Volunteers participating in the Purex Foundation program are placed in a homestay arrangement, where they live with a host family on the island. My host family were Marisol & Miguel and their son Ariel. They were a lovely, gracious, family; we stayed in their home, ate home-cooked meals with them, and they were always ready to help with anything we needed.

After a day of bushwhacking, the family and the other volunteers surprised me with some birthday partying. Volunteers Rebecca and Mauricio worked with Marisol on a birthday cake, and Suzy brought the wine. (Thanks guys and gals!) The family seemed to have a steady stream of visitors staying with them. On this night, there were at least 9 friends & family (only 1 spoke some English), plus 6 of us volunteers, all of whom joined in the partying.

I had become quite attached to my machete after bushwhacking all day, so I thought it only appropriate to cut the cake with my machete.

After I blew out the candles, there were calls to eat the cake without using my hands, which is apparently the ritual expected of the birthday person. (Of course, for all I know, they could have been pulling my leg about it all, for entertainment purposes…) I couldn’t bring myself to stick my whole face in the cake, but I did a modified version of just eating one piece. When it was deemed that I didn’t get enough frosting on my face, Miguel helped me out by adding a few more dabs.

After cake and wine, there was more drinking — a homemade concoction made of sugar cane alcohol known as canelazo. It wasn’t bad, even for a non-boozer like me. Then, loosened up with canelazo, came dancing.

Every half hour or so, throughout the night, someone would yell out “Viva la cumplañera!” which translates to “Long live the birthday girl!”

Couldn’t have asked for a funner birthday abroad!