Mom and Dad Wilson (Becky and Frank) recently visited us here in Nica, completing what has been a whirlwind tourism season for Tus Hijos (formerly Tus Hermanos) Tours. Sign up for your tour by contacting our hotline - prices are rising so call soon.
For about 10 years I have been coming back and forth to Nicaragua. Now after all these years my parents got a taste of what keeps me coming back. No, not the coffee. Cynthia and I had a great time introducing Mom and Dad to some of our favorite people and places. We started our trip walking the streets and boating through the isletas in Granada, then took the plunge in Laguna de Apoyo. After a humorous trip north listening to David Sedaris tell stories about his own family, we arrived in Selva Negra, just in time to take a tour around the coffee farm which first sparked my interest in rural development. After many years of hearing stories about Mausi Kuhl (my host in La Hammonia 8 years ago), my parents finally had a chance to meet face to face. The next morning we took off for San Ramon, linking up with our neighbor Sebastian and his younger brother Marvin to tour their coffee farm La Hermandad.
)
The introductory photo and the photo above were taken in La Hermandad (The Brotherhood) an 80 manzana farm 20 minutes outside of San Ramon. In the picture of the boys you´ll see from left to right Alvaro Izaguerre, Marvin Mairena, Bradley, Frank and Sebastian Mairena. It was really special that my parents visited the farm because our neighbors have become very close friends of ours and also they are one of only a few success stories I have come across in my research. La Hermandad is a cooperative farm business composed of 10 family members and 8 community members. Living through a time of great hardship (war, usury, little income) in the 1990s they were able to buy and develop their coffee farm into a beautiful business employing up to 15 permanent workers and 80 temporary harvesters. My Dad and Sebastian chatted business with me translating. Really fun.My parents commented on the range and depth of the experience that they had in Nicaragua, from the time in Managua and Granada to the mountains of San Ramon. Everthing fell into place. And in such a short time. You´d be surprised to know that we had 4 full days to cover all the ground which we covered!
2 comments:
Hi Brad, Cynthia
Great blog...lovely pictures. Where did your Dad get those "pants"?
Your Mum, sorry Mom was over showing us the pictures...looks fab.
Catch up when you get back in the summer.
Paul & Chrissy Mackay (Mom's neighbours!).
I´m posting on behalf of Becky...
Brad is correct. It was a whirlwind tour. Brad and Cynthia were great hosts! We certainly got a taste of many sides of Nicaragua and have passed on tales to many friends. One that made us proud was the command of the Spanish language that Brad had attained. He is so fluent he could joke with people and translate while he was listening. You would have thought he could be Nicaraguan. Except for the hair, height and blue eyes!! And Cynthia in 6 months could jump in and help translate when two or more conversations were going on.
We´re glad that our family through research, written articles, and a friendship have kept our family connected to such an interesting country.
MOM
Post a Comment