Chao, Nicaragua...Hello, USA

These last few weeks have been filled with emotional highs and lows. I said all my goodbyes to my Nicaraguan family and friends, had my goodbye parties with volunteers and staff, and packed up my stuff and headed home to the US. I think these goodbyes were much harder than most because only some, not all, know how to use a computer and/or have regular internet access. It's obviously very difficult for them to come visit me because of visa and financial restrictions, and I don't plan on returning to Nicaragua for some years now.


Saying goodbye at my favorite school, Las Minitas


Receiving my Peace Corps Close of Service Certificate from our Country Director


Peace Corps Volunteer Goodbye party in Leon


Saying goodbye to my host family from training

But the positive side of things is that I'm now back with family and friends state-side and enjoying once again the comforts of being home. While taking some time to relax and adjust these next few weeks, I will also be applying to grad schools in international development for the fall and working on finding a job in the meantime (and of course eating plenty of delicious food and spending time with people I haven't seen in years).

Overall, it was an incredible experience that I would never take back. I have memories and pictures that I will take with me always. I want to thank everyone for all their support mail, emails, and phone calls throughout (particularly those packages including food and music ;)...you know who you are!!). It's been an intense and wonderful last two years.

Managua - My Second Site

As my Peace Corps service comes to a close (on November 11, to be exact), I've tried to spend as much time in-site as possible to finish up any previous projects and try to ensure sustainability with my work before I leave. I want to make these last couple of months as productive as possible so that I can finish up my service with a bang and really feel that I've had a worthwhile two years. However, for the past couple of months, I have made more visits to Managua, the capital, than I have in all of my previous two years combined, and it could not have started at a worse time.

On one early morning in June, before the sun had even fully risen, I woke up to take an ice-cold shower and get ready to go to school. As I was towel drying my hair, I pulled a muscle in my neck so badly that I couldn't move I was in such severe pain. With the help of a few phone calls to the PC Doctors and some medication, the pain subsided within a few days and I could at least get out of bed and go back to work. However, here I am three months later and I still can't completely twist my neck to one side.

Peace Corps is therefore sending me to physical therapy in Managua twice a week for what was originally just six sessions, but have now been extended to twelve and maybe even eighteen sessions, depending on my improvement, or lack thereof. I am losing two out of five work days a week for this therapy in addition to having to travel frequently in taxis - not exactly a pleasant experience after what happened to me. I am at least now taking more precautions when I travel and am using PC-approved drivers, but the anxiety of being in Managua hasn't fully faded away.

In terms of the police case, there really has been no progress made in all this time. Let's just say the issues I've been having throughout my entire service in regards to meeting with people, punctuality, etc. are not limited to just development work. But this has been an additional stressor I need to deal with on every visit to Managua.

So what am I doing the days I'm not in my "second site"? I continue to go to school every day and try to meet with the new environmental representative in the Mayor's Office to continue with eco-group work. I do have a good story for you, though. To get to one of my schools requires a 40 minute bus ride on an unpaved road, crossing through a river (that's right through, not over) because the bridge was damaged by a storm a few years ago. Since it's been raining so much, the buses aren't able to cross because the river's so deep, but one of my student's mothers has laid out a thick wooden plank for vehicles to cross the bridge and is charging 50 cordobas (about $2.50) to cross (which I find amazing how people completely take advantage of situations). So as I was coming back from school, one of the buses decided to brave it out (or not pay C$50) and cross the river. Well, we got stuck, and I witnessed gallons upon gallons of pure diesel just flow into the river as the driver slammed on the gas to try to get the bus out. If only I had a camera. Anyway, it's times like these that I wonder if I'll miss...

Home in a little over two months!

The Nica-side of Life by Barbara Veres, PCV Guatemala

It's pretty cool to think that Carolyn and I have never lived too close to one another, but have still maintained a strong friendship based on visits and common travel adventures to ten countries, including our Peace Corps time that just so happened to begin within three weeks of each other's with a geographical distance that is not too much further than our geographical distance was back in the states (of course you're looking at an eight hour leisurely drive through the Adirondacks in the great state of New York versus a grueling sixteen hour bus ride through three Central American border crossings).

