Volcan Masaya photos

The Mouth of Hell

Thursday we went to Volcan Masaya National Park for an evening visit.  We were able to drive right up to the edge of the crater on this one (did I tell you the last volcano I tried to climb I had to hitch a ride halfway up in a truck?). It was impressive to say the least.  It is still active – and visibly so.  One tour group ahead of us was wearing gas masks.  Signs warn you not to stay longer than 20 minutes because of the gases that are being emitted.  The Spaniards named it ‘the mouth of hell’ and the indigenous people tried to appease it with human sacrifices. We then climbed a trail to peer into another crater, less visibly active.  The views from the top of the mountain were spectacular!  One of the women said that it was as though we were ‘in a map’.  I was very worried about the next part of our visit as I have a tendency to be claustrophobic.  We were going 200 meters into an underground volcanic cave.  I handled it quite well I think, no freaking out.  It was actually quite spacious.  There were some massive tree roots working their way down there, too, searching for water.  Then we were lucky enough to poke our heads into an active bat cave!  Batman was not there, but hundreds of bats were flying in and out searching for insects and mosquitoes.  THAT was a little freaky!!  Finally – it was now about 7:30 at night- we hiked up another trail to peer into yet another crater to see if we could catch a glimpse of any glowing magma.  I can’t say I saw any magma, but what I did see was an absolutely beautiful night with stars sprinkled through the heavens.  It was really one of the highlights of my visit to Nicaragua so far.  I am starting to get sad about leaving, but very happy and looking forward to seeing my niece, Christine on Sunday in Managua.

Torneo de kickball

Torneo de kickball

Kickball is probably the most exciting sport for girls to play in Nicaragua.  It is a very big deal here. The intern at Mariposa, Chrissy, organized a tournament between four schools for Thursday morning.  My conversation teacher, Berman, Jr., and I walked over to the local field to watch.  There was so much excitement and competition between the schools.  Some of the boys made noisemakers by putting stones into discarded soda bottles and shaking them.  The winner of the first game played the winner of the second game.  Everyone got some small prize for playing, and the schools each got a kickball or some other prize for participating, depending on which place they finished in.  I took some pictures, and once I started, everyone wanted their picture taken.  I would hear “Senora, una photo?”, and the kids would all run to be in the picture. They loved seeing their pictures in the viewing screen.  It was a great morning and so fun to see the excitement and enthusiasm.  I could not help but notice the cows grazing in the back of the field, but it didn’t seem to interfere with the game whatsoever.

La finca de pinya en San Ignacio

I have been remiss in blogging. Lo siento. On Tuesday afternoon, after a full morning of clases de espanol, we went to visit a pineapple farm.  On the way there, we stopped at a roadside fruit stand where you could order fresh pineapple juice – made to order!  Muy delicioso!!  I ordered mine with banana, but you could also get it with papaya or simply plain. It was 15 cordobas – about 60 cents for about 12 ounces of juice.  La finca de pinya was owned by a man and his family, who had gotten it during the land distribution in the early years after the revolution.  He told us all about how pineapples are grown and then showed us around his small farm.  I hope that I am not the only one who mistakenly thought that pineapples grow on trees.  In Nicaragua, they grow on plants on the ground. Did you know that it takes 18 months to grow the first pineapple on a plant and that each plant grows only one pineapple?  New plants grow off of the first one, but the next pineapple still takes 12 months to grow, and subsequent ones take 6 months to grow. After the tour, he treated us to platefuls of his fresh cut pineapple.  It was really quite an experience.  Another thing I learned is that due to the gases that blow from the nearby Volcan Masaya, only pineapples can be successfully grown in this area.  The gases are too strong for other fruits, but the pineapples tolerate it.  Like most Nicaraguan farmers, they also grow fruits and vegetables to live on, and raise chickens as well. 

