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Published: December 24th 2007
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Hello again everyone!
I hope you're all feeling suitably festive and are not having to return to work for a few days. The sun is beating down fiercely here and I've never felt less Christmassy! (But in a good way).
We had a lovely second week at La Mariposa with more Spanish grammar-based fun, and a host of other afternoon activities including a trip to the Pacific coast, swimming in a lagoon in the crater of a volcano, visiting local artisans who make amazing toys out of old bottles, and ornaments out of tree seeds. And (you'll never guess), a trip to another volcano!
Volcan Masaya had its last major eruption in 1852, but has been pouring out a steady stream of sulphurous smoke ever since. There's a path all round the edge of the crater so you can actually peer in, and its a fairly amazing sight. In the 16th century a Spanish bishop ordered that a large cross be placed on the edge of the crater on the grounds that it was probably the mouth of hell. Bizarrely enough, a group of chocoyos (parakeets) have chosen the crater wall as a place to nest. We weren't
there late enough to see them but apparently when they fly home for the evening they all sail blithely through the cloud of sulphur as if it weren't there. Acclimatisation I guess! Life can truly flourish anywhere, as Corby, Northants bears witness to. One of the things we liked best about visiting Masaya was the sign in the car park, which advises you to hide under your car in the case of an eruption...erm...how about getting IN the car and putting your foot down?!
We also learnt about the downsides of volcanoes (shocking, huh?) with a visit to a school in the poorest district of the town, which La Mariposa helps to support. The main reason that the area is poor is that the wind blows a lot of volcano ash over it, making it very hard to grow crops. Its summer holiday in Nicaragua at the moment, but we met one of the teachers and looked round the classrooms and the new dining area which is ensuring all the kids in the district get at least one proper meal a day. It was all very interesting and impressive.
Si got an early birthday surprise on Wednesday when
Paulette arrived back from a shopping trip to Masaya bearing an enormous birthday cake covered in about a gallon of cream, it was very tasty! the wind was blowing and it was quite an undertaking to keep all the candles alight till Si could blow them out but we just about managed it. For anyone planning on going to Nicaragua by the way, we totally 100% recommend this place. Paulette and her daughter Guillermina are just lovely, our Spanish teachers (Bergman, Eveling, Elizabeth, Richard and Jimmy) were all top notch, and even the other guests were all wicked - we're particularly grateful to Sandra for her endless medicinal supplies and filling our coffers with lost bets...hello Sandra if you're there! We also met not one, but THREE lovely American guests who'd NEVER OWNED a mobile phone. We felt compelled to photograph them for posterity. Hello Bradley, Chuck & Eva!
So one more Mariposa story before we move on, and that is why the blog is called what it is. Bergman, Si's grammar teacher, has five kids, the youngest of whom, Pepito, is an incredibly cute little round faced three year old, who is being brought up bilingual. Bergman told
Nubes the Cat
He seemed to take a shine to Natalie's bikini (maybe because it matched his fur?) us a story about how one morning, he ran into his bedroom crying because his eye was stuck shut with sleepy dust, crying 'Papa, papa, mi ojo esta broken!' (ojo being the spanish for eye). Another good one was 'Papa, mi duele mi foot!' (my foot hurts). Very cute indeed.
Anyhoo, we left to get chicken buses to Granada, a colonial town at the western edge of Lago de Nicaragua on Thursday afternoon. And for the first time, we actually saw a chicken (live! thankfully Si's foot missed it by inches) on a chicken bus. Yay! We spent the afternoon on a boat tour of the little islands round the coast, many of which are private islands owned by the very wealthy of Nicaragua, and a few by Americans too. However the best island is the one which is home to a group of spider monkeys. Spider monkeys rock. The photos don't really do them justice, but they're just so graceful, they're a pleasure to watch.
We celebrated Si's 31st year with tapas, a bottle of Malbec and series of cocktails (served in tankards). Again, yay! Our hotel had run out of water to sell, and we decided
Fault Lines!
More volcano shots to disregard our hoteliers advice that the tap water was fine to drink, so imagine our delight when we woke, extremely sweaty and hungover, to discover that the water pressure had completely gone and there was no chance of showering...we were directed to a tap which was still just about functioning, and our morning showers consisted of emptying litre bottles of freezing tap water over our heads. brr!
Next stop, Isla de Ometepe. This is a lake in the middle of Lago de Nicaragua, formed in the shape of a pair of spectacles, or if you prefer, a pair of ladies bazoongas, (as the two round bits are volcanoes, named respectively Concepcion (active) and Madera (inactive). We stayed at a beach right in the middle of the two volcanoes (the bit of the spectacles that sits on your nose). Legend of creation of island is thus: starcrossed lovers (Ometepetl and Nagrando), suicide pact, Ometepetl in her death throes falls over backwards, and the volcanoes are her boobs. I think the actual legend is a bit more romantic than my precis of it though (I think he buys her a twix or something first - ed).
Anyway, Ometepe is
The mouth of hell!
Is how the Spanish refer to this volcano. Personally I thought it was rather charming. a stunningly beautiful agricultural island. We hired bikes and spent the day wandering round and had a lot of fun. The roads are almost deserted apart from the occasional bus and now and then a man riding an ox. Not quite the South Circular!
Its time for us to go to the beach now, and its time for most of you to get in your beds and hope that Santa will be making his way in through the central heating system. So...Happy Chrimbo to you all! have lovely days, and speak to you all soon.
Muchos love
nat xxx
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