Blogs from Capital Region, Nicaragua, Central America Caribbean - page 10

Hey! I have made it to my destination with no problems and I traveled by bus very cheaply. I am now staying with a family close to the lodge and will start classes tomorrow. My digs are very humble and I plan to get some pictures tomorrow and I hope that I can send them to everyone. I am kind of overwhelmed because I have met so many people in such a short time. My family has 3 kids and a grandkid and I am working to get the names straight. I showered outside by splashing water on myself behind a plastic shield in the middle of the family compound. I have been offered to use the shower at the lodge and I may use it, not because it was cold but because there was no ... read more

Hi everyone, I am starting my blog from home and will be leaving early Wednesday morning for Managua, Nicaragua. I plan to do some service work there. I am not exactly in what capacity I will work but it is possible that I will be doing some public health education, teaching English, teaching science or working with the animals in the refuge that is part of the EcoLodge I am visiting. If you are interested in the place I am going and the people I will be working with you can check out their website and blog to get a feel for the place. I hope to stay with a local family so that I can be immersed in Spanish. In the past I have found that in most lodges and hostels that everyone speaks English ... read more

The project I have worked most closely with is ¨huertos familiares¨ or Family Vegetable Gardens. This project involves traveling to the rural communities outside of Managua and working with the families to grow their own fruits and vegetables. While each community is different, many of the families grow their own beans and corn (two of the staple Nica foods along with rice). Some families have 1 or 2 members who work outside of the community in various jobs, and some have members who travel to Managua to work. That being said, after the bills are paid and basic foods bought, these families have little money left over. Their diets therefore consist largely of beans, corn, and rice… and little vegetables. Vegetables are expensive and can mean travelling outside the community to buy them. With our vegetable ... read more

If you were to get into your car right now, and start driving south, you would eventually hit the Mexican border. And if you were to keep going, and keep going some more, and then some more, you would eventually end up on the Panamerican Highway, passing through Guatemala, Honduras, and then Nicaragua. And then about an hour north of Managua, you would notice some brightly colored birds on the side of the road, and you might be shocked that such an exotic flock of pajaros is concentrated in one spot, on the side of the highway, of all places! But if you were to slow down, you would notice that all those birds are made of wood, carved by machete, and if you were to stop and take an ever closer look, you would be ... read more

Because today is a list day: Things I love: -free medical care, thank you taxpayers and the peace corps -the hotdog lady who has set up shop outside the office, since we are in a rich part of town and there is NOTHING to be eaten on a volunteer budget, except her hotdogs. Things I don't love: -cavities -chest exrays and "things" in my lungs -being away from my home in the mopo and my fiance longer than i planned -managua heat -having to defend my decision to get married to lenin and convince people that i fell in love to be continued I'm thinking too much here. Hot showers and free internet will make the best PCV overthink their service. It's freaking Thursday and I am so excited to get back to my site, after ... read more