A Tour: Part One

Sometimes when I visit the States I get asked how I like living in Africa. I explain that Nicaragua is not the same as Nigeria, and that it is located in Central America, and not in the big continent across the Atlantic Ocean. Another popular question is if I live or teach in a hut. No and no. While electricity, internet, plumbing, and other modern conveniences are not 100% reliable, and certainly not up to U.S. standards, I am thankfully not sleeping on a dirt floor or hiding under a mosquito net.

My mom has informed me that I have never shown her pictures of where I live. I realized I didn't have any to show her. "What does it look like when you look outside your door? What does your street look like?" she asked. Good questions, Mom. 

Today I will take you on a picture tour of my day-to-day surroundings.

Quinta Allyson

A gated community home to gringos, Nicas, and a smattering of other ethnicities. Many NCA teachers live here, and some students do too. I live in a townhouse with two other teachers.

When I open my door, I see this:

Take a little stroll and here he is:

The rest of Quinta Allyson:

We have some other animal friends who live near by. Not shown are the oxen that sometimes try to jump in the swimming pool:

Exiting and entering Quinta Allyson:

View directly outside the gates:

The roads
Driving anywhere here is always an experience. You have to drive aggressively and be very observant to survive. You share the road with all manner of men, animals, and vehicles, most of whom follow no normal driving rules.

All the following pictures were taken this past week from my car. Not the best quality pictures, but they were taken on my main driving routes and show what I normally see as I travel to school, the store, etc.

Motorcycles:
These are a popular choice. Did you know you can squeeze a family of four on one motorcycle? Or that during rush hour motorcycles can zoom in and out of lanes and squeeze in between buses and cars?

Some of my favorite moto sightings:
Three grown men on one moto
A clown going through the rotunda on his moto
A man riding his moto with a large dog sitting on his lap like a human would
A man driving with one hand while balancing a very large sheet cake on his head with the other hand

Buses:
No matter where you go, you will get stuck behind a very slow moving bus. It might look like a school bus, but it is a regular transportation bus. They usually get a colorful makeover. The most important bus rule: a bus is never too full. You can always add more people in, even if you have to open the doors and spill out the backside.

Trucks:
Benefits include, but are not limited to: fresh air, cool breeze, you can work on your sun tan, room to move around, and you can add some plastic chairs for comfort.

Horse cart:
Not quite as fast as other forms of transportation, but you can carry all sorts of goods on top. Horse carts are common on the main roads and highways, not just the back roads.

By foot:
The roads are always filled with people. Some walk, some run, some carry things on their heads. Many like to walk slowly across the street or dart in between cars. Imagine real life Mario Kart.

Tomorrow the tour continues! Look forward to a tour of the grocery store and what you can buy on the side of the road.