Hola mundo maravilloso!
The past few days since our arrival have been devoted to setting our intentions, building a framework for a fantastic semester, and beginning to deepen our relationships. Already the group feels like a family away from home. As the challanges of being in a new place arise, we have supported eachother.
Everyday we walk down streets we have never seen before, use a currency who’s value we arn’t familiar with, and listen to a language not all of us understand. There is so much room for our growth and it is invaluable to have such a supportive comminity in which to do so.
Masaya is a vibrant place with so much color experience. It has been a challange to balance rest and reflection with a desire to explore, but we have managed to have both. Already there is so much depth to our conversations. Our very first night we dove into discussion on the topics of power and privilege and socioeconomic status differences between countries.The lessons from our brilliant leaders have really helped to promote examining our thoughts and relating them to our experience — and our days have been full of experieces.
Most days we wake up early to fit all of our activites. On friday, we visited an artisan village called Monimbo. This place is often referred to as the ‘cradle of folklore’. It was incredible to see the skill of the artists, who use traditional methods to make everything from confections to wicker chairs. These artists often sell their work for much less than what it is sold for at the market and are looking for a way to retain more of their profit.
Yesterday, for Jordan’s birthday, we went to a spectacular crater lake called Lago de Apoyo, which Damian traslated for us to mean Lake of Support. Nestled in a dormant volcano caldera, this lake is said to be the deepest in Nicaragua. One tourist said that is hasn’t been possible to ascertain the depth because there is no known bottom! The water was warm, and we enjoyed a day spent splashing in the waves.
Knowing that there are three moths of experiances like these to come is wonderful. Next we will be heading to a smaller village, where we will begin our homestays and be immerged in Nicaraguan language and culture. Durring the next two weeks we most likely won’t be able to blog, but dont worry! If the first five days have been any indication, we will be having a great time.
Lots of love,
Caroline