Hola, estoy en Nicaragua!

This is now my fifth day in Nicaragua and so far it's been a great experience! Since Sunday a lot has happened and so I will try to give you as much information as possible without spending my entire afternoon on the computer.

Mi casa: I live in Granada which is a 45 minute car ride from the capital Managua. It takes me about 15 minutes on the bus to get out to my school. Currently I live with two Germans, a Spaniard and an American. I have two more roommates coming this weekend. The house I live in is considered a decent place here but would probably break every code that exists in the U.S. We have holes in the ceiling yet we have a guy come to the house every week to fix things (yet to fix the roof so far, instead opts to work on a broken chair?) We have mice and all that good stuff despite having a woman come each morning to clean. We have a shower but it's more of a stream of cold, refreshing water. The water down here is safe to drink and so far I haven't contracted any diseases. We also have a fully running kitchen and a tv that has a ton of channels in English. At least I can watch the news everyday! From my experience thus far, i've come to the conclusion that Nicaragua doesn't make much sense.

Mi escuela: The school I work in is a fifteen minute bus ride from Granada. The bus costs 25 cents which to me is a pretty good deal. If you want to get an idea of what school is like here, think of your schooling and completely throw it out the window. Pretty much the only thing that is the same is that there are teachers, classrooms and students. Unlike in our schools, Nicaraguan schools consist solely of teachers and a woman who cleans and cooks rice and beans for lunch (when it is available). There are no principals, helpers, secretaries ect. Which may not seem like a big deal but it means that these teachers are truly on their own with little to no resources. The Nicaraguan government provides one teacher to seventy students. At La Esperanza, we pay the salaries of extra teachers so that there are no more than 35 students per class. You can kind of begin to understand why the education system here is so poor. From what I have seen, the children enjoy being in school and look forward to learning when they can. I was placed at my school because of my interest in sports. I've seen all of the schools and this is pretty much the only one that has enough room for kids to run around. Yesterday I played soccer with some boys. I started playing with one and next thing I knew there were twenty. Today I brought out a basketball (we have one hoop) and the kids loved it! So far, so good on that front.

Espanol: It has been difficult not knowing Spanish but each day I pick more and more up. Maybe one day I will be able to carry on a solid conversation with a Nicaraguan. I am able to pick up parts of conversations but I can by no means understand everything that is going on. Frustrating at times, but also a great learning experience. Not knowing what is going on has put me in vulnerable positions and being able to persevere despite this has given me confidence that simply wasn't available otherwise. I enjoy the challenge of figuring out what is going on...well some times.

Granada: Granada is a really neat city. I live less than a block from the restaurant and bar area which is great because I don't need to take a cab at night ($.50 per ride) which would be necessary otherwise. Lake Nicaragua is a fifteen minute walk from my house. I went down to the lake the other day with one of my friends and we came across a bunch of bars on the beach with hammocks and trees for shade. I can't wait to go down there for a day just to relax. Granada is situated between to volcanoes! One of which I believe is still active. We've made plans to hike both of these within the next couple of months as well as go to a bunch of other places around here. The city itself resembles some what that of a European city. Keep in mind though that Nicaragua is a third world country and the second poorest in the hemisphere behind Haiti. Meaning that the streets serve as a place where human waste runs down and many houses are simply shacks. I've found that I can get almost any food I want in Granada. There are two supermarkets which to us is not a lot but to these people is a wonder in itself. Right around the corner there is an Irish bar that sells everything from cheeseburgers to fish and chips. So far, I have stuck to Nicaraguan food because it is cheapest and pretty delicious.

Cordobas: Cordobas is the currency of Nicaragua. $1 is 20.90 cordobas. Best exchange rate I've ever had! I'm going to list a bunch of things and their cost so you can see how cheap things are:
Bus: 5 cordobas
Cab: 10 cordobas
Beer (1 liter): 35 cordobas
Typical Nicaraguan meal: 30 to 50 cordobas (meals are huge and one lasted me two dinners and a lunch)
Carrots: 3 cordobas

As soon as I get internet at my house I will write more posts. Right now I go between a restaurant in town that has wifi or the internet cafe. Please continue to send me emails and questions. I will try to answer the questions on the blog since a lot of you are probably wondering the same things.

I will leave you with a fun fact about Nicaragua. It is cheaper to buy beer at a bar or restaurant than it is in the store. Why? Because they recycle here! The bars keep the bottle and as in the U.S. get money when they recycle. It is ten more cordobas to buy a beer in the store than in the bar. Incentive to go out more?

Actually, since this is my first post I will leave you will two fun facts. The only thing that goes in the toilet is your waste, toilet paper not included. After you are done with the toilet paper you throw it in the trashcan. Gross but you get used to it! The sewage system here is so weak it cannot handle anything more. Aren't you glad I left two fun facts this time?

Hasta luego!