Home once again

After 34 hours of travel (all in one day--Thursday August 19th was my longest day ever), we all arrived safely home (and miraculously so did our baggage). Here's a link to a sampling of my pictures from the trip. I'll probably steal some from Amy, Laurie, and Roberta as well so look for late ad-ons. Thanks for reading. Until my next trip...

And I'm back in the land of wifi...

at an airport McDonald's in Sydney. Speaking of Sydney, that's where we've been for the past 5 days. We had high hopes for our hostel upon arriving in the city, but alas, they were quickly dashed when we entered the room to find Randy sleeping and a whole lot of grossness all around us. We contemplated not showering the entire time we were there, but we all sucked it up and used the facilities. The good thing about staying in a gross hostel is that we really didn't want to spend any more time than we had to so we got up early and came in late.

We got to Sydney on Saturday morning on an early morning flight from Cairns. We checked in and walked down to the harbor to pick up our "venture cards" and transit pass that were already booked. We then figured out (or I should say that Laurie figured out) how to get to a bus pick up point that would take us to Hillsong for a worship service that evening. Their Saturday night service isn't huge (the Sunday night is the one with 3500 people) but it was a good time--excellent worship band and energetic speaker. By the time we got back to the train station that would take us back to harbor, it was rather late and we were all very tired and cold. I couldn't keep my eyes open and fell asleep waiting at the train station and on the train itself. Amy took a picture--she said I looked homeless.

We packed our first full day in Sydney by touring the Opera House, walking over to the Harbor Bridge (we didn't do the bridge climb but got the view from the pylon), going to the observatory (we got to see the sun through a telescope), and walked through the botanical gardens before going to dinner. We also got our tickets to see an opera at the opera house. When we went up to the ticket booth, we were still undecided about what we wanted to see. When the lady helping us realized that we could get a great deal ($208 seats for $50) to see "The Marriage of Figaro" she said, "Even if you HATE opera, you HAVE to buy these tickets." We couldn't say no.

On Monday we saw some more around Sydney--went to Wildworld and then took an extra long whale watching tour. It was extra long because one of our engines broke on the way back so we came back in really really slowly. We didn't have time to do anything else that day except go back to the hostel to change for the opera (no, kathy, you would not have approved of our attire), went to dinner, and saw the opera. We all managed to keep our eyes open most of the time. It really was an amazing experience--almost athletic with how they're singing. It was definitely a highlight of our time here.

On Tuesday we started out at the Powerhouse museum (which wasn't that impressive--it was their science and history/invention museum). It did, however, have an impressive 80's exhibition. It made us feel slightly old to see stuff that was in our lifetime in a museum. We were like, "Look at that cabbage patch kid! There are some tapes and a walkman!" It was a little ridiculous. We then met Nicole (a friend from camp who happens to be in the Sydney for the month volunteering at a camp) and she joined us for a trip out to the Olympic Park and a harbor cruise. We had dinner in the "Rocks" at a place that had kangaroo, emu, and crocodile meat. Laurie and I ate a pepper kangaroo pizza. Australia is an odd country in that it eats its national symbol. After dinner, and saying goodbye to Nicole, we went out to the aquarium to see the sharks. They certainly know how to do their animal exhibits here. It was amazing. We finished off the evening by getting dessert and coffee at a harbor side cafe and taking the ferry back to our train station.

Today went to Manly--another ferry ride across the harbor. We took a scenic walk that took us along beaches, up on cliffs, through an old military training post, and back into town. We had great views of the ocean and harbor. We definitely racked up the mileage today and are quite content to spend the evening in an actual hotel with clean sheets and towels and a shower and no roommates who like to make chicken and rice at 3am.

Thanks for reading this installment of "where in the world is erin (and friends)". I'll post a link to way too many pictures after we're home.

The sea was angry that day my friends

With hopes of better weather, we hopped on another boat and headed out to Green Island today. The sun was shining and it was relatively warm. However, it was quite windy and the boat ride out was just slightly treacherous. If you weren't getting run into by passengers trying to move, then you were trying to avoid people vomiting.