Paradise Found

…and it’s called Laguna de Apoyo.  I played hooky from Spanish school today, but it was worth it.  A friend that I met here, Victoria, and I traveled by two local buses and a taxi to The Monkey Hut, which is a beautiful little compound alongside the water’s edge of a volcanic crater lake.  The weather today was the best day ever and a perfect day to skip school.  (Kids, don’t try this at home!) I felt that traveling on our own to Masaya and then to the Laguna was an immersion experience in itself, so I felt justified.  At one point, a professional looking woman boarded the bus with a Bible and began preaching, in Spanish of course, about turning to God to help the Nicaraguans drive out the United States from their country.  I tried to look less American, but it wasn’t possible.  She was very passionate, and I found I could pick up bits and pieces of what she was saying.  When we got to The Monkey Hut, we had to open a large, metal gate to get in and then in front of us was this beautiful little tropical retreat.  For $6 we had use of their beach, the tubes and the kayaks.  It was such a beautiful and rather remote area.  The lagoon fills the crater of a dormant volcano and it is about 200 meters deep – actually, according to my guide book, the lowest place in all of Central America.  It was idyllic.  We floated on the lagoon in tubes surrounded by a lush forest that grows on the slopes around the crater.  The water was pretty warm because, apparently, there is still some seismic activity occurring here.  At lunch, the manager, Carlos, a Nicaraguan dude, played his guitar and sang songs in Spanish.  A storm blew in from across the lake about 2:30, when we were getting ready to go anyway.  It was amazing to watch it move across the laguna towards us.  It lasted about 30 minutes, and then clear skies again! We returned to La Mariposa via a taxi and stopped on the way in San Juan del Oriente to take a look at the beautiful Nicaraguan pottery that is made there.  The driver had his wife and daughter with him, and at one point he pulled over to a roadside stand, where an older woman was cooking some kind of tart or cake out in front of her home.  He ordered some from her to pick up on his way back after he dropped us off.  It was just so random! All in all, it was really quite a great experience, and now I must study the 601 verbs my teacher gave me for homework over the weekend!  Adios!

Los ninos en Nicaragua son muy fuertes

The children in Nicaragua are very strong.

Yesterday we rode horses through the town of San Juan up into the highlands in the surrounding area.  From there, we could see five volcanic peaks (one emitting gases), Lake Managua and the town of Managua.  The scenery was spectacular!  While we were resting and admiring the view, a Nicaraguan family appeared on the trail.  The young mother was carrying a baby and her 8 or 9 year-old son was carrying on his shoulders his one year-old sister.  The guide told us that they were walking from La Concha, a town near us, to Masaya, via the trail through the highlands – a four hour walk!  The guide said “Los ninos en Nicaragua son muy fuertes.”  There are micro buses that run this route from La Concha to Masaya, but there are many people who cannot afford the fare for the bus, so they walk.  I promised myself not to complain about my sore butt and thighs as we rode back down the trail on our horses.

Routine at La Mariposa

Usually I wake up between 5 and 5:30, sometimes to the sound of the rooster crowing and sometimes even before the rooster is awake. Every morning, Melba and her kitchen staff prepare a two course breakfast consisting of fresh fruit – papaya, pineapple, bananas and watermelon, and then something savory, such as an egg with sauteed tomatoes and caramelized plantains. I always have the rich Nicaraguan coffee con leche. By now they know how I like it – un poco leche. Spanish lessons begin at 8 with two hours of conversation. However, since I know little Spanish, I have been focusing more on vocabulary and grammar. My teacher this week for conversation was Jenny, who speaks less English than I do Spanish. It was pretty challenging. Lessons are one to one, which has been great for me because otherwise I think I would hold everyone back. Jeremy, a four year-old boy here with his family, is probably the only one who speaks less Spanish than I do. Denis, my grammar teacher, speaks English very well, so I have been able to converse with him about the politics and history of the country, which I have found very interesting. We have a short break in between lessons, and we end at noon, just in time for lunch. Food here is mainly vegetarian, which has been fine. I find I don’t really miss the meat. I am willing to try everything, but one time was enough for Yucca plant. Every afternoon some type of activity or outing is planned. So far we have had a cooking lesson, a trip into Managua, a history lesson on Nicaragua, a trip to the artisan markets in Masaya, and a trip to Volcan Mombacho. The first photo is on the way up to Volcan Mombacho and the second picture is of the area surrounding La Mariposo that I took this morning, after we road horses to the top of the hills.  Dinner is around 6 or 6:30 and then I try to make time for studying, which truly makes a difference. Spanish immersion is a great way to learn Spanish, and certainly a luxury to have the time to immerse yourself in the language and the culture. I am taking in more of the language and better able to understand what I hear, than I am able to speak it. However, I now can say with confidence “Mi cerebro esta por explotar!” (My brain is exploding!)

