Friday update

Ok, I will do my best to recap the week's events. 

Monday:

We left our host family's house in the mountains and headed down to the school in Las Menitas that was rebuilt two years ago. We got to see the end of Javier's (one of our translators) English lesson. The class consisted of about 16 students ranging from elementary grades up to adults. Students were up front giving presentations in English while the class got to ask them questions. 

After the English class dismissed, the primary grade teacher came in to work with a group of about 20 students from 1st-6th grades. It was interesting to see him differentiate his instruction for a multi-age classroom. 

Then it was on our way to the worksite to get started on the construction of the new school. 

My first job was digging holes to put the pillars in. This proved to be a difficult task with very rocky ground and very high temperatures! We rotated in groups of 3 or 4 using the shovel and bar

After digging for a while, I switched to moving bricks out to the work area from where they were being made nearby. Luckily, the brick mason's house is the closest one to the school site! 

We stopped for lunch that the community had cooked for us and continued work in the afternoon. Unfortunately, there wasn't much shade and no streams nearby to cool off, so it was a long, hot day! However, returning to town for an ice cold smoothie was a refreshing treat.

Tuesday:

An equally hot and sunny day, we spent Tuesday finishing the holes, digging trenches, cutting wire and iron rods for the pillars, and moving more bricks. Once we returned to town from the worksite after working all day, I was very tired and not feeling well. There was a tour of the town scheduled for that evening, but I had a feeling I was not going to make it. I headed home for a shower and things started to go downhill. It started with a fever, headache, and stomach issues. After consulting with a local doctor through the organization we are working with, I took my antibiotic and some other medications and was able to break the fever that evening. However, I spent the majority of the next 36 hours in bed. 

Wednesday:

Spent the day in bed. Unfortunately, I missed a day of work as well as some dance lessons in the evening. Everyone was very helpful in getting me back on my feet - especially my roommate, Charlie, and the Peace Corps volunteer who lives with us (Conrad). 

Thursday:

I was feeling better but not back to 100%. However, I knew that getting out and about would help me recuperate, so I headed back up to the worksite with the group. It was slow-moving for me, and I was able to help with some small jobs like sanding bricks, cutting iron, and mixing mortar. After lunch, I tossed the football around with the two boys that hung around the site (Henri and Nestor). I had spent some time throughout the week getting to know them as I practiced my Spanish. Later on, I took a walk down to a swimming hole with them - which was very refreshing! 

I missed another dance lesson on Thursday night as I was still not feeling the greatest. I figured it was better to stay in so that I could attend the last day of work on the school. Missed out on the salsa though!

Friday:

Half day of work, and the first day with some clouds! The breeze was nice at the worksite. We got the chance to see the place they are currently using for the school, which is just part of someone's house, and meet the children of the community. I sifted sand, polished more bricks, moved bricks, and tied wire to make the pillars, while others continued to lay bricks and mix mortar as well. We got three of the walls put up before lunch and got started on the front wall where the door will be. 

It is amazing the work they do by hand. I have so much respect for the workers for what they do with basic resources and few tools. 

After lunch, we said our good-byes and headed back to town. I enjoyed a nice cold frappuccino and went home to grab my swimsuit as we were all headed for a river outside of town for some much needed swimming. We hopped in our trucks headed for the Rio Grande where we spent some time enjoying the cool water and reflecting on our week's work. 

After returning, we freshened up and headed to our farewell dinner put on by the host families. It was held at a nearby English school in order to accommodate everyone who was involved with the project (volunteers, workers, translators, drivers, and host parents). It was a delicious dinner (chicken cordon bleu, fried plantains, rice, vegetables, and ice cream) to end our week in El Sauce. In the morning, we will be headed for Leon for the weekend before we head home. 

I regret that I wasn't able to get much reflection into my recap of the week, but there was a lot to catch up on! In the next few days, I will try to build in some of my thoughts about the experiences we have had. 

Buenas noches!

La semana (the week)

Just a quick update today. I know I haven't posted anything all week, but work has been exhausting, and I was sick for two days. Feeling better, and I can't believe the week is almost over!  Here are some photos of the work site. 

A furry visitor...

And Henri, a local boy who loves to hang around and converse. 

An amazing weekend - part 2

Sunday morning started out with a delicious breakfast and local coffee. I spent some time playing catch with the kids (brought a foam buffalo bills football with me). Then, we got ready to head to our two activities for the morning. First, we walked to the local pine-needle workshop where we got a chance to make ornaments using pine needles, a needle, and thread. The women of Ocotal make some amazing baskets, trays, and other crafts that can take several days. After struggling through a simple round ornament myself, I have tremendous respect for the work they do!

Next, we headed to a local family's house to learn how corn tortillas are made. We went through every step from cleaning the soaked kernels to grinding them and finally cooking the tortillas. They were delicious fresh off the stove with another cup of coffee. I joined the kids of the house to watch "March of the Penguins" on a little black and white tv in the living room. In the mountains, there is no electricity, running water, or plumbing. Some houses have acquired solar panels through the help of Bloomfield Rotary that they charge all day and use on occasion, so it is a real treat for them to watch TV. This particular family has a son that just graduated high school and is one of only 3 students from the community to go on to college. In order to get his high school certificate, he walked down to El Sauce (about 4 hours one way) to take classes twice a week. 

We spent the rest of the day at the Ranchon eating lunch, playing soccer, football, Chinese Checkers, Uno, and any other game we could find, taking a hike up to the mountain peak for breath-taking views of the countryside, listening to an orientation all about the Enlace Project and how they are helping the local communities, and eating dinner. 

