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!)