A Month Sure Flies By!

I saved this blog post about a week ago, hoping to get pictures in it the next day. However, that never happened and I am far to busy to do it now and need to write a more recent post! I apologize for the lack visual simulation this time.

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If the next four months fly by like the first…I think I might need to extend my stay.


Much has happened since the last time I posted…about two weeks ago.


We built another brick oven for a family in the campo. Upon arrival they said they had 80 bricks waiting for us. However, they were told 150 were needed to complete the oven and to have 150 ready for us to assemble. We made due with what we had and random broken and oddly shaped bricks we found lying around.


I went to my first real rodeo with Wes and his visiting brother, Ryan, and watched a man get trampled by a bull. I also decided that night that I need to dye my hair black, wear a hat, and rub mud on my face so people stop grabbing my hair everywhere I go saying, “que Linda, que Linda!” bah.


That weekend was also the first time a man paid a mariachi band to come play for me. They were good…but I couldn’t understand the lyrics.


Speaking of firsts…I now know how to through a real birthday party. One of my host mom’s daughters had a birthday that weekend and found out we’ve all been going about piñatas completely incorrectly. Hah


That night my wedding was arranged with my host brother. Looks like I’m getting married in April to a man I’ve said maybe a total of five words to. Hope you all can make it.


I was given a bit of fantastic news in the middle of the week. Kellan and Yaci budgeted in $50 per month for me while I’m here! …and believe me…$50 goes a long way here. Thank you Jesus.

I spent a weekend in Managua with Yaci’s family. They were great…and her brother still owes me “un dolar”…not…”un dolor” !! We went to the largest market in Central America (Oriental Market)…36 blocks. You could be lost in there for days and die from the stench and dirt. Luckily, Yaci and Kellan know their way around and we were able to buy paint, plywood, brushes, a bike and 100 oranges.


That night we watched Sherlock Holmes at the movie theater and had the most delicious Eskimo eveerrrr.


We spent most of Sunday at a pool/restaurant. Much of our time in the pool was spent racing, trying to avoid pictures/videos young men were trying to take of us…and most importantly…making a three person chicken stack. Which I am proud to say we did indeed succeed (kellan on bottom, me in middle, Yaci the star on top). We appreciate the small things in life...and the delicious chicken they served us for lunch.


The next week I spent much of my time painting signs for the outside of our office—A Geneseo and Enlace sign. I was far from alone during this work. Kids kept coming in from off the street and just sitting in the doorway watching with big eyes as I painted…as if they had never seen anything more amazing than this in their entire, young lives. I think I met eight kids that day—Jeffery, Alex, Alice, Romarie…and more. Romarie stayed for about an hour chatting away. Needless to say we are best friends now and never fails to run up to say hello when she sees me passing by.


Teaching English classes with Yaci and Kellan has been great. The students are funny and most are there because they really do want to learn.


Last Friday in the office was one of the most entertaining yet.

First, I tried to teach a computer class. Women from Cerro Colorado hiked 3 hours to come to class, and then 3 hours later have to make a 3 hour hike back up into the mountains to get home. Now that’s dedication. They are learning computers in hopes that they will soon be able to contact people in the states to sell their beautifully hand-woven pine needle baskets to.

Now, I say I tried to teach the class…because I quickly realized that my Spanish computer vocabulary is pretty much non-existent. Yaci came to my rescue, as always, and helped out.


That afternoon, we had an unexpected visitor. A rat dared to enter our office…and I don’t think him or his friends will be trying that again anytime soon. Yaci, Kellan and Ronald armed themselves with brooms, boards and baseball bats and we declared war. After a few failed attempts at whacking it with an object, Ronald resorted to trying to kick as it ran by his feet. And what a good choice that was. After falling over after his first kick, he kicked the rat square across the room and it hit the wall with a loud thud and fell to the floor. Victory! …the enemy was dead…or so we thought.


A closer examination revealed that it was merely flesh wounds (and maybe a spinal injury). It laid there panting. Kellan swept it outside into the street as we all debated who had the guts to put it out of its misery. It slowly made its way across the street with some coaxing from a shovel…and was greeted by a chicken who probably thought it just found dinner. But the rat mustered enough energy to hide in some bushes and is probably dying in someone’s roof right now. Just glad it isn’t our office.

Mission: Accomplished.


Saturday I moved into my new home with Sonja, Alberto and their 30 year old son, Marlon…who today wrote to me (because I can understand his writing more than him speaking)…”Would you like to have me close to you”…what the heck is that suppose to mean. I hate boys.

But my new home is great. I have running water now (YYYYEESSSS) and my OWN bathroom. I feel like a princess.


Fran and Richard threw a lunch party because his 80+ mom and sister were visiting. I hope I’m still traveling when I’m that old!


Frisbee and Football followed in the plaza with Kellan, Yaci and Patrick. We gathered quite the crowd watching those crazy gringos and their American sports.