Once on the island we got our snorkeling stuff and went for a swim. Because of the wind, we were getting blown out to sea rather quickly and it was hard to stay where you wanted to. Despite all of that, we saw some more amazing coral and beautiful fish. I'm still not so sure about being that close to fish by the way. The highlight for everyone though, was spotting a sea turtle and swimming along with it for awhile. We were told there was a chance we would see one so we had our hopes up. For myself, after freaking out and tucking into a little ball, I relaxed a bit and was able to swim.

The rest of the time on the island was spent walking around, relaxing on the beach, and a bit more snorkeling. The boat ride back wasn't as bad as the wind had died down. We did almost leave Laurie on the island (well, we kind of did--she had to get the boat after ours) but we all met up again at the pier in Cairns.

We're off to Sydney tomorrow (at an awful hour--we're getting picked up from the hostel at 4:10am) for a whirlwind of tours and full days. If you ever find yourself in Cairns, I highly recommend the Globetrotters Hostel. It has a lovely atmosphere and we've really enjoyed ourselves here.

To the Tablelands

The 4 of us took off on a little adventure yesterday. We rented a car (it's very nice to be here with someone who has been driving on the "wrong" side of the road for a few months) and mapped out a route (thanks to Laurie) towards Atherton and the Tablelands. It's a very volcanic area (well, not active or anything) so we were looking forward to craters and peaks. In order to get there, we took Gilly's highway which wound up and around the mountain. Since I wasn't driving, it was easy to take in the beautiful scenery. I also thought how nice it would be to ride my bike up it. We pulled off the road a couple of times for photo opportunities and the first place we stopped I noticed a trail going to higher ground. I was about to go up it but then I remembered I was in Australia and feared for my life because of the number of deadly snakes that were probably lurking in the high grass. A snake bite would have ruined my day. At the next place we stopped, we saw a huge lizard (a goanna). That confirmed my fears about hiking anywhere. Amy and Laurie were getting too close for my comfort and Roberta reminded them that we were not in a zoo. If the animal got agitated and came toward us, we were supposed to duck down because it would climb the highest thing in sight. Thankfully we did not have to take such measures.

We stopped at Lake Barrine on our way to Halloran's Hill (a lookout point) and then on to see the crater and waterfalls at Mt Hypipamee national park. It was great to drive around and see some things other than a city. On our way back, we pulled off the side of the road before we entered the area of light pollution so we could see some stars. Roberta pointed out the Southern Cross and the Milky Way was very visible.

Overall, it was a splendid day.

Another full day

So today we woke up early to meet our bus that would take us to the Freshwater Train station where we would start our journey up to Kuranda in the rainforest. The scenic railway winds up the mountain past waterfalls and what should have beautiful views of Cairns. However, it was another rainy/cloudy day and visibility was a bit limited. On the train we heard about the construction of the railway and all the history behind it.

Once we arrived in Kuranda, we took a walk through rainforest, visited the market, and went to a butterfly sanctuary. Butterflies kept landing on me--they must realize my new appreciation for the animal kingdom. Or maybe I was just standing still too long.

To get back down the mountain, we took the skyrail--a gondala ride through the canopy (again, more lovely views of fog). Our guide did tell us to look for a crocodile that she often sees sunning itself out on log as we went over the river. She was right--it was there. We decided being 200ft up in the air was a safe enough distance to see a crocodile in the wild.

Our last stop on the tour today was an Aboriginal cultural show/presentation. We saw dancing, learned how to throw a boomerang and spear, listened to playing of the didgeridoo, and learned about the history of the aboriginals in Australia and how, like all indigenous peoples, were enslaved or killed and robbed of their land.

We're all currently hanging out at the hostel watching some tv and reading and relaxing. I think we'll sleep in tomorrow. We don't have anything really planned tomorrow but we're hoping to see the sun.

"The Dropoff!"

The majority of today was spent quoting "Finding Nemo". Amy, Laurie, Roberta, and I took a boat out to the Great Barrier Reef. The weather was not the best--cloudy and rainy--but we had a great day nonetheless. It took about 2 hours to get to the reef, but once there we snorkeled off a small island (Michaelmans Island I think). We saw many fish--small and big but the reef itself was stunning. Being wary of swimming in the ocean near live things, I was a bit nervous most of the time. The water was also relatively shallow where we were so I had to try hard not to kick any of the coral. The temperatures weren't too bad, but I was slightly concerned about hypothermia. The wind and rain made things just unpleasant enough.

