La fuerza de las mujeres

Working at the Casa de Niños has been a much needed breath of fresh air. I am surrounded by strong, fun and resourceful women. The organization was founded by 26 women in San Ramon following the war of the 1980s. These women saw a great need in their community and organized...since the 1980s the organization has grown to provide a variety of services. True to it’s original mission, the organization works to help children realize their value and potential. One of the children from their first painting classes, now grown, has won the national painting competition three years in a row and started a painting school in Matagalpa. The Casa de Niños even has a program for the ¨Viejitos¨(old people, in an affectionate way) every 15 days. These are the oldest of the old in community and they get together to sing, dance and do crafts. Every time I see the group I can’t help but smile and chuckle. They even elect a king and queen for the group every year. Next time they meet I am going to try to take a few photos. For now, here are a few other pictures. Above, I am standing in front of the pharmacy which was painted by some of their students.


Doña Margarita is one of the founding members of the organization and runs the pharmacy.She is incredible. Anyone that meets her can sense her strength right away. She has raised 9 children, received only a 2nd grade education, she became politically active leading citizen groups during the revolution and was just elected to be the president of the Casa de Niños. Doña Margarita readily affirms that the organization is run by women...the men working there are only helping out. In a place where women’s and men’s roles are clearly defined (women have babies and take care of them and the house) she is constantly pushing social boundaries.

The other day, Brad stopped by the pharmacy for a visit. We began discussing with Doña Margarita the importance of her new role as president. A young man walks into the pharmacy. Without pausing, Doña Margarita continues explaining that men often think that women are just there to cook, clean and have their babies. She implicates this young man in the conversation by making eye contact. This attitude, she continues, is inexcusable and she has always encouraged young women to have independent identities. In a place where Machismo is often the white elephant in the room, Doña Margarita has no fear directly addressing it. The guy looked uninterested, but at least we know he heard her!

Wilson´s Do San Ramon

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!

Donde Es Tours....Chapter 1

Last week my brothers and sister-in-law toured Nicaragua with us in tow. As anyone who knows Tyler and Jason can imagine, the visit had us doubling over with laughter. We loved it. Where shall we begin? For starters the five of us arrived in Granada on what was probably the best day of the year. Weather and action-wise. Granada was host to an international poetry festival which had attracted some of Nicaragua's most famous writers, and moreover the city had gone out of its way to make the evening exciting. After checking into a wonderful hotel that Tyler had scoped out online La Gran Francia we walked out on the famous 500 year old central square that makes Granada a major tourist attraction.

Who else is singing on-stage at the festival but none other than Carlos Mejia Godoy the most loved and renowned Nicaraguan singer, musician, cultural icon and songwriter. Not much later we had the great luck to see Ernesto Cardinal, poet laureate and renowned Latin American poet-writer, read a poem. He is aging so this may have been a once in a lifetime opportunity.

After the group had enough with the poets spraying words in a language only 1 out of the 5 of us could understand, we looked around at kiosks and tables of artisan goods, searched unsuccessfully for good cigars, and dodged a sketchy huckster named Ricardo who Jason and I have encountered in similar parasitic-like experiences. Ricardo is a fluent English speaker who hangs out in the Hotel Alhambra where he is employed - the equivalent of a cruiseboat entertainment director - wearing high-guy white shorts, green vertical stripe shirts and all. Jason and I know enough to stay away.

Right before dinner - Tyler, Jason and Michele witnessed what we could only decipher as large-scale puppets - the traditional big lady and head man puppets - doing the dirty symbolically on the main street outside of the hotel. Oh yeah, there are pictures to prove it. Tyler threw a dollar. After dinner we got to business finding a good bar and good music. We landed in Cafe Nuit to see some local acts from Managua. Sitting next to us was the lead singer from the band PerroZompopo (DogLeaf-CutterAnt), whose name is Ramon Mejia. We had no idea who he was. People just kept coming up to get pictures and signatures. Jason leaned over and said, "Well you must be famous, but I don't know who you are." Ramon's Italian girlfriend entered the conversation to resolve the international dispute. Friendship blossomed. We got Nicaragua's hottest new singer's cell number.

