On Tuesday we went with a professional surfer to a beach nearby for surfing lessons. Everyone really enjoyed learning but we definitely didn{t enjoy getting so sunburnt! We were on the beach for about 5 hours with no shade, which was just too much for our skin to handle!
We have gone through a lot of aloe since and spent yesterday hiding from the sun. Yesterday morning us girls walked around town and checked out all the little shops. We spent the afternoon throwing things away and trying to figure out how to pack our bags so everything fit. Last night we went to a hotel on a hill and watched the sunset on the beach, then went out to eat.
We checked out of our hotel in San Juan del Sur this morning and drove a couple hours to Managua. We{re staying in a nice hotel across the street from the airport and are just relaxing today. Tomorrow morning we{ll be in the airport getting ready for our flight back home.
Nicaragua Map
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Enjoying the Beach!
When we got to Ometepe island, we went to a pool that's fed by a spring. The water was so clear and we had a lot of fun. Yesterday morning we went to a beach on the island and swam in Lake Nicaragua. We ate lunch at the hotel and then packed up the van. We rode the ferry for an hour and then drove a little while to San Juan del Sur, which is right on the Pacific. We are all really impressed with our hotel here and excited to check out the beach today. Surfing lessons are on the agenda and we plan to spend today and tomorrow relaxing and enjoying our final days in Nicaragua. We have tonight and tomorrow night here before heading back to Managua and getting ready to fly home.
We'll see you soon!
Emily
We'll see you soon!
Emily
Saturday, May 15, 2010
We Survived the Rainforest!
We left San Carlos Thursday on a boat for Bartolo Rainforest Lodge. It was a 3'hour boat ride from San Carlos to El Castillo, where we got out and had a quick tour of the El Castillo fort that was built to protect Nicaragua from English pirates on the Rio San Juan. Then the people from the lodge picked us up in a smaller boat and it took 45 minutes to get the lodge.
It was a beautiful and relaxing place. We didn´t really have an agenda so we used our time to catch up on our journals and reading, finish our worksheets, and actually read for fun! Friday morning we left at 6 am for a 2 hour hike through the rainforest. I think we were making too much noise to see much, but we did see some cool frogs and turantulas.
Today included lots of travel time. This morning we left the lodge at 3.40 am in order to get to El Castillo to catch the 5 am boat back to San Carlos. So it´s been a long day! Some people from Self Help picked us up at the dock and we went straight to the airport, where we waited for our flight back to Managua. Willmer, our guide from Self Help, went to Managua earlier and met us when we landed. We rented a van and climbed an active volcano! Then we spent an hour back at the market in Granada that we were at last week before checking into our hotel here. Tonight we ate at an Italian restaurant and it was such a treat to have pasta instead of rice!
Tomorrow morning we leave bright and early for our drive to Ometepe, an island in Lake Nicaragua. We´re staying there tommorrow night before driving to San Juan del Sur, where we´ll be enjoying the beach and soaking in the sun until we head back to Managua Thursday night for our flight on Friday. I can´t believe we don´t even have a full week left!
It was a beautiful and relaxing place. We didn´t really have an agenda so we used our time to catch up on our journals and reading, finish our worksheets, and actually read for fun! Friday morning we left at 6 am for a 2 hour hike through the rainforest. I think we were making too much noise to see much, but we did see some cool frogs and turantulas.
Today included lots of travel time. This morning we left the lodge at 3.40 am in order to get to El Castillo to catch the 5 am boat back to San Carlos. So it´s been a long day! Some people from Self Help picked us up at the dock and we went straight to the airport, where we waited for our flight back to Managua. Willmer, our guide from Self Help, went to Managua earlier and met us when we landed. We rented a van and climbed an active volcano! Then we spent an hour back at the market in Granada that we were at last week before checking into our hotel here. Tonight we ate at an Italian restaurant and it was such a treat to have pasta instead of rice!
Tomorrow morning we leave bright and early for our drive to Ometepe, an island in Lake Nicaragua. We´re staying there tommorrow night before driving to San Juan del Sur, where we´ll be enjoying the beach and soaking in the sun until we head back to Managua Thursday night for our flight on Friday. I can´t believe we don´t even have a full week left!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Day 12: Last Day in San Carlos
Today Willmer took us back to Mexico. We were all a little nervous about making it there safely but the trip there was fine. We took the forms off the stove we made yesterday so now it just has to set a little longer before they put a chimney on it and it will be ready to use.
We also picked up a lot of garbage around the daycare center. There is really no garbage pickup here, especially not in the rural areas. So garbage just gets thrown on the ground everywhere. We picked up quite a bit and hopefully they burned it today before it blew all over again. It makes me so sad to see all the litter everywhere and I was glad we could help clean up a little, especially all the pieces of glass around the center.
Some men from the community rebuilt the little room we ripped apart yesterday. I got to help rip nails out of the boards we tore off and then a few of us got to help put the boards back up on a sturdier support. The men also put a new roof on it but Fred didn{t want us climbing on the roof so we just let them handle it.
It got really windy for a bit this morning and poured rain so we were nervous about getting stuck on the way back this afternoon but we made it just fine. They did stop and get out tools at one point. We don{t know what was wrong but they messed with something under teh hood for a few minutes and then we kept driving. We made it back safely!
We are leaving San Carlos tomorrow morning to ride a boat down to the rain forest! We{ll be there Thursday and Friday night and have to take a 3 am boat back to San Carlos Saturday morning.
I am not sure when we will have Internet next but will be sure to blog again when I can.
We also picked up a lot of garbage around the daycare center. There is really no garbage pickup here, especially not in the rural areas. So garbage just gets thrown on the ground everywhere. We picked up quite a bit and hopefully they burned it today before it blew all over again. It makes me so sad to see all the litter everywhere and I was glad we could help clean up a little, especially all the pieces of glass around the center.
Some men from the community rebuilt the little room we ripped apart yesterday. I got to help rip nails out of the boards we tore off and then a few of us got to help put the boards back up on a sturdier support. The men also put a new roof on it but Fred didn{t want us climbing on the roof so we just let them handle it.
It got really windy for a bit this morning and poured rain so we were nervous about getting stuck on the way back this afternoon but we made it just fine. They did stop and get out tools at one point. We don{t know what was wrong but they messed with something under teh hood for a few minutes and then we kept driving. We made it back safely!
We are leaving San Carlos tomorrow morning to ride a boat down to the rain forest! We{ll be there Thursday and Friday night and have to take a 3 am boat back to San Carlos Saturday morning.
I am not sure when we will have Internet next but will be sure to blog again when I can.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
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