Saturday, June 4, 2011
Everybody is Home
HOLA returned to Houston on June 3 from the trip to Nicaragua. We left Josh, Elliot, Fran, Manon, Kayde, and Ryan in Masaya and had to say our goodbyes to Casa-Nica. Everyone at Casa-Nica could not have been nicer and it was a great experience for HOLA students and staff. Casa-Nica feels like a home away from home. Thanks again to Casa-Nica for their hospitality and program.
The night before we left for Houston we had a farewell feast at Casa-Nica. Azure grilled pollo and bistec (chicken and steak) and we had boiled corn and garlic bread and topped everything off with sandia (watermelon). The meat was cooked on a popular type of grill in Nicaragua which is constructed from the rim of a car or truck. It is a great illustration of how recycling is a natural by-product of life in a country where you have to make-do with less resources than we often do in the United States.
Upon returning home from a trip to another country, time is often warped by the experience of being immersed in another culture. It often simultaneously feels like the trip was only a mere second that ticked off the clock but it also feels like you have had a decade of new experiences and sensations.
Congratulations to each of the HOLA students on a great trip and an educational experience that even though it was a mere two weeks it will provide memories and learning to last a lifetime.
The night before we left for Houston we had a farewell feast at Casa-Nica. Azure grilled pollo and bistec (chicken and steak) and we had boiled corn and garlic bread and topped everything off with sandia (watermelon). The meat was cooked on a popular type of grill in Nicaragua which is constructed from the rim of a car or truck. It is a great illustration of how recycling is a natural by-product of life in a country where you have to make-do with less resources than we often do in the United States.
Upon returning home from a trip to another country, time is often warped by the experience of being immersed in another culture. It often simultaneously feels like the trip was only a mere second that ticked off the clock but it also feels like you have had a decade of new experiences and sensations.
Congratulations to each of the HOLA students on a great trip and an educational experience that even though it was a mere two weeks it will provide memories and learning to last a lifetime.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
My experience in Nicaragua (Seth)
My experience in Casa-Nica was fun sometimes, but most of the time it was hard work. The hardest of the jobs was the zoo that we volunteered at, but we got to see some pretty cool animals. That was the only physical hard work, other than digging holes for plants at the special school. We also worked at a school helping adults and kids learn English and that was pretty fun and I got to meet some pretty cool people .On the second part of the trip we stayed at a place called El Castillo which was a fort for the Spanish. They used it to defend their territory. The only bad thing that happened in El Castillo was that I got an infected throat and an infection in my eyes. My room also had a bat in it, but other than that I met a lot of cool people and I wouldn't take back this experience.
P.S. The work I did here at Casa-Nica was very hard, but it also helped me build endurance to that kind of work and not give up after an hour of work. So I appreciate the experience now when there's a lot of manual labor that needs to be done, I won't complain as much.
P.S. The work I did here at Casa-Nica was very hard, but it also helped me build endurance to that kind of work and not give up after an hour of work. So I appreciate the experience now when there's a lot of manual labor that needs to be done, I won't complain as much.
My Work Experience (Josh)
The first few days of work were tough due to the fact that I was feeling a little sick. I had to push through the first few days, but I felt better as the days went on. The work was sweaty, hot and hard, but it did feel good after it was completed. We worked at the Nicaraguan National Zoo, a special needs school, and even a regular school. The experience doing work with the students at the schools and the animals at the zoo were both memorable and interesting. The zoo was both my favorite and least favorite thing to do. I do love animals and some of the work wasn't that bad. Most of the work was a pain though, but in the end it was worth it. The work did have an effect on me, it showed me how most of the world was, and what most people did to make a dollar. It made me think that I should do more myself instead of being lazy and doing nothing. It made an impact on me and it has changed my view on things. It makes me feel grateful for what I have back home....
Working with Casa-Nica (Azure)
The first thing our school did was work at the zoo where we saw all the animals that were being reintroduced to the wild. We also observed a caged monkey snap for a minute and scream at us. Other than monkeys there were many birds at the zoo and asll the other kinds of typical zoo animals. There were alot of mango trees, which are very common in Nicaragua. We picked up all the good mangos that were on the ground and they were cut up and fed to the other zoo animals and the bad one were raked up and thrown in the burn pile. We visited the Zoo again on Friday and we sorted bags of animal food and chopped fruit. I even saw what a cow fetus looks like from seeing the contents of the walk-in freezer. I also fed the wild hogs mangos. One thing I saw in this zoo that wasn't in an American Zoo was that some of the birds are free to roam around. The work was really hard and I know that manual labor is pretty much the only work you can get in many developing countries.
"Welcome to the Jungle" and back to Masaya
We have been on the road, river, lake and trail since last Friday night and blogging opportunities have been few and far between.