That night after the live music the three fearless travelers - sans Bradley and Cynthia - cruised the lake-side strip to go dancing at one of the local bars. More humor ensued, something about large beer bottles, hypnotic drinks and Tyler testing his sign-language. Everyone went to sleep content. We were all in Nicaragua together. Amazing.

Big ears around the house...

Last week, we welcomed a temporary addition to our family... Serena, or Orejona ("Big Ears") as we call her, is a 4 month old mut. She was half starved and completely covered in fleas when she arrived. Here she is recieving her 3rd bath upon arrival. With love and a little food she has transition from a sad street kid into a mischevious little - almost house broken - puppy. Although I was hesitant at first about having her, we quickly became buddies. Cyn and I have shared socks and old t-shirts which we use for tug of war. Meal time is especially exciting of course. She's dying for attention and we happily abide. It was hard to leave her at the baby-sitter for the weekend as we made our trip south to meet up with Jason, Tyler and Michele - my brothers and sister-in-law. More soon on their visit...

Casa de Nino

Today was my second day working at the Casa de Niño. Since I have cut back on my Spanish classes I have time to volunteer at a local organization. I can already tell this is going to be an excellent place to practice my Spanish. The Casa de Niño runs several different types of projects including an art and theatre school, a papermaking-recycling cooperative for women, and a natural medicine pharmacy. Right now I am working in the pharmacy, cataloguing the different types of teas they use to treat everything from skin problems to T.B. I plan on creating a brochure for them in English (a lot of foreigners stop by) and hope to work on some of their art projects. The pharmacy seems to be the heart of San Ramon...all day people are stopping by to ask questions, seek consultations, check out prices on meds, or just want to chat about the days gossip. I will definitely get a slice of small town life by working here as well as intellectually stimulating conversation. Today, the women I work with had a heated debate about machismo in Nicaragua. I did not understand everything and I really wanted to…it was very frustrating but only fuels my motivation to keep studying, practicing and listening...

Bird Nerd and The Birds

Watching white throated magpie jays eating papayas off of a tree; a baby howler monkey hanging on the back of it's mother; a skeptical crocodile slithering into the river; a hummmingbird guarding an egg in its nest next to a pristine waterfall; the flight of a blue morhpo floating through the cloud forest; spotting the illusive guardabarranco - national bird of Nicaragua; pondering for hours over the identity of a mysterious looking emerald toucannette we could only see lying on our backs; eating lunch with a kingfisher; bird-nerding by the pool at Hotel Las Mercedes; or, enamoring the beautiful trogons - family of the quetzal…wildlife-watching was definitely a theme on our recent travels through Nicaragua with my Dad and Mary Therese. (My dad likes to pick out themes for our trips. His visit with me and Brad in New Jersey last January focused on George Washington. We followed a trail of sites in New Jersey commemorating the revolutionary war and Washington's presence in the area. Although we had been living in the area for many years (of course Brad is a native) these sites had slipped from our imagination of places to see. But seeing these parts of New Jersey with a history enthusiast only added to my appreciation of NJ). Similarly, my Dad and Mary Therese's time here opened up a whole new excitement about being in Nicaragua. They are tirelessly enthusiastic about all things, from coffee tasting at SOLCAFE to the magnificence of a young waiter's slick-back hair at the Italian Restaurant; melon-watermelon fruit drinks to the volcanoes. Aside from the bounty of having time together, their visit was the prefect blend of heavy duty exploration and much needed relaxation.

We began the journey locally, in the mountainous coffee region (learning about coffee from plant to cup from Bradley and company), and hiked out to a remote indigenous community with a local guide who runs the tourism project where I teach English. While in San Ramon we had a steady stream of friends stopping by to meet my Dad and Mary Terese; they stayed in our house for three nights. After our Northern stay we headed West to Leon where we contemplated murals and international art, and studied the life of Rubin Dario and other poets. We slipped away for two days to a quiet beach-side hotel. We enjoyed the beach and the surf, Dad and Brad had a great time swimming among the waves. One afternoon we took a tour of a wildlife refuge ajoining the beach town of Las Penitas where we saw abundant wild-life including some crocodiles. Zipping along in a small boat among the mangroves was a super experience. Next we went further south - guarding the luggage in the back of our truck with certain vigilance - to the pristine crater lake of Laguna de Apoyo. Apoyo is 200 meters deep - the deepest point in Central America - and its water is chock full of minerals. We stayed for a night in a hotel, went for a hike and swam in the lake. After our Apoyo outing we made the final trip to Granada where we stayed in an old colonial home and ate both one of the best and the worst meals on the trip (or as my dad would cheerly say, "the best paella I've ever had in Granada"). Our last day was very relaxing...first we stared into depths of a live, fuming volcano and then sat by the pool in the hotel. Up to the last minute dad was bird watching, and by the end of the trip we were all converts. Despite it being incredibly sad to say goodbye, I am glad we shared this adventure together.

