Hola Familia y Amigos!

It’s GG Leader Cyndi again, this time writing the blog under the hat of the Lider del Dia (LDD). I modeled this job for the delegation today, but starting tomorrow the Glimpsers will be taking turns filling this role, so get excited for some student voices soon! The students had the opportunity to sign up for their preferred day this morning, and woke up extra early (many of them before our 7:00 am wake up call!) because they were so excited to make their choice.

For desayuno this morning we had our first taste of gallo pinto (beans and rice), a major staple in Nicaraguan cuisine. We also had fried plantains (many of us asked for seconds of these!), cheese, and crema. After breakfast we had a mental warm up where we learned a little about the history of Esteli and read some background information about our Guest Speaker, Ivan Torres (more on him later).

Our lovely PCs then led a Culture and Safety Orientation, during which we learned important information that will help us stay safe in our new environment. Some tidbits included caution when crossing the streets or in crowds and not to pet the stray dogs– no matter how cute they may look! After the seminar, we ventured outside of our hotel’s gates and into our new community for the first time. We spilt into two groups for our city tour and half of the Glimpsers went with PC Christa and me and the other half went with PC Belkis and GGL Melissa. We visited the Museo de Historia y Arqueologia where we learned more about Nicaraguan and Estelian history, saw many of Esteli’s famous street murals, and visited a nearby 16 de Julio plaza to view the Catedral Nuestra Senora del Rosario. We were also able to see some safe restaurants, cafes, and bakeries students can visit on their free day, as well as shops where they can purchase souvenirs. At the end of the tour, our PCs surprised us with a trip to a heladeria and everyone was treated to an ice cream cone! My group made it back to the hotel just in time to hear a downpour start outside, but Melissa’s group wasn’t as lucky and got stuck for a few minutes in the rain! They arrived back at the hotel a few minutes later with some wet clothes and huge smiles. They changed into dry things quickly and we had an awesome chicken, rice, and vegetable lunch here at Hotel el Chico.

Later this afternoon, our Guest Speaker, Historian Ivan Torres from La Casa de Cultura came to teach us more about the history of Esteli. He brought displays that highlighted the lives of some of the young Sandanista heroes that he fought alongside with during the revolution. It was incredibly touching hearing his story and seeing his admiration for his friends who lost their lives fighting on the streets for what they believed in. Our Glimpsers made us so proud by engaging with Don Ivan and asking sincere questions about his experiences. The students are starting to venture out of their comfort zones and I’m confident they’ll continue to grow because of it.

Tomorrow, we have a new Lider Del Dia, Anya, who will be writing the nightly blog to update on the fun activities we have planned for the day. We all loved reading the comments that our families left on this blog, so feel free to add as we go!

Buenas noches!

Cyndi

Half of our group in front of a brand new mural (it was just completed last month!) painted by Estelian teens.

Don Ivan Torres y PC Belkis

Our Glimpers listening to our Guest Speaker

Esteli’s symbol, the “Shaman de Esteli.”

La Catedral Nuestra