I got sick when I arrived back in Canada a few weeks ago.  My body simply shut down and became sick after stopping and getting some prolonged rest.  I was sick for just under two weeks, and had lots of time to think about things.  Everything about Canada is different when compared to Nicaragua.  I realise that we have it quite good in Canada.

Some differences that are quite profound between Canada and Managua are as follows:

• No need to constantly look down while walking.  It is uncommon to find holes in the streets, or sidewalks, or protruding pieces of metal, garbage, etc.
• The amount of sidewalks in Canada – you don’t notice them until you have to do without them.
• The beautiful parks we have – not so many nice parks in Managua, and the majority are littered in garbage and dangerous at times.
• The ability to walk around at night – In Managua, it is not always wise, or safe to walk around at night.  Trusted taxis or rides from friends are preferred ways to move around.
• The vast amounts of recreation available to the masses – In Managua, we have a few choices of fun things to do – seeing a movie, eating out, drinking a beer, going to the gym, and going to swim…..that is about it.
• Availability of good cheese, meats, breads, etc.
• Availability and variety of restaurants – there are handfulls of good restaurants in Managua – but the ethnic food (Chinese, Indian, Greek, Thai, etc.) is sorely lacking
• Multiculturalism – the vast majority of foreigners in Nicaragua just there to work, or volunteer.  There is not much diversity in the ethnicity of people living in Nicaragua – In Canada that is never a problem.
• The weather – it is crisp and cool outside now in Canada – I miss 4 seasons.

These are by no means a knock on Nicaragua, but sometimes it is good to get a break, and get back to Canada in order to appreciate what I never appreciated before.  A few trips to Canada a year, can refresh and renew my outlook on life, and get me ready to contribute more effectively in my endeavours with SchoolBOX.

The fumigator came today, and fumigated the house again with some special rat stuff.  Hopefully it works, as he said it will take 7 or 8 days to see results.  We will see!

It has been a while since I have posted a blog.  It is getting difficult to find time to write about things once you get into a routine.  Things are going well in Nicaragua.  There is a lot of different and interesting working going on at SchoolBOX (www.schoolBOX.ca), and in March I moved into a new house.

This house has all the amenities that my other house did not have – windows, and 24 hours of water!

In our house we have visitors of all sorts:

• Ants
• Geckos
• Flies

One visitor that we cannot seem to get rid of are mice.  A few weeks ago I was forced to kill a small mouse.  The mice seem to be living in other houses and go through the tunnels under the houses.  This morning we found one running around the kitchen.

In the evening, we went over to the supermarket and bought glue traps, and mouse traps.  I laced these traps with delicious mango.  Hopefully the mice will find this enticing enough.  We will see in the morning if the mango did the trick.

I attended a World Series game in Managua.  It was Game 2 of the World Series, and I went with three friends.  We got the second best tickets for $C100, which translates into about $4.50.  The best tickets were $9 and they were in the open bar zone.  That seemed a little dangerous on the 35 degree day with no cover.

I must say that the game in itself was a crazy experience.  I have never seen a baseball game in Central America before.  The game itself was pretty standard, but the atmosphere was an event in itself.

I have pieced together some photos of the event so that I could do it justice

The stadium was almost full. The game started at 11am, which is quite early, but later on we would realize that it started this early, so that the crowd would not get rowdier.

http://goo.gl/Nvten

Also remember that if you become a fan of SchoolBOX on facebook, we get a $2 donation.  It is very easy to do, and it will only cost you the 5 seconds in time it takes to click this link:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/SchoolBOX/204667908062 or on the graphic on the right hand side of the page.

Thanks!

Families surrounding the truck outside of Copan

I woke up Thursday morning and headed into more villages surrounding Copan.  The povery is staggering in this region. The children usually only have one set of clothing, and are very dirty in appearance.

I accompanied Ellen, and we passed out clothes, rice, flour and candy to the villagers.  Some of the children were naked, and were clothed through the second hand clothing they received.  Local shops within the region also benefited through the sale of these clothes.  All that was given out were the leftovers from Christmas baskets that Ellen had given out a few days earlier.

