Sarah's Adventures in Nicaragua Part Two

(Read Part One if you haven't already)

And the adventure continues:

4. School

I told my students that Sarah was coming to visit them way back at the beginning of the year, so the excitement had been building for a long time. They also knew that she was bringing new books and focus balls (exercise balls) for them to sit on in class. Basically they were dying for her to get in the country and visit them. Because their sense of time is still a little off, they have been asking me at least once a week for the past two months if that day was finally the day. "When she comes, can we hug her?" they wanted to know. The answer was yes, so Sarah got many, many hugs early in the morning when she came to school.

The rest of the day was a blast as she read them a story that she picked out especially for them, and gave them all little gifts to go with it.

It was the day before Thanksgiving, so we made Thankful Trees using our handprints.

We like to pose for pictures on holidays:

My favorite quote from that day: "I just realized there are two Miss Eberly's in our class today!"

5. Selva Negra

Up in the mountains of Matagalpa, this coffee plantation and nature reserve is by far my favorite place in Nicaragua. It is gorgeous. One adventure we had was an early morning nature tour. I took a couple of notes, and learned some fabulous information that I am sure you are dying to hear.

• Coffee started in 1797 in Nicaragua after slaves from Haiti brought it into the country. 
• Water vines are a good source of water if you find yourself lost in the jungle, however they only grow one millimeter a year.
• Many insects that don't have camouflage roll themselves in leaves for protection. 
• Hummingbirds eat mostly insects, not nectar. 
• At Selva Negra, the biggest predators are pumas, tapirs, and lemurs. 

I could go on, but I can see Sarah rolling her eyes at me. I'll just show you more pictures instead.

We heard and saw a beautiful toucan, but I couldn't get a picture of it. Instead, enjoy looking at that very large tree.

This place is perfect for reading and relaxing. It is also cold, so you must bring a sweater, which is a nice change from the Managua heat.

Other Selva Negra adventures included:

Goose attack

The goose

Emily hiding from the goose

Horseback riding

Me stalking a hummingbird for a half hour to get a good picture

Sarah and me going photo crazy

6. Last and final adventure: Sarah meeting my Nica family
I stayed with this family almost eight years ago on one of my first trips to Nicaragua. We stayed in contact while I was in the States and thankfully we get to see one another in person now. Introducing them to Sarah was something I had wanted to do for a long time.

All in all, Sarah in Nicaragua was a success. Come back soon, Sarita!