For the bad weather, a cheerful face.

Or, as I like to say “Rain, rain, go away.”

This Nicaraguan proverb translated into Spanish is ‘Para el mal tiempo, una cara alegre’. I am pretty sure the Nicaraguans use it often. Yesterday, three of us had plans to go to Chocoyero, a nature preserve, which is supposed to be spectacular and has these beautiful green parakeets that nest in a waterfall inside the preserve. We could only travel in the camioneta, a truck which sits three inside and maybe ten in the uncovered back. It began to rain a bit as we were getting ready to go. I sat in front with Brigitte and our driver, Luis. Victoria sat in back. The downpour began minutes into our ride, as Luis pulled over to run into his home to talk to his son. It was the heaviest rain I have seen here yet. My window only partially rolled up and we were getting wet, but not as wet as Victoria in the back. I can’t believe we still debated going in the downpour. We had a 40 minute drive ahead of us, and then, of course, we would be outside in the preserve. I really am bright enough to know to come in out of the rain, so we turned around and headed back to Mariposa. The trip was off.

 Today, it is a beautiful day. Sunny, cool breezes and we are going to Volcan Mombacho. Hopefully, rain won’t move in on our trip today, but if it does, para el mal tiempo, una cara alegre. I will try to say that with a straight face!

Viva la Revolucion!!

The first indication I had that today was going to be an exciting day was waking up to the sound of the fireworks at 5 am.  They began exploding even before the rooster started crowing at 5:30 am! July 19^th is National Liberation Day in Nicaragua, which celebrates the Sandinistas’ overthrow of the dictator Samoza.  Nicaraguan history is complicated, and while most Nicaraguans seem to embrace the revolution, not all embrace Daniel Ortega.  We had plans to go to Managua for the celebration at la Plaza de la Fe.  It was scheduled for 4 pm, and is normally less than an hour away.  Apparently, everyone from the different villages and towns go to Managua for this celebration in caravans. However, things did not work out quite as planned.  We drove to the town of la Concha and took our place in line in the school van.  We also had a truck full of students going.  It took us over an hour to get organized and begin the journey.  It was really exciting with everyone waving flags, dressed in red and black and pink, and la musica blaring.  Fifteen minutes outside of town, there was a protest.  Thirty or so Nicaraguans had missed their bus into Managua, so they were blocking the road to prevent anyone else from going.  We think they were trying to make others take them there in their vans.  After waiting about 20 minutes, our driver, Bergman, drove around the road block via a little passing side road.  The protestors yelled at us, banged on the van as we passed, and tore away our Sandinista flag that was hanging out the window.  It was a bit scary for a few minutes, but we drove on.  We were then able to catch up to our truck, which had just missed getting stuck behind the protest.  The experience at the plaza was incredible.  It was estimated that maybe 150,000 people were there.  There was much flag waving, patriotic song singing (Daniel Ortega has one just for him to the tune of “Stand by Me”), drinking, jostling to get a better view and just upbeat, excited, enthusiastic Nicaraguans celebrating.  It was just serendipitous that I happened to be here for one of the biggest holidays for Nicaragua, and I have to say it was exciting though somewhat tense.  It seemed to be more of a political rally for Ortega, though, and he really was the focus of the celebration.  Some of the criticism of Ortega stems from his making this about his campaign rather than the revolucion.  He has a tendency to take the glory for himself, at the expense of recognizing those who actually led la revolucion. In addition, the news in the paper today was that the Nicaraguan Bishop criticized Ortega and his wife, as his wife proclaimed at the rally that Ortega was the ‘pastor of the people’.  The bishop called it blasphemous, which is a very strong statement to make about Ortega.  It is mucho interestante to be here during this moment.