I stood in the back of the truck with a local teacher, and had a fairly comprehensive talk with him.  He outlined the problems within the village, and how there was only one child who was in grade 6 this year.  The schools were being renovated, and fixed up, but other problems existed.

The families were severely malnourished.  Many families had problems with children not eating properly, and

Dennis and his two sisters.

The families were severely malnourished.  Many families had problems with children not eating properly, and there was a high incidence of child mortality at birth, along with pregnant mothers dying during childbirth.  This is a function of the villages being in the middle of nowhere.

The picture to the right shows Ellen Finn with Dennis and his two sisters.  Dennis was very happy, and showed us the school, and showed us where he sat.  His youngest sister died recently from starvation.  – unbelieveable to fathom coming from Canada.

Ellen stepped in to help families after hearing of this.  She is also starting a project for the students and community to learn other trades (other then farming).  They will build a chicken coop and have the 7th graders learn how to raise chickens and business skills involving selling and trading poultry and eggs.  This will be a big boost to the local economy, and also boost the nutrition levels of the community.

When leaving Copan, I bought a chicken for the community.  It was the only gift that I bought someone for Christmas this year, other then coffee for my family.  Hopefully this gift will help the community in the coming years.

Ellen Finn with a group of people from a village outside of Copan, Honduras

I am on my way to Guatemala City for Christmas to meet some friends.  A few weeks ago, I was doing a websearch, and came upon an organisation called Project School Supplies.  It is run by a lady named Ellen Finn from the States.

You can check out her story on the weblink above.  It is very interesting, as she was in Honduras a few years ago for a Spanish course, and fell in love with the country.  She returned home to get rid of all of her belongings and moved to Honduras.  When she returned she noticed the poor state of education and schools, and decided she wanted to make a difference.  She has been in Copan ever since.

I read her story online, and was immediately drawn to learn more about her and the work she is doing in Honduras.  I emailed her a few weeks ago, as I was heading through Honduras to Guatemala.  She immediately came back to me, and told me that she would be happy to meet with me and that it would be great to brainstorm.

I met up with Ellen yesterday, and we chatted over breakfast.  It turns out we have a lot in common, and it was great to meet someone who was working towards the same goals as I was.  The main difference is that her organisation does not have as much support as SchoolBOX.  It is basically a two person team, and they rely primarily on individual donations. They also operate out of a smaller area than SchoolBOX, as they basically help the communities that are scattered around Copan.  They also have a wider spread of services offered to the community.

Children who received christmas presents outside of Copan

She invited me to join her as we toured the community in which she has built schools.  She asked me to help her deliver Christmas gifts to the community.  The gifts consisted of necklaces for the girls, fruit chews for the boys, and small packages of rice for families.

As we drove through these remote villages, I could see the poverty.  There was no running water, and the children were wearing tattered clothes.  Some were not wearing anything at all.  You could tell by looking at the children that they were malnourished.  She seemed to know many of the people by name, and they all knew who she was.  The families were so happy about the gifts that they got.  These were most likely the only gifts they had received in a long time.  Happinness does not cost a lot.

The schools that Project School Supplies and the donors built were incredible

School with a beautiful mural outside of Copan

Pictured to the left is a school that was renovated by Project School Supplies.  It has an amazing mural outside, and the children absolutely loved it.  As we toured the schools, children heard the moto-taxi, and came running from all directions.  They were happy to show the schools, and to receive their presents.

The landscape around the schools was incredible.  Mountains, rivers, and nature were all around.  You could get lost in the surroundings and forget about the extreme poverty in the area.

This area is dominated by sustenance farming.  The people are very poor, and only have enough food for themselves.  Sometimes they are able to grow enough to sell into the markets, but most times, they survive on the food that they grow themselves.

Village children enjoying a moto taxi ride in Copan

I was drawn to the villagers, as they were so personable and happy to meet others.  They were so grateful for everything that Ellen had done for the community.

The community was really Ellen’s family.  They go to her whenever they are in trouble, and they need help.  Sometimes this can be exhausting for Ellen, but she realises how much that people are in need.  Sometimes it hurts when she cannot help everyone, and this is something I need to learn to deal with as well.

