Saludos!

This is Ayla and Dillen, today’s LDDs!

Today we spent our time at the beautiful Somoto Canyon. After an early morning and a long – but scenic – bus ride, we made it to the town of Somoto, where we collected our gear (life jackets) and then started our hike. We experienced some of Nicaragua’s breathtaking, lush scenery and made our way to the start of the canyon. From there, we continued our hike not just on land but in the water. Although the river’s current and slippery rocks proved to be difficult obstacles, through teamwork and abundant optimism we made it all the way through. Along the way we jumped from boulders, slid down rapids, and relaxed as the current carried us through parts that were too deep to stand. We ended the longest leg of our journey with some much-needed snacks: peanut butter, crackers, and coconut cookies. Then we enjoyed a short trip in some rowboats to the other side of the river, where we continued our hike back to the bus.

On the way home we stopped at Asados Buffet in Somoto, where we were treated to delicious barbecued chicken, fried mashed potatoes, enchiladas, carmelized plantains, carne asada, and fried cheese, among many other treats. Overwhelmingly, the group came to a consensus that it was the best meal we’d had. So, with full stomachs and tired legs, we returned to Hostal Tomabú and closed out the evening with our nightly meeting. From today’s adventure, we were reminded of the beauty of nature and how important it is that we respect its natural form and make a conscious effort to preserve it.

We were fortunate to have picked today to be LDDs because it was made much easier by the group’s excitement and enthusiasm about going to the canyon. However, even though today was our Fun Day we still learned a lot about leadership, like how important it is that people work together and that you really have to stay on top of things.

(Sorry that we currently only have two pictures from today; the internet here is very slow and it’s sometimes hard to upload everything we want to.)