New Jersey-ing it up...

Over the past three weeks our house has been filled with visits from friends and family. Our visitors brought with them a curiosity that infused our day to day routine with excitement and adventure. Each visitor came with different interests and questions, bringing a fresh perspective to what was becoming 'normal'. Caity, our first friend to visit, took advantage of every opportunity to learn Spanish and wanted to know as much as possible about her new surroundings. Caity bravely went for a three day home stay in the campo during her first week to learn about lives of campesinos in Nicaragua. Maeve and Alisa arrived the following week. We set them up with some of the local tours guides that I work with at the foundation. Maeve and Alisa had much more fun with these guys than they would have with me and Brad (read: old farts). Each day, in addition to the planned excursion, they were riding on tops of buses, learning some Tarzan moves (like swinging from vines in the forest), and showcasing their knowledge of 80's music. Everyday they returned to the house with funny stories about their adventures and giggling about all that was lost in translation during the days conversation.

Our last weekend together, with some friends from San Ramon, we explored a town in the North called San Rafael del Norte, home to one of Nicaragua's legendary figures Augusto Sandino. In this quiet, mountain town we visited a beautiful cathedral and a dust covered museum for Sandino where we were introduced to an old man who met Sandino in his childhood. At sunset we headed back south and because of rain we all squeezed into the cab of the truck. We passed the hour-long ride singing our favorite 80's songs at top volume. It was good prep for our night of dancing at Matagalpa's hotspot Venancia which hosted an odd mix of salsa, cumba, and forgotten 80's tracks. We spent Sunday morning with our friend Jimmie (also a local guide) who taught us how to make jewellery with seeds. When we dropped off Caity, Maeve and Alisa at the bus station on Sunday afternoon my throat was sore from all the laughing and singing over the weekend!

One thing I am learning to appreciate about Nicaragua is it´s variety in climate, culture and landscape. New years weekend Brad and I headed to Leon, on the coast, for some R & R. Coming down from the mountains, the cool and humid climate of Matagalpa turns into blue skys and hot, dry air. In these flat lands between Matagalalpa and the southern part of Nicaragua, you begin to see some of the volcanos that characterize the country. The volcano´s power seems magnified because of the heat. The sun is overwhelming, invasive and it floods the air around you.

Reaching the coast was literally a breath of fresh air! Brad and I made to Leon in time to check into a hotel, drive to the beach, take a quick dip and watch the sunset.


Leon is a beautiful city with an interesting history of colonization, resistance and political rivalry with Granada. Leon was also home to some of Latin America´s most famous peots, such as Rubin Dario. The colonial-style architecture gives the city a unique feel. The residential streets and building facades look similar to other parts of Nicaragua. But, if you catch a glimpse inside you see a different world of bright courtyards and exquiste gardens. Here is Brad sitting inside the coutyard of our hotel (which had turtles everywhere!).



The architectural reminders of Nicaragua's colonization by the Spanish is accented by murals depicting more recent imperialism and resistance. The political commentary, some of which is directed at political figures from the U.S. , is poinent (you´ll have to visit to seem them!). Murals are everywhere around the city...here is one painted inside of an old pool at a cultural center.

Navidad en Nicaragua

We miss seeing everyone over the holidays!

Navidad here in Nicaragua was very low-key. It was refreshing (for me) not to be drowning in commercials and Christmas carols. Gift exchanges in San Ramon were very modest. The big moment of anticipation was staying up with family and friends for 12:00 midnight on the 24th. The tradition is to have a dinner at midnight and then the gift exchange. Brad and I cooked up a big pot of homemade pudding (delicious...with locally made chocolate) and gave that to our friends as gifts.