Last Friday we took the night bus from Managua to San Carlos and arrived in San Carlos at the wonderful hour of 2:00 am. Loucious had the prime seat on the bus with the overhead water drip, the window stuck closed, and missing cushioning from the bare metal seat, and a 2 hour wait for a bathroom. San Carlos is the jumping off point to catch a boat on the San Juan River to El Castillo which is a small river town in the tropical rainforest near the Indio-Maiz Reserve. We slept in San Carlos from 2:00 am to around 6:00 am on the sidewalk in front of the boat docks in San Carlos. I don't recommend sidewalk sleeping for a number of reasons but we managed and caught the river boat to Boca de Sabalos and on to El Castillo.
In El Castillo we stayed in Nena Lodge, a nice place with a balcony overlooking the river and a fan and mosquito net over each bed. It was a family place and except for the bats in Seth's room there were no complaints.
We spent Sunday and Monday on boat and walking tours of the surrounding jungle reserve, canoed and tried our luck at fishing, swam in the small jungle creeks, toured the fort that gives El Castillo its name, relaxed in hammocks, and had chocolate milk shakes in the local cafe. Life is rough in the jungle with all the milkshakes and hammocks. We even found good hamburgers.
On Tuesday morning, we caught the river boat back to San Carlos and took a ferry across Lago (lake) de Nicaragua for 14 hours back to Granada and then bused to Casa-Nica in Masaya where we started our trip.
The hot showers at Casa-Nica were just what the doctored ordered after a day and a half of boat travel.
Well, HOLA students got a welcome to the jungle and they really did have fun and games (reference for you Guns and Roses fans). Tomorrow we start back to Houston.
Later.
Last Friday we took the night bus from Managua to San Carlos and arrived in San Carlos at the wonderful hour of 2:00 am. Loucious had the prime seat on the bus with the overhead water drip, the window stuck closed, and missing cushioning from the bare metal seat, and a 2 hour wait for a bathroom. San Carlos is the jumping off point to catch a boat on the San Juan River to El Castillo which is a small river town in the tropical rainforest near the Indio-Maiz Reserve. We slept in San Carlos from 2:00 am to around 6:00 am on the sidewalk in front of the boat docks in San Carlos. I don't recommend sidewalk sleeping for a number of reasons but we managed and caught the river boat to Boca de Sabalos and on to El Castillo.
In El Castillo we stayed in Nena Lodge, a nice place with a balcony overlooking the river and a fan and mosquito net over each bed. It was a family place and except for the bats in Seth's room there were no complaints.
We spent Sunday and Monday on boat and walking tours of the surrounding jungle reserve, canoed and tried our luck at fishing, swam in the small jungle creeks, toured the fort that gives El Castillo its name, relaxed in hammocks, and had chocolate milk shakes in the local cafe. Life is rough in the jungle with all the milkshakes and hammocks. We even found good hamburgers.
On Tuesday morning, we caught the river boat back to San Carlos and took a ferry across Lago (lake) de Nicaragua for 14 hours back to Granada and then bused to Casa-Nica in Masaya where we started our trip.
The hot showers at Casa-Nica were just what the doctored ordered after a day and a half of boat travel.
Well, HOLA students got a welcome to the jungle and they really did have fun and games (reference for you Guns and Roses fans). Tomorrow we start back to Houston.
Later.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
HOLA Day 5 in Nicaragua - Sweat Is the Word
Our group has been working hard with Casa-Nica in Masaya, Nicaragua. Some of us have been introduced to the shovel, pick axe, post-hole digger, and rake for the first time and others of us had to be to be reintroduced to these implements of work. We have worked at the National Nicaraguan Zoo building simple shelters for rescued birds, constructed a garden at a local school in Nicaragua, and other smaller projects that have required a type of work that most of our students are not familiar with - the kind of work that involves sweat. Using a pick axe is backbreaking work and HOLA students are now officially introduced to manual labor.
We have also continued to work on our Spanish skills with Fran, the Spanish teacher at Casa-Nica. We have tried a variety of Nicaraguan foods - including pupusas, fried yuca and plantain, pescado, and the fritanga foods of Nicaragua. Time for us to go eat, so I will try to catch up with the blogging later.
We have also continued to work on our Spanish skills with Fran, the Spanish teacher at Casa-Nica. We have tried a variety of Nicaraguan foods - including pupusas, fried yuca and plantain, pescado, and the fritanga foods of Nicaragua. Time for us to go eat, so I will try to catch up with the blogging later.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
First Day at Casa-Nica
Airport sleeping and microwaved airplane hamburgers and hard tile floors are now a distant memory - maybe it didn't happen and it was only a dream Often travel feels like a dream and time flows differently than with our normal routines. But I am pretty sure it was no dream.
