Christian Visits the Nicaraguan Countryside

I just got back from living in the small farm town of La Paz de Carazo for the past five days. La Paz de Carazo is about an hour or so outside of Managua, but it might as well have been a different planet. Hector, our program director, told us that this was to be a "reality check" for us so that we see how the vast majority of Nicaraguans actually live. We arrived in La Paz and I was introduced to my new family and their home. My family was huge. There was a mom and dad with six kids and cousins and in laws who lived next door. They were all extremely nice and welcoming people.

The house was very different than mine in Managua. The floors were dirt, the rooms were separated by cloth, and barbed wire was used to hang clothes. My bed had a mosquito net and my roommate was a duck, who would come in every night to sleep in the corner. There was one sink area outside that served as the dishwasher and laundry machine (all by hand). My bathroom was a latrine. Families of chickens would hang out in the front yard with the cows, while the dogs kept coming onto the porch only to be shooed away by my host mom with a broom. However, the best part of the house was the shower. Positioned right by the sink area and made out of trash bags and tarps, the shower was clearly visible for everyone to watch from the front porch. It did have a shower head which surprised me at first, but it doesn't always work so some of the time you use a bucket to wash yourself. The shower walls were also not very high. Latinos are typically shorter, however my family was short even by those standards. So for me, I was exposed from the stomach on up, which was ok but there were times when the wind would blow the "door" open, allowing everyone to see the gringo showering. But after hiking around or getting back from playing soccer in that humidity, you no longer care, you just want to cool off.

Speaking of soccer, the people of La Paz are crazy about it. Everyday around 4ish, all the boys go to the soccer court to play and practice. But this wasn't an unorganized game of pick up soccer, you had to pay five cordobas (roughly 20 cents) to play. The teams were five on five and the winners take the money and get to keep playing. The court was slick concrete so people would fall all over the place and get pissed at the other players for fouling them. Everyone not playing would shout and holler at the players as well as any female that passed by the field. It was definitely something to see.

Life in el campo (the country) was certainly different. My host dad works 6 or 7 days a week on a farm and my host mom and kids would do the chores, like milking the cow (which I tried but when I leaned in there the cow freaked out so my host mom had to step in), chopping wood for the stove with an axe (more up my alley), and in the afternoon we had to go retrieve the cows from the fields, which was the best part. The cows walk on their own so then you get to look around at the stunning scenery. The landscape in Nicaragua looks like prehistoric Earth more than anything. The forests have exotic birds, every tree has a different type of fruit and every city seems to have its own volcano.  You half-expect that you'll see a dinosaur come around the corner, forcing you to haul ass back to the jeep and drive as fat as you can. Anyways, the volcano in La Paz de Carazo is named "Volcan Mombacho", and it looms in the background, covered by clouds. Everything was very beautiful and green and from this you can see why the people are so happy to live there. It definitely makes you put things into perspective. Yes, they are very poor, but they're also very happy and content in not having things that many of us couldn't survive without. It makes you think about what things are actually necessary in life.

La Paz de Carazo was an amazing experience and I definitely want to go back when I have some free time. But for now it's back to Managua. Class starts tomorrow!

 Me and most of my La Paz host family.

El Dia de la Revolucion

July 19th is a very special day in Nicaraguan history. It marks the day 33 years ago when Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Natcional (FSLN) rebels marched into Managua with the support of thousands of civilians and claimed victory over an oppressive and brutal dictatorship that lasted over 40 years. The Somozas, they were called, improsoned and killed thousands of citizens who spoke out over that span, and all of this was completely backed by the United States government (whoops). The citizens turned rebellious and eventually caused Somoza to flee the country and eventually was assassinated in Paraguay. The day is very special for all Nicas, not just to those who are Sandinistas, of which the FSLN is named after. So how do they celebrate it?

You get to dress up as your favorite revolutionary! I was given a Che shirt and a red hat with "FSLN" written on it in black (red and black are the party's colors). Many wore red and black bandanas on their heads and brought the family Sandinista flag. Everyone then piles into hot buses for the two hour, two mile bus ride to the Plaza de Fe (Plaza of Faith). Kids pile on top of the buses and hold on for dear life while simultaneously dodging trees and bridges that pass overhead. The trip to the Plaza might have been equally as fun as the Plaza itself. There was music and fireworks going off from makeshift mortar launchers (which is almost a trade in itself here). The streets were packed with people decked out in red and black, singing patriotic songs and dancing. Once we got off the bus, it took another 45 minutes to get to the Plaza due to massive crowds (estimated at around 600,000 people this year).