After lunch on the boat (a delicious buffet where I had prawns--the eyes freaked me out), we took a ride on a semi-submersible to get a closer look at the reef. That was very cool--we saw some different types of coral we hadn't seen and several different types of fish. Again, the pictures that we took can not do what we saw justice.

Cairns is a much smaller town than Brisbane and is right on the beach. It's hot and humid here which is a nice change from the cool dry temps in Brisbane. I can stop wearing the same long sleeve shirt that I've been wearing for the past week. We're also enjoying hanging out with Roberta since that hasn't happened in forever. We have another full day tomorrow--something cultural I think--and I'm looking forward to it.

"We're going to the show..."

"but not just ANY show, the mother of all shows." This is the comment we heard from a mom on the train on the way to Ekka. We really weren't sure what Ekka was exactly but it's only in town for a week or so, so we thought we better check it out. It turns out Ekka is kind of like a combination between the Harrisburg farm show, Roots market, and an amusement park.

We saw farm animals (and of course petted many of them--Amy accused me of becoming an animal lover on this trip). We watched part of a horse competition, a motorcross demonstration, and a band competition. We walked through all the exhibition tents sampling meat and fruit and salmon. We also wandered through the "showbag" building. It's like the arcade without any of the games and only the prizes. People buy bags of stuff from all different kinds of vendors--candy, clothes, sports, food, and pretty much anything else you can think of. There were a ton of people everywhere and obviously a popular family event.

Now we're off to Cairns where we'll be hopefully in warmer weather and lots of time on the beach.

A day on the Gold Coast

After figuring out the best way to get to the Gold Coast, we figured out what train to take. That was the easy part. We had a few little issues with the bus to the actual beach, but eventually got on the right one (or at least one that took us to a beach) with the help of a few drivers and the guy at the train/bus station. We're at a real disadvantage with never having to take public transportation ever.

We ended up at Burleigh Head beach which is on the Gold Coast. It's a bit farther south than the more touristy beaches (Surfers Paradise) but it was well worth the trip. The air temperature was probably in the 70's today but the breeze made it a bit cold. Laurie and I went for a swim--the waves were great but the current was a bit too strong for my liking. The water was also cold but not unbearable. There were many surfers along the shoreline and we just enjoyed an afternoon of lying on the beach and soaking it all in. Yes, mom, we wore sunscreen.

We also came across a little state park area which had a couple of kilometers of hiking trails along the shore and up into a rainforest-like area. We had some great views of the Pacific and coastline.

The bus and trainride back were uneventful except for a massive amount of soccer or rugby fans that had just left the stadium and flooded our train. Both teams were well represented--seas of orange for the Queensland team and gold for the Gold Coast team. I'm not really sure who won but the gold fans seemed a bit happier. There were several groups of people bursting out in their team's songs. Funny, I don't ever experience that after leaving an Orioles game...

We have one more day in Brisbane tomorrow but our flight out to Cairns leaves around 6pm. We'll finally meet up with Roberta and I'm looking forward to our next stop in Australia.

Visiting continent number 6

Hello from the future and "down under"! We've been in Brisbane for a few days now and this is the first time I'm posting--sorry about that. The jet lag is getting better--I'm able to stay up past 8pm and not wake up until after 7am. The traveling here went quite smoothly--a train to philly, a plane to LA, another plane to Auckland NZ, another plane to Brisbane, and a bus to our hostel. Needless to say, we were exhausted. Our accomodations are okay--I mean, it's a hostel. We're in a very central part of the city and it's very walkable. We're right along the river and they have a great cycling/running path along both sides. It's been nice to go out for a run in the mornings. It's kind of chilly however in the mornings and especially when the sun goes down.

Yesterday we spent the morning walking around the botanical gardens in Southbank and then took a tour to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. It was unlike any kind of zoo that I've ever been to because there were very few fenced in areas or the areas that were fenced in or had walls were kind of low so you really could get close to the animals. The kangaroo and emu enclosure was huge and you could just walk around and pet things. I was waiting for one to attack. They didn't. Amy and I held a koala--they have large claws but are very soft and look like stuffed animals. Of course we have many pictures. I'll have to wait to post those until I get home however. We also we to the Mt. Coot-tha lookout in the late afternoon and got a good perspective of Brisbane and just how large it is.

