Mom in Nica

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the blog of my mother's adventures in Nicaragua! Like all plans made here, most of our plans involving her trip didn't happen. Or at least they didn't happen in the way we thought they would. Nonetheless, we had a blast. Below I tried to capture some of our time together.

We may not have a Walmart or Target here, but we do have the colorful market. If you want it, they probably have it in some form. Want a hair cut, fresh fruit, or laundry soap? Do you want to sweat while buying it? Then I recommend going in the middle of the day when it is 100 degrees out. My mom and I did just that, but we still made it out alive with clothes, sandals, and souvenirs. And I only got disoriented and lost about four times, which I am sure is a new world record.

Other Nica-y things we did include:
Scaling a volcano to check out the crater. Ok, we didn't scale the volcano, but we did drive to the top in the mom van.

Drinking coke out of a bag while eating jacotes and watching people in the town square.

We ate food! Lots of plantains, chicken, "salad" aka cabbage, and beans.

We drank all the coffee. Nicaragua has fantastic coffee. Come down and try it out.

One afternoon (as we were drinking coffee) we planned a great lesson to teach to my students at school later that week. Minutes later we learned school was probably cancelled for the whole week due to the earthquakes we had been having. I can't tell you how upset I was. I had been so excited for my mom to meet all my students and to hang out in the classroom with them. I wanted her to see me doing what I love to do. With no school, this plan was ruined.

The next couple of days involved all the teachers scrambling around making learning packets for the students to take home and learning how to use online resources so students could do work online. During this mad scramble, my students came in to pick up their materials for the week, and my mom was able to meet most of them. Not quite what I had in mind, but it worked.

During the course of the week my mom got to meet all the people who are a part of my life on this side of the world. We hung out with my roommates and dyed eggs on Easter. We visited my Nica family and had almost coherent spanish/english/miming conversations.

We did a lot of driving. At one point the passenger side window got stuck half way down and refused to go back up, so we were able to enjoy the hot, exhaust-filled air in all its glory. We marveled at the poverty/wealth distribution. We laughed at the animals crossing the road and were thankful that it was Holy Week so the traffic wasn't half as chaotic as it normally was.

And now, to mix things up, let's hear from my mom herself. Before she returned to the States, we ordered some coffee and had a little interview. My questions are in purple.

Is Nicaragua like what you expected?

I wasn’t sure what to expect. Seeing pictures is certainly not the same as being here.

What has surprised you the most about Nicaragua?

The living conditions about some of the poorest. It isn’t anything like that in the US. 

Would you like to live here?

No. I would miss the four seasons, especially fall when the leaves change color.

What did you think about the heat?

I expected it, but what I didn’t realize is that I wouldn’t be able to cool off. There is so little air conditioning. You can't just go inside if it is really hot out.

Did you feel any earthquakes?

No! But I saw the water in the water cooler swaying back and forth, so I knew one had happened. 

What was your favorite part of the trip?

My favorite part was seeing where Bismark lives. (Side note: Bismark is my parent's sponsored child that lives in Nicaragua). My second favorite, of course, was seeing your classroom. I wanted to see where your teach. My only disappointment was not getting to see all the students.

Bismark's city

Tell us about some of the touristy things that you did.

I really liked Catarina. The view and lunch were excellent.

I liked the cathedrals in Granada. I liked the town square too because I am a people watcher. I had my first coke in a bag with a straw!

Any last words? 

I would stay longer if I could.  I will miss the sounds of this city.  I will miss the rooster and the goose who kept me company at the picnic table outside your house.  I'm going to miss your neighbors and your friends.  But most of all I'm going to miss you.  But wait . . . you'll be home in 6 weeks so now a new countdown begins.  I heard kitty misses me at home.  Don't worry kitty, mom is on her way! 

And, did anybody do the dishes while I was gone?

Thanks for coming to visit, Mom! I loved showing off my crazy city to you. Come back soon.