Other then visiting with friends we have not been doing much because a lot of things are closed during this week. We have been playing a lot of SKIP-BO (a card game) with our friends Alvaro and Ivonne. We have also been taking lots of walks. The weather here is absolutely beautiful...it is transitioning into spring and the air is cool, the sun is warm, and all the birds are going crazy. We might be taking a mini-trip this weekend to Granada or Leon before we pick up our friend Caity at the airport on Sunday in Managua. I am very curious about New Years eve. Apparently, (or at least from my translation), people make big dolls or scarecrow type things with old clothes which they burn for the new year.

Purisima & other odds and ends

Things remain interesting here in Nica. and the past few weeks have been busy.

We returned from an all too brief visit with the Wilson clan in Florida for Thanksgiving. We had a great time catching up with family, sharing stories, eating, sleeping, and generally being lazy. Brad and I also got to satisfy some nagging cravings (right after we exited the airport in Miami) a dunkin donuts egg and cheese bagel sandwich for me and a McDonalds burger and fries for Brad. We also relished in listening to NPR. Although the visit definitely helped refresh our perspectives on being in Nica and reminded us to take advantage of our remaining time, we had mixed feelings about returning.

When we reached Managua, we ended up in the wrong immigration line (for tourists, we have residency cards). A little frustrated, we were the last people out to the baggage claim. Once we saw our friends Alvaro and Ivonne waiting for us at the airport exit, it felt a little bit more like home. We were excited to get going; to be back in San Ramon. That was right before I went to pick up my suitcase (black with a rainbow belt around it), the last remaining piece of luggage, only to realize it was Henry Boufous fróm Chinendegaega Nica not Cynthia Gorman from San Ramon(welcome back to Nicaragua!). Identical bags...what are the odds? It took us over an hour to file the missing bag claim. The whole time I pictured Henry enjoying my newly bought American sunblock, snickers bars. We did eventually recover the bag (two days later with sunblock and snickers in tact). While this experience was a bit stressful and defiantly humorous, it was great reminder that once you are here, you just have to go with the flow.

I was surprisingly excited to eat rice and beans again.

Within the week of our return, Brad got sick and we spent two days in the hospital. He is fine now and back to his normal, energetic self.

After Brad recovered, I had an adventure of my own. I decided that it would be great to do a homestay out in the campo for a week, a great way to learn about how people in the country live, practice my Spanish, cut coffee during the harvest. I was supposed to go for a full week. Well, I only lasted two days (something about the latrines), but I did have my very first motorcycle ride! Our friend Javier drove me out to the town where I was staying. Once my heart stopped pounding in my ears and I was not paralyzed by fear (we were on a winding, mountainous road with gravel, mud, w/o helmet - sorry mom), I enjoyed the hour long ride through coffee plantations and small pueblos. We stopped at some waterfalls along the way and by chance saw a baby sloth `actively´ jumping from tree to tree for fresh leaves. Once we arrived, I stayed with a very kind family that is part of an all-womens farming cooperative. I watched them make tortillas, I cut coffee, practiced my Spanish, drew with the little kids, ate rice and beans, and asked as many questions as I could about their lives and work. It certainly felt like an adventure and I plan to return for another visit in the future.

I made it back to San Ramon in time for an interesting Nicaraguan holiday called Purisima, which is a kind of Halloween for the Virgin Mary. Those who participate go house to house and sing in groups at an alter that has been set up featuring the Virgin Mary. In return, the host gives everyone in the group a little bag of treats. Kids with backpacks, stuffed with goodies, filled the sidewalks in Matagalpa on the evening of Purisima.

Sluuuuurrrrrpppp....

We've been fielding a common question since arriving in Nicaragua. "Have you found a good cup of coffee yet?" Well, here's evidence that Bradley has been putting some of Matagalpa's coffee to the test. Pictured above is our friend Demetrius, from New Jersey, who is living and working in Ocotal at El Centro de Idiomas . Cynthia, Demetrius, Alvaro, Me and a few other friends went for an afternoon to SOLCAFE the coffee processing center run by CECOCAFEN, one of the organizations I am working with this year. Here's Cynthia evaluating coffee just brought down from the mountains.