After spending a few days kicking it back on the beach with my two friends Robin and Marisha, I headed to my next destination: Nicaragua, to get a mere peek into what has been Carolyn's Nicaraguan life for almost two years.

After arriving almost three hours late from Tegucigalpa and spending the night in an over-priced (but Peace Corps-approved hotel), I was happy to finally see a familiar face after two grueling days of solo travel on bus. Carolyn had been waiting at the bus station for about two hours, since I was still able to text her to let her know I would be arriving a little late (originally just one hour, and of course leave it to Murphy's Law to have me arrive even later and not be able to text her since I no longer had service once we entered Nicaragua).

We spent the next day in the Peace Corps office in Managua for Carolyn to run some errands, and to kill the rest of the day. We had a very fachenta (fancy) lunch at a nice vegetarian restaurant, did a little bit of shopping in the nearby shopping center and even watched a movie in English, Kick-Ass, which, despite having Nicholas Cage in it, was surprisingly good. Posh Corps, anyone? Although that was my first impression of Nicaragua, it was not surprising in the least bit to see the wealth of a capital city in a developing country. Sometimes you feel like you're in a developed country until you see a cow in someone's front yard, which could be just a block or two away from a shopping center nicer than I have ever seen in the States or even Europe.

The next morning we finally started our trip: first stop, to visit Carolyn's host family from training, and then spend the night in the city of Masaya, a small city known for its artisan crafts. Unfortunately we got as far as the micro bus stop until we were left in the middle of nowhere after our "incident." I won't lie- my initial reaction was to return back to the US the following week. Carolyn and I both reacted very differently to the situation. She tried fighting back initially, I somehow remained calm, and it wasn't until after the incident that I "lost it" after arriving back to the Peace Corps office. I obviously made the decision to stay in Nicaragua, which is the best thing I could have done. I didn't want that to be my sole experience and memory of Nicaragua, because that would have just been stupid. Bad things happen everywhere- some places more than others, and if anything, this experience taught the both of us to trust our gut instincts, and that some people are just plain manipulative - but it shouldn't ruin what could be a wonderful experience.

We spent the next few days in Managua, mainly at the Peace Corps office. We had some useless trips to the police station, only to have them tell us that they would not be able to meet us again until Wednesday, since Monday was a revolutionary holiday, and Tuesday was a rest day from the holiday on Monday. Not surprising. We decided to get out of the city and go to Carolyn's town, about a four hour bus ride from Managua.

We spent the next four days in her town relaxing, processing everything that had happened and just tried to keep ourselves busy by meeting her friends, teachers that she works with, and of course her Nicaraguan boyfriend, Norvin. I really enjoyed spending time there, not only because it gave us a safe atmosphere to relax and unwind in, but also because it has been where Carolyn has been tirelessly working for almost two years with teachers in many different schools to try to alter the way people think about the environment. As an Environmental Education volunteer, Carolyn has worked relentlessly to train teachers to teach more of an environment-based curricula in the classroom, and of course trying to make it fun for the students.





It was very apparent in the concern expressed and hospitality shown by Carolyn's colleagues that she has built close relationships with them during her time in site- earning confianza, or trust, is a very important thing to get things going in Latin America, and beyond building confianza, Carolyn has also built strong friendships with her teachers.

On Wednesday morning we headed back to the Peace Corps office in Managua- neither of us slept very well that night, but luckily we didn't have any problems, as we were now being extra cautious with everything. We had originally went in to Managua to continue with the police report, but unsurprisingly, the investigator who was handling our case was not ready.

Instead of waiting around for more disappointment, we decided to try out our plan once again- and so we headed to Carolyn's training town and spent the afternoon with her awesome host family. She has spoken so much to me about them, and how she really feels that they are her second family, and after spending just an afternoon with them, I could easily see why. If Olympic-style seed-spitting wasn't good enough, I don't know what would be.







During my visit, my mom called and we spoke for a few minutes (my mom is Hungarian). Afterwards, Carolyn told me that she had told her host family that I was speaking in Hungarian to my mom, and her host grandmother said that she could understand some of what I was saying! It turns out that Carolyn's host grandmother had worked for a Hungarian family in Managua back in the 1930s and had learnt some Hungarian from them. I have traveled to nearly thirty countries and have met at least one Hungarian in almost every country- not an easy feat. Her host grandmother may have not been Hungarian, but hey... that was much cooler than actually meeting just a regular old Hungarian!