We met some Tazmanians (they were on this tour with us) and they asked if we like shows. We were kind of perplexed at the question but said sure, thinking like Broadway shows. We learned that a show is kind of like a country fair. We're going to attempt to go it tonight as it only runs for a week or so.

As for today, we spent it walking around Brisbane and doing some shopping (there's an artisan's market on the weekends). It's been relaxing and a good day overall. We're hopefully going down to the gold coast tomorrow to check out the beaches there. It's a two hour bus ride and we're still figuring out where and when to get those. I'm sure we'll figure something out.

Thanks for reading and I'll hopefully post again soon.

Biking in CA

If you're interested in reading about my family trip in Lake Tahoe click here.

The start of summer 2010

Another school year has ended (and a good one it has been) so that means that my summer traveling plans have begun. This past weekend, my friend Tanya and I spent three days on the Loyalsock Trail. We planned on doing about 38 miles of the 59 mile trail but hiked 42 miles due to some directional challenges. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for hiking and the company was was pretty great too.

On day one we started off on what we thought was the right direction but when we passed mile marker 20 (we started at 22 and were supposed to be counting up) we realized we hiked for about an hour in the wrong direction. The trail guide told us that the section we were planning on hiking that day would take us 12 hours so we were a bit concerned about getting into camp late after hiking 4 miles out of our way. However, Tanya and I hiked like it was our job and did 10 miles before lunch and then finished the last 6 to get us into camp at 4pm. We definitely celebrated with some "celebration stew" and biscuits for dinner and were asleep before the sun went down.

Day two was a little less strenuous but tired legs from the day before caused us to hike much slower and we took frequent breaks and a long lunch. We hiked 12 miles to World's End State Park and checked in at the park office since we had already reserved a campsite. However, when we learned that our campsite was another mile from the office, our look of despair must have caused the park rangers to have pity on us and we got a ride to the campsite from Ruth, a lovely retired teacher who volunteers with the Alpine Club and helps maintain the trail.

We decided to change our plans a bit on day 3 and make it to "the haystacks" to play in the water and then camp instead of getting there on sunday. It was a hot afternoon and the water felt great. We took advantage of various photo opportunities and lounged on rocks. We ate our last dinner (more biscuits of course with a hamburger stew) and hiked the last two miles to Tanya's car and came off the trail a night early.

It really was a great trip--one of the best backpacking trips either of us have ever had and a great way to start the summer for me. Now my legs can rest for a few days before they tackle cycling in the Sierra Nevadas with my brother and dad.

Pictures

Click here to check out ALL of my pictures from the trip. I'll be adding more once I get them from others. Enjoy.

Things I won't miss

1. Mosquitos
2. Putting on deet to protect me from #1 (which I'm pretty sure can cause neurological damage)
3. Dogs barking/chasing me as I run
4. Wearing the same clothes for a long period of time/"washing" clothes and not feeling like they were so clean
5. Not snacking between meals

And the things that I will miss? That list would be rather lengthy. Pretty much everything else I got to see and experience and all the people that I met over the past month. I'll work on pictures tomorrow. Just letting you know that I'm home safe and sound.

The end is near...

I can't believe that I only have one more full day here in Nicaragua. This month has flown by. However, at this point, I can say that I'm ready to be home. This really has been a great experience--I think I would stay longer if I was living with a family and volunteering somewhere in the community in addition to taking more classes (maybe next summer--he he). Nicaragua is a beautiful and very safe place. I've been able to meet some great people, improve on my spanish, and see so many things that I didn't expect.

