Sunday, June 19, 2016
Day 9- Granada Tour
Today is our last day full day in Nicaragua, and it felt like a typical tourist style day. We weren't in much of a rush to get out of San Juan Del Sur, the nice sleepy little surf town with pretty much everything you could want in it. We started the day slowly, some slept in, some got up and had a light breakfast. With time enough to for a morning swim, several went into the ocean and embraced the day. By ten we packed the van and headed to Granada, one of the oldest cities in Honduras. Two hours later we were in the city and ready for lunch! Part of the history that was told to us in the van rides days earlier was that Leon and Granada were the two rival cities for many years, with Montegue and Capulet style disruptions over the years. To end this it was decided Managua should be created to relieve the tension. Granada was founded in 1524 by Francisco Cordoba (also the name used for the Nicaraguan Currency) and there are many churches and old building here that attest to a long history. Located on the edge of a large lake (50km+ wide by 80+km long) it has been raided by pirates, burned by US Marines. It is a popular stop for tourists now and many features of the town seemed geared towards that. After lunch, checking into the hotel, a quick swim and phone calls to our fathers on Father's Day (I reminded them all several times if they say I didn't!), we went on a horse and buggy ride through the town past all the historic and important sites. There are several statues to historic people like Sandino and some ex-presidents, and buildings like churches, cathedrals, and large hotels. Then we finished the ride at a dock and took a boat ride onto the lake to see the wildlife and islands. There are over 300 little islands in the lake, the result of Mt. Motombo eruption 20,000 years ago. These are mostly populated with a variety of house from local people to summer type homes. There are also a lot of birds and monkeys and other interesting wildlife. After an hour tour of the lake we came back to the hotel and readied ourselves for dinner. It is a relaxing end to our trip and helped us see the long an interesting history of Nicaragua. Tomorrow we're off to the States again, happy for our adventures with hopefully a better understanding of ourselves, and our world. Some are longing to come back, maybe we can get a group together again soon. - T McGuire
Day 8- San Juan Del Sur
Hello all!
Today was a relaxing and informative day. We started off with saying goodbye to Kacey, our America-Nicaragua liaison, and saying hello to Hoscar, our liaison for the rest of the trip.
As we drove out of Managua, he explained to us why there were the plastic trees all over Managua: they are the way that the Sandinista government is expressing its gratitude to Venezuela for helping Nicaragua out with its energy situation.
We also stopped near a volcano and touched these extraordinary plants, which contract when exposed to outside contact.
As we drove into San Juan del Sur, everyone was amazed by the absolutely stunning view. We got to see that view even more as we zip lined across the Nicaraguan jungle.
We were all anxious to go to the beach, which is why we were all ecstatic when we found out the restaurant we ate lunch at was right next to the ocean. We either jumped in the water or watched the Copa Europa match.
After lunch, were not nearly done with our time at the beach, so we went back almost immediately after checking into our hotel. I would estimate that we spent nearly three more hours at the beach.
We finished off the day with dinner and Ice Cream. It is safe to say that our stay here in Nicaragua was informative, rewarding, and fun.
Michael K
Today was a relaxing and informative day. We started off with saying goodbye to Kacey, our America-Nicaragua liaison, and saying hello to Hoscar, our liaison for the rest of the trip.
As we drove out of Managua, he explained to us why there were the plastic trees all over Managua: they are the way that the Sandinista government is expressing its gratitude to Venezuela for helping Nicaragua out with its energy situation.
We also stopped near a volcano and touched these extraordinary plants, which contract when exposed to outside contact.
As we drove into San Juan del Sur, everyone was amazed by the absolutely stunning view. We got to see that view even more as we zip lined across the Nicaraguan jungle.
We were all anxious to go to the beach, which is why we were all ecstatic when we found out the restaurant we ate lunch at was right next to the ocean. We either jumped in the water or watched the Copa Europa match.
After lunch, were not nearly done with our time at the beach, so we went back almost immediately after checking into our hotel. I would estimate that we spent nearly three more hours at the beach.
We finished off the day with dinner and Ice Cream. It is safe to say that our stay here in Nicaragua was informative, rewarding, and fun.