Coffee production/farming is a very labor intensive process. Depending on how much money you have to invest and the scale of your coffee farm you can find a range of commitments to producing high quality beans. Small-scale farmers for one, commonly depend on coffee as their main source of income and invest tons of time (not so much money) in their coffee (which puts food on the table and sends their kids to school). Many of the coffee farmers I work with make somewhere between 400 and 1000 dollars a year before expenses (leaving very little for savings). Pictured below is a farmer who is pulping his community's coffee. He'll work 8 hours a day on this pulper for about 3 months. If the community had the money to invest in a machine, it would cut down on his hours incredibly. Next year they hope they earnings will be enough to do so.
Now that you have some pictures to help you...I'll just say that from the coffee bush in the mountains to the sluuuurrrp, the coffee in your cup passes through a rigorous process. Bradley is certainly not an expert taster, but I'd can honestly say, there is nothing like meeting and working with the humble men and women who have devoted years of their lives to producing the coffee we love.

Before I arrived in Nicaragua, I anticipated that my art would be a kind personal refuge in the same way it was at home. Fortunately, given my level of fluency, it has been more useful and has provided me with a great tool for communication.





Art has been one of the ways I have been able to connect with people of all ages…shared enthusiasm, interest, desire to learn new things.



Here is a picture that our friend´s son, Ramon (9), drew of San Ramon:

















Currently, I am learning from a friend Hazel (Alvaro´s sister) how to paint landscapes that are characteristic of this area:


I would like to begin doing art projects with the children of the cooperatives involved in Brad´s research. While Brad and Alvaro are doing interviews the children are usually circled around watching (for as along as they can stay quiet and still-which is not long). When they can sit no longer, they become fascinated with the other foreign element in thier pueblo, La Chelita (who knew that a parked car could provide such entertainment). Instead, I imagine bringing crayons and paper so the kids can draw the animals on thier farms, things in the forest, etc. If anyone has any ideas for art projects that require very little or natural resources please send them my way!

Vamos a ver

Before the election results were official, people in San Ramon began to celebrate. The past three days have been filled with rojo y negro (the Sandanista colors), parades, rallies and other festivities. We are living in the heart of Sandanista territory so there has been a lot of excitement over Daniel Ortega´s victory (with 38% of the vote). Boisterous caravans of supporters have been weaving through the streets during the day and evening in pick-ups and trucks stuffed with kids, parents, bother and sisters, parent, grandparents.

Luckily, the elections passed without any major problems or incidents. As they say here, it was ¨tanquilo¨. Regardless of the victor, it has been refreshing to see how seriously people treat the right to vote (the voter turnout was 70%). Young people are also more active because the voting age is 16. Despite the celebrations, I think many people were surprised that the FSLN won and not the ALN (the Liberal-conservative party). Some are concerned about how other countries (such as the US) are going to react. Others are hoping that the change in government will direct some much needed funds towards health, education and other basic infrastructure (maybe the roads will be fixed!). Most people commenting on the election results end by saying ¨vamos a ver¨ (we´ll see).

Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand...

A little Duran Duran to get the creative juices flowing. Cynthia and I are sitting at the end of a busy day, recuperating after a busy week and preparing ourselves for our first observation of Nicaragua's national election on Sunday, November 5th. Cynthia just reminded me that today was also our first day eating rice and beans for 3 meals. We are deepening our love affair with the northern highlands everyday. After a month of crazy feeding schedules, cooking experiments and some intestinal infections caused by eating out too much (so it has been diagnosed) we are breaking into the local cuisine and local markets. Our house assistant Veronica hooked us up with a local farmer who produces Yucca, Chaya (variety of small squash), and Ayote (variety of large squash). We are also buying beans and rice in bulk and venturing into the cavernous market in La Guanuca. On my recent trips into the campo (countryside) I am meeting and making friends with a lot of farmers who have gifted platanos, bananas, oranges, sweet limes, mangos and peppers in massive quantities. Cynthia and I are well stocked.

This past week gave us a bit of a scare for the first time since arriving to San Ramon. Cyn took ill and over the course of 24 hrs. got very dehydrated. We went to a clinic in Matagalpa where she was diagnosed with a digestive infection. After a night in the hospital and a few IVs Cyn was back on her feet and back to her art work. She's been taking it easy for the week and has finished her meds. She'll start back up with language school next week, but only 3 days a week from here on out. I am so proud of Cynthia, she has passed through her first (and hopefully last) major health hurdle that stares down every gringo in Nicaragua.