After a wonderful afternoon with her host family, it was hard to leave their endless hospitality after spending such a good afternoon with them, but Masaya awaited us. We arrived there after a thirty minute bus ride and easily found our hostel and went out for a cheap, but delicious meal of gallo pinto (red beans and rice), tacos and some other goodies. The next day we took a short trip to the artisan market where we made rounds and I picked up some pretty cool artisan pieces without going overboard (not as easy as it may sound). That afternoon we headed to Leon, through Managua, but we managed to get a bus that took us directly to the bus station that left to Leon, so we avoided having to taxi through Managua, easing our anxiety and stress.

After arriving in Leon, we set out to find the volcano boarding place we had heard so much about, only to find out that it had been booked for the next day. I didn't feel overly disappointed at first, as I wasn't sure if uncontrollably hurling myself down an active volcano was what I needed in a time of uneasiness and anxiety. Well, it turned out to be exactly what we both needed, because we ended up finding a smaller, non-profit organization, Quetzaltrekkers (www.quetzaltrekkers.com), (originally based out of Guatemala, but now with a location and tours from Leon, Nicaragua. I highly recommend this organization since the profits go to children in Nicaragua, and the staff work there on a volunteer-basis).

During the hour-long truck ride to the base of Cerro Negro, the active volcano we were to climb, we overheard the guy sitting next to me talking about being an editor for Survivor: Nicaragua that was being filmed in San Juan del Sur, one of Nicaragua's finest tourist venues. Carolyn had already been bashing it the night before, and continued to do so until two other guys, who had been intently listening, mentioned that they also worked for the show, one of whom was a producer. That shut Carolyn up for the rest of hike. ;-)




Little did they know that we did in fact have very tough nuts (see hat)...


A walk down into the crater.

The volcano boarding was nothing short of exactly what I needed. It really comes to show that being physically active reduces stress and anxiety in ways I never understood before now, and it was a good self-esteem booster in terms of getting ourselves out there and not locking ourselves in our hotel room for the remainder of our vacation, not to mention it was incredible - so incredible that we did it twice.









Despite experiencing an awful situation just days after my arrival, I could not be happier that I decided to stay and enjoy Nicaragua and get to know some important and wonderful people who have been such a big part of Carolyn's life. I would also like to thank the Peace Corps Nicaragua staff for being extremely supportive and helpful, especially to another volunteer from a different country. It really put things into perspective in terms of how supportive Peace Corps is, no matter where you are (so long as you are in the States or another Peace Corps country :-) ).

If you are interested in visiting Nicaragua, doing it with Carolyn is pretty much impossible at this point, since she is ending her service in three months - but our experience in Managua should in no way deter anyone from visiting. Nicaraguans are extremely hospitable and wonderful people, but just like anywhere, always have your guard up- even at home, where we often feel a false sense of comfort, that nothing can happen to us, whether that be your home town, or a place you have learnt to call home.

Express Kidnapping

My friend Barbara who is a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala came to visit me for what was going to be a fun, relaxing 2-week vacation for the both of us. The first couple of days started out fine but on our way out of Managua to Masaya everything took a turn for the worst.

Barbara and I were waiting on a fairly busy road at 10 AM for a microbus headed towards Masaya to do some shopping in the artisan markets and have lunch with my host family. A friendly Nica woman approached us and started asking about our travels, if we like Nicaragua, etc. She knew we were tourists not only because we're pasty white but we were carrying huge backpackers backpacks.

After waiting for about 10 minutes with no micros passing, a taxi pulled up and the woman offered to share a cab with us to Masaya with her and two other men. It's not uncommon to fill up a taxi to get a better rate so we did just that. The woman was seated in front, a man on one side in the backseat, Barbara in the middle, and me on the other side. The other man tried to enter on my side of the car to sandwich the two of us in the backseat and I told him no. Peace Corps had warned us about these kidnappings, identifying just that as a way to get the victims trapped in the car in a vulnerable position.

