Days 1 and 2 in Managua, Nicaragua

Day 1

Hola! We arrived in Managua, Nicaragua on Monday June 8th at about 12:00 CT. Our Witness for Peace(WFP) guides for the stay, Patty and Galen, picked us up and brought us to our home for most of our stay here. CEPAD is a hostel that has about 75 beds, lots of roof covered open space, a few very nice security guards, and a staff who runs and cleans the common space. The girls and boys are split into two rooms right next to each other. In each room there is a bathroom and a bed for each person. So far, everyone has slept very well despite the heat. There is a parrot in the common space here named Jeptio who can say a few things like "hola," "hello," and "aye papi."

Every meal at CEPAD is cooked for us by Blanca - a woman who has been cooking for WFP for a long time. We have had very good food so far (rice, beans, chicken, plantains, potatoes, salad, and fruit juice).

After settling in, Patty and Galen began educating us on the history and culture of Nicaragua. The political and economic history is very important in understanding the people here. Hopefully someone will write a post on this history and the huge influence the US had/has in the politics of Nicaragua, but for now I do not have the time.

The first night Todd, Jon, and I went to visit a community called Batahola, where Todd stayed last time he was here. This was the first chance we had to really talk to Nicaraguans (Nicas). The family he stayed with was so nice and patient with us; they spoke very slow and used many hand motions to help us understand what they were saying. One of my concerns in coming on the trip was my poor Spanish speaking skills, but so far I have been able to communicate when I try (Todd and Natasha have done much of the speaking when needed though).

Day 2

We woke up early, had breakfast, learned a little more, and then headed out on a historical tour of Managua. For our time here, we have a van that will take us everywhere we are scheduled to go with WFP (very nice driver Luis and it is air conditioned). Patty and Galen gave us a tour of some historical sites such as the cathedral, the old and new congress buildings, the "white house" of Nicaragua, the Peace Park, many monuments, and we ended at the site of an old Palace at Lake Tiscapa.

Most interesting for me was the Peace Park (El Parque de Paz), a park developed, in 1990, by President Violeta Chamorro (first woman president in Latin America) after the end of the Contra war. After elected she offered amnesty and money to those who would turn their guns in and cemented all of the weapons into the ground at the park as a symbol that the country would be peaceful. The conditions of the park now are disappointing. It is run down, the fountain has no water, the buildings were abandoned, and some monuments vandalized - so much for peace.

On our way to the sites I really saw how poor some of the people in the country are and what they will do to get a few cordobas (20 cordobas = 1 dollar). A woman came up to the window of our van with a small child in her hands. The windows are tinted so she, and the child, put their faces up to their windows as she tapped gently asking for one minute of our time. It was disheartening to see a woman and child needing money so bad that they were just walking through the streets asking. I know we see begging for money in America, but its not the same here. EVERY corner there is someone working for money (selling water, making grasshoppers out of the long grasses, or just asking).

Today, Day 3, we are going to talk to a woman who is a community organizer at her home and then visit a health clinic. Should be one of the most eye-opening days on the trip. Look for the next post about today (I'm sure we will all have things to say about it) and for some of the history we have learned about what role our country has played in the lives of Nicas.

Thank you for reading!!!!

Adios,
Britt