Baby chickens that are dyed and sold in markets

Today, I will go through a few more villages with Ellen.  I have invited her down to Nicaragua in the future to see the work that we do.  I believe that we can collaborate on many things, and that we can learn from each other’s experiences.  I will defintely be back in Copan to visit, learn, and to see what kind of progress Ellen is making.

I am off to Guatemala today, and I wish everyone a very happy Christmas/Holiday season.  Enjoy the time with family and friends.

*I will post another update tomorrow on my village visit with Ellen today.

Fireworks in Cantarranas, Honduras

I am spending a quiet night in Copan Ruinas in Northern Honduras.  Over the last few days, I have travelled up from Managua to Nothern Honduras, and have had a great time.

Here are some thoughts:

• The bus ride from Managua to Tegucigalpa was quite uneventful.  It left a bit late (which is the norm), and took a bit extra time then thought originally (which is also the norm).
• The police seemed baffled that the bus driver had our passports, and did not believe us.  It seemed that they have never done a check at a border before
• Tegucigalpa seemed a bit more dangerous than Managua but it actually had a town centre.  It was nice to stroll around an old centre that contained a market.  Managua is quite spread out, and you need to take a taxi everywhere.
• I went up to a village outside of Tegucigalpa called Cantarranas.  It was the village of our friend Rosmel.  They were having the last day of Carnival, and it was a great time.  Many people drinking, eating and dancing in the streets.  It was great to be in a smaller village after being in Tegucigalpa.
• The highlight of the Carnival were the fireworks.  At one point, a guy dressed in a fireworks suit was lit up and ran through the crowd shooting fireworks at everyone.  It seemed to be a big hit, but the 3 foreigners ran for their lives.  Apparently it is a fun tradition.

Carnival in Cantarranas, Honduras

• 3 buses, and 11 hours to get from Tegucigalpa to Copan Ruinas to visit Ellen Finn, who is running her own organisation that builds schools, promotes education, and helps the community.  Amazing person.  I will post a blog on this in a few days
• Honduras is signifcantly colder than Managua.  I like the temperature difference, as it is quite comfortable to sleep at night.  It helps that I am in the mountains
• I am loving the constant supply of water, and hot water showers.  It is a big difference from life in Managua.  This is what you get when you stay in hostels and hotels.  Very comfortable holiday indeed.

I will be heading up to Guatemala City for Christmas tomorrow afternoon and will be meeting some friends.  The tentative plan is to head over to Antigua next for a few days after Xmas, and then somehow head back to Nicaragua for the weekend.  I would love to head back on through the Carribean coast, but we will see how the timing works, as transport can be tricky during the holidays.

The typical taxi in Managua

Even before I left for Nicaragua, I had heard stories about the taxis in Managua.  Taxis outside of the capital, in Nicaragua are generally safe, and I have not heard many stories of any issues.  Taxi cabs in Managua have a horrible reputation for robberies and kidnappings.  Although nothing has happened to me as of yet, I have received many pieces of advice on how to proceed with taxi cabs in Managua.  I have passed on many pieces of advice to other travellers as well.

• The bus is always the safest form of transportation in Managua – especially after dark.  Taxis are generally quite safe during the daytime in Managua.  The issue lies in the fact that many buses stop running after 8 or 9pm between cities, so your only choice will be to take a taxi at night.
• If you do take a taxi, have the phone numbers of several reliable taxi drivers stored in your phone, and call them.  Reliable, trustworthy taxi driver numbers are exchanged frequently amongst the ex-pat and local community in Managua.

If you do not have a number for a taxi and absolutely need to take one (especially at night), adhere to the following:

