Homestay Summary

I started writing a summary of our homestay experience a while back and each time I re-read it I thought it sounded more like a personal journal entry than a blog post. So, I decided to keep it just for that - my personal journal. I find it easy to explain the details of our daily life - things like using a bucket shower, not having consistent electricity, paper thin walls and a bad church band next door, washing laundry by hand... etc. But what I have trouble with is capturing the feelings and thoughts that I felt during the homestay experience through a blog entry. I'm taking it as a sign that these feelings and emotions are for Zach and I to remember as something special that we shared in the beginning of our marriage.

Stepping out of my comfort zone and entering a completely different culture and way of life is an experience I will never forget... I believe it will go down as one of the most rewarding things that I will have done within in my lifetime. Sometimes when I think about our homestay family or specific events that occurred during our time in their home my heart still swells and for that I feel so lucky.

I am becoming more and more intrigued with the psychological aspects of long-term travel... Ok, enough mushy talk, I feel the personal journal thing creeping up on me again.

Ometepe

The Isla de Ometepe is a figure eight shaped island formed by two volcanoes on the western side of Lake Nicaragua. Getting to the island requires an hour long 'ferry ride', a term I use loosely.

The larger side of the island is home to La Concepcion Volcano which is considered the most picturesque volcano in all of Latin America. La Concepcion forms a perfect cone shape and rises dramatically to a height of over 1600 meters, or 5,200 feet.

For some reason you are allowed to hike this active volcano and when I found that three other guys from our hostel were climbing it the next day I couldn't resist. Since a number of hikers have been lost on the volcano (in both senses of the word) it is now mandatory to hire a professional guide. We soon discovered our guide was not in that category. Our first hour of the day was spent looking around the port town for him since he overslept which was understandable when we later discovered he had been out drinking until 2am the night before. The hike itself was a nice combination of danger, pain, and beauty - probably in that order.

After a couple days we headed to the smaller and more rustic side of the island. Rustic as in it took the bus one hour to travel 6km over a road that looked more like a dried up riverbed. We spent seven relaxing days at two different establishments. The first had an infinity pool overlooking Lake Nicaragua and La Concepcion Volcano.

The second was on a working farm owned by a young couple from Colorado. They were very environmentally conscious and built their four cabins out of dirt, straw, sand, rocks and horse manure, in a technique called cob. The food was incredible and the dishes were from farm to table. Fresh, fresh, fresh! We filled our days hiking, kayaking, swimming, reading, and eating. I even got to experience a supposed Nicaraguan tradition since I celebrated my birthday on the farm; a fresh egg cracked on the back of my head while I was eating dinner. At least my hair was silky smooth the next day!

Our Last Night in Nicaragua

It is our last night here in Nicaragua and I feel like we've come full circle sitting in our ten dollar per night room on a lumpy mattress in the front of someone's home. Sounds not so nice but it is the perfect way to end our trip here and I wouldn't want it any other way. Still working on a homestay recap and final reflections on this six week Nicaraguan journey. What a beautiful place and a wonderful culture. Here are some photos taken during the duration of our trip. Espero que te disfrute...

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A Beautiful Nicaraguan Sunset

After our homestay we jumped onto a chicken bus and headed towards the sea. On our second day here near the town of Popoyo Zach and I witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets we've ever seen. The clouds were situated just right to make bright oranges and pinks shine through onto the ocean. We watched the colors change as the sun sunk lower and lower into the horizon. As we walked back to our accommodations, Zach looked at me and said he thought we were at the prettiest place he'd ever been. I think I'll always remember the look on his face and the feeling I got after those words. Nicaragua is a beautiful country.

A Few Photos from the Last Month

We've completed our Spanish classes here at Mariposa Escuela de Espanol. While I work on a recap of our experiences at the school and homestay, here are some photos of the last month.

Daniel up in the naranja tree with his mechete

Dia de los Muertos

Volunteering in the kitchen

A group of students at the Mariposa

This is what we see each morning when we open our bedroom door :)

Homestay brothers

Zach carrying our natural fence posts

Day of relaxation at Laguna de Apoyo

Our host brother playing street volleyball outside of our homestay

Baseball - Nicaragua Style

Zach and I attended a baseball game in La Concha, a nearby town located 25 minutes by foot from our homestay. Living in the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere means a lot of things... one being CHEAP entertainment. It cost us $.20 each to get into the semi-finals game that our host brother was playing in. Nicaraguan's love baseball! Bring your own cooler of beer is common here, and if you want to be one with the crowd, a noisemakers is a necessity. Watching the players argue with the the umpires after each throw adds an interesting touch to the game. And the kids... when I take their photos and then turn the camera around to show them, their eyes light up with excitement. It never gets old.

Granada

After a tough first week of classes and volunteer work we took our first group trip with the school to the colorful city of Granada. Twelve students from La Mariposa piled into a rickety van to tour this famous and touristy city. Our first stop was an old graveyard on the outside of town (photos below). Ruth, an intern at Mariposa filled us in on some interesting facts about the differences between American and Nicaraguan funerals.

Our next stop was a cigar factory where the President of Nicaragua buys his cigars. We watched as the cigar maker hand rolled the full leave tobacco and then got to sample the result.

Just down the road from the cigar factory we visited Guadalupes Church built in 1626 and the site of the famous sign reading "Here Stood Granada" after the city was burned by an exiting American conqueror. We went to the top of the church near the bells for an amazing view of the city.

We spent the rest of the day walking around the town taking in the views of the bright homes and businesses. The city was vibrant and alive with people, but we were happy to get back to our small town of San Juan - void of tourists and hawkers.