Michael K
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Day 7 - last day in Estelí
Waking up at 6:30 this morning, we all stuffed while also unloading our bags as we collected our final donations for "La Cruz" learning center. Rather than going to our usual breakfast at the hotel the group left the hotel at 7 am to check out the town's farmers market in the center, and stop by the local smoothie shop. Who knew the best fruit drink in the world could be bought for only 60 cordobas or $2.12. Walking around the center of the city we saw trucks filled to the brim with tomatoes, the articulate craftwork of the locals, homemade bread, and freshly prepared banana, papaya and "piña" yogurt. At around 8:30 we dragged our bags to the car and began our last ever trip to the learning center.
Pulling into the school we were greeted by a group of political science college students who had come by to donate not one but 5 piñatas. We all sat around watching as one kid after another took a swing. Upon bursting the piñatas and tackling the ground, the kids all sprinted over to us. Smiling up and screaming "para ti!!!" or "for you!!!" they so thoughtfully offered us their candy. Despite having very little they were gracious enough to offer what they had. And even the college students gave to us. Thy were so thoughtful they handed each of us chicken sandwiches and orange juice in a bag. Yes, a siren wrap bag. After we all looked frantically between each other over our confusion they started to laugh and proceeded to show us the best way to go about drinking it. Most of them didn't speak English so we weren't able to to talk too much but their professor made one comment that will stick with me forever. Leaning over to Elizabeth she said, "Thank you so much for helping our country." It was a small gesture but it meant so much.
After a little play it was time for work. Most of us helped carry more cement for the shed while a couple others worked more in the garden removing yet another rock. Rachel and Lexi began their endeavors with one rock which after hours of uncovering lead to be a 10 person job with about twenty 7 year old spectators. With some Spanish music playing in the background everyone got after the rock and with the eager help from some of the kids they were finally able to uncover the 500 lb rock.
After working in the hot sun we all headed to the gazebo for a quick lunch. Afterwards we separated all of our many donations between the Cruz and Esteli schools while some helped out in the kitchen making sandwiches with our left overs for the kids.
The next few hours were spent water painting, jump roping, playing soccer and even swinging on their play set. Despite the scorching heat and billions of flies, everyone made the most of their final hours at the learning center. After a new game of "gato, gato, perro" because none of us knew how to say duck or goose in Spanish, and taking hundreds of photos, it was finally time to say goodbye.
Tears were falling everywhere as we said our final "adios". We were so sad to leave, but so thankful for all of the amazing memories and friends we had made throughout the week.
On our 3 hour drive back many bathroom stops were made and lots of napping took place.
Once we had returned to our hotel in Managua we showered and headed to the pool side for a nice snack which lead to a full on meal. We all had an amazing final dinner with Casey who gifted us all with Fabretto volunteer t shirts. Then it was off to bed for a good night's rest for a new adventure in San Juan Del Sur!
Pulling into the school we were greeted by a group of political science college students who had come by to donate not one but 5 piñatas. We all sat around watching as one kid after another took a swing. Upon bursting the piñatas and tackling the ground, the kids all sprinted over to us. Smiling up and screaming "para ti!!!" or "for you!!!" they so thoughtfully offered us their candy. Despite having very little they were gracious enough to offer what they had. And even the college students gave to us. Thy were so thoughtful they handed each of us chicken sandwiches and orange juice in a bag. Yes, a siren wrap bag. After we all looked frantically between each other over our confusion they started to laugh and proceeded to show us the best way to go about drinking it. Most of them didn't speak English so we weren't able to to talk too much but their professor made one comment that will stick with me forever. Leaning over to Elizabeth she said, "Thank you so much for helping our country." It was a small gesture but it meant so much.
After a little play it was time for work. Most of us helped carry more cement for the shed while a couple others worked more in the garden removing yet another rock. Rachel and Lexi began their endeavors with one rock which after hours of uncovering lead to be a 10 person job with about twenty 7 year old spectators. With some Spanish music playing in the background everyone got after the rock and with the eager help from some of the kids they were finally able to uncover the 500 lb rock.