We are now waking up on Sunday morning in Masaya, Nicaragua in the Casa-Nica house. It is around 6:00 am and the town is quiet because it is Sunday - no horns, no fireworks, no bus engines - only the pigeons cooing, roosters cockadoodledoing, a few dogs barking, and few other birds chirping.
Yesterday, Josh Allsup toured the group around Masaya and we walked to the main market and everyone got a taste of the maze-like outdoor markets that are found all over the world. There is no Wal-Mart or Krogers here in Masaya. We discussed our upcoming week of service projects which start on Monday. The HOLA students will be working at the local zoo, assisting in planting a garden at a local school for special needs students, and helping Nicaraguan students learn English at another school in Masaya.
Today we are going to visit the Volcan de Masaya and do a little tourism. Our day starts at 8:00 am this morning and breakfast will be cereal, eggs, and toast.
Since dreams came up earlier here's a poem about our flight into El Salvador and its dream-like quality:
Landing in El Salvador
the upsidedown sky with
sporadic lights clustered on the ground
look like constellations below me
fallen from the sky
sinewy lines of lights
emerging from the dark ground
or maybe diamonds were dropped on the ground
and God bedazzled the whole world
Time to eat breakfast so we will catch you up this evening on HOLA's adventure.
We are now waking up on Sunday morning in Masaya, Nicaragua in the Casa-Nica house. It is around 6:00 am and the town is quiet because it is Sunday - no horns, no fireworks, no bus engines - only the pigeons cooing, roosters cockadoodledoing, a few dogs barking, and few other birds chirping.
Yesterday, Josh Allsup toured the group around Masaya and we walked to the main market and everyone got a taste of the maze-like outdoor markets that are found all over the world. There is no Wal-Mart or Krogers here in Masaya. We discussed our upcoming week of service projects which start on Monday. The HOLA students will be working at the local zoo, assisting in planting a garden at a local school for special needs students, and helping Nicaraguan students learn English at another school in Masaya.
Today we are going to visit the Volcan de Masaya and do a little tourism. Our day starts at 8:00 am this morning and breakfast will be cereal, eggs, and toast.
Since dreams came up earlier here's a poem about our flight into El Salvador and its dream-like quality:
Landing in El Salvador
the upsidedown sky with
sporadic lights clustered on the ground
look like constellations below me
fallen from the sky
sinewy lines of lights
emerging from the dark ground
or maybe diamonds were dropped on the ground
and God bedazzled the whole world
Time to eat breakfast so we will catch you up this evening on HOLA's adventure.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Airport Sleeping 101 in San Salvador
Hey everybody,
After playing "Where's Azure" in the Intercontinental airport for two hours we finally got on the road, or should I say on the sky, with all five people in our HOLA travel group. We are glad Azure found us and made the flight. Thanks to HPD for helping us cut to the front of the TSA line so we could all make our flight. From Houston we flew to San Salvador for a 15 hour layover before arriving in Managua on Saturday. We slept in the airport Friday and the San Salvador airport was actually a nice place to try and sleep on a tile floor. Airport security was very helpful in finding us a location to pass the night away. Everybody had at least a little bit of fitfull sleep while shifting from side-to-side on the not so comfy tile bedding.
We made our flight to Managua on Saturday morning and we are all lookimg forward to an actual mattress when we fall asleep at Casa-Nica on Saturday night. We are all here at Casa-Nica and glad to be at our home for the next week. More later....
After playing "Where's Azure" in the Intercontinental airport for two hours we finally got on the road, or should I say on the sky, with all five people in our HOLA travel group. We are glad Azure found us and made the flight. Thanks to HPD for helping us cut to the front of the TSA line so we could all make our flight. From Houston we flew to San Salvador for a 15 hour layover before arriving in Managua on Saturday. We slept in the airport Friday and the San Salvador airport was actually a nice place to try and sleep on a tile floor. Airport security was very helpful in finding us a location to pass the night away. Everybody had at least a little bit of fitfull sleep while shifting from side-to-side on the not so comfy tile bedding.
We made our flight to Managua on Saturday morning and we are all lookimg forward to an actual mattress when we fall asleep at Casa-Nica on Saturday night. We are all here at Casa-Nica and glad to be at our home for the next week. More later....
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Nicaragua Chautaugua - Follow HOLA to Nicaragua
HOLA students will be arriving in Nicaragua on Saturday, May 21. We will be staying at Casa-Nica in Masaya with former HOLA teacher, Josh Allsup. HOLA students will be involved in a week of community service, Spanish instruction, and learning about the history and culture on Nicaragua. Join the students, Seth Omar, Azure Rosas, Josh Snow, and the teachers, Loucious Windom and Dan Zimmerman on their Nicaragua Chautaugua.
Go to Casa-Nica.com to learn more about Masaya and Casa-Nica.
Please follow our adventure!!!
Go to Casa-Nica.com to learn more about Masaya and Casa-Nica.
Please follow our adventure!!!
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