee. Dodge the tortilla & feel sick at the people who say it�s yummy!
• 6.10 � Everyone looks evil now. Head down to the toilet. Have to queue for Louise & Madeleine. Stomach cramps. Pour out! Feel better. Remember I forgot Malaria pills. Pills & coffee and now we�re really late.
• 6.20 � Rush up the slopes to coffee fields. Watch out for someone nice to pick with. Wish Ken was around but he�s being sick again. Decide to pick on my own for peace & quiet.
• 6.30 � Jairo sticks me on a grotty row. Move off to a good one.
• 6.40 � Start picking � Ken appears through the bushes. He picks one bean, feels sick & sits down under a bush.
• 6.50 - Days chat starts. Talk about ghosts, drunkenness & stuff, Make up a few rumours NOT to be passed on. Tell Oona a couple of them
• 6.52 � Tell Oona that she MUSTN�T pass them on, but she says it�s too late as she�s already told 6 others!
• 6.55 � Oh when is the 10 O�clock smoko going to arrive?
• 8.30 � Feels like 11 O�clock! Ken & I collapse under a bush � We feel the �Thought Police� vibes!