I immediately felt uncomfortable and told the driver to let us out at the nearest bus stop instead of taking us all the way to Masaya. As he slowed down to pull over, he made a quick right, slammed on the gas, and sped down a less-traveled road. The man who I wouldn't let in on my side was seated in front with the woman who had befriended us and jumped into the backseat on top of me to lock the doors. I tried to kick him away and escape and received numerous punches and was threatened with a knife, while Barbara kept surprisingly calm and did exactly what they told us.

From there we were told to keep our eyes shut for the entire time as we gave them directions as to where exactly we kept our valuables. We needed to give away pin #s to our ATM cards or else they threatened to harm us. We were told they would leave us with all our clothes, passports, and IDs, and that they only wanted money.

After about 20 minutes the woman was dropped off at a bank and we were kept hostage in the car. I remember sweating and being squished uncomfortably in the backseat, wondering if this was reality or if I was having a nightmare. We continued driving as she took money out of the machines (about $600 worth from my accounts) and made sure we weren't lying about our pins.

Thirty minutes later the three men finally let us off with our stuff in what seemed like the middle of nowhere on a dirt road in a very isolated location. They left Barb with 200 cordobas (about $10) to get a taxi and were told to get out of town (decency?). We took our stuff, hysterical, and walked for about ten minutes until we found a hotel and went inside to use the phone, despite having reservations that maybe the thieves were connected with the hotel owners.

In the end, money was stolen, our cameras, our cell phones, Barb's mp3 player, sunglasses, and a few smaller items. I'm not really so much concerned about the stolen items as I am with the hassle of not having a camera here to take pictures the rest of my service, for example. But more than anything the emotional scars this leaves me makes it scary every time I need to go into Managua for work or medical appointments. But such is life and I will be taking extra precautions to take secure taxis and remain safe.

Barbara and I are healing, slowly but surely. Peace Corps staff has been wonderful with taking care of us. We both have less than four months left in our service so we want to try to remain in-country and make the best of the rest of our time in Central America. We both have had so many positive experiences and relationships here as well and don't want this one event to ruin all the good we've built up. I still think Nicaragua is a great place with such genuinely kind and warm people, and I don't think this experience should change anyone else's opinions either.

Thanks to those of you who have been supporting me through this. You've all been great.

Cooking Nicaraguense - Nacatamales

Nacatamales are corncakes, similar to Mexican tamales, stuffed with rice, vegetables and meats. The dough is then wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. (A vegetarian version can also be made with oil instead of lard and soymeat or no meat)



2 cups Cornmeal
1/4 cup Lard
1 Onion, chopped
2 teaspoons of Sour Orange Juice or Lime
2 cups Chicken Broth (or other broth you prefer)
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Green Pepper, chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon Fresh Parsley
Fresh Mint to taste
Paprika to taste
1 pound Pork, cooked and cubed
2 Tomatoes, cubed
2 cups Potatoes, mashed
1/2 cup Rice, cooked
Ground pepper to taste
Salt to taste
10 Banana Leaves

Just cover the cornmeal with water, adding the orange juice and then cooking it at a low heat so that the hulls begin to separate. Then rinse with cold water, placing it in a pot and again covering it with water. Allow it to sit for 3 days, being sure to change the water every day. Once it has stood for 3 days, drain the corn and mash it. Now add half of the lard, plus some salt. Knead the mixture whilst slowly adding the broth until the dough is soft.

In a pan, place the rest of the lard, along with the peppers, onion, garlic, tomatoes, paprika, salt, pepper, mint and parsley. Then add the pork and other ingredients. Wash the banana leave and cut into 16 inch squares. Place a spoonful of dough in the center of each leaf square, then top with pork mixture. Carefully wrap and tie with string. Place the nacatamales in boiling water for about 30 minutes. Enjoy! (www.nicaragua.com/recipes)

Visit with my niece, Carolyn, from 6/30 - 7/7/10, by Aunt Frances

First of all, Carolina left NO stone unturned. She received and answered my million and a half questions prior to my arrival. Between her responsiveness and her regular blogging which included pictures, I felt very comfortable with her Peace Corps country from the moment I saw her beautiful face. She is an extraordinary travel planner and tourist guide!