Here's the report from my last weekend here: On Saturday I spent the day in Grenada--a beautiful colonial town but it was a bit too touristy for my liking. I know that I am a tourist and will always look like one no matter how hard I try, but we have gone to so many places that are not tourist filled that it felt weird being around so many other foreigners. Unfortunately it rained most of the day or was at least cloudy so the views of the lake and surrounding volcanoes were a bit obscured. We did head out on Lake Nicaragua on a small boat and got a tour of the isletas--many of which were owned by the ridiculously wealthy. There was a very small one for sale for only $100,000 if anyone is interested.
Today was a bit of a lazy day. I finally got to take a horseback ride up to the ridge behind Volcan Masaya. The view from up there was amazing and despite having to be on a horse, all was well. This afternoon I studied a bit of the subjunctive (no, I don't think I'll ever get it or use it correctly) and treated myself to a pedicure. It cost $5. You wouldn't believe how gross your feet could get in a month here. Currently I'm sitting out on the terrace enjoying a beverage and lamenting the end of Le Tour and the fact that I didn't get to watch any of it. Que lastima.

I'm looking forward to talking to all of you in person and I'll be sure to post pictures as soon as I can. What a month. It will be a shame when this place gets to be well known...I'm glad I came when I did.

I can't think of any title for this post at all...

Today is Wednesday. It's my last Wednesday in Nicaragua. This week has been a little tough. It started with the leaving of my "family" for the past 3 weeks. I guess when you're in a situation like one is in at a place like the Mariposa, it doesn't take long to get to know the other people you're around. In my case, the Winter family and Jean were exactly what I needed while traveling by myself for the first time. I felt included by them pretty much instantly and had a great time doing whatever--whether it was a weekend in Ometepe, our normal Wednesday night out for pizza, riding in the microbus, or just hanging out on the terrace. So when I had to say "hasta luego" to Jean on Sunday morning and to the Winter family at 4am on Monday, it was hard. Their presence here has definitely been missed this week. Things are a little quieter and the microbus is a little less crowded. Actually, I went to bed at 7:52 on Monday night partly because I didn't sleep well the night before, partly because I got up at 4am to say goodbye, and partly because I just didn't have my friends to talk to anymore. But...as with all things, Tuesday was a new day. I'm enjoying the company of the people that are still here and still having a blast here in Nicaragua.

On Monday afternoon, our group had salsa and meringue lessons with Bergman (teacher, guide, and dancer extraordinaire). I only dance in foreign countries so this was no exception. I still have no rhythm, but I have a great time trying. And it is much easier when you're dancing with someone who can lead you. However, while we were practicing, my main partners were 2 adolescent boys (the sons of Marybeth--Marybeth and I are the only 2 females here at the moment so we were in high demand for dancing). And before you ask, no, there are no videos or even pictures from this event. Sorry. Your imagination will have be just fine for this one.

Yesterday we visited a pina finca (pineapple farm). The particular farm that we went to is owned by a very nice family who told us about their farm and the whole process of the pineapple "industry". I'm a little bit embarrased to say that I assumed pineapples grew on trees...obviously not the case. I also learned that it takes about 18 months for a pineapple to grow and you can get about 25000 plants on one acre. A pineapple plant lives for about 5 years. The pineapples here sell for about 5 cordoba (20 cordoba = $1) and sometimes farmers can only get 1 cordoba for them during the times of year where there is too much supply. The only people eating Nicaraguan pineapples are Nicaraguans because they aren't able to export them. The product, however, is amazing. We ate a pineapple that was picked right off the plant--I've never had such a sweet piece of pineapple. It was also slightly warm as it was out in the sun. We also sampled some fresh pineapple juice which was also sweet and delicious.
Today has been kind of low-key--classes this morning (I started the subjunctive tense), a charla on the religion in Nicaragua this afternoon, and pizza tonight for dinner. I'm looking forward to my final days here with a Saturday trip to Grenada and a horseback ride along the ridge on Sunday. I continue to be amazed at the beauty of this country and the friendliness of every person I've met. People are very patient with my spanish and don't laugh at me too much. However, I would be laughing at me often--I'm sure I sound ridiculous. I'll try and post again after the Grenada trip, but am looking forward to telling you these stories in person. Thanks for taking the time to read these.

