Friends, Family, and Amoebas & Amoebas Today, Gone Tomorrow (DOUBLE POST)

Friends, Family and Amoebas

First of all: Apologies. We have not posted in a while, mostly because we have both been busy traveling across large geographical distances and haven’t paused to write about our adventures. Matt will write about his travels, but as for me, I just returned last week from an absolutely wonderful trip to New York/New Jersey, in which I managed to combine visits with my friends and family (Matt’s family included J).

The impetus for the trip was the wedding of Jolene and Zach Bennett, and I can’t thank them enough for the opportunity to be part of the wedding and to see so many people that I love, all in one space! My mom and dad also deserve thanks, for two things – for bringing together so much family, and for organizing an amazing picnic, the highlight of my entire trip. And thanks must, of course, be given to Matt’s parents, Dave and Cathy who carted me all the way from Newark to Syracuse, and later from Honeoye back .
Despite what Dave may think, I actually enjoyed the roughly 11-hour car ride with my in-laws nearly as much as the food (though the food clearly comes in first place – I’m sorry).

The Newlyweds!

While my trip home was amazing, timely and filling, my return trip to Nicaragua quickly reminded me that Nicaragua and New York are clearly different places. First of all, the humidity of Western New York in July pales in comparison to the suffocating heat of Managua that greats you when you leave the plane. And, next to the 11-hour, nicely air-conditioned trip in the cute convertible PT cruiser of my in-laws, the 3 hour bus to Ocotal seems to take a century.

Reaching home Tuesday morning, after roughly 24 hours of traveling, all that I wanted to do was shower. But of course, there was no water in Somoto, and it didn’t return until about 8pm. To top it all off, I was acutely reminded that I live in a third-world, tropical country on Thursday, when I awoke with massive stomach pains, vomiting and the need to visit the bathroom several times throughout the morning. Apparently the amoebas that seem to have taken up residence in my stomach were thrilled that I had chosen to return to their country of origin. Thank god for pharmaceuticals.

After readjusting to Nicaragua (Matt and I are still having serious discussions about the reverse culture shock of visiting the states and the adjustment needed to come back, but that seems too serious of a conversation for the blog right now), medicating myself heavily and sleeping for nearly 24-hours, I decided to join Matt and Aeron in Masaya and Granada for the weekend. I was still feeling a bit exhausted, but not too much for some bat-cave adventures at Volcan Masaya. Pretty cool stuff, especially with our great bilingual tourguide, Luis. I also scored an absolutely beautiful amber necklace and ring set, handmade by a Chilean women. Matt bought it as a gift for me in Granada – I consider myself very lucky to have a thoughtful husband, who also has a great eye for jewelry.

All in all, life continues as always in Somoto. We work, we eat and we play with the dog….

Amoebas Today, Gone Tomorrow

Jess and I both are recovering from amoebas, but I’ve had mine waaaay longer than her. I almost feel bad killing them off, I feel like we’ve bonded over the past month. However, waking up with morning sickness is just not something I ever want to experience again.

The Irish group and their health center are coming along nicely, although over the past two weeks I haven’t had much of an opportunity to participate in the building. Most of my time (when not out of Somoto) has been spent negotiating with contractors, lunch ladies, and solar panel salesmen. I really enjoy the role I fill with this group, but it leaves me exhausted at the end of the day. They are looking to finish up the 8th of August, which means our time is quickly winding down. Consequently, I am really poking and prodding Nicaraguan business folk who are used to a slower pace of life.

Our boss from Managua came to visit us last Monday and Tuesday to check in on our work and living situations. All volunteers are required to have some sort of activity ready to show them what it is we do on a daily basis. I took our Assistant Peace Corps Director for Health and the Project Specialist for Health to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting around the corner from my house. It’s a group of about 40 recovered alcoholics, all men, who meet every single night (7 days a week) from 7-9 to discuss and fraternize. Some of these guys haven’t had a drink in a decade, but they still go every single night. So, we spiced it up a bit with an HIV talk. I really enjoy working with men in this capacity, so it was easy for me. We talked about the virus, how it’s transmitted, its effects and how it can be prevented. We even did a condom demonstration with a variety of vegetables. Specifically, we put condoms on a cucumber, a yucca root, a carrot, an ear of corn, a banana, and a platano verde. Clearly, we had a ripsnortin’ time and learned quite a bit as well. Peace Corps was happy.

After the visit I met up with Aeron in Nicaragua’s second colonial city, León. León isn’t nearly as touristy as Granada (Nicaragua’s and the New World’s first colonial city). We had a great time and stayed at a great hostel that was cheap, clean, and relaxing. We went on from there to Granada, then Laguna de Apoyo, and finally to Masaya to meet up with Jess. I won’t go too into detail about our adventures, as Aeron is going to be a guest blogger and elaborate on our journeys.