We all met Oscar that night at a bar/restaurant. Kellan and Patrick had planned on having a single drink and then going back to get a good nights rest before climbing Telica the next day. However, Oscar had other things in mind. Five liters later they finally said ok, we really have to go now. And this time I was prepared for the kiss goodbye and didn’t make things awkward.


Sunday we caught the 6:15am bus to hike the smoking volcano Telica. We hiked there, up and back again in 7 hours and 6 minutes. Perhaps if it hadn’t been over 100 degrees that day it would have been a little easier of a hike.

It was beautiful.


We got back in plenty of time to catch the last bus to El Sauce. Too bad the last bus to El Sauce decided to drive right past the bus stop and not pick us up! But I can’t say that I was too heartbroken at all, really, because I was finally able to do something I have always dreamed of…but what everyone has always said is too dangerous for a girl. Hitchhike home! So the group of course chose me, the blond gringa, to wave down a truck. The second one that came by stopped and was headed of course where? --Right to El Sauce, our exact destination. Praise Jesus.


Oh. And on the way home in said truck, I heard a loud THUD at one point, looked behind us, and saw feathers flying everywhere. I guess we made someone’s dinner choice easy that night. Chicken!

First Two Weeks

These first two weeks certainly did fly by. I finally have a day to sit down, relax, write and post pictures!

Our first day was spent in Managua doing some site-seeing. There were wire Christmas trees everywhere, left up from last year's Christmas. They are now called "Revolution Trees"...but I say it's just an excuse for being lazy and not taking them down.

We spent a morning at The Canopy and four of us did the zip line.



This part we were able to zip on our own...but for some of the other lengths we had to go with a guide in some pretty awkward positions.




Meeting my host family that day was wonderful. I live with Illiana, her husband, daughter Melba, Melba's daughter Frana, and Illiana's son. But I only spent one night before heading up to Ocotal for the week to live with Don Mauricio, Priscilla and their granddaughter, Lucia.


This is a view from the top of the mountain above the Ranchon. I worked on trails for ecotourism for the week, with Emily from Geneseo. We had to climb the same mountain six times in three days because we were expected back for lunch...I never appreciated packed lunches more!!




The last day in Ocotal we met up with Wes and Patrick (Peace Corps volunteers) to build a brick oven for the Ranchon.


The "cement" is made up of dirt, a gel from the inside of a plant...and horse poop. A metal barrel is used for the inside and all the bricks are hand made here.

Upon returning that night we showered quickly to make it to the Geneseo office to teach an English class. After class we went to the Hotel Blanco to meet with the mayor of the town...who never showed up. But apparently that is quite characteristic of her.

The next day we had a bike tour of El Sauce with our tour guide/english student, Ronald.

One of many bridges we passed--often flood during the rainy season--one of which collapsed recently because of flooding and a large tree colliding into it.

Cows...just like home.







We spent that first weekend in Leon, again doing some touristy things.



A tour of the second biggest cathedral in Central America took us to the top for some views. Nicaragua was supposed to have the first biggest, but the same architect was hired for two different projects and the plans were mixed up and the cathedrals built at the opposite sites.





A day at the beach at Leon. Yaci, one of the two people I will be working with very closely for the next five months! And she WILL love every minute of it :)





After a nice, relaxing weekend in Leon, I spent one night with my host family back in El Sauce before heading back to Ocotal for another week of working on trails. This time I stayed with Emilliano and his family.




Emilliano








Marco and Mercedes...his two youngest kids and my new best friends.










At the top of the trail we finished.









Raul, Emilliano's oldest son.








...and they love frisbee just like me...destined to be friends :)
(chupacabras--they show a lot of promise for the future)





I am now back in El Sauce. Kellan and Yaci took the students to the airport this weekend and I stayed behind to spend some time with my family. It's been great to have a free weekend. Wes, his brother Ryan, and I went to a rodeo Friday night. The festival, El Cristo Negro, is going on right now and should last about a week. About 30,000 people migrate to El Sauce during this time so the streets are packed with venders and outsiders. Everyone keeps reminding me to be careful and not to walk around alone. I don't plan on it either. Everywhere I go people yell out comments and grab my hair and try petting it...not the most comfortable situation!

Sorry I didn't describe the details of my trip so far--the internet is very slow. But know that I am loving everything so far :)

here at last

First night in Nicaragua! The trip went smoothly, for the most part, and thank you Jesus for Dana a peace corps volunteer, who knew Kellan and some of the other corps volunteers I would be working with. She was able to point out my group and send me on my way!

We ate a late dinner at a traditional Nicaraguan restaurant where I ordered something something Viejo...delicious!!
Spent the night in an adorable hotel with a park nearby where I was able to take a walk in the morning. Although we are in a developed area (Managua) I still see people sleeping on benches with shirts over their faces, street dogs everywhere and children begging for money every time you stop your car.

Today we are heading to the market, a 500 meter zipline and finally El Sauce to begin orientation!!