Fadi arrived just in time to experience our Peace Corps Gala. The Gala is an event that the small business sector puts on every year to raise funds for our students who end up participating in the national business competition each November. Funds raised allow them to travel to Managua for free, win prizes, rent the space to host the competition, and possibly even win some of the money to be used as start up capital if they wish to start their own business. The Gala is a little fancy for Peace Corps Volunteers but it gives us a chance to reunite and maybe even meet PCVs that we have not met before. Its an opportunity to relax and enjoy the night.
The next day we traveled three hours north to my site in Esquipulas, Matagalpa. Sunday evening I introduced him to the owner of a comedor I eat at. Oh, I forgot to mention that my friend does not speak Spanish so I had to play the role of "translator". My Spanish is not perfect by any means, but I was able to get the job done. For the night, he stayed in my casita where I showed him how live, under a mosquito net, and how I wash my clothes, by hand in a cement "pila". Later that evening for dinner, I introduced him to the Profesora who has been cooking my dinners. His first dish...Gallo Pinto! Back to the casita we headed for a few games of chess. I don't have an extra bed so I borrowed a yoga mat from a friend so he could sleep some what comfortably on the floor. We woke up the next morning and headed for the comedor for breakfast. Later we met up with my friend who owns the local internet cafe. He asked us to join him for the day picking up volunteers that were working for a local NGO and taking them out to the campo to work. We made three or four trips picking up and dropping off volunteers. Soon enough, but expected, the rain started pouring. I had never experienced rain such as this in my site. It flooded the streets turning them into rivers and even flooded the river turining them into oceans which took out bridges and even created a sink hole in one of the bus routes. We came upon this particular sinkhole and helped people cross that were coming from the bus that was unable to pass. We spent the latter part of the evening in my friends house talking and sharing stories of America and our travel plans.
Tuesday morning we woke up, packed and headed to the bus stop to catch a bus to Matagalpa. Luckily it was running because we were unsure if routes would be closed due to the amount of rain we received the night before. We arrived early morning in Matagalpa, checked into our hostel then set out for breakfast. Matagalapa is a city of about ninety thousand people. So it is more advanced, has more businesses, and is more progressive than the little farming city of Esquipulas, my site.
This was our first step up the economic spectrum ladder. It is noticeable. The lifestyle is different and there is much more to do and see in the department capital of Matagalpa. We met up with another American that night who is living and working in Matagalpa. He had invited us to a bar b que where we grilled some steak and made some old fashioned hamburgesas! What a treat from the traditional Gallo Pinto! We even went out and enjoyed the night at a local bar before heading back to the hostal.
Wednesday morning was spent traveling to Managua on-ward to the old yet trendy and touristy city of Granada. We checked into the hostal and immediately noticed the change in environment from Matagalpa. We were immersed in the "backpacker" culture. Groups of backpackers from across the world, well mainly Canada and Europe pass through Granada every day. Granada has a rich history in Nicaragua. The first president of Nicaragua was a white American by the name of William Walker who ended up burning the city down when the new upcoming political party scared him away. Three days were spent in Granada at the same hostal. We met two french speaking Canadians and two germans who later we would get to know during the adventures of "Kyle & Fatty".
The second day in Granada was HOT! I ended up visiting my training host family in San Juan de Oriente while my friend went with a tour group to Masaya. It was great visiting my training family and seeing the tomb of my host mom who passed away during the summer after I moved to site.
Day three in Granada was spent at the Laguna de Apoyo. We swam in the Laguna, kayaked, relaxed in hammocks, and really just enjoyed the day. It was enjoyable up until my friend got lost in his kayak on the other side of the Laguna! His kayak capsized and he ended up on the shore. I set out to kayak across the Lagua to look for him but ran out of luck and was running out of light. We were already suppose to be back at the hostal by 4:30pm but ended up staying at the Laguna arguing with the owner of the resort about his lost kayak and not my lost friend! Luckily the girl we met from Gemany, Julia, calmly talked to him allowing me to focus on our next step. The storm was quickly rolling in so we had to move fast. We were about to set out when a motorcycle pulled into the resort. Behind the Nica driving the motorcycle was my poor friend Fadi who had been given green chinelas so he would not be barefoot! I wanted to punch him, but was glad he was safe. He said his apologies to the group and bought us drinks when we got back to the hostal! There is more to this story so I will have to explain it another time!
We woke up and had breakfast at Cafe Sonrisas (smiles) which is run by the Rotary Club in DeSoto Texas. It is a restaurant where the deaf have a place to work. Also you can sit and watch hammocks being made while you eat. You can even participate in designing and making your own hammock! What a cool idea for a business! We found our bus to Rivas then immediately hopped on a bus to San Juan del Sur.
Finally we arrived at the beach. We could still feel the heat from the sun, but could smell the ocean breeze! What a beautiful site! The volunteers in Rivas are lucky to have this beach so close by! We found a hostal near the beach which housed all the surfers. Surfers from across the world are starting to venture to the waves of Nicaragua. They are a different community of people. Some are cool, some are punks, some are laid back, and some think they are better than everyone else....Anyways, my friend Amanda who is a PCV in Rivas came to visit and enjoyed the party with us on the beach!
We changed hostals the next day and stayed at a house that was converted into a hostal. Mama Sara runs this hostal for $15 per room per night. Its nice and cozy and quiet. We spent our last day together hiking up to a Jesus statue which stands on a hill overlooking the ocean greating all visitors to San Juan del Sur. I ended up meeting a family from my state of Oklahoma whom have moved to Nicaragua, San Juan del Sur for the next two years! Interesting. Finally some other Sooner fans in Nicaragua!
I had to get back to Mangua the following morning to work on a report at the office. Fadi was to stay another night on the beach. Jealous. I made sure he could make it back to Managua to the airport by himself and told him everything he needed to know. He thanked me and handed me some of his last cords he had in his pocket for the ride back to Managua.
We truly did cover a spectrum of life from day one to the last day on the beach. It was even more interesting we did this without knowing or planning this. I think it was good he got to experience the different lifestyles in Nicaragua. I told him to return home and share his experience and share the beauty of Nicaragua with his friends, family, and co-workers so that they too may come visit.
Even though Nicaragua is a third world country and is the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere next to Haiti, it has a lot to offer from the rich culture, the food, the people, and the history.
So on your next trip or Honeymoon to Costa Rica, please stop and take some time to explore this great country!
Thanks for everything Fadi!
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