After working in the hot sun we all headed to the gazebo for a quick lunch. Afterwards we separated all of our many donations between the Cruz and Esteli schools while some helped out in the kitchen making sandwiches with our left overs for the kids.
The next few hours were spent water painting, jump roping, playing soccer and even swinging on their play set. Despite the scorching heat and billions of flies, everyone made the most of their final hours at the learning center. After a new game of "gato, gato, perro" because none of us knew how to say duck or goose in Spanish, and taking hundreds of photos, it was finally time to say goodbye.
Tears were falling everywhere as we said our final "adios". We were so sad to leave, but so thankful for all of the amazing memories and friends we had made throughout the week.
On our 3 hour drive back many bathroom stops were made and lots of napping took place.
Once we had returned to our hotel in Managua we showered and headed to the pool side for a nice snack which lead to a full on meal. We all had an amazing final dinner with Casey who gifted us all with Fabretto volunteer t shirts. Then it was off to bed for a good night's rest for a new adventure in San Juan Del Sur!
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Day 6
We woke up this morning to the birds chirping and the sun shining through the window. After eating breakfast, we headed out to the Fabretto center in town. We had some time to kill before a cultural presentation and some of us played basketball or jumped rope with the kids. The cultural presentation was next, done by preschoolers. They sang us head, shoulders, knees and toes in English, a typical Nicaraguan folk song and a historic dance. After leaving the school in Estelí, we headed out to the Fabretto school outside the town. Some of us worked on digging more rocks out of the garden and others moved rocks and dirt to the back of a building to make cement for the shed. We finished the morning with a kickball game and lunch. We then headed about an hour out to a scenic viewpoint. It was about a 10 minute hike to a beautiful view. On the way back into Estelí, we stopped at a smoothie and garden place. We walked around all of the plants and found a playground. Some of us got smoothies, banana yogurt, Nutella and bread or hummus and bread. A couple hours after this, we headed out to dinner at a chicken restaurant. It was very yummy. After, we all walked back to the hotel to pack and sleep for our last night in Estelí.
Rachel C.
Day 5 - work and tours.
After another early breakfast at 7 am, we headed out to the Febretto learning center to continue our work on the bodega. As we arrived half of our group went to finish the work in the garden while the rest laid the foundation for the shed. Even though it was blazing hot with the sun beating down on us, we kept smiling and working, especially Maddie Jones who was shoveling an impressive amount of cement. After working for a few hours we took a break to play with the kids. Many of us dispersed and made bracelets, colored, and received a lesson from the kids on how to jump rope. The amount of joy the children have here is indescribable and makes us want to stay forever. However, after eating our lunch and saying many sad goodbyes, we left the learning center and went back to the hotel to relax for an hour. Taking many needed showers, we left feeling refreshed and clean and headed to a cigar factory. As we toured, we learned about the production and manufacturing of the cigars from the Tabacalera Perdomo factory. Soon afterwards, we journeyed to the center of town to explore and buy a few souvenirs and rehydrate with delicious smoothies. Feeling exhausted, we decided to relax at the hotel for an hour before going out to dinner. After we all took naps and showered, we left the hotel for a traditional Mexican restaurant where we devoured our tacos de pollo and quesadillas. All in all, the day was an absolute success and we are excited to see what we will do tomorrow!
Stay tuned!
-Morgan T
Stay tuned!
