Hola from Leon, Nicaragua
January 14
16.01.2011
31 °C
The fan is humming as it blows the curtains, the temperature is in the low 30´s, the cars are honking just a few feet away, a TV is blaring in the back (sounds like a melodramatic soap), trucks and motorcycles roar by, and Vernon seems very far away, as I sit in this little internet shop just a few doors from where we are staying. Finally there is time to put something on the blog. It is a busy life we have here, you know. Some of you may not understand, but our days are very full. Typically, we get up around 6:30, walk about 6 blocks to the school, where we try to cram Spanish into our heads for 4 hours. After that we come back for lunch and possibly a siesta or homework. At 3 pm there is an activity organized by the school each day. Examples: tours of art galleries, museums, old churches..... After that we are always very hot and thirsty, so it is necessary to find a place to sit and have a cold beer with other students from the Spanish school. That drags on until it gets dark and then we hurry back home for dinner, after which we do more homework and/or read, if we are not too tired. It is not easy to read under these 40 watt light bulbs! Today, being Friday, our afternoon is free; therefore we have time to work on the blog.
So far Nicaragua reminds us a lot of Honduras - similar ethnic backgrounds, climate, food, music, warm and friendly people, economic situation, maybe even similar feelings about the government that currently sits .... so it almost feels familiar. We haven´t seen a lot of the country yet, but they sure do have a lot of volcanoes, and nice beaches, I gather. One active volcano can be seen from this city. The inhabitants remember some eruptions very clearly - one left about 6 inches of ash on the whole city. They had to clean their roofs, which are all ceramic tiles, by hand, tile by tile. Breathing was difficult for weeks.
We think we are very lucky to have been placed, for these 4 weeks, in the home of Carolina, a single mom in her 40´s. Also living in the home are her recently widowed mother, her twenty something daughter, and the 3 black labs. ¨Sam¨has taken us on as his new best friends. When I open our door in the morning, he is always sleeping right against it! Carolina is a warm and intelligent person, a perfect host - friendly and helpful but not in your face. She also helps me with my homework! The ´casa´is 100 years old, somewhat dilapidated but quite roomy, all cement and ceramic tiles and gaudy paint. In the central courtyard are palm trees, and around that are lovely seating areas with wooden rocking chairs. No glass - it is all open air. Carolina, among other things, teaches salso and meringue dancing - we got to observe a class last night.
Posted by the Greens 11:27 Archived in Nicaragua
We can see that you are very busy and need those cold beers!!!!!
Sounds like a nice spot to be to go to school. Have enjoyed the photos and the blog. Another career in travel writing for you???
16.01.2011 by Jill and Lorne