Things have been going well in my town. We’re preparing for the same festivities that Jess had in El Rosario. Apparently, Friday through Monday night is going to be pretty rowdy. I keep telling Jess my town is a lot quieter than hers, but this weekend might prove me wrong.
Our Spanish classes have been going well, I feel that my language skills are much better than they were just a week ago. I’ve been able to have real conversations with family members, which feels great. The next step is understanding other people in town, who haven’t been briefed on the latest wave of “gringos”. Yesterday we had an activity where we needed to walk around town and learn the daily schedule of different people. We were only given a piece of paper with the hours 5:00am to 10:pm written on it. Then we struck out on our own to interrupt someone’s routine. I found the mother of the town’s priest, who also works in the rectory. Her life was pretty exciting, I must admit.
Afterwards I tried to talk to a doctor in the Centro de Salud (Health Center), but she could only give me a minute of her time. She talked to fast anyway.
Finally I found a 20 year old guy named Fransisco who is a “cobrador” on a local bus. You see, in the public transportation in Nicaragua you have the bus driver (el conductor) and the guy who handles all the money changing for passengers. He’s called the cobrador. They never forget a person who’s gotten on the bus, where they’re going, or if they’ve paid their fare. The cobrador actually spends most of his time with his head out the window (or, more commonly, half his body) shouting out our next destination. These guys start at 5:30 in the morning in front of my house and don’t go home until dark.
Jess, myself, and a few other Trainees took a ride into Diriamba on Saturday. It’s about a half hour ride and it cost us 10 cordobas each (about 55 cents). Let me just say I didn’t think they made busses I couldn’t stand up in. Well, I was proven wrong this weekend. That half hour ride was the most uncomfortable ride I’ve ever taken. The entire ride was like I mobile game of Twister. Crazy. Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures to back up this experience because carrying cameras (and taking them out for pictures) is pretty risky business around here. Maybe another time.
Friday the entire group of aspirantes went to a beautiful mountain topped town called “El Crucero”. We spent the day at a building hiding behind a cemetery called “La Mision”. It belongs to the organization Feed the Children and works as an outpost for work groups visiting Nicaragua. The building has some of the most beautiful views, but again, I didn’t take my camera, so you’ll have to take my word for it. We’re going back soon, so I’ll definitely be sure to bring it this time.
Jess and I decided our trip to El Crucero was blog worthy because of this story:
3 of the training towns got up at 5am to catch the 6 o’clock bus to Jinotepe, the local hub for busses to anywhere. All of the groups meet up in Jinotepe around 6:15ish, and we all catch another bus for El Crucero. This early in the morning we’re lucky to get our own microbus. Picture a minivan from the States with 12 aspirantes, 3 professors, 1 conductor, and 1 cobrador, and that’s our group at 6:15 in the morning on our way to El Crucero.
El Crucero happens to be right smack in the middle of the route between Jinotepe and Managua, so our professors have the driver drop us off at the Cemetery in El Crucero. “Why,” you may ask? Because none of them had been to La Mision before and were told to drop us there. We were supposed to wait for the Peace Corps owned Minibus to take us to La Mision, so there we stood, on a foggy, extremely windy mountain top in the middle of a cemetery in the middle of Nicaragua. Just as I was starting to revisit my wilderness survival skills our bus pulled up (a ½ hour later, by the way). We got on board and drove a fifth of a mile to La Mision. A fifth of a mile!
We’ll know better next time. OK, I don’t want to end on a bad note, so here are a few pictures of our town.
Our Spanish classes have been going well, I feel that my language skills are much better than they were just a week ago. I’ve been able to have real conversations with family members, which feels great. The next step is understanding other people in town, who haven’t been briefed on the latest wave of “gringos”. Yesterday we had an activity where we needed to walk around town and learn the daily schedule of different people. We were only given a piece of paper with the hours 5:00am to 10:pm written on it. Then we struck out on our own to interrupt someone’s routine. I found the mother of the town’s priest, who also works in the rectory. Her life was pretty exciting, I must admit.
Afterwards I tried to talk to a doctor in the Centro de Salud (Health Center), but she could only give me a minute of her time. She talked to fast anyway.