-Morgan T
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Day 4 - Tuesday June 14
We started off the day with a yummy breakfast at the hotel around 7 am. After we finished eating and packing our lunches for the day, we head out for a hard day's work at the fabretto learning center. Once we arrived, we got right to work, wasting no time. We began by moving cinderblocks to assemble a wall. Once that was completed, some of us moved rocks from the garden to the area where we will build the storage facility for the learning center, while others worked in the garden where we hoed some rocks. Then, we helped to make cement with sand, rocks, water and cement powder and mixed it all together. The workers then put the cement into the square holes we dug yesterday in order to assemble the storage shed. After moving more cinderblocks to assemble another wall, we figured it would be a good time to refuel our bodies. As Morgan and I were just about to have our lunch, two little girls of the fabretto center came up to us and asked to play. I was so excited to play with them, but nervous to speak Spanish, afraid that I would not know what to say or not understand what they were saying. One of the little girls wanted to draw with me, so she pulled out a seat at her desk for me to sit in. She gave me paper and colored pencils to draw with, and more kids began to come up to us, wanting to play. Other Mercersburg students joined in on the fun. We were having a great time playing with the kids! We played with the kids for so long that we lost track of time! A few Mercersburg students and I brought out our gopros and cameras. The children loved playing with them and taking pictures. It was so fun seeing them all run around taking photos of each other having such a great time. Soon after play, we ate the lunches that we packed. We then get back to the hotel to get ready to go to a beautiful waterfall in Estelí. After a scenic car ride of the countryside, we finally make it to our destination where we hike about 20 minutes on a beautiful trail overlooking the mountains until we descend to the waterfall. When we make it, we are in awe over how incredible the sight is. The group happily swim in the lagoon and relax on the rocks. We then hike some more trails and visit some more parts of the waterfall. Everything is beautiful, and we don't forget to take many pictures. After a crazy adventure at the waterfall, we make our way back to the hotel where we clean up and get ready for some yummy Nicaraguan dinner. The dinner we had was authentic Nicaraguan style which consisted of some Nicaraguan tacos, huevos (eggs), beans and rice and much more! Before heading in for the night, we took a quick stop for some delicious ice cream. We all love it here in Estelí, and personally, I never want to leave.
Seeing the happy faces of children at the fabretto center was my favorite part of the day and I expect that by the end of our adventures it will be my favorite part of the trip. After a long day full of work and play, we try to get some sleep before another exciting adventure in Nicaragua!
Brooke W
We started off the day with a yummy breakfast at the hotel around 7 am. After we finished eating and packing our lunches for the day, we head out for a hard day's work at the fabretto learning center. Once we arrived, we got right to work, wasting no time. We began by moving cinderblocks to assemble a wall. Once that was completed, some of us moved rocks from the garden to the area where we will build the storage facility for the learning center, while others worked in the garden where we hoed some rocks. Then, we helped to make cement with sand, rocks, water and cement powder and mixed it all together. The workers then put the cement into the square holes we dug yesterday in order to assemble the storage shed. After moving more cinderblocks to assemble another wall, we figured it would be a good time to refuel our bodies. As Morgan and I were just about to have our lunch, two little girls of the fabretto center came up to us and asked to play. I was so excited to play with them, but nervous to speak Spanish, afraid that I would not know what to say or not understand what they were saying. One of the little girls wanted to draw with me, so she pulled out a seat at her desk for me to sit in. She gave me paper and colored pencils to draw with, and more kids began to come up to us, wanting to play. Other Mercersburg students joined in on the fun. We were having a great time playing with the kids! We played with the kids for so long that we lost track of time! A few Mercersburg students and I brought out our gopros and cameras. The children loved playing with them and taking pictures. It was so fun seeing them all run around taking photos of each other having such a great time. Soon after play, we ate the lunches that we packed. We then get back to the hotel to get ready to go to a beautiful waterfall in Estelí. After a scenic car ride of the countryside, we finally make it to our destination where we hike about 20 minutes on a beautiful trail overlooking the mountains until we descend to the waterfall. When we make it, we are in awe over how incredible the sight is. The group happily swim in the lagoon and relax on the rocks. We then hike some more trails and visit some more parts of the waterfall. Everything is beautiful, and we don't forget to take many pictures. After a crazy adventure at the waterfall, we make our way back to the hotel where we clean up and get ready for some yummy Nicaraguan dinner. The dinner we had was authentic Nicaraguan style which consisted of some Nicaraguan tacos, huevos (eggs), beans and rice and much more! Before heading in for the night, we took a quick stop for some delicious ice cream. We all love it here in Estelí, and personally, I never want to leave.
Seeing the happy faces of children at the fabretto center was my favorite part of the day and I expect that by the end of our adventures it will be my favorite part of the trip. After a long day full of work and play, we try to get some sleep before another exciting adventure in Nicaragua!
Brooke W
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