Reflections on Month 1, Beaches, Volcanoes and More

I have made a breakthrough in my Spanish immersion endeavors.. I actually dreamt in Spanish the other day. Although in my dream I was still confused how to say what I wanted to say. I'm now very familiar with the fact that learning a new language is extremely humbling.The other day I was trying my best to talk with my driver and at one point he mentioned I spoke good spanish which I tried to respond by telling him he's the only person that has ever said this which I completely butchered in Spanish and he had no idea what I was saying. There are plenty of ups and downs but I'm learning it's all part of the experience and the more I step out of my comfort zone the more I learn.

Calle La Calzada

Last week was my last spent in Granada with all the other students. I've come to love Granada with it's colorful colonial buildings, bustling streets, and lively people.  It's a city of past and present like many developing areas. On our walk to school we would see horses with buggies carrying people or produce and women pushing wheelbarrows while SUV's and pickups zipped by them. It was hard to pass the people still asleep on the street in the morning, see the starving dogs looking for food and kids wandering the streets asking for money (although I'm told Granada does have a great orphanage and some of these kids choose to take to the streets because they think they can make more money instead of staying in school).But there are also plently of great things happening there. It's tourism industry is growing more and more for it's history and beatiful views of Mombacho Volcano and Lake Nicaragua. There is a street called Calle La Calsada where the main bars, restaraunts, and more are located and is dubbed "calle de los gringos" for the fact that it is always lined with backpackers and tourists. Which I can't deny we frequented often for the one air conditioned bar.The street was one investment made by the government to restore the architecture of Granada and is a great example of the improvements happneing all around.

                             Granada, Nicaragua                                           View of Catedral, Mombacho Volcan and
                                                                                                                                 Central Park in Granada

My host family´s house in Granada

It's impossible to leave my homestay in Granada without appreciating the opportunities I have waiting for me back in the states when I return. It's difficult to find work here and my host mom, Fatima, and father, Carlos both dropped out of school to find other jobs because it would be difficult for them to find well paying jobs in their fields. Fatima hosts exchange students and tourists in two rooms while the family of 5 stays in one room for themselves. She also sells ice and cooks lunch for others (it's common here for famillies to run restaraunts or small stores out of their houses) Carlos works long days leaving before 6 and coming home after 7. I've also noticed the men of many families live elsewhere in central america like costa rica to work and provide for their families here.

I was also suprised to learn how expensive commodities were in Nicaragua as well. Air conditioning is extremely rare here although it's common for the heat index in the "winter" time to be over 100F. My host mom said her electricity bill is the same or more per month than her father's who lives in miami and runs his air conditioner and appliances all day while Fatima uses a minimal amount for fans, the refrigerator and light at night.

The baby food competition got a little competitive..

One thing I´ve come to love the most about Nicas is no matter what their circumstances are they love to celebrate and enjoy the current moment. I have yet to meet a Nica who doesn`t love to party and dance. Mother's day here consisted of muchas fiestas, lots of drinking, dancing, and music with family and friends. For our last day of Spanish class the teachers even threw us a fiesta complete with a pinanta, food, and games that consisted of popping balloons between yours and another person's chest, back, and by sitting on the other person's lap, and a blindfolded baby food feeding game. Whatever the occasion you can be sure Nicas know how to make it one to remember.

Leaving Granada was bittersweet to say the least. I'll miss my host family and friends I made and I
feel like there is so much more I want to do and explore but I know there are many more adventures ahead in the northern moutains of Jinotega and I´m already loving my first week here. For the next month I'll be working with my partner Brittany in Jinotega, Nicaragua in the local hospital, Victoria Motta. I'm excited to put class knowledge to use fixing medical equipment, translating manuals, teaching troubleshooting or english classes or anything else the hospital may need. Look out for the next post about our new homestay, hospital work and Northern Nicaragua!


Weekend Adventures

The last two weekends in Granada we took trips to San Juan Del Sur and Omtepe Island. San Juan del Sur seems like the california equivalent of Nicaragua. It's on the coast with lots of beaches for surfing and extraneros come from all over to surf and a lot that end up staying for the relaxed lifestyle. Sitting at lunch one day we saw a women riding a rainbow bike with her two monkeys. She then proceeded to stop for a beer leaving her monkey outside then returned to feed it some Fresca. To each his own. The second day we took a jeep to Maderas Playa wich was further away from the  touristy part but had huge waves and beautiful views. This is also where I encountered the first true "Best fish tacos in Central America" sign. I can vouch for this place that they tell no lies. Definitey worth the trip.

                         San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua                          Only in San Juan del Sur

Volcan Conception on Ometepe Island

Our last weekend in Granada we went to Ometepe which is the island in Lake Nicaragua with two volcanoes. Reminder to myself that planning a trip for 13 people to a remote island the week before leaving with little to no wifi is about as hard as it seems. But the beautiful island was well worth the effort to get there. We took a shuttle to San Jorge then ferry over to the island and stayed at a farm on the opposite side of the island way after the paved road ended. The owners make every meal from the food at their farm and after weeks of rice and beans it was heavenly. We hired a guide and hiked up Volcan Maderas, the non active of the two on Saturday. The hike started in a hot humid rainforest and transitioned to a vertical crawl up a muddy slope and ended in a freezing windy cloud forest. I was half expecting to see a dinosour or avatar jump out from the trees. We decided to take it easy the next day after our 8 hour hike and stopped by Ojo de Agua before heading home which is a place on the island with natural mineral pools.

A "cangrejo del tierra" on the hike

Sunset over Lake Nicaragua

     Conception Volcan which I´m told is the same  featured 

    on Tona labels which is the most popular Nicaraguan beer 

Jurassic Park/Avatar/Lion King Jungle  aka Volcan Maderas

     The group at the top of Volcan Maderas

View of Finca Mystica, our hostel

Oh yeah and my last day in Granada I gave up on washing mi ropa by hand and decided to dish out some money for a lavanderia (laundry mat) for someone else to tackle by hand. No shame. I promise you clean clothes have never smelled so good. If I ever get another day in Granada I´m going back so I can learn their ways.

View of  Volcan Maderas from the ferry 

Ojo de Agua, natural mineral pools in Ometepe Island

¡Que le vaya bien!

Becca Avena  (which I have now learned means `scholarship oats` in Spanish, awesome)