My intention from the beginning was simply to be with her and share in her current life. Of course, we did that and more. The "sharing" of life part included: (no particular order intended)

1. meeting some of those closest to her (Norvin and others) as well as several school colleagues (Profesoras Mariela and Elizabeth);
2. living in her home and taking advantage of her hammock along with enjoying her own special homemade breakfasts (hot oatmeal and craisins/raisins) and, lest I forget, learning there how to dance the "bachata";
3. going to class with her (Profesora Carolina) and encountering the children she teaches in one of her schools along with observing her co-teaching a lesson on the balance of nature;
4.enjoying the children singing (for me) as well as the sharing in the "fruits of the earth" like sugar cane (cana), mangoes, and lovely flowers from the children and teachers in school;
5. experiencing with her the regular long bus rides she takes (and even one minibus breakdown);
6. enjoying some of her diet of pitahaya (dragon fruit), melocoton (star fruit with and without salt), gallo pinto, avocado, plantains, mango, and papaya (to name a few);
7. knowing "intimately" the long soaking rain walks she encounters;
8. meeting lizards, special birds, mosquitoes, a scorpion, cattle, dogs and their puppies, chickens and roosters with hourly night wake-up calls, hummingbirds, cows, goats, horses, geese, pigs, and ducks on a regular basis;
9. appreciating with her the affectionate and gracious nature of the Nica people; and
10. witnessing her sincere and loving commitment as she lives out one of her many dreams.

Remember "we did that and more?" The "more" part included: (order intended by dates of travel)

1.6/30-7/1 -- Touring her site and getting to know that area along with her friends there and at the nearby school (that is, after a short ("un poco") walk and a 4 hour bus ride from the airport on Wednesday. Thursday night we enjoyed a supper with one of her Peace Corps volunteers (Jocelyn) and her father (John). (And I won't mention how happy I was to see a taxi show up at her home on 7/1 afternoon with - guess what?- my bright green duffle bag). I must admit that I was prepared to pick it up in Managua on 7/7, and simply "do without." Did I forget to mention the night choruses that made me get the giggles every so often? The night concerts consisted of the following: lizards croaking; roosters crowing all through the night (which triggered my giggles and poor Carolyn getting less sleep); which woke up the dogs who started barking (and fighting or whatever) - not to mention waking up the next door puppies who decided to tell their mother they were hungry as only puppies can; which made the happy baby next door start crying - and all of this simultaneously accompanied by certified (as in real) local music. And, by the way, cold showers never felt so good as after a hot night with musical accompaniment and no change of clothes (except for the underwear I was grateful to find in my carry-on). It's amazing how "little things" really "mean a lot." Is that how that old song goes?

2. 7/2 - Off to Esteli for a 6am bus, (2 of which and about 5 hours later) we found ourselves roaming around after we traveled through Matagalpa. We stayed at Hotel La Meson; hungrily ate at a vegetarian eatery (my first soy hamburger with freshly squeezed orange juice - scrumptious!). In between our roaming we encountered a fascinating parade with a band and some special music. We were informed that this was the funeral procession of an important local official. Great sendoff, says me! In between, we luckily found a stop for a soda during a deluge of rain. As luck would have it, we got to see the end of the Uruguay/Ghana game, with Carolyn cheering for Ghana, and with my help, unfortunately, they lost. We were both in bed by 9PM anticipating a 4:45am wake-up which (is a frog croaking phone). A super bowl of wanton soup that night was "just what the doctor ordered!"

3. 7/3 - A bumpy, lengthy bus ride (are there other kinds?) took us all the way to the Miraflor Natural Reserve in Esteli. The incredibly magnificent nature along the route made me wonder how much more beauty there was still ahead for us. The hospitable guide and family provided us with a breakfast and lunch "to die for." I had pancakes and bananas in the morning and soymeat, beans, plantains, and vegetables for a late lunch. Here we hiked through the high and intermediate forest and eventually delighted in a waterfall swim area - (so, so, so refreshing that I can still feel it). The guide almost had to drag us both out because of time (walk back, lunch, bus departure - none of which I had any sense of). And before I forget, it was wonderful spending the week without a watch!!!