This last picture is a spectacular view of two distant volcanoes and Lake Managua. We ended the evening with a bonfire and listening to some of our interpreters/guides playing guitar and singing songs. I got the chance to sit with two young boys who are studying English right now and help them practice all they have been learning. Plus, I got the opportunity to practice lots of my Spanish as well!

Finally, it was off to our host family's house for some more LCR with the kids, some conversation with Bernardo and his son, and of course, a great cup of coffee!

Tomorrow, we will head down to Buena Vista to begin the school construction. After only 2 days, I have fallen in love with this community, the simplicity of life here, the hard-working and friendly people, and the joy they experience every day. 

An amazing weekend - part 1

It will be nearly impossible to capture everything that happened this weekend while in the mountains outside El Sauce, not only because it was a busy couple of days but also because some of the experiences I had cannot truly be described in words. Hopefully, some of the photos I took will help readers envision the breath-taking beauty of the landscape, the simple, yet intriguing lifestyles of the people, and the ways in which my perspective on life has changed as a result of some amazing experiences. Here goes!

On Saturday morning, we headed up to the mountains via pick-up trucks, and I was proud to say I am the owner of a Toyota after seeing what those trucks could do! Our final destination was Ocotal, but we stopped a few places along the way. First, we visited the school in the community of La Flor that the Lupisellas came down to help build last year. It was a long hike up to the school building, and we found out that the teacher rides horseback to work every day and the kids walk long distances to get to school as well. Many people in the community showed up to meet us as it was a Saturday. We presented some school supplies and a photo album that the Lupisellas had put together. 

On our walk back down, we met up with the head of the community of La Flor and a young, blind boy who Jeanine and Rob Lupisella got to know last year. The boy loved to play guitar, so they brought one for him. They presented him with his favorite instrument  in what was one of the most amazing moments I have ever experienced. He was shy at first, but as soon as he got that guitar in his hands, he started strumming and singing a Spanish tune that brought tears to my eyes. Here was a young boy living in a small, poor village in the mountains of Nicaragua who cannot see the beauty that surrounds him and does not have the luxuries that we take for granted every day, and he seemed to be the happiest person on earth. I wish I could upload the video I took, but that will have to come later. 

We also stopped to see the site of the new school building in Buena Vista. The original school on this site was built by US Aid after Hurricane Mitch, but it only lasted 15 years. 

On our way up to Ocotal (which is at the top of the mountain) we met the tourism cooperative to go for a horseback ride. (Sorry, Jeanine, I didn't have a picture of myself!)

We rode to an organic coffee farm on the mountain for a tour and explanation of how the coffee is made. It was truly amazing to see how the process works, and we got to try some of the coffee at the end! The same coffee from this organic farm is also sold at the public Market in Rochester. Unfortunately, last year, the entire crop harvest was destroyed by a disease, so the farmers needed to find a heartier strain of coffee to plant. Some of the other plants harvested on the mountain are chia, sugar cane, corn, wheat, and pine trees (for the needles and wood). We also had lunch with the family before heading to the Ranchon (a meeting area near the top of the mountain). 

At the Ranchon, we played games, ate dinner, and watched a beautiful sunset over El Sauce.

Then, it was off to meet our host family for the weekend. Bernardo and Maria were very hospitable and provided us with some coffee as we chatted for a while. I pulled out the game "LCR" that I brought (a very simple dice game that involves passing chips around) and their grandchildren loved learning how to play. I was able to explain most of the directions to them, and Sean, our interpreter and guide, filled in the rest. 

After several games of LCR, we headed to bed. I slept ok waking often to the sounds of the countryside (specifically, roosters) and a chilly wind that would be more of a warm breeze in Rochester, I'm sure. Not to mention, they are accustomed to sleeping on much harder surfaces than I am used to!

Managua y El Sauce

After a delicious breakfast at our hotel this morning of fresh fruit, coffee, rice and beans, toast, and eggs with ham and veggies, we headed to the Plaza de Revolucion to learn a bit about the history of Nicaragua. 

There is a huge cathedral on one side of the plaza that was destroyed during the earthquake in the 70s and remains a shell of the building. 

We took a group photo on the steps of the former Congress building-turned museum and learned a bit about Central America's most famous writer (whose name escapes me at the moment) who continues to inspire Nicaraguans today. 

Then it was off to a view of the city from above as we zip lined over a lagoon. 

After eating pizza for lunch, we stopped at Managua's version of Wegman's to pick up anything we forgot to pack for our trip. Then, it was off to El Sauce, which is about a 3 hour drive from the capital. We met our host families and then went to the Enlace Project office for a welcome presentation including tips on what to expect from our stay. I learned a few key phrases used by Nicaraguans including the use of the word "adios" when you are greeting someone in the street but don't intend to stop and chat. Some of the locals can be heard saying "goodbye" to tourists as they walk by. Unfortunately, the interpretation doesn't work the same the other way!

After the orientation, Charlie (a social worker from HF-L and my roommate for the trip) and I headed back to our host family's house for dinner. There is a Peace Corps volunteer staying with us as well named Conrad. He is fluent in Spanish, so he helps us communicate with Doña Sophia, our host mom. 

Tomorrow morning (Saturday), it's off to the mountain village of Ocotal for the weekend. There is no wifi up there, so I won't be able to update until Monday night. The plan is to visit the two other schools that the Lupisellas have come down here to help build previously, to take a tour of an organic coffee farm, to go horse-back riding, and finally (on Monday) to begin work on the new school. 

There is currently a rather festive celebration going on for el Día de San Valentín, and I have a feeling the music will be going all night. Time to plug in the iPod and try to get some sleep!

Just another fun pic from today - a herd of cattle passing us by on the road to El Sauce!