• Do not carry bank cards or credit cards after dark unless absolutely necessary (goes for taxi cabs, and Managua in general)
• Look for a taxi with a white number plate with red stripes on the top and bottom.  These are official taxis.  An example of the license plate can be seen in the picture above. 
• The taxi plate number must also be painted on the back of the taxi cab.  This signifies that it is an “official”  taxi.
• Look for the yellow taxi sign on top of the car as well.
• Make sure that you ask the taxi driver outright what the license plate number is, and copy it down for your records.  I usually text the number to a friend just in case.  If you ask the taxi driver what the plate number is when he is outside, and he/she sees that you are copying it down, they are less likely to take advantage of you. – Taxi drivers in Managua are used to this practice and it is very common
• Some people pretend to call a friend, and give them the license plate number, and expected time of arrival
• Do not talk about how much money you make, any details on your lifestyle, whether or not you live alone, etc.
• Tell the driver that you do not want any other passengers in the vehicle with you.
• When you get into the cab sit behind the driver, so that you can easily get out should anything arise.  There are various other theories on where to sit, such as in the front seat beside the cabbie.  Use common sense and follow your own thought process if you like.
• Make sure that the door opens from the inside, as the child lock can be on, which can be another danger in getting out.
• One friend even suggested taking a picture of the driver and sending it to a friend via cell phone – This particular friend had 7 friends kidnapped in Managua this year.
• If you feel uneasy about initially getting into the taxi, do not get in.  It is not worth getting kidnapped out of not wanting to hurt someone’s feelings.
• If you feel uneasy at any point, you can ask the car to stop at a gas station, and get out.

These are just a handful of tips that I have picked up in Managua.  If you have any additional tips for taxis in Central America, please feel free to post in the comments below.

As with everything in life.  Take precautions, and use common sense.

Celebrating La Gritería in Leon!

Last week, we are given Tuesday afternoon, and the whole Wednesday off.  Most employees received this time off to celebrate one of the biggest holidays in Nicaragua:  La Griteria (apologizes for the spelling, as I have no idea how the spanish accents on the laptop work)

This was quite a confusing festival for me, but through many conversations with people and research on the web, I think I have pieced together what this festival is all about.

Basically, La Griteria is a mix between celebrating the immaculate conception of Mary, Halloween, and fireworks.  The celebration is most popular in Leon, so I headed there with a few of my friends to check out the festivities.  When we arrived, there were people crowding the streets in front of houses getting candy, condiments, instant coffee, etc.  They were visiting shrines to Mary, and screaming at those giving them the treats.  Fireworks were being lit in the streets in front of people, families, cars, babies, trees, and anywhere else there was available pavement space.  (In my neighbourhood in Managua, it is like New Years everyday – I am hearing fireworks as I type this, and it is 4:15pm on a Wednesday afternoon – and it is not dark). 

 My friends and I, joined in on the festivities by going door to door.  People would ask us questions, and we would shout something

Inspecting my gift of coffee

 back that I did not understand.  Eventually, I just resorted to “No hablo espanol”.  Surprisingly, I received extra treats for being the foreigner who had no clue what was going on.  I received gifts of a special maize corn drink, brownies, salt, and instant coffee.  All staples of a typical Nica kitchen.

As the night wore on, we eventually headed to the beach just outside Leon.  As we drove towards the beach, the shower of fireworks turned on the car.  Driving up the main road exiting Leon, children, families, and others were aiming their fireworks at the car, and also timing the explosions as we drove past.  It seemed like scene right out of a war movie.

I quite enjoyed my first taste of a Nicaraguan festival.  As I am learning, there are many festivals that take place in Nicaragua.  In Masaya, they have 3 straight months of festivals every year, and every town has their own special celebration(s).

Here is the official explanation of “La Griteria”  taken from www.vianica.com :

“…in cities and towns people start exploding fireworks and firecrackers. In the biggest cities, it gets so noisy that any uninformed tourist might think that a war has just started in Nicaragua. At midnight, firecrackers explode once again (the same happens at 6AM and 12PM, but on a smaller scale).”

“During ‘La Gritería’ Virgen Mary is also venerated. It is a celebration used by people to thank the virgin for miracles and it takes place before the official day. Faithful people decorate altars in their houses in a place were it can be seen from the street. In some neighborhoods you can find more than three altars in just one block.”

“Then, at 6PM sharp, thousands of Nicaraguans go to the streets to ‘shout’ to the virgin (the word gritería could be translated as ‘shouting’), which means visiting each altar and singing to the virgin Maria. This is basically how it is done: people hang around in groups, stop at an altar, intone traditional songs (the same as in ‘La Purísima’), house owners give fruits, candies, toys, instruments to make noise, natural drinks, and other type of gifts; finally, they move on to another altar. House owners who have placed altars wait until another group comes to sing. This is how ‘La Gritería’ is celebrated, lasting until the house owners have no more gifts to give away or until streets have no more singers.”