One of my favorite parts of his visit was our horseback ride into the mountains bordering Honduras. We headed out from the Irish’s up and coming health center and headed toward a town called “Las Pintadas,” or, the painted [rocks]. The community says they have several pre-columbian petroglyphs scatter around, but we only encountered one. Either way, it was pretty cool. From there we continued on past the community. Aeron’s horse was named Maria de los Pobres and mine was called Pony. Astro came along, but he didn’t get his own horse. He just chose to ride mine when we was tired, and/or lazy, depending on your opinion. Basically, Aeron and I just aimed for the highest peak on the horizon and rode towards it. A few hours later we were at the top with a beautiful of both Nicaraguan and Honduran countryside. We rode back almost completely in a full gallop, with Astro keeping pace next to Pony (who I chose to call Frank because Pony sounds too wimpy). We arrived back at the worksite, a couple of true American cowboys, with our cattle-ranchin’ dog in tow. Everyone was awed by our equestrian mastery. That is until Aeron was clotheslined by a wire connecting a couple of fence posts. He fell right off of Maria de los Pobres (who he was calling Bob, despite the gender contradiction), but luckily she was a small horse. His fall did nothing more than hurt his pride and dispel the respect of the Irish. They are a harsh group, what can I say.

I’m also beginning to study for the GRE’s. They are being offered in Managua in October and November and I want to take them with plenty of time to re-test if I go belly up. That being said, please take note of my expanded vocabulary in this post and those in the future. Thank you.

More to come!



Laguna de Apoyo at sunrise. Nuthin´better!

Aeron Hurley: Today, world explorer and cancer research pioneer. Tomorrow, Greek god.

Here we are about to climb into the bowels of the sulfur spewing volcano you see behind us. Hi, Mom!

I survived the Volcán Masaya Lava Tunnels and all I got was this stinking bat guano on my legs...

The Cathedral of Granada.

Optimism and Innovation, the two keys to hitch-hiking.

Kathy´s Waffle House, Granada. American Diner food never tasted so good.

The Cathedral in León, still awaiting a facelift like it´s cousin in Granada.

The condiments found on the table of a local Chinese restaurant in León. Okay, okay, we brought the beers....

Welcome to the Canyon!

Me, Astro, and Pony, also known as Frank, contemplating the universe and our pack out lunches.

Aeron, Maria de los Pobres, also known as Bob, somehwere near the Honduran Frontier.

Aeron and Astro, best friends who found each other through Emo music.

Jess and Aeron found this incredible specimen sunning himself by the pool of our Managuan hostel. Croikey!

Long time no blog

The Island of Omotepe!

Hello to all you faithful readers out there. First of all, our apologies for not posting in quite a while. Since we last wrote, Jess has spent a week in Carazo (our old training site) and I have begun working with a group of Irish volunteers who are building a health center near Somoto in just under 6 weeks.

El Volcán Concepción

We also spent the 4th of July on the Island of Omotepe. It´s located in the middle of Lake Nicaragua. It´s actually the largest fresh-water island in the world with two huge volcanoes, one which is active. The volcano Concepción last erupted in 2007, so let´s just say it´s really active. The island offers all sorts of nature outings, but Jess and I chose to have a relaxing weekend and spent most of our time napping in hammocks or eating. We did go on a hike to see some pre-Columbian petroglyphs. They were carved in volcanic rocks a few miles from the hostel we were staying at. There was a bunch of pretty flowers and wildlife as well. Fairly interesting stuff!

The trip was really more of a reunion for our Peace Corps training group. We celebrated 3 birthdays (mine included) and just caught up on our experiences over the past the months. The birthday boys got cookies and a piñata full of chocolate. Nicaraguans have giant piñatas like in Mexico, but the way they are destroyed varies. In Nicaragua the person hitting the piñata isn´t blindfolded, but the challenge is much greater. The person hitting has to dance while they swing the bat, and another person is pulling the piñata up and down on a string. Very difficult.

The hotel that we stayed at was like a beefed up tree house with hammocks and lawnchairs and rooms hidden all over the place. Unfortunately, the don´t accept credit cards, so Jess and I were stuck camping at the lake´s edge. We had brought our tent, however, so it really wasn´t that bad. We also saved a bunch of money!

On the way back across the lake we found ourselves on a much smaller ferry than on our trip across. What we rode couldn´t really be called anything more than a tugboat. There was only the main deck, which was already loaded with produce before the ¨human¨ cargo even made it on board. While the ride was very beautiful, we all were a little nervous we´d hit a giant wake and find ourselves swimming amongst pineapples and potatoes.

