Bienvenidos to all the Parents, Friends, Acquaintances, and whomever else is reading this blog.
As we bade our farewells to Nicaragua, we are again faced with the bittersweet transition of leaving a country we have grown to love, while also anticipating with excitement the adventures ahead. As Thanksgiving rolled around and we traded in the roosters whose cockles woke us up every morning in lieu of the sea turtles of Liberia, we can´t help but feel a particular sense of gratitude this year for the incredible opportunity we’ve been given in being able to come here and for all the support we have been given along the way.
We finished up our week in Leon on Tuesday with a tiny graduation ceremony, signifying not only our completion at the Marianna Language School, but also the culmination of our formal Spanish schooling on this trip. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that all of our Spanish has improved tremendously since we left the US just two months ago.
On Saturday, we spent the morning at Spanish school, trying to squeeze in as much language instruction as we can in our short time here. Many of us decided to watch a movie at the local cinema that night, a wonderful experience not only for the thrill of watching James Bond´s quick and action packed stunts, but also for the luxury of spending 2.5 hours in a heavily air conditioned room.
We took Sunday by storm, packing as much adrenaline as possible into our day off. Ian, Scott, and Joel, being the manly men that they are, decided to attend a cock fight – which of course stars the most dignified of the clucking animals. This event consisted of 3 matches, in which a pair of chickens, with razor blades strapped on their talons, are put in the arena to fight to the death. According to Ian ¨It was an interesting cultural experience. We were definitely the only gringos there and the people there definitely noticed that. It was a good time. Very rowdy.¨
Meanwhile, Jai Alissa, Hannah, Miranda, Nick, Aimee, and I (Robin) went volcano boarding – an activity that essentially entails hiking up the newest, most active volcano in Central America, el Volcan Cerro Negro, then sledding down the volcanic ash as fast as you can on a wooden plank. Only for the most daring souls, it ranked #2 on CNN´s ¨Thrill seeker´s bucket list: 50 experiences to try before you die¨. Here´s the link: http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/play/50-thrilling-experiences-116798. (Have no fear parents, we were very safe!) Our very own Hannah Falkowski made the high score for the day, and even made their all time record board, clocking in with a speed of 72 km per hour. The day culminated with a slightly wild bus ride that left us all sitting on the edge of our seats – literally.
On Monday we took a group trip to a Museum on the Revolution. After hearing stories from the was veterans in Playa Gigante, it was interesting to further our knowledge on the subject. That night, we participated in a trivia game, put on as a fundraiser for the Quetzaltrekers.
On Tuesday we bade our final farewells to Leon, as we wrapped up our final day of Spanish school and said goodbye to our final homestay families. We went to a museum of a famous poet as well as a little art gallery. Then we packed it in for an early night, in preparation for our early morning departure Wednesday.
Wednesday was a travel day and we ventured across the border, entering Costa Rica from Nicaragua. It was a long process to cross the border but we are officially in Costa Rica, and officially have 2 new stamps in our passports.
We finally made it to the turtle sight in time for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner of chicken, string beans, and mashed potatos to accompany or regular rice and beans. We all have so much to be thankful for – we have had so many amazing experiences in these past two months and seen natural beauties beyond belief.
Lots of Love from the CAM Maya Students,
Robin Berk
Ps. Shoutout to the Berk parentals – I´m alive!