Part 3: Revolutionary realities in a time of war

Part 3 of the diary of Maylin Heard, a member of a coffee brigade to Nicaragua 1986 organised by the UK Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign.

23 November 1986: a party with a communal feel with everyone from babies to older people; murals, murals everywhere

We were invited to a party by Reinaldo, a shy local machinist and member of the militia. The whole thing had a very communal feel: everyone was there from babies to old people, and everyone took turns to sing and play. Four of us were very tired, so set off home early. We had two torches between us but still managed to miss our turning, we eventually found the right track but then our torches gave out! There followed a hair-raising descent in the pitch dark down some rocks covered in greasy mud.

24 November, 1986: the riot of colour of the Nicaraguan countryside; a day out in Matagalpa

I’m writing this in Matagalpa in a café, we managed to catch a truck at 7am taking people to the baseball game.

I haven’t written much about the wildlife because it is so much part of the whole thing. Anything would grow here. There is a riot of different colours everywhere. Hedges of brilliant red hibiscus, blue morning glories, busy lizzie everywhere, huge yellow marigolds, giant butterflies of every size. Giant birds of prey, the eternal sound of cicadas, balls of air plants and moss hanging from trees like ropes.

Matagalpa is exciting as we’ve just had breakfast of two fried eggs and bread with warm milk. People are ever so friendly and helpful. There are murals and graffiti everywhere.

It was a burning hot day and only windy on street corners, unlike in the mountains, where there is always shade and always a breeze or wind. Eileen [another brigadista] and I were wandering down a long very straight street, where we could see hundreds of strands of white and yellow bunting.

Then, we saw the street packed with people for as far as we could see, all singing (just like a CND demo). It was a religious festival and there were holy things carried by priests and nuns. But mostly ordinary people in their best clothes. Different parts of the crowd were singing or chanting different things. They were so dense we got swept along till the next corner.

Apparently, the priest made a speech at the end that had come down from the bishops and was being repeated all over Nicaragua. The main theme was the recruiting of Nicaraguans inside and outside Nicaragua to fight with the contra.

We had a look in some shops and bought some bright cotton for Lucia, who is going to teach us macramé so we can make trust bracelets. After wandering around for a while, we met up with the trade union delegation and went to a hotel for lunch. There were 15 things on the menu! But only one thing vegetarian – beans and rice. But at least it included cheese and a hard-boiled egg (they are all free range here) and salad.

We didn’t stop long because we had to hitch hike back to the UPE…eventually we were picked up by a lorry.

On Monday, we started a spell of working 13 days without a break as we will be picking for El Salvador on Sunday. It was by far the hardest day’s picking so far. The slopes where we were picking were called brujo and brujita (wizard and witch) and we were threatened with them all week. It is the first time I was genuinely frightened of falling. The ground was very crumbly and steep, almost impossible to keep a foothold. I slipped down the slope a number of times and felt terrified.

I was sick on Tuesday but went back to work on Wednesday, the slopes were easier but the picking thin. Rod overturned a rock with a snake underneath which turned out to be a very poisonous coral snake (one bite and you are dead according to Rene).

25 November 1986: security precautions as the coffee harvest reaches its peak and contra attacks in rural areas intensify

It’s nice to be writing you a personal letter for once. It’s a luxury I’m affording myself because I feel so homesick today. Already, it feels like I have been here forever, sitting in this beautiful country, listening to all the sounds of people in the distance, parakeets and the wind in the trees. It seems like a strange mixture of familiarity, comfort, alien-ness and hostility.

But certain things have reached a point for me to feel this way today. Primarily, my continuing bad health.

This brings me on to one of the underlying causes, the dynamics of the group. Surprise, surprise, the women get on really well. There are a few blokes though who are engendering feelings of resentment which no-one wants to vocalise for fear of upsetting things.

Security is becoming tighter – there has been a rumour that lots of dead cattle were found and the militia spent the night searching around, and we hear machine gun fire most days. We have to shut and bar all doors and windows every night, mainly as a safety precaution as the harvest is reaching its peak and that is also the peak time for contra activity. We had been told not to go off on our own and if we went walking in the mountains to take an armed guard with us. We are so near Matagalpa that we are unlikely to be targets but still it is worrying.

26 November 1986: Lucia’s birthday presents, a card, a coconut, sugared almonds, a tomato, a twix and most importantly someone’s place in the shower queue!

I am very disappointed in myself that I can’t manage the diet here, I had anticipated that it would be boring but manageable. Food is becoming an all-consuming passion; having decided that I could only manage beans once a day, I find I can’t even manage that. [S]o, I’m just eating rice and grapefruit. It is difficult working so hard without eating as you get so tired so easily.

Thursday, our first full day working. We started at 6am sharp with a pep talk about picking at least 85-90% quality beans. The main harvest is coming in now and we were urged to work hard and reminded of our goals. We again had a long walk uphill (sort of like climbing Snowdon to work each day at 6am), but the picking was relatively flat and the berries much redder. We had lunch brought up to us at noon and then worked till 3pm. By the time we weighed up and walked back, it was 4pm before the first person was in the shower. (There is always a great competition to get high on the list for a cold shower.)

We are all in the porch again with people singing and playing the guitar. Lucia has been giving macramé lessons and nearly all the brigade and one of the UPE children are making trust bracelets. There is a very relaxed, friendly feeling, feels like we have been here forever but I’m still homesick.

It is Lucia’s birthday tomorrow and we have been hunting for presents.

I’m getting better at sleeping on the floor and only woke up a few times. Last night, there was apparently machine gun fire, but I didn’t hear it. More and more of the brigade are resorting to mosquito nets as their bite count gets higher.

We wake Lucia up with a Happy Birthday chorus: she had a card, a sew on patch, a coconut, a box of sugared almonds, a tomato (you’ve no idea what importance food takes here) and a twix. Later in the day, she was given a bunch of flowers and most importantly someone’s place in the shower queue! She was like a kid all day!

Friday is the day we have a different meal, always vegetable soup with meat in it. However, we were a bit surprised to be served this at 5am. We had a good day’s picking today all in one place. Not too steep but still hard to keep a foothold and my feet got very sore.

Just before lunch we met a group of US lawyers who were on a study tour, and had come to see the coffee harvest. It was a good chance to hear all the news. We understood that President Reagan had opened his big mouth and put both feet in as usual. I really wanted news of the Philippines as we had heard vaguely that Cory Oquino had been shot…but they couldn’t tell us much and thought she hadn’t been.

We had our lunch late sitting around eating our beans and rice then someone climbed a tree to throw oranges and grapefruit as dessert for everyone.

Earlier on, we heard a lot of gunfire and saw a helicopter, again no indication as to why. There have been requests on the radio for coffee pickers to join the fifth battle of the coffee harvest.

Going back to Lucia’s party and our first injury. We had split into two groups: a quiet group that made bracelets and a noisy group who started playing games outside. Since this was happening in the dark on a hillside covered in jungle, it was far from harmless and several people fell over including Geraldine who fell, hurt her wrist and fainted.

We called the health brigadista, who said it was dislocated and manipulated it into place – it was amazing to watch. She was taken to hospital in Matagalpa the next day and it turns out to be broken in two places and she is now all plastered up.

On Saturday, we had a half day off, went to Matagalpa to the best hotel and ordered the most expensive thing on the menu – crayfish! We must have seemed like rich tourists but as we looked around at the grubby tablecloths and hordes of flies, the dingy light and ancient piped music (Smoke gets in your eyes and Delilah). The food was wonderful!

When we got back, the Frente Sandinista were holding a meeting on the porch and answering questions. Someone asked how they see the future and they replied ‘the future is ours’. And then, they asked us what we thought of Nicaragua, what we thought a Labour government in the UK would do and whether we would take up arms for the Revolution.

Today is Sunday and we have access to the kitchen because the cook is going to church. I was looking forward to gallons of tea, but we woke up to find that because it rained so much last night the water is off, the toilets are in a disgusting state and we all need to do laundry.