The 19th of July

I have never experienced anything like I have today. The 19th of July marks the day of victory for the Sandinistas. Today is the 30 year anniversary of that. It seemed like everyone was heading into Managua for the celebration and I have never seen that kind of national pride. In the States, we have more pride for our sports teams and schools than we do in our nation. As we headed into Managua, it looked like the telephone poles had a new coat of red and black, every car, van, bus, dumptruck, motorcycle, and taxi was filled with people and sandinista flags were flying everywhere. The streets were crowded, the bombas loud (and often), and the temperature was extremely high. We made our way (10 white people and Bergman--we stuck out just a bit) into the main plaza where the festivities were taking place. We got as close to the main stage as possible, but were still pretty far away. The people around us were "muy sandinista" as Bergman's daughter put it and were very excited. When they played a sandinista song, every single person was singing along. Hands were raised high, flags were flying, and the people were cheering as one. We stayed in the main plaza long enough to hear the beginning of Daniel Ortega's speech (and no, I really have no idea what he was saying but it was just cool to say that I heard him in person) and then found some food and more water and shade. We didn't stay too long just because it was really too hot and too crowded. However, I'm glad I had a chance to experience something like that--it was one of those times like, wow, how did I get to see something like this?

Sorry about the lack of photos. I'll post a link to all of my photos when I get home. It just takes too long to upload them here. Only 8 days left. I could definitely stay longer.

How did this week fly by so quickly?

I can't believe that's it's Saturday already. I've been having some computer issues and connection issues that has kept me from updating this as often as I'd like. Now you'll just have to read what is likely going to be a shorter summary of what I've been up to this week.

This past Tuesday our group had the opportunity to visit the Panama school. Panama is a very small poor town about 20 minutes from the Mariposa. A community of people live there without water. It takes about a half day to walk to the nearest water source and most people do this twice a day. In the winter (now), enough rain falls that people can get the water they need by collecting it as it runs off their roof. However, in the summer, there's no way they can live without making the trek to get the water. Many children don't go to school because their day is spent getting water for the family. The Panama school itself is small but better equipped than I was expecting. We observed a 1st-ish grade class for a bit and the students were happy and eager to participate. The class size here is much larger than classes in the majority of the US. The Mariposa has kind of partnered with this school and community and has donated many supplies to the school like children's books and notebooks, crayons, markers, pre-school materials, and also sponsors some children so they are able to pay for their uniforms and bus fare. Because there is no water available, the school has had some issues with bathrooms. A well-meaning group of women (generally wives of the people working in embassies) have helped with building a cafeteria and also built some very nice looking toilets. However, the toilets they provided require water. The Mariposa then provided the funds for a latrine to be built but did not have the money for walls. Therefore, children don't want to use the pit bathrooms--they do have a lovely 360 degree view of some very nice land though. Anyway, World Vision is providing the walls and actually they should be up by the end of the month. A note on World Vision--I've seen their presence here in a variety of communities, but Paulette (owner of the Mariposa) is not a fan because of what she sees as the lack of actual work being done here. When we left the school, we went a bit farther into the community and went to a shop where women worked to make goods out of paper. Several of us purchased necklaces, bracelets, and baskets made from old phone books or magazines. Panama has several obstacles to overcome (namely the water issue and the fact that nothing grows there because of the sulfur from the volcano), but with the partnership of organizations like the Mariposa and World Vision, things can only improve.

This week I also had the opportunity to visit two schools in San Juan (the town just down the road from the Mariposa where most of the teachers here live). We went to the primary school first and the first thing I noticed was the noise. It was the day before a day off, but it was just ridiculously loud since everyone can hear what is going on in everyone else's classroom. The kids were very cute and think it's funny when an extranero comes and visits. The average class size here was 35-40 kids. I can't imagine trying to control everyone. Then we went over to the secondary school. Class sizes there were even larger--60-70 kids in a room. Kids are just packed into the rooms but seem to be engaged. It will make me think twice when I complain about anything that's going on in my school with my 25 kids and tons of materials and technology.

We ended the week with a fiesta partly because it's fun to have a party, but mostly to celebrate the Winter family and Jean. They are all leaving this weekend (so I'll be without my pseudo family the rest of my stay here). The party was a blast. I guess it was a typical Nicaraguan party--everyone sat in a circle (students, teachers, workers, cooks...everyone came) and eventually we starting dancing (after beverages were served of course). I have a dance lesson on Monday so I was dancing my own steps but was having a blast. It's always fun to dance with people who know what they're doing and don't care if I look like a fool. For anyone who has seen me dance, you know that I look like a fool most of the time. And it always seems that I only have the opportunity to dance when I'm in a foreign country. Oh well.

