Nicaragua!

Laguna de Apoyo

Mountains, volcanoes, lakes, oh my!

After landing in Costa Rica on Saturday afternoon and spending the night at home with Molly, the two of us took off at the crack of dawn for our trip to Nicaragua. We boarded a bus from San Jose at 7:30 am and settled in for what we expected to be an 8 hour trip to Managua, where my good BC friend Tony was planning to meet us.  Our trip was more than a bit delayed by our three hour border experience crossing between Costa Rica and Nicaragua. On the CR side, we had to get off the bus and wait in line to have our passports stamped with our exit stamp while men and women smacked piles of cash in our faces asking if we wanted to exchange money. Knowing we would probably be a little ripped off but would need some bus/cab money, we exchanged $5 US for Nicaraguan Cordobas.  We then boarded the bus and crossed the border where we we then told to get off the bus again with all our luggage. We were pointed to a waiting area while the bus official took our passports to the immigration window to be approved for entry. It was hot and chaotic and no one seemed to have any clue what was going on. I think it's safe to say this was the "low" of the trip! Once we were on the bus, the trip to Managua was pretty quick, and Tony - ever the trooper - was waiting patiently for us after being there for two and a half hours. What a champ!

Tony!

At this point, Molly and I parted ways. She and her Notre Dame friend, Clare, had reserved a spot "couch surfing" in a local professors home. (I was doubtful, but couch surfing is actually a pretty legit network! They had a good time). Meanwhile, I headed back to Tony's home in Ciudad Sandino, just outside of Managua. Tony is a member of JVC International and lives in a community with 4 women who were incredibly gracious and fun hosts. I really enjoyed getting to know them, hearing about their work experiences, and being back in a JV community! We stayed up late catching up on the details of the past year that don't fit into our occasional Skype sessions; it felt great - as always - to talk to him! 

On Monday morning, Tony and I took a couple buses to Laguna de Apoyo, a crater lake about two hours from his home. We had a great afternoon, swimming, eating lunch, and hiking around a little bit. We also found an abandoned property where some of the previous JVs in Nicaragua had gone camping...they must be pretty brave souls. After getting back to his house, we hung out with the two new members of his community who had their first day of work on Monday. Their energy was really inspiring! 

Mural in Tony's house

Later in the evening, Tony and I headed to an education center that hosts volunteer groups that come to Nicaragua. It just so happened that one of BC's Arrupe trips was there this week and had invited the JVs to dinner to share their experience! I tagged along, hoping that being an FJV and BC alum and current international volunteer, I'd be welcomed. When the group walked in, I was greeted with the very loud scream of a friend, Kate, who had actually been on my Arrupe trip to Puebla, Mexico two years before! She was now leading this group!! It was so wonderful to catch up with her and talk to the students about their experience in Nicaragua. Many of the upperclassmen were interested in JVC - both domestic and international - so I was able to share a bit of my experience in LA with them. I was so happy to be there!

On Tuesday morning, Tony and I met up with Molly in Managua since Clare had hit the road back to San Jose early. We had wanted to explore Managua a bit, but our plan was a little foiled; all the roads in the historical district were closed off because the Presidential Inauguration was happening later that afternoon! Since we were there for a pretty politically exciting time, Molly and I spent a lot of time picking Tony's brain on Nicaraguan history and politics. He is a fountain of knowledge and has really learned and reflected a lot on the country in his year there. I was really impressed. 

Muneco, the house dog

So instead of exploring Managua, we headed back to Ciudad Sandino where we had lunch and had got a tour of Tony’s stomping grounds. The school where he is an English teacher is absolutely beautiful. It is a member of the Fe y Alegria Network of schools and prides itself on its environmentalism and beautiful murals. The rest of the pueblo was pretty different from where we live in Costa Rica in many ways; it’s much poorer, much hotter, and we stuck out a lot more. Actually, when people started hollering “chela!” at Molly and I, Tony explained that this is a Nicaraguan term for “gringo” or fair-skinned person. I chuckled; Chela was my name in Spanish classes through middle and high school!

Tony and Me!

In the evening, Molly and I cooked for Tony’s community and then participated in an awesome community night, planned by Bianca. We played Two Truths and a Lie (a game that Tony and I have played many a time together on Salt and Light retreats at BC!) and then played a series of “minute to win it games”  which were so silly and so fun.

Molly and I journeyd home on Wednesday and had a much more enjoyable bus and border experience – the border took less than an hour to cross and the bus showed three movies (one of which was The Blind Side…and excellent choice!). Upon arriving back in San Jose, Fray Jorge picked us up and brought us back to the convent where our housemates, Amanda’s parents, Friar Rick, Jordan, and all the friars were enjoying pizza and conversation. It was a great welcoming back to Costa Rica, and got me excited to start our ReOrientation retreat tonight.

   

 So, now I’m back in CR for the duration with lots of visitors to look forward to and good experiences with my community. Sending lots of love, prayers, and warm (it’s 75 here!) thoughts your way :) 

[[Also, sorry the formatting has been a little funky lately here! My keyboard doesn't always cooperate which makes it tricky to format the pictures!]]