Waiting for Ortega to speak was incredible. The Plaza was filled with banners and flags. Giant speakers blasted music and people shot off more fireworks. You heard a lot of "Viva Sandino!" and "La Lucha Sigue!" (the fight continues). An official fireworks show then started with more revolution and patriotic songs and that's where the goosebumps set in. They were quickly gone once Ortega started speaking. The dude's not the best orator and in fact people started to leave when he spoke. Almost everyone here is a "Sandinista" cause of the revolution, but not everyone is a "Danielista" the party's leader and President. We then left and some of the drunk locals on the bus ride back started sing love songs. Most were Spanish songs I'd never heard of, but they did know "Un-break My Heart" of which I certainly participated in singing.

The whole experience was amazing. To say they're proud that they toppled a dictatorship is a drastic understatement. Regardless of politics, it's definitely something I think everyone should see. And for the record, I felt zero hostility against me for being an American (Dad). Everyone I've here is very nice and welcoming. One guy I was talking to in the Plaza escaped his town during the Contra War, the civil war that followed the revolution (also backed by the US again, whoops), when he was a baby. His mom carried him in a wheelbarrow while his town was being bombed. I told him I was an American and after a few jokes he said not to worry and that it was all in the past. 

Viva Nicaragua Libre!

Greetings from Managua

I have arrived successfully in Nicaragua. Managua looks like a nice quiet city from above, but on the ground, it's anything but. There are no tall buildings cause no one wants to be higher than 3 or 4 stories when if/when the next earthquake happens. I have been here for almost a week and have already leaned and seen a ton. On Wednesday, I met the rest of the group and the program directors, Hector and Morena. All together, there's seven of us and Hector and I are the only guys. The other girls are Jennifer, Zoe, Barbara and Graciela, who goes by the name, Xela (che-la), which ironically is what they call gringos here. Together were all a bunch of cheles.

The first few days, we toured around Managua, which isn't a very historical town since much of the old city was destroyed in the '72 quake. A few things remain like the Plaza de la Revolucion, and plenty of murals and graffiti left over from the revolution. We went to the Loma de Tiscapa, a glorified hill that serves as the highest point in the city, where there lies a huge 50 or so foot tall silhouette statue called Sandino's shadow. Augusto Sandino became legendary in the 30's when he drove out the US marines occupying the country. For that he is the national hero and you see his face and name everywhere. We also went to the market which is like the Nica version of Costco, but with a low metal ceilings and triple the amount of stuff inside. That night we went to a very Nica restaurant that features live music and serves local food including rice and beans, plontaines, and an absurd amount of meat. My sister in law would faint.

I met and moved in with my new family. There's Mercedes, my mother, Manuel is my father and then there's Gersan, my brother. There's also ton's of family who live nearby and neighbors coming in and out. There all very nice and approachable people (not to mention very patient with the language process). Nicaraguans don't finish their words and have some gnarly slang. The other big thing about Nicas is they love their politics. My host parents picked me up from orientation, we talked about the basics like family and where I'm from, then a nice abrupt change into politics (my dad would flip).

The house is located just a 10 minute walk or so to the university that I'll be attending. My room is small, but does include a tv, fan, and wifi. Class starts at the end of the month but right now we are taking a Spanish class to get the gears moving, as if living here and speaking it all the time weren't enough. I'm very excited to start class and get to know the culture more. I've already learned that they love to party and hate sleeping when the sun is down. 'Tonce, no vemo pronto. (Entonces, nos vemos). Until next time.
Top: Sandino's Shadow. Bottom: A mere taste of the market.

And we're off!

The day has finally come! Many months of planning, forms, doctor visits and other random stuff have all come down to this. I'm not gonna try to get all emotional and artsy in these blogs so breathe easy! I have never been more excited and nervous at the same time in my entire life. The "good byes" are said and it's time for some of those "hello's" and "mucho gusto's".

 I am flying out of Denver, making a brief (58 min) connection in Atlanta, where all of my luggage will become lost (accepting problems is an easy tip in having a more relaxing trip). Then I land in Managua in the early evening, where I will take a shuttle to the luxurious Best Western right across the street from the airport. The next day I will be picked up by one of my program directors with the other four students in the group and it's off to orientation!

This experience will be amazing I'm sure and I am very glad I have actually gone through with something rather than just talk about it. Everyone that has gone to Nicaragua has only told me good things about it. I hope I will say the same!

Hasta luego USA!