The week has been fairly regular, with Jess once again in Somoto. I´ve been working on the construction site of the Health Center every day, which has been great. Astro has been joining us occasionally, but has had to stay home lately because we´re pouring concrete. He did get to take a run with his dad the other day, though. I don´t know if we´ve explained this in the past, but Astro lived with his biological father and his family for the 4 months of his life before we got him. Every time we go by their house, it´s always a battle to keep Astro from running in the door. We bring him by for visits, but only when he´s just had a bath. We don´t want them to judge. Sometimes when we´re out and about we find Astro´s dad just sitting outside his house. His dad still remembers his son, like any good father, and always likes to run with around with us as we walk. The two look almost identical, so a lot of our acquaintences around town are constantly laughing and pointing at our white dog parade. It´s ok, though. We like the attention.Can you guess which one is our dog?

So, that´s all for now. Jess heads back to the States next week and Aeron Hurley is coming to visit for a couple weeks. We´ll have plenty of adventures to share as well as pictures of the construction site. Thanks for reading and we´ll be sure to post more soon!

the birthday post (posted a day late)

Today is my 24th birthday. Nothing too excitingis happening, but we did have a spectacular weekend and I’m looking forward to a great dinner!

The weekend:

Jess, Astro, and I visited Salto Estanzuelo, a 45 foot waterfall just outside of Estelí. It was quite an ordeal getting there, but definitely worth the trip. Astro made his first trip on an inter-city bus and got to spend time in the Peace Corps office in Estelí. It’s not much, but Peace Corps maintains a little space with a bathroom and shower, small library and two computers with computer and internet. It’s available to any volunteer (you just go to the store next door and ask for the key) but really only gets used by volunteers in our area. We went to the office so I could research my future. I’m thinking about going to grad school when we get back, so we took a few hours to research programs and figure out how to take the GRE’s in Nicaragua. We made it back to Somoto by 7ish and were completely beat.

Sunday both Jess and I were sore and stiff from our travels. Astro wasn’t. We spent the day cleaning and relaxing. We also hung out with our host family and watched the Spain-Italy Eurocup game. Being the huge sports fans we are, we left during overtime. I wonder who won?

The dinner:

Jess is going to make me the following:

Cold chicken fajitas on flour tortillas with refried beans, guacamole, salsa, lettuce and cheese.
A twice baked potato
Lemon Bars

It should be great. I’m especially looking forward to the Lemon Bars. We’ll see if she pulls it off…

This week is going to be one of my busiest. First of all, the Health Center announced last week that we are in a little bit of a health crisis. In the past week, the Health Center tested three more people positive for HIV. That brings this years total to 6. There were only 7 in all of 2007. The health center recently started pushing the HIV rapid test, which is completely voluntary, confidential, and only takes 20 minutes. 98% of the women that have come into our maternity clinic in the past 2 months have elected to get tested. That’s a really good thing. The bad thing is that some of our worst fears are now being realized. Nicaragua has one of the lowest rates on HIV in Central America…lowest recorded rates, that is. It also has one of the lowest testing rates, which means could be a bunch of people out there with HIV who just don’t know (and neither do we). With these 3 new cases in just 1 week, it looks as if that’s the truth. What are we going to do about it? We started a massive outreach campaign promoting the test and alerting people to the gravity of the situation. On Friday alone we spoke with a union of taxi drivers and two radio programs. Monday is a talk with the Police. Tuesday, university students and Wednesday, the firemen. We’ll be bringing the rapid test and a few nurses to each stop, which means anyone who wants to can go ahead and get tested right there. We’ll post updates on how we do.

Another big thing on my plate is a group of 20 Irish volunteers who are coming to build a health center in an outlying community. They are arriving on the 27th. Last year, the ame group built a health center in another community and the previous Peace Corps volunteer handled all of the translating and logistics. I will be filling that role this year. The group is here for 6 weeks, only the first of which I’ll devote entirely to them. Afterwards it will be on a needs basis. I’m looking forward to teaching the group a crash course in Nicaraguan Spanish and Culture. I also can’t wait to pick up a shovel and get my hands dirty. I think I expected a lot more hands on labor in Peace Corps. Who knew it’d be so much office work?

