Hello everyone this is Brandon and today we had our second and final free day of the trip. This free day could not have come at a better time than after the three days of the Community Action Project (CAP). Doing CAP was a very busy and stressful time and today we were finally given a break. Today’s free day allowed us to relax, go shopping, and explore everything else Jinotega has to offer.

We are now able to leave the hotel in groups of four which gives us an opportunity to explore aspects of the city that appeal to us. After breakfast I left with a small group and headed to the main park in Jinotega. Around this park we saw a group of a large amount of people and students of Jinotega celebrating Saint John the Baptist. There was a marching band walking down the streets of Jinotega along with a live band playing music for all to hear. In fact at 8 pm when I am writing this post, I can still hear the music playing from the park. Other people were also shooting fireworks off through the streets which added to the festivities. This celebration was very interesting to experience and I am very glad that we stumbled upon it. During the rest of our free time in the morning we went to local shops to see the craftsmanship of the Jinotegan people. During this free time in the morning other glimpsers decided to use their time to rest back at the hotel and catch up on some sleep.

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DSCF2181Then at lunch time we separated into two groups and went to different restaurants to eat. Half of us went to the comedor that we usually eat at and enjoyed a meal of either chicken or beef with mushroom sauce. The other group went the a restaurant called Casa Vieja which is also the house of our Global Glimpse Coordinator, Jasmine’s adopted family in Nicaragua. At this restaurants we ate a delicious meal of hot dogs and pizza. This was a good reminder for me of the food that I am used to eating in America.

After lunch we were given another large chunk of free time. At this time I went out again with another group to search for more shops to buy souvenirs for ourselves and our families. Then we all returned to the hotel to relax and prepare our lessons for our final day of tutoring tomorrow. After this time we walked to the comedor to eat a traditional Nicaraguan meal. In conclusion, today was a great day for all of us to have a break from our busy schedule and prepare ourselves for the last few eventful days that we have in Jinotega.