In May 1997, Diana and I were on a medical mission trip to Nicaragua. We had arrived with our team to the tiny, hot, dusty town of Waspam in northern Nicaragua just across the Rio Coco from Honduras.
On the evening of the first full day in Waspam, I was in terrific need of a bath or shower. Inquiring, I was directed to a rain barrel at the corner of a neighboring building. The barrel collected rainwater from the roof through a spout. There was a semblance of a shower curtain around the barrel and a tiny tin cup attached by a string to the wall. It was a very tiny cup. I went looking for a bigger cup. At about that time, the generator for the town’s power shut down for the night and all I was left with was the moon and stars for light. Up in our sleeping quarters, I noted a shelf with a line of one-gallon jugs of drinking water we’d brought with us.
“Ummm,” I thought, “With my pocket knife, I could fashion a nice big water dipper out of one of those jugs.”
Grabbing each jug in the dark, it was apparent they were all full of water. Separated by several feet, at the end of the shelf is a lone gallon jug. I grabbed it. “Great, quarter-full! I can use this!” Not to waste the water, I tipped the jug up to my mouth to drink the remaining water. At that very instant, the Nicaraguan moon- and starlight filtered through the contents of my jug. Yellow!! The nasty liquid hit my mouth, lips and the back of my throat. The jug had been used as a makeshift urinal by a member of our team the night before. I leaned over the porch railing and proceeded to relieve myself of dinner, lunch and breakfast. Diana, was beside herself, laughing hysterically. Once I regained my composure, I brushed my teeth (several times). Then I kissed Diana for all her loving support and sympathy–OK, that’s a lie–She would not let me come near her. And then, at last, I had my much-deserved dip bath at the corner rain barrel–using the gallon water jug-turned urinal-turned water dipper. It was refreshing.
For the rest of our trip, the trip leaders pushed hydration–with yellow lemon-lime Gatorade of all things. I simply could not stomach it. Plain (clear) water only for me. I have problems drinking a yellow-colored drink like lemon-lime Gatorade to this day–especially if it is in a plastic gallon jug.
Dash Stories 