From the Sports News Desk, I've been playing and coaching soccer for the Pumas a local team. Last week I scored my first goal (and probably my last) and we won our first game of the season. Our team is a bit of a motley crew. This past week the coaching staff (me and Alvaro - my research partner) decided to start all the youngest players on the team (and the gringo) to give the chavalos (boys) a chance to strut their stuff. We've been having a tough time as a team because of divisions caused by big age differences among the starters. Feuds were erupting between the adults and youth on the team over practicing, drinking/smoking, and talking trash. It looks like the young guys (16-18) won their position as the starters and we'll just have to wait and see if the older guys stick around for the rest of the season. This old gringo, for one, is planning to stay and see if these young guys can make it to the finals.

We've done a bit of traveling lately in our new car (La Chelita) and with friends Alvaro and Ivonne (see picture above).

On Saturday we ventured out to an area called El Chile. El Chile is an indigenous community about 40 minutes outside of San Ramon. Getting to El Chile is a trek. The roads are not paved and you have to cross a few rivers/big streams (thanks to our manly mobile we made it without any problems). There we visited a weaving collective formed by a group of indigenous women.

La Chelita

A new addition to our life here...La Chelita. After two weeks of stress (and neglect of the blog), we finally found and bought a camioneta, or pick-up. It is a very manly mobile(big tires, no power steering). Honoring the Nica tradition of naming your automoble after your loved one, we named it La Chelita. This translates roughly to¨little, light (skinned) one¨. It is common here to have nicknames based on your appearance, for example, el gordito (fat one), la negrita (dark-skinned one) etc. So, La Chelita both suits the white color of the car and the name of Brad´s loved one.

Top 10

Top 10 favorite things about Nicargua so far (in no specific order)...

1. Maduros (fried, matured plantains. Very sweet.)
2. The Italian Restaurant in Matagalpa (nothing is better than homemade ravioli after eating rice and beans, in different combinations, at every meal).
3. Fruit, fruit, fruit...bananas that taste like apples!
4. Las Vacas (the cows). They are really cute, and its not because I´m a vegitarian. They have big ears (Cynthia).
5. The great love Nicaraguans have for American 80´s music
6. Veggie burger made from the flower of a banana tree
7. Our neighbors, especialy their daughter, Sareta who yells ¡Hola! and ¡Adios! whenever we come and go from the house.
8. The smell of clean floors (Brad).
9. The smiles of people who get rides (after a long and drawn out process, we finally bought a pick-up truck).
10. Diminutive language...Nicaraguans love to add ¨ita¨on the ends of words. There is no equivilant in English, but basically means smaller than small. So instead of saying ¨frijoles¨, someone might say ¨Frijolitas.¨
Bonus: Seeing green in October!

Catching up...

Last Friday Cynthia stayed home instead of going into Matagalpa for her class. She spent the morning with our house assistantVeronica who took her around town to buy some staples: frijoles (beans), cuajara (a type of local cheese), crema and arroz (rice). These four things, in different combinations, are used for every meal of the day. Veronica also taught her how to clean and cook the beans San Ramon style.

[Cynthia]: That morning I learned another important bit of local knowledge. Our arch enemy...the parrot, has a name. Lora (actually this is what parrots are called in Nica). And, Veronica talks to and whistles with it while she is working. This may explain why the Lora feels so comfortable making a racket and practically sitting in our living room. This is where the enemy sits for most of the afternoon (the view is looking up from the courtyard in our house) taking advantage of the sweet acoustics.

Things have been moving along here in Nica. Brad´s work is gaining momentum, while I´m perpetually frustrated by the fact that I am not fluent in Spanish immediamente! I did not realize how tiring it is to learn another language (as many of you know) because your brain is always doing double or triple its normal function in a conversation (recognizing words, figuring out the context and a response). Still, we are having lots of adventures...

