The Cristo Negro fair starts today, which means the first El Sauce tours are in full swing. This morning Adam, Meredith and I are helping Kellan, Yacarely and Irene set up the Geneseo and tourism cooperative booth at the mayor's office — the hub for 30,000 religious pilgrims and festival goers for the next several days. Irene will be selling handmade baskets from Cerro Colorado, whom Geneseo supports, as well as coffee from Alfonso and the farmers in Ocotal. Tours to Ocotal, including that long drive up the mountain and a tour of the farm and hiking are 80 Cordobas — $4. Yesterday, a man stopped Yacarely and I outside the mayor's office on our way to an interview: He wanted to come and buy a ticket to Ocotal. I think we will do very well. Our last run through of the local tours was yesterday. Visitors can take the bike, walking or church tour all weekend. People have arrived from all over Central America. Yesterday, the mariachi band i met was being driven to a plot of land outside of town by the mayor's office so they could serenade the "peregrinos," or pilgrims as they are called, overnight. Many families have a tradition of driving ox and cart for days to reach here. Today the whole town will go to the street Adam's family lives on to welcome the families with the carts to town. We were supposed to leave for Managua earlier, but we've asked to stay later so we can see the giant welcome. What's in Managua? All the good stuff is here. No one wants to leave.
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