Photos!

Hola! I am posting a few photos from  my first days at La Mariposa.  Enjoy and I will blog a bit later today! This is a view of my room, my classroom and one of my teachers, Denis.

The Land of Lakes and Volcanoes - and Lost Luggage!

                I arrived safely in Managau yesterday, but my luggage did not.  I could feel my anxiety rising as I watched the luggage on the carousel go round and round and my second suitcase, the one stuffed with 50 lbs. of donated soccer equipment, failed to show .  Airport workers pestered me to let them help me load my luggage onto a cart for a tip, but I was nervous, afraid of getting scammed, and worried about that other bag, so I used my best Spanish and kept saying “No!”  Finally, I saw the delayed luggage sign and next to that desk was the missing – and damaged – suitcase.  I was just happy to get it, but I am sure I cut quite the ridiculous figure dragging the 2 – 50 lb. suitcases (my other suitcase lost a wheel en route), loaded down with a full backpack on my back and toting a second smaller gym bag.  My look just screamed ‘AMERICAN TOURIST!!!!’.  At this point I welcomed a luggage cart from one of the workers, probably over tipped him,  and breezed through customs to find my driver, Luis and his young son, Luis, Jr. waiting for me with a sign saying  ‘Escuela de Espanol Mariposa’.  Once I was in the van, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief and I certainly felt less anxious.  The ride to the school was under an hour, through Managua and then into a much more rural area.  Along the way there were many potholes, rough, unpaved roads and speed bumps.  I am convinced that Luis understood speed bump, not as an adjective noun combo, but rather as a command sentence. “Speed! Bump!”  It was a rough ride! They had set aside a lunch for me when I got here of the most delicious fresh avocado and tomato salad, black beans, rice and chicken.  It felt very welcoming.

Aaahhh - mazing!!!

To paraphrase a dear friend of mine "Life should move you to tears at least once a day". As I began to pile up the soccer spikes, socks, shin guards, balls, shorts, jerseys and t-shirts that I have been able to collect through everyone's generosity, I found myself crying. I was so moved by the amount of soccer items I received and with the thought that this will go a long way to support Los Zapatos Rotos Corazón De Campeón (Broken Shoes, Hearts of Champions), a soccer league created by Marlin, one of the Spanish teachers at La Mariposa. This initiative provides a focus for the youth in the area, especially for those who might get into trouble otherwise. As I counted the various items, what I began to see was not just gently loved soccer equipment, but hope. Hope for something bigger. Hope that this will actually make a difference to a third world community. I am thinking a BIG difference! I am so delighted to be able to make this wonderful contribution with everyone's support. Gracias!!!

Hola mis amigos!!!

I am getting ready to leave for my trip to Nicaragua where I will be studying Spanish in an immersion program through a school called La Mariposa in San Juan de la Concepcion.  I am very excited, as you can imagine, and a bit nervous.  I have been reading about Nica so that I am familiar with the country, the people, the culture, the traditions, etc., and now I am familiar with a bug called the Changa. Shirley Cullen, a science teacher at our school, used to say "Don't say eeewwww, say aahhhh!"  Except right now I am saying "eeewwww".  The changa likes to crawl up onto your face while you are sleeping and bite you, preferably near the lip.  Then, to add insult to injury, it poops on the bite.  Now you are saying "eeewwww!", right? While I am very open-minded about exposing myself to new things on my adventure, not so open to meeting the changa.  I bought a mosquito net with extra bug protection today!