Finally I found a 20 year old guy named Fransisco who is a “cobrador” on a local bus. You see, in the public transportation in Nicaragua you have the bus driver (el conductor) and the guy who handles all the money changing for passengers. He’s called the cobrador. They never forget a person who’s gotten on the bus, where they’re going, or if they’ve paid their fare. The cobrador actually spends most of his time with his head out the window (or, more commonly, half his body) shouting out our next destination. These guys start at 5:30 in the morning in front of my house and don’t go home until dark.
Jess, myself, and a few other Trainees took a ride into Diriamba on Saturday. It’s about a half hour ride and it cost us 10 cordobas each (about 55 cents). Let me just say I didn’t think they made busses I couldn’t stand up in. Well, I was proven wrong this weekend. That half hour ride was the most uncomfortable ride I’ve ever taken. The entire ride was like I mobile game of Twister. Crazy. Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures to back up this experience because carrying cameras (and taking them out for pictures) is pretty risky business around here. Maybe another time.
Friday the entire group of aspirantes went to a beautiful mountain topped town called “El Crucero”. We spent the day at a building hiding behind a cemetery called “La Mision”. It belongs to the organization Feed the Children and works as an outpost for work groups visiting Nicaragua. The building has some of the most beautiful views, but again, I didn’t take my camera, so you’ll have to take my word for it. We’re going back soon, so I’ll definitely be sure to bring it this time.
Jess and I decided our trip to El Crucero was blog worthy because of this story:
3 of the training towns got up at 5am to catch the 6 o’clock bus to Jinotepe, the local hub for busses to anywhere. All of the groups meet up in Jinotepe around 6:15ish, and we all catch another bus for El Crucero. This early in the morning we’re lucky to get our own microbus. Picture a minivan from the States with 12 aspirantes, 3 professors, 1 conductor, and 1 cobrador, and that’s our group at 6:15 in the morning on our way to El Crucero.
El Crucero happens to be right smack in the middle of the route between Jinotepe and Managua, so our professors have the driver drop us off at the Cemetery in El Crucero. “Why,” you may ask? Because none of them had been to La Mision before and were told to drop us there. We were supposed to wait for the Peace Corps owned Minibus to take us to La Mision, so there we stood, on a foggy, extremely windy mountain top in the middle of a cemetery in the middle of Nicaragua. Just as I was starting to revisit my wilderness survival skills our bus pulled up (a ½ hour later, by the way). We got on board and drove a fifth of a mile to La Mision. A fifth of a mile!
We’ll know better next time. OK, I don’t want to end on a bad note, so here are a few pictures of our town.
Here are a couple of pictures of my patio. I love this rocking chair because it´s made of rebar (the crudest, ugliest construction material used in the US). Although the garbage in the streets can be overwhelming, Nicas use recycle everything. Like this chair.
This is our hammock. Nicaragua is famous for it´s incredibly beautiful and comfortable hammocks. This one is no exception.
This is a picture of another aspirante with her favorite animal, the ever elusive "escorpio". This should not be confused with a "perro sampopo" or a "scorpiono". I still need some clarification. Any thoughts?
Outside my door to the left.
Outside my house the right.
5 comments:
Matthew and Jess, it's great to hear more from you as we have been wondering what some of your days were like. Thanks for the details. Dad and I better get on with our Spanish learning! Es verdad?
The picture of your neighborhood from outside the door made me feel like I was with you. There in your picture was the beautiful full moon. I have been noticing it in the sky these mornings driving to school. It's comforting to think we are lookinig at the same sky.
Love you both very much and miss you.
Mom
It's amazing, the moon where you are looks just like ours, will wonders never cease. I sent an email on some other matters, take a look and let me know.
Pretty darn cold up here, I get the feelings that the water isn't freezing when left outside in Nicaragua.
Talk to you soon.
Love, Dad
Matt this is so cool. Living abroad is a much different speed of living, it would take a month to get the stories you get each day.
Enjoy it bro.
Rebar! I always think of alternative spring break when I see rebar.
PS: I wish you both the best on your adventure with the Peace Corps.
-Jenna
Hi! I'm at Grandma's house scrapbooking. I miss you! I did really good on my report card! I hope I see you soon. Grandpa, Grandma and I are going out to dinner at Applebees.
Love, Megan
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