Well, here goes - my first actual blog! I must say I still have reservations about this whole blogging thing, but since I'm already processing a ton of information and need some medium in which to record it, I figure I'll plunge in and see what happens.
I arrived in Nicaragua on Saturday evening and, after paying the $10 entrance fee (not bad for an entire country, eh?) and collecting my very full backpack, I stepped out of the airport and into a maze of people and the most humid weather I have experienced in quite some time. I immediately wished I had brought mucho mas "product for frizzy hair." I caught up with the driver from La Mariposa and we spent about an hour navigating wet, bumpy roads and zipping around other cars and mototaxis to arrive at the school. The school was completely dark and quiet when we arrived at 10 p.m., likely due in part to the torrential rains. The driver, Gonzalo, showed me to my room and left me to settle into my new digs.
My room here is very simple but comfortable - a double bed, desk, night table and a small cabinet for storing clothes, toiletries, etc. The bathroom consists of a shower containing the smallest sink I have ever seen and a toilet; however, use of the outdoor latrine is encouraged due to the fact that water is in very short supply here, particularly during the dry season.
It is definitely the rainy season now! We have seen tons of rain in the past two days and lush greenery is everywhere - overhead, underfoot, encircling just about every available surface. I will share photos in the days ahead of some of the crazy plants and flowers growing here - a veritable smorgasbord of greenery.
Anywho, I crashed shortly after arrival Sat night and was awoken at about 7:45 a.m. to the sound of several dogs barking as well as a cacophony of creatures that I could not yet identify, which turned out to be a combination of parrots, monkeys and chickens. I prettied myself as best I could and wandered out to meet the other students, of whom there are currently 7 staying at the school, and Paulette, the woman who runs the school. All of the students are American or Canadian and the majority, surprisingly, are Spanish beginners such as myself. It's a very nice bunch, although most will be departing within the next 2 weeks, so hopefully they will be replaced with some students eager to travel on from here!
Yesterday (Sunday) was a fairly lazy day, due to the nearly incessant rain, although the big excitement of the day was when a horse from the school, transporting one of the students, stepped on a bottle, which cut through the tendon on her leg and caused her to start bleeding profusely. The guides managed to get her back to the school but doubted whether she would survive. However, following surgery this morning by the local veterinarian (who doubles as the lead teacher of the Spanish program at La Mariposa), I am happy to report that it appears that she will make it, although it remains to be seen whether she will be able to walk again.
Today (Monday), I had my first Spanish lessons, which were excellent. It has been a long time since my mind was stretched to retain such a huge amount of information, but I think it's up to the challenge. I think I am going to learn mucho espanol during the next six weeks!
Late this morning, we visited a local school that has been largely funded by proceeds from La Mariposa as well as student contributions. It was really fun to see the kids show off their math skills and sing songs for us, and Paulette's explanation of the sometimes misguided efforts of larger NGOs to support the school was particularly interesting (although I won't go into the details of that here).
One fact that was particularly striking, however, was Paulette's description of the serious water issues faced by the area of La Concepcion (and the larger region), where the water table has been dropping at a rate of approximately 5 meters per year! At the current rate of depletion, the entire area may run out of water by 2020, a sobering and somewhat unbelievable statistic in a region that experiences heavy rains for half the year.
Tomorrow, our afternoon excursion will be to San Juan del Oriente and Diria, part of the "White Villages" that are famous in Nicaragua and beyond for their artisans and craftspeople. I am excited to see their handiwork and begin practicing my Spanish beyond the walls of La Mariposa!
If you're still reading, thanks! Photos and more to come soon.
