¡Quiubo! (Hey!)

I have officially been in Nicaragua for 2 weeks. It’s flown by but at the same time I feel like I have been living here for a while. This last Sunday I had quite the adventure with my family and my fellow gringos. We woke up at 6am so we could leave at 7am (which in Nicaragua time ended up being 8am). We packed a picnic of rice, platanos, tunas, sardines pica pica, and a grand assortment of fruit. We started our voyage down to la Laguna de Apoya, which was a steep decent for about an hour. We finally arrived and enjoy some mandarinas, watermelon, and bananas. Since there is a volcano on the cliff above the lagoon there were little potholes with hot sulfuric water, which is apparently good for the skin.

            From there we went to another spot along the lagoon where we hung out a bath for most of the afternoon. The water is not too cold, not too hot, but just right! After a huge lunch we headed out to a hotel that is lagoon-side to have a refreshing beer and a dip in the pool. It was beautiful, and definitely felt like vacation more than being in a foreign country for work.  However we still had a huge walk ahead of us. ALL. UP. HILL.

            Luckily we caught a bus, which is completely different here. Literally filled to the brim with hot and sweaty people, including me, as well as some foreigners breathing down my neck with breath that reeked of too much fiesta. I was squished in the entrance with my cousin and aunt balancing on one foot and hanging onto the doorway for about 20 minutes. Later we caught a mototaxi to take us all the way home which 7 full grown adults in what should only have about 4. Luckily being a woman I got to sit inside the whole time as the men walk up the hills that we were too heaving to make in the taxi all together. We finally arrived home around 5pm, only to realize we were burnt to the crisp, like the true gringos we are. Lesson of the day: REAPPLY REAPPLY & REAPPLY that sunscreen.

            That night we went to a neighboring pueblo to celebrate the birthday of one of our fellow trainees. It was nice to see some of my buddies in a non-work setting and relax a little before starting week 2 of training.

            Now it’s Wednesday. We had our first youth group meeting yesterday, which went better than expected. But as always it’s a struggle to get students excited to participate. Today I met the teacher with whom I am going to start co planning and co teaching. So starting Monday I'll be in an actual Nicaragua classroom, “trying” to help co teach. But I’m excited. I’m healthy, happy, and surprisingly sleeping more through the night!!

Hasta Luego :)

           

P.S. Happy Belated Birthday Aaron and Amanda (and Andrew)

The Land of Lakes and Volcanos

I finally have time to sit down a start thinking about this blog I said I was going to write….

Starting March 3^rd I was one of the few lucky ones to brave the snowstorms and arrive safely in Washington DC. We started our training the next day, but only after I walked around DC in flats looking for breakfast and the White house. Both were successes, the white house was beautiful decorated in snow, but needless to say my feet were popsicles. This cali girl was ready to head to toasty Nicaragua. After a long day of “charlas” and icebreakers, other volunteers and I braved the cold to enjoy our last American hamburgers. Delicious! We returned to the hotel to take a quick nap, as we left the hotel at 3am the start our voyage to Nica.

            We had a layover in Miami, where I was already enjoying the sunshine and Latin flavor. Little by little it was setting in that I was actually going to Nicaragua. To live. For 2+ years. A few hours later we arrived in Managua, Nicaragua. Greeted by smiling Peace Corps volunteers, directors, and WATER (which was necessary in this heat!). We started our voyage to hotel Ticomo, and definitely stood out as a bus full of gringos. Nicaragüenses pointing, waiving, and coming up to the bus to catch a glimpse of us. We arrived to the hotel and had a delicious meal of rice, chicken., vegetables, fried platano chips, and un fresco de naranja (delcious fresh orange juice). We spent to next 3 days there having classes, eating delicious food and getting to know each other.

            Saturday was the day that my experience officially started… I was going to meet my family where I will live for the next 3 months. My mama is Doña Lucia and I live in a small pueblo in the district of Masaya. I felt so excited to see my new home and meet my new family… until we pulled up in front. Luckily my mama greeted me with a huge smile and open arms. I could tell off the bat that I have a great home. Soon after I had my first meal here. And let me tell you I have never been disappointed. I have a full belly, and the food is SABOROSA. In between meals she is always giving me fresh fruits, some of which grow here at home. We have cilantro plants, trees of límon, banano, and avocado (which fall numerous times everyday making a loud crashing sound on our tin roof). But this isn’t the only buya (noise) that I get to enjoy in my new environment. There is always music playing, geckos chirping, dogs barking, and roosters crowing. In the morning, during the day, and ALL hours of the night… definitely need to get used to these things as sounds enters through the space between where the walls stop and the roof starts. But this isn’t the only thing new I have experienced.

            Three words: cold bucket showers. Yes everyday for the rest of my time here. However it’s not as bad as I expected. Its helps me wake up early after an interrupted night of sleep, or is refreshing after a day of sweating and being pelted with dirt from the breeze, that makes the heat more bearable. We have water every other day here, so there’s always a great supply to last for a bit. And I’ve been putting it of but I think tomorrow I will finally learn to wash some clothes by hand (on a cement stone, at least everything dries quickly).

            I forgot to talk about my family! Other than my mama, I live with a sister, a brother in law, and a nephew. They’re all really friendly and Camelito and I play Uno together almost everyday. I tried teaching him bananagrams, playing in Spanish. Super dificil, for me! My family is great, but it doesn’t end there. My mama is one of 7, and I have about a billion family members in my little pueblo. Everyday I meet someone new.

            There are two other trainees in my pueblo, but I’m the only girl. We are working together for the next 10 weeks in our classes and to start a youth group. We will also have to co-teach and co-plan in a public high school in a neighboring pueblo. I’ve only been here one 12 days but I have definitely been busy! I don’t have Internet, so I have to go to a cyber to use their computers/ wifi. I finally got a phone the other day, so at least now I have a way to contact my fellow trainees and coworkers.

I could go on and on forever about all the differences here and everything that I'm learning, but in the end it’s really not that different. Good people living the life they know, with what they have. I really am fortunate to be placed not only in Nicaragua, but also in my pueblo in Masaya. It seems safe, has a warm environment, and a beautiful mirador where you can see la laguna de apoya. I miss home but I look forward to be making my new one here in Nica… for now. Until next time, Adios…


*These are my own words and beliefs, nothing of the Peace Corps*