On Saturday we went to the beach. I swam in the Pacific Ocean for the first time and it was great. However, I did not re-apply sunscreen like I should have and am paying the price today. Sorry, mom. I don't know when I'll learn. We spent most of our time in the water--the waves were great, the undertow wasn't terribly bad, and the water was clean. Dad, there were no lifeguards and you would have had a blast.

So overall things are great. As far as the spanish is going, well, it's going. I feel like I'm understanding more (as long as people speak slowly) and I'm a bit more confident with what I'm saying. In the conversation part of class this past Friday, I bored my instructor with an hour and a half of talking about the Tour de France. I learned lots of new cycling related words though. I have 6 more classes in spanish and I hope they go well.

See you in a little over a week!

If anyone has been worried about me losing my life...

Sunday would have been the day to do it. We (Gary, Sally, Ian, and I--Jean spent the day relaxing and studying spanish which might have been the better choice) climbed Volcan Concepcion. It's only 1600m or so, but it was a very difficult climb. Gary, Sally, and Ian, who live in Oregon, have a lot of experience with climbing various mountain and volcanoes. I have never climbed a mountain unless you count my ascent of Half Dome last summer. I have done some physically and mentally taxing things in my life, but Sunday's climb may take the cake.

We met our guide and started out the road that led to the trail. The road itself was slightly uphill but relatively flat. However, our pace was ridiculous and I was dripping sweat in the first 15 minutes.

When we hit the actual trail, it got very steep very fast and stayed steep pretty much the entire time. In addition to being steep, it was very rocky and often required using our hands to help us up and over various obstacles. It was some of the hardest hiking I've ever done. On the way up, we again heard the howler monkeys and quickly made our way past that point and into the clouds. During the winter (now), the top of the volcano is obsured by clouds. However, in the summer, it's generally clear. We knew that once we reached the top we wouldn't be able to see anything, but we still wanted to say that we did it.
Our guide kept urging us onward especially when we wanted to break for a snack. We tried to make it to the halfway point before eating something, but we caved early. Once we did make it to the halfway point, things seemed to get harder. We had been in the clouds and wind and it was getting cloudier and windier. Now instead of being soaked with sweat, we were soaked with mist and rain. Sally made the tough decision to stop at this point because she wasn't feeling well (I don't think any of us were feeling great except for our mountain goat-like guide) and Ian stayed with her and they headed down to try and find a more protected spot to wait for Gary and me as we pushed on towards the top.
The next 30 minutes or so were ridiculously hard with the wind practically blowing us off the mountain and the trail becoming extremely steep and wet. I often thought that this was insane and that I shouldn't even be up here in the first place. However, we got to a level point and which the guide told us that it was only 10 more minutes to the top. We practically crawled up this last part, hugging the side of the mountain because the wind was so strong. We stopped about 10 feet from the top (it was in sight) because the guide said it was dangerous. And when HE thought things were bad, you knew they were. He also made some comment about not wanting us to get blown into the crater. That might have ruined the hike if that would have happened. We posed for a picture, my bandana was blown off my head, and we made the slow descent to safer ground.
It didn't take long to reach the spot where Sally and Ian were camped out and we were glad to be all together again. We hiked down a little farther and Gary and I had some sandwiches and cookies and then we made our way down out of the clouds and into the sun once again. Coming down was extremely painful and my quads have not recoved yet. I'm pretty sure I haven't been this sore since I ran in a marathon. Both Sally and Gary (mountain climber extrordinaires) promised me that when I come out to climb mountains with them in Oregon that I will not fear for my life. One volcano climbed...hopefully many more will be as well.

A weekend in review

Now that I'm back from the island of Ometepe, I can tell you all about it. However, I'd like to back up to Thursday night. We spent the afternoon/evening in Masaya where we spent time in two markets. The first one had some touristy things but when we got out of that area, they also had normal things that a market would have like food and clothes and lots of shoes. Things were cramped but it was fun to walk around and see everything that was for sale. We then headed to the "tourist" market which was much higher priced even though the items for sale were exactly the same. However, that market was more spacious and things were clearly marked (and there was no food for sale)--I guess you pay for that convenience. Later in the evening we had dinner and watched folkloric dancing. We had a great time with excellent food (we all had a massive amount of meat) and a very entertaining dance contest.