[Bradley]: Lets begin with our first hike led by a friend and neighbor William. William came by the house around 8:00 a.m. to invite us on a long anticipated hike through the mountains surrounding San Ramon. San Ramon is in the base of a bowl of mountains rising up to 22oo meters. The town rests at about 800 meters. William suggested we go "up there" (pointing in the direction of a large mountain in the distance) which would only take "a little while." You know about 1-2 hour walk on a fine sunny Sunday afternoon. Well...it was the most beautiful day we've had so far. Oh, and the hike took 5.5 hours and we covered about 18 kilometers. Peter (Cyn's Dad) would've been proud.
Here's Cyn and William on the road from Ciares toward La Garita. Cyn and I weren't prepared at all. You see in Nicaragua folks who live in the campo - countryside - have a different sense of distance and time. When you ask somebody, like a local, where something might be, and they explain that its right over there, you may not understand that "right over there" may mean half a day's walk. With smiles and no particular place to be we just lugged along up to the top of Cerro Apante home to many local farming communities and a natural bioreserve. Apante separates San Ramon and Matagalpa. In fact, Matagalpa is seen faintly in the next foto.

So Matagalpa is about 8 kilometers away in this foto, abd you can barely make out the cathedral in the center right. Hiking isn't the only thing tiring us out lately. Cynthia is still pushing the envelope with her workout vids and Bradley just joined a local soccer team - The Pumas. Although Cyn's work out vids are SUPER exciting, its earthshattering that Bradley has put the cleats back on again... He started in his first game last weekend and had one assist (tie game 3-3). He played the first half in defense and moved into the center forward position in the second half. He's playing with a bunch of whipper snappers who can run...he's still recovering. Below are some pictures from the first days ceremonies - a parade of league teams (Brad's team is in black and white stripes) and a photo from the local pitch (field).

Brad's work is coming along. He was recently invited to participate in the 15th Annual Assembly of the UCA San Ramon - the local cooperative business that helps find coffee markets for its members coffee. He also facilitated the first of many youth forums bringing together 15-25 year olds from the farming cooperatives. He has been asked by the cooperative to help develop a youth-based curriculum for community service and to find a strategy for supplementing the rural education system with alternative courses. He has just started talking with the local university about collaborating. The picture below is from the elections at the UCA San Ramon's assembly. The picture is of the newly elected members of the committees which oversee the work of the directors and make all the key decisions in the organization regarding loans and repayment, technical education and outreach, and transparency. As you can see they are swearing to an oath overseen by a lawyer, municipal official and the delegates. This day was very impressive for the formality and professionalism exuded by all in attendance. A very special organization. (First on Left is a friend Harold and Third from the left is my neighbor Sebastian).

Cynthia has been busy with classes (of course) but still finds time to paint some beautiful works of art. See her below working on a new experiement in our living room. And look at the product! And bids?

We love the fruit here in Nicaragua. Everyday we eat fresh produce and drink yummy tropical drinks. Below is one of our favorites...Pitaya. Its a purple fleshy fruit from a cactus like plant. The seeds are crunchy and the flesh is like jello. The flavor is not too sweet, its the texture that is soooo good. If you make this into a refresco (refreshing drink) you might add sugar and some lime juice. Or just cut it in half and eat with a spoon!

¡A La Guanuca!

The journey between San Ramon and Matagalpa is very scenic. The road winds up and down the hills, passes by small pulperias and ‘mom and pop’ shops selling everything from gravel to guajara (a local cheese), small clusters of houses with clothes hanging on clotheslines. People come on and off the bus in what seems to me like random stops leading to no where. The road is surrounded by vibrant green mountains, sometimes engulfed by voluptuous rains clouds. Cows, sheep, goats, chickens graze by the side of the road.

Since I began my Spanish classes on Thursday, we’ve traveled into Matagalpa everyday. This will be part of our routine for the next two months. I will have one-on-one instruction three hours a day, five days a week. The classes have been great so far; I am eager to become conversant. It also gives Brad a break from my constant barrage of questions about Nicaragua and Spanish. In a place where people go with the flow, it’s also nice to have something to structure the day around.

We finally turned in our ridiculously small rental car (his name was stupid car), and have been taking the bus back and forth to Matagalpa. I’m glad we had the car for a few days so I could see my surroundings (the windows on the bus are tinted to block the sun and its hard to see outside). The ride is very bumpy because the road is littered with potholes and the buses are all school buses. Taking local transportation lengthens the journey by about fifteen minutes between San Ramon and Matagalpa because the Buses (big yellow school buses) don´t have that much horsepower. We catch the 8:20 bus to Matagalpa, which takes us to La Guanuca section of the city. La Guanuca I a reference to one of three indigenous groups in Northeast Nicaragua (Sumo, Miskito, and Guanuca). La Guanuca were the first to ethnically mix with colonizing groups, creating what Nicaraguans call güegüense or mestizaje. La Guanuca is the place where all the buses from the Northern regions come to Matagalpa so in many ways it represents the intersection of two cultures – one indigenous rural campesino lifestyle and one market urban lifestyle. La Guanuca is a mixture in a place.