Anyhow, our host family, Luis, Martha, Luisa, and Carla were more than gracious - even providing hammocks for us to rest in while waiting for our planned bus ride that was not. We wound up receiving an invite to sit on the back of a truck instead; said "yes," and because of my age, Carolyn got the back and all the rain when it decided to fall. But, prior to our return to lunch and the uphill roads here and there, a person whom I thought was an "angel on a motorbike" came along. Rodolfo proved not to be the angel I thought he was though I was sincerely grateful for his ride. He asked me to take his picture after he dropped me off. The "more to tell" of this story is for another time. Anyhow, Carolyn and I sort of agreed that "whatever happens in Nicaragua, stays in Nicaragua." If there is interest in more detail, either of us would be happy to share.

4. On Sunday, the 4th of July, we left Esteli for Granada. Up at 5:45am, and 2 buses and a cab ride later, we found ourselves (after a bit of a walk) at the Oasis Hostel where there was free internet service, a free 10 minute call, and a lovely little pool. There we toured, visited a few churches, one primitive history museum, and attended Mass at the cathedral with Bishop Perez himself presiding. Of course, we called and talked with my Mom and my sister-in-law, Lorraine, and my brother, Jim. How wonderfully refreshing to hear the voices of loved ones! That night, too, we decided to make it our special supper at a fusion cuisine restaurant called "The Third Eye." It will be long remembered.

5. The morning of the 5th, we encountered several of Carolyn's Peace Corps colleagues, and what a treat to hear them from a distance talking about their shared excitement as I was using the internet nearby. Another pancake breakfast suited me fine (Blue Moon). Oh, and by the way, the best Nica coffee I had the entire week was made for me by Carolyn at her home, lest I forget - Selva Negra, I believe!

We left Granada for Laguna de Apoyo after boarding the minivan "that couldn't." Luckily, we were able to find a nearby cab after the first group got dropped off. Neither of us could wait to enjoy our swim in a volcanic lake (lowest point in Central America). There was such grandiose beauty there with the mountains surrounding the lake at Hotel La Orquidea. We saw more diversity of the birds and butterflies and hummingbirds there, too, on this "private" section where we swam. Had a lovely supper at La Abuela and I lost a 500 rummy game to my niece (definitely not a nice way to treat a guest, don't you think?)

5. After another giant Nica breakfast, we "trucked" with Mike (who owned La Orquidea) to Masaya as he headed off to register his 2 month old baby girl's birth there. We visited the local artisan markets most of the morning, and got a "hands on" feel for the market life there. Luckily we decided to return to the Laguna since the "monsoons" came upon us. The walk from the place where the bus left us off and our "home" is another very long story (for another time). It would be difficult for me to "get to the point" with this one, but know I had fun!

Holland wins; Carolyn lost this 500 rummy game (while it rained); and then we re-visited the laguna before the rains continued. Carolyn "made my evening" when SHE said she would like to play "MONOPOLIO" with me. Actually, I think this is really the 75th anniversary of Monopoly. And, yes, Aunt Frances won this one. !Que bueno!

6. Left Laguna de Apoyo after an all-night rain and some short loss of electricity. Another great Nica breakfast, a 9am departure, and many tears as I said goodbye at the airport.

In summary, I slept well, ate well, exercised much everyday, and cried a lot as I said goodbye to Carolyn. (Mom says it is good to cry.) If anyone has any questions, be sure to ask Carolyn about "her side of the story." I can never thank her enough for her infinite patience with my repeated questions; her exquisite travel plans created for me; her gift of helping me make my golden jubilee year one I'll never forget.

Cooking Nicaraguense - Gallo Pinto

This is my first installment of Nicaraguan recipes that I will be posting regularly on my blog. I figured I'd start with Gallo Pinto since it is the most popular dish found in Nicaragua. These recipes are meant to serve more as an educational experience regarding what typical Nicaraguan dishes are like, rather than something that's always feasible to prepare (unless you're really up for the challenge! Some of these recipes can be pretty time-consuming). I hope you enjoy!

Gallo Pinto



2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large onions – thinly sliced
2 cups cooked red beans
¼ cup water
1 cup cooked white rice

Beans: cook 1 cup of dry red beans with 6 crushed cloves of garlic and water in a pressure cooker for 15 to 20 minutes. Sauté the onion in a pot. Add in the cooked beans and water. Cook for 5 minutes at a low heat whilst stirring. The beans must remain whole. Now add the cooked rice and simmer for a further 10 minutes, still stirring.

(recipe taken from www.nicaragua.com/recipes)