On Friday after our classes, Sally, Gary, Ian, Jean, and I headed to the island of Ometepe. We were driven to the ferry, took the ferry to the island, and then took the bus to a hotel where we were staying. All in all, it took about 6 hours to get there. Ometepe is an island made up of two volcanos and is located in Lake Nicaragua. On the shore where we stayed, there was a constant breeze and it was pretty much delightful. We ended up staying in two different hotels because the first place we stayed at (which is said to be the best on the island) only had room for us on Friday night. It was a great place with excellent food--it felt like we were on vacation.
Saturday was beautiful and we walked/hitched a ride on the back of a truck to a place that had a bunch of petroglyphs and checked out all the rock carvings. The petroglyphs are pre-columbian and they are scattered throughout the island. We noticed smaller ones being used as doorstops and as decoration. We walked back to the hotel via the beach in time to move our bags two hotels down the street where we stayed on saturday and sunday night. After getting settled and having lunch, we decided to walk down the road in the opposite direction to check out "El ojo del agua". It's a pool of water that supposedly has healing and restorative powers to it since it has many volcanic elements in it. You'll have to decide if I look 10 years younger or not. Healing powers or not, it was very relaxing. The water was clear and cool and deep enough to swim around in. The rest of the afternoon was spent reading and relaxing and preparing for Sunday's adventure.
On Sunday, we climbed Volcan Conception (the higher of the two on the island) and that story deserves a post of its own so that's what it will get. Since we were all pretty much exhausted after the climb, we had some dinner and went to bed. We took the 5:30 bus from our hotel to catch a ferry (which we missed so we ended up taking a boat and I'm glad I'm not a person who gets seasick) and then were picked up and driven back to La Mariposa. We were all less than excited to have classes this afternoon, but we survived.
Ometepe is a beautiful place (and was recently in the running for being included in the 7 Natural Wonders of the World) and I would gladly visit again.

A little over one week down...

Time has really gone quite fast here so far. However, there are other times that I think I've been here forever--especially when I'm talking with the other group of people that are here and I think I've known them for several years. Overall, things have been going very well--the spanish classes have been good (however definitely don't expect me to be fluent anytime soon since it takes me about 8 years to form a complete sentence), the food is excellent--lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, the people are amazing--it's an easy place to get to know people well in a short amount of time, the landscape is beautiful--I love looking out on a variety of volcanic peaks every day, and I'm learning a lot about the history and culture of Nicaragua. I'm very much looking forward to the rest of my time here.

Due to some internet issues and afternoons full of activities, I am a bit behind on what I've been doing here. On Tuesday we went to a nature preserve called Chocoyero. There are more national parks/preserved pieces of land than I expected here. We hiked a loop that took us past a variety of trees and other vegetation. Bergman, our teacher and guide (he really knows everything about everything), pointed out many birds, insects, and types of plants. As we walked we could hear the howler monkeys high up on the mountain--thankfully during winter, they seek refuge from the mosquitos in the higher elevations. The sound they make is quite terrifying and I really had no desire to see them up close. We ended up at this large rock face where the chocoyero lives (it's a type of bird--kind of like a parrot I think). Their nests are these holes in the rock and they fly in and out of them very quickly. It was cool to watch.
Yesterday we had a relaxing day with classes in the morning and a discussion on Nicaraguan history before 1900 in the afternoon. I also did some laundry. I've decided that if I didn't use a washing machine on a regular basis, I would wear a lot less clothing during the week. I would also rewear things more than I do now. Yesterday also marked the first real storm that I've experienced while here and it's currently raining now. It's not bad, but it makes drying clothes, very difficult. Last night we had our usual dinner out at a pizza place in San Marcos where they were televising some soccer matches from the Copa del Oro. The two teams playing happened to be the US and Hondoras--a bit ironic considering the current politcal situation.
I don't have time to post pictures at this point but hopefully I'll be able to next week. This weeked I'm heading to the island of Ometepe (supposedly a beautiful place) where we'll be relaxing on the beach and climbing a volcano. It should be a 10 hour hike or so. Of course, I'm looking forward to it. I hope all is well with you and that you're enjoying reading these.