From La Guanuca we either walk to the language school or take a taxi to be at the school by 9:00. Taking the buses has helped me feel more comfortable and connected. Brad usually hits the internet café or goes to the library to work for a few hours.

We are home in the afternoon. This also happens to be the time when our neighbor’s parrot is taking its afternoon recess. The parrot sits in a tree right next to our window and whistles for a few hours. It drives me crazy. Brads is trying to teach it another song.

We just recently got our stove cooking – there has been a gas shortage to go along with the telephone outage, daily brownouts, and water insecurity. Its been a pleasure to make tea and coffee, to sit and talk, and listen to Duran Duran on the computer when we have electricity. Last night we cooked up a feast of rice and vegetables with nuts and drank fresh mint tea.

Brad had an incredible meeting with a neighbor who happens to have played a key role in supporting a group of coffee workers intensely effected by the crash of the coffee prices starting in 1999. He may have told you the story about the plantones – a group of some two to three thousand people who moved to the side of the road in Matagalpa because they owned no land and had nowhere to work after the banks foreclosed on the large coffee plantations in the area. It was a desperate time for these people. Brad is trying to resurrect some of this history to include in his project. Our neighbor has agreed to help him get the project off the ground.

All is quaint and cool in San Ramon. The rains keep coming. Our only complaint is that our clothes never seem to get dry after a washing.

Ay Nicaragua, Nicaraguita!

I've been in Nica for six days and it already feels like a great adventure; its hard to choose what to write about...the first night I arrived, Brad took me to see Carlos Mejia Godoy, a Nicaragian musical legend. While I understod next to nothing during the performance, I got a glimpse of the passion Nicarguan's have for their country and shared history. The audience sang along with Carlos for the entire two hour performance. It was an incredible experience and appropriate introduction to Nicaragua. According to Brad, the concert is a rite of passage. Despite my fatigue from travelling, we stayed until the end to hear "Nicaragua, Nicaraguita."

"Ay Nicaragua, Nicaraguita,
la flor mas linda de mi querer,
abonada con la bendita,
Nicaraguita, sangre de Diriangén.

Ay Nicaragua sos mas dulcita,
que la mielita de Tamagas,
pero ahora que ya sos libre,
Nicaraguita, yo te quiero mucho mas.
pero ahora que ya sos libre,
Nicaraguita, yo te quiero mucho mas."

A beautiful song...but, I have been overwhelmed by Nicaragua so far. There is a lot to take in: new smells, sounds, colors, people. My ear is starting to get accustomed to Spanish, but it is difficult not being able to communicate directly with the people we encounter. Perfect motivation for one of my goals: to become proficient in Spanish.

San Ramon is a unique place. It reminds me a lot of Sitka because it is surrounded by beautiful, lush-green mountains. It has rained alomost everyday, which provides a nice break from the heat. The house is really neat because everything is open. We have a courtyard/ garden inside the house, so even when we are "inside" it feels like we are outside. Everytime of day has its own sounds. The roof is made of corrogated metal, so when it rains it kind of feels like you are in a big tent (which I love). All these sounds and sensations put me at ease because they remind me of being at camp, and of camping with my dad and brother. Some of my happiest memories of childhood.

Odds and ends: so far I've seen an armadillo, a very large lizard, lots of chickens, barking geckos, lots of cows and horses, and some neighborhood semi-domesticated parrots. We do not have gas or a refrigerator in the house yet, so we've been eating at the local comedors. This has been one of my favorite experiences because they are run by neighborhood moms who cook up meals for those who stop in. They love to chat and have been very welcoming. They lovingly reassure me that they will help me learn Spanish and that we are welcome in San Ramon.

Where is San Ramon?

Here's a map of Nicaragua and a link to a local resort/project near our home in San Ramon call Finca Esperanza Verde. In fact, oddly enough, the general manager of Finca Esperanza Verde, a local Nica, is our landlord.