Jess and I are also gearing up for July, which is shaping up to be a very busy month. She’s going back to Carazo for a week of Language Training (I can’t because of the Irish). We’re planning on joining a group of volunteers in Omotepe for the 4th of July. Then Jess is heading back to the States from the 17th to the 21st. She’ll be missing out on Somoto’s Fiestas Patronales (July 17th and 18th) and Nicaragua’s “Independence Day” of July 19th. I put Independence Day in quotes, because they really didn’t gain Independence from a foreign power. They gained it from a Nicaraguan dictator and put in place Sandinista leaders who some would argue actually made the country worse. More on that as we get closer.

Thanks for reading!

Also, thank you to Aunt Ellen for the delicious doggie treat hamburgers! Astro really enjoys them! Everyone also got a big laugh out of the dog receiving a package, including the mail workers (the name Astro isn´t listed as one of the tenants of our mailbox).

Updates: Breastfeeding and Toothbrushing!

After 5 days of hard work drawing, cutting and pasting, my mural on Breastfeeding is complete! Today I hung it up in the Casa Materna, and kind of group home where women in their last days of pregnancy wait for the big day. The Casa Materna has a nurse on duty day and night, and has a direct line to the hospital, which sends an ambulance as soon as a woman goes into labor. It´s a great option for women living in the country who otherwise would be giving birth in their homes. The women can stay at the house for as long as they need to (normally 15 to 25 days). Their food and lodging is free, paid for by a Nicaraguan non-profit. The women also receive daily talks about nutrition, hygeine, and other things like breastfeeding.

I know my mom and her scrapbooking club would be very proud of this accomplishment. In fact, I´m dedicating this mural to her upcoming scrapbooking marathon. Go get em!

Astro, reaching his 5 month birthday on the 30th of May, has also begun improving his personal hygeine. Following in the style of Jess´ parents´ pets, Astro is now brushing his teeth nightly...all by himself. I, for one, have always believed that the Werders have a special way with animals, and it seems as though Jess also shares this incredible talent.

Answers to Mrs. Lyttle´s Class - in record time!

Today…the impossible…has been realized. In an incredible feat of international diplomacy, trans-atlantic crosswinds, and pure luck I hold in my hand the letters from Mrs. Lyttle’s class. Somehow the U.S. Postal Service and (even more incredibly) Correo Nacional de Nicaragua delivered their package to our mailbox in 4 days. 4 days! In honor of this momentous occasion we will now attempt to respond to your letters in record time, as well.

Anyway, it’s great to hear that the parent dinner was such a success. We were sad to miss it, especially the Goldfish! Someone asked what my theme was for the parent dinner. Sadly, I was never in Mrs. Lyttle’s class to choose a theme. I did, however, get to attend pretty much all of the previous 19. Jess even made it to a couple! OK, on to the questions:

After swimming in the Río Coco, did your Spanish get better?

The Río Coco is the spiritual center of the indigenous cultures of Nicaragua. Therefore, after swimming in the Río Coco, one should emerge speaking one of the Native American tribal languages, like Miskito. Nicaragua was one of the first places to be colonized in the New World. Christopher Columbus first reached mainland in Nicaragua, at a point he named “Gracias a Dios,” or, “Thank God [we made it]!” I added the “we made it” part, be really the phrase “Gracias a Dios” is pretty much only used in situations like that. However, Columbus came up with it 600 years ago, so something might have been lost in the proceeding centuries. Nicaragua is also home to the first Colonial city in the Americas: Granada.

Anyway, the point of all that background was to say that we think of Spanish as the native language down here because it’s been here a really long time, and pretty much all of the real native languages have been wiped out.

And no, we can’t speak Miskito.

Adriana likes to listen to American Music. Where does she buy her CD’s?

Most Nicaraguans buy their CD’s from black-market vendors who download the real CD and just burn copies on their computer. That’s also how they get their movies. Each disc usually costs 20 córdobas (about 1 dollar), but quality can really range the entire spectrum. The rest of the Nicaraguans download music online and save it on generic versions of Ipods or on their cellphones.

Americans think buying music like this (pirating music) is a bad thing, as the artists and companies involved in producing the music and movies don’t get their share of the profits. It’s also virtually impossible to find these pirated copies in the States. Down here, though, I don’t think we’ve seen a single legitimate vender who sells CDs or DVDs in their original, licensed form. Therefore, Nicaraguans get their music the only way available: the black market. Oh, and the black market also happens to be mixed in with all of the perfectly legal products on the legal market, so who can really know the difference?! There are black market meat stalls right next to stalls with meat checked daily by the health department. It’s also very common in Nicaragua to pay for anything using solely cash. That way you don’t have to pay taxes and neither does the vendor!

By the way, Jess and I don’t condone this activity and neither does the Peace Corps, the US Government, or the Nicaraguan government, but that’s just the way it is down here.

What’s it like living with Astro?

Astro is great! We love hanging out with him and he likes it, too. A couple times a week we go running in the mornings. The other mornings we go to a local playground where we teach him tricks. So far he goes down the spiral slide and the straight one all by himself. We’re going to start working on the see-saws.

Astro also goes to work with me if I’m going out in the countryside. He sits in the back of the pick-up truck while we make the trip and then explores whatever school or farm we’re at while I give talks. He’s very quickly becoming the Health Center Mascot.

Astro was 4 months old when we got him, so he was already house-trained and pretty well accustomed to people. He’s a very well behaved dog, never really barks, and doesn’t cause trouble when he’s in the house alone. He does, however, like to dig, steal socks and sandals, and jump on people. We’re working on those…

Has Adriana heard of lemonade?

Adriana’s backyard has two lemon trees. They are enormous and put out about 200 lemons a week. Her family drinks lemonade about 5 times a week, and gives away the rest of the lemons to friends and family. I’m not kidding…

How are you two feeling about living in Nicaragua? Do you want to live there permanently? What are you going to do for New Years: our tradition or theirs?

Jess and I are very much enjoying our lives in Nicaragua. Just like life in the States there are things that could be better (like less rain), but overall life is more relaxed than it was. Things that one would imagine taking all your time (like washing all your clothes and dishes by hand) still leave you with plenty of time to read or play with the dog. We also cook huge breakfasts virtually every morning and still make it to work on time. It’s almost like you get more minutes in every hour somehow.

We miss a lot of stuff about the States, especially our families. We have also come to appreciate life “up north.” Not in the manner of unlimited cell phone plans and dishwashers, but things like people’s respect for others and the sense of personal responsibility and ownership. Not that Nicaraguans don’t have these qualities, it’s just a different culture.

New Year’s?! We’re still planning 4th of July! We think we’re going to meet some other volunteers from our group on the volcanic island of Ometepe. We’ll see…

Why do Nicaraguans have half days of school?

Nicaraguan classrooms average about 50 students to a class. Sometimes more. Some students are lucky to have around 30. Only in 2006 was it mandated that all Nicaraguan children have the right to a free education. The system is still trying to manage the influx of students. Therefore, the day is cut in half to accommodate twice as many students.

How many departments are in Nicaragua?

Nicaragua has 15 departments and 2 autonomous regions. Most departments are conveniently named after their capital cities (Managua is in the department of Managua, Estelí in Estelí, the same for Granada, León, Masaya, Jinotega, Matagalpa, etc.). Somoto, Madriz is an exception to the rule.

How to Nicaraguans celebrate birthdays?

Nicaraguans celebrate them much like we do. Those who can afford to have parties with cake, just like us. It’s also very common to have a piñata. Someone is in charge of shaking the piñata up and down and the kids have to dance around as they swing at it. Naturally, this is much more difficult, so nobody is blindfolded. Most Nicaraguans also know the English “Happy Birthday” song, which they sing along with another birthday song in Spanish. All in all, their parties are a pretty good time, even without the pizza.

OK, thanks again, Mrs. Lyttle’s class. Please feel free to keep in touch on your own once the summer begins!

More Weekend Charades - With Pictures

[Pictures are back! Woohoo!! More to come shortly... And why hasn´t anyone left a comment in more than 3 weeks?! We´re starting to get lonely.]

Jess and I took Astro for his first swim this weekend. We made our way out to the Canyon on the first clear day after 3 rainy ones. The trees and fields in Somoto are all starting to turn green. Although we are officially entering the “winter” season, this past week has been the closest to the spring we experience in the States. Hopefully you can see how green the mountain south of our house is getting. I decided to post two pictures: The first is the mountain right after a few hours of rain. The next is the same mountain the following afternoon. Pretty beautiful, huh?

So, we made our way to the Canyon, which includes 2 crossings of the Rio Coco (Coconut River). The Rio Coco is the driving force creating the Somoto Canyon. It continues on from here to become the official border between Nicaragua and Honduras for about 450 kilometers and finally drains into the Carribean Sea. The Rio Coco is the spiritual focus of Nicaragua’s indigenous cultures. It’s said to have mystic powers: any one who swims in it leaves the river fluently speaking the native tongue! Here´s the Rio Coco after the canyon.

On our previous trips to the Canyon the Rio Coco was a quiet meandering stream, still about 50 feet across, but easily crossable with convenient stepping stones. This time, it was a whole other story. Several campesinos (country folk) warned us the river was impassable due to the rains, but we were egged on by the more adventurous cattle drivers. We figured if they could drive a couple mules, 3 cows, and baby calf across the river, we could surely make it with two people and a dog. So, we began.

The water was muddy and the current strong, so every step was careful and slow. We had a couple of false starts, but managed to follow the path taken by a couple fishermen. By the time we were halfway across, we had water up to our stomachs and were taking a half step down stream for every step across. I held Astro out of the water (the current was too strong for the first timer) and Jess carried our backpack with lunch and water.

We made it across the first bend in the river without incident, and the second bend was easier, although a little deeper. Finally, about 45 minutes after leaving the highway, we made it to the boat launch into the canyon. We congratulated ourselves with refried beans and honey rolled in pancakes (delicious) and granola. Despite the roughness down river, the canyon entrance was calm and without much current in the pools along the shore.
To get Astro accustomed to the water (he was a little shook up from the previous episodes) we threw sticks further and further away from shore. Slowly, but surely, he started to come around, and after an hour his initial fears were a thing of the past. Instead of heading further into the canyon like we normally do we decided to just relax at the boat launch for the morning.

Around noonish we made our way back across the river, which seemed just as strong as earlier in the day, and caught a cab to Somoto. It was a good days workout for everyone, and we’re pretty sure Astro hasn’t gotten that much exercise in a single day during his whole 5 month life.

Earlier that weekend we made our way to Ocotal, a local department capital, to do some banking as well as explore the town. We found a beautiful grocery store that boasted foods we have seen since the States. I know a grocery store doesn’t sound that exciting, but we spend a good hour there. First of all, they were giving away free samples. You can’t pass that up. Then we found peanut butter, a very rare thing in Nicaragua. Jess and I bought 2 jars and that constituted one of our biggest expenses this month: 155 córdobas, or about $8.00. We also came across real chocolate milk. We didn’t even make it out of the store before finishing off the carton. This place also had an incredible variety of soups, which come dried in a bag, not in a can. We didn’t buy any, but made plenty of mental notes about future meals we can prepare. All and all a very successful trip!

Email questions and answers!

Matt,
Just wanted to let you know I'm as fascinated by your answers to the kids' questions as I'm sure they are. It's a great way to learn about a country most of us will never have the opportunity to visit. Keep up the good work. A couple of questions from me- What's a typical work day like for you? What's a typical day like for a 10 yr. old child?
-Alice Galvin


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Hi Alice! Thanks for the email!

My work day starts at about 8. I get to the health center in the center of town and we organize the day for about half an hour. Before 9 we have a vehicle available that drives us to one of the rural communities outside of Somoto. Some take 20 mins to reach, others 1.5 hours! All of it on dirt roads that you could never even ride a bike on. In the mornings we give health talks to pregnant mothers and brigadistas (volunteer health promotors in every community). In the afternoon we give a different talk to youth groups of about 20 to 30 teenagers. We usually get back to Somoto by 4:30. Jess teaches English 3 or 4 nights a week, so I´m usually at home cooking dinner. At night we sit on the porch and talk to neighbors, watch a movie at the house of a family we know, or go for a walk with Astro.

For a 10 year old in the city, the day starts around 6:00 with breakfast. School starts at 7:00. They have class until about 11:30 and then they head home for lunch. A different group of students use the classrooms in the afternoon. Students get a choice of the morning or the afternoon, but the morning is way more popular. The afternoons are usually spent at home or in the street doing the same things kids in the states do. Some are lucky enough to have TV´s and others go to the video game houses mentioned in the blog.
This schedule can be very different for rural families, where kids might have to walk 2 hours to and from school everyday, as well as take care of younger brothers and sisters.

Nica Profile 1: Adriana Corrales Espinoza - with picture

Adriana (10) on the left and her sister, Ena Sophia (5) on the right.

Do you listen to American Music?
Yes. I like the Black Eyed Peas.

Have you heard of Harry Potter?
Yes. I have seen all the movies, but haven´t read the books.

What types of books do you like to read?
I like to read Adventure books.

Do your teachers give you homework?
Yes.

Do you like doing homework?
Eh, mas o menos. (more or less).

What is your favorite subject in school?
Natural Sciences

What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to play computer games. I also have a Nintendo GameCube. Matt and I play Mario Sunshine.

What do you eat in a normal day?
Breakfast: Corn tortillas, eggs, refried beans, coffee with milk
Lunch: Grilled Steak or chicken, white rice, fried plantains, mashed potatoes, salad, fruit juice
Dinner: Ham sandwich and water

Do you eat fruits, vegetables, or candy?
Yes, but I like fruit the best. We have a mango tree and lemon tree in our backyard. We also have an avocado tree.

What are your chores?
Feed the dog, go out to buy milk or cheese, take care of my sister.

What is your favorite holiday and why?
December 31st. I like when we explode the ¨Año viejo,¨ or old year. In this tradition every block in the city dresses up a doll like an old man. The dolls are about the size of a grown person. They dress him up in a sombrero and put him on a stick. He is filled with explosives. At exactly 12 o´clock PM we light the fuse and he explodes. It´s like saying goodbye to the old year and hello to the new one.

What a weekend!

Jess and I are finally starting to develop somewhat of a concrete weekly schedule, so look for a detailed account of our current work activities sometime soon. Also, I know Mrs. Lyttle’s class is patiently waiting a response from their interviewee. It’s on it’s way!

Today I thought I’d recount the spectacular weekend we had. On Saturday Jess and I went with a local nature guide and friend, Edith, to a beautiful farm on the top of a mountain. This farm raises cattle for a cooperative of farmers and agriculturalists in the area. The mayor of Somoto is the current administrator of the farm, so he goes up the mountain every Saturday to make sure everything is in order. This week’s trip also involved a yearly vaccine for all of the cattle.

We left at 8:30, traveling in a pick up truck. Peace Corps actually prohibits us from riding in the backs of trucks, do to the obvious safety concerns. However, it’s nearly impossible to go anywhere or accomplish anything outside of the community without breaking this rule. So, we choose our battles, use discretion, and cross our fingers that our bosses won’t find out. Probably not that smart of an idea to write that on a blog that anyone in the world can read, but oh well…

The farm would only be about 45 minutes from Somoto if the road were paved. Even less if it were flat. However, neither are the case in this situation and we found ourselves traveling for a good hour and a half to get to the top of the mountain. I don’t think we’ve described the majority of the roads here, but let’s just say you’d never be able to pass in anything less than a 4 wheel drive, extremely high truck. The most popular vehicles here are Toyotas, with the Land Cruiser and Helix in the 1 and 2 spots. The Helix is a beautiful extended cab pick up truck that really is as mean as it looks. They don’t sell them in the States, but there’s probably more than 100 just in Somoto, alone.

Anyway, upon reaching the farm, the Mayor and the local workers began the vaccination process. You’ll see some pictures of that below. Jess, Edith, and I saddled up and explored the farm. Yes, we saddled up. It was my first time on a horse in at least 10 years, about the same for Jess. However, we’d both seen enough Western movies (just watched Silverado last week) to look authentic. I even got mine up to a gallop a couple of times. That was scary.

Edith told us all about the ecology of the area. We think of Nicaragua and Central America as a land of tropical rain forests (of which there are plenty), but once you get high enough in the mountains the foliage looks a lot like it does in New York or New Jersey. There are pine trees, oak trees, and your basic run of the mill grasses. There are also some strange plants, like this cactus that grows all over the rocks.

Or this stuff that looks like a fern. It’s called “Barba de Viejo,” or, “Old Man’s Beard.” It’s very soft and could almost work in a Santa costume during Christmas.

Anyway, we had a few hours to explore before the vaccination was done. We saw some beautiful views, that’s for sure. It was a little sad that Astro couldn’t come, but we had no idea what it would be like so we erred on the side of caution. Don’t worry, though. He’ll be getting up there as soon as we have a free Saturday.

Sunday we experienced our first downpours of the rainy season. The rain was deafening, the streets were flooded, and the lightening was huge. The next day our coworkers described it as a “refreshing spring shower.” Hmm…. I guess we’ll see if it gets worse.

We passed the day at home cleaning and organizing. Astro appreciated the attention.

Answers to the Class

The Public Library of Somoto

Mrs. Lyttle’s Class: Thanks so much for your second series of letters. We will be interviewing a few Nicaraguans later this week to complete our first Nica Profile. We wanted to take some time today, however, to answer some more of your questions to us. Here it goes!

What kinds of books does the library have and what can I contribute?

First of all, it’s great to see all of you so excited about helping out down here. On top of that, to hear you passed your Playpump goal proves what a great group of kids you are. In terms of library books, the librarian specifically asked me for atlases and encyclopedias, or educational books. I think they are looking for the kind you’d find in the Adamsville library when you are looking for information about a specific country or specific theme, like Dog Training. They also have story hours for younger kids, and I’m sure Mrs. Lyttle can help you find the right kind of picture books for those guys. They also asked for books in English, as well in Spanish, so a good mix would be great! Also, used is fine, as long as it isn’t too gross.

What kinds of technology are in Nicaragua?

Almost everyone here has cellphones, which aren’t prepaid like in the States. You have to go to a store to buy minutes on a regular basis. It’s actually a better way to save money, because you can still receive calls and text messages, you just can’t send them without “saldo”, or money in your account. Internet on every corner in cyber cafes, but rarely in houses. People have MP3 players built into their cellphones, but nobody has Ipods. Video game systems can be found in “Casas de video juegos”. There are 2 or 3 in every town and you can find all of the 10-15 year old boys there after school. The pride and joy of every Nica family is their “equipo,” or stereo. The massive systems with speakers the size of a small child are all the rage down here. The more lights and buttons, the better!

What kinds of American businesses are in Nicaragua?

You can find Burger King, McDonald’s, Subway, Quizno’s, Pizza Hut, and Dominoes in Manaagua and other really big cities. Towns like ours (which is about the size of Bridgewater) only have family run restaurants. There are only a few different grocery stores and the biggest chains are owned by WALMART. They have different names, like Palí and La Union, but they carry the same brands as WALMART. Other than that, we really don’t see any American run companies other than charity organizations. They have, however, heard of Harry Potter!

How do you get paid?

First of all, we don’t get paid. We get a stipend which is calculated to have us pretty much break even at the end of every month. One student wrote that it was 4,000 dollars a month, but in actuality it’s 4,000 Córdobas. That works out to about $200. We have a bank account and we just go there monthly to get dinero. There are even some ATM’s scattered about.

What kinds of jobs do people do?

People here are employed in 1 of 4 ways: 1. The Government 2. Non-Profit Organizations 3. Family Businesses 4. Unemployed. Unfortunately, about 40% of Nicaraguans are unemployed, which means there’s a lot of work to be done by the NPO’s. I think if Jess and I were to live in Nicaragua after Peace Corps we’d either work for a non-profit or own a little hotel/restaurant on the beach.

Why don’t the Nicaraguan Police stop the Nicaraguan Postal Service from stealing mail?

Another unfortunate aspect is that people really don’t get paid that much at all. A nurse might make $100 a month. A teacher less than $100. Police and government workers might do a little better, but not much. That’s one of the results of high unemployment: people will take whatever pay they can get. It also means that people with do whatever they need to do to survive. Most likely the Postal Workers (who are government employees) sell all the nifty stuff they take out of packages to earn a few extra bucks. The police could care less, because they’re looking for their own ways to get ahead. It’s a lot tougher to be honest when honesty can’t pay the bills.

What is the food like? Do you get bored of rice and beans?

Jess and I try to eat a ton of fruits and veggies, as well as cook all sorts of different meals because, yes, we do get bored of rice, beans, and tortillas. Nicaraguans, on the other hand, aren’t very adventurous when it comes to their food and would much prefer some gallo pinto to some fancy schmancy chicken francais. Things we’d consider gross in the States are perfectly normal down here, pretty much out the necessity to use every part of the plant or animal. You name it, they eat it, and they’ll tell you it’s “rico,” too!

Are Nicaraguans shorter than us?

In general, Nicaraguans are shorter than us gringos. This is mainly because the majority of Nicaraguans are descendants of Native Americans living in the area. They are called mestizo because they are a mix of Native and Spanish blood. You can almost guess someone’s economic status by the way they look, as those directly descendant from the Spanish, who look Eurpoean, have always had the economic, cultural, and educational advantage. There’s a town near us called Cusmapa that’s about 70% indigenous population. People of pure indigenous blood look very similar to the Native Americans of the States. Sadly, Cusmapa is one of the poorest villages in the country.

Do Nicaraguans know English?

English proficiency is very low in Nicaragua. All Nicaraguans took a little of it in school, but hardly anyone here can speak it fluidly. However, all the Nicaraguan jokesters love to shout out, “Hello, my friend!” when we pass. At the ladies they shout, “Marry me, my love!” Sometimes it’s funny, most of the time it’s annoying.

How are dogs treated in Nicaragua?

Nicaraguans view animals as tools. That’s not to say that perspective is bad, but when someone makes their living farming, working the land, and doesn’t have access to machines, it’s the animals who do the work. Therefore, they treat animals like we treat a car. You take care of your car, as cheaply as you can, to make it last for as long as you can. When the car gives out, you buy a new one. So, people here don’t form bonds with their animals: a horse is for transportation, a donkey is for carrying wood, a cow is for meat and milk, and a dog is for protection. That isn’t to say that people don’t have family pets like we have family pets, but it’s really only those than can afford to. Don’t worry though, we’ve budgeted to take good care of Astro! Maybe some day all of you can meet him when we come back to the States!


We had a few unhappy letters since we didn’t answer all the questions last time. I’ll do my best to answer more in the next blog! Also, sorry about the lack of pictures lately, we will do better.