William tells me that he just started work at the hotel last week. He says that he works from 6 am till 5 pm 7 days a week with a day off every 2 weeks. He rakes the beach of the daily seaweed. He rakes the grounds. He carts everything to the back with the wheelbarrow. He goes back and forth to the village with the wheelbarrow, carrying bags of laundry, supplies, cases of beer. Most of the way it is a flat path but there is a steep hill that he must negotiate up and down. Last year, there was only a dirt path which got regularly washed out in the rain. Now there is a cement path reaching down to the beach. Steps in the middle and ramps on either side to accomodate the back wheels of the wheelbarrows. It is pretty steep.
I meet him on the path today. How many times has he been today, I ask. He says 25 times. He tells me he makes 1000 cordobas a month. $44. He gets his meals and a place to stay. S tells me this is impossible. Minimum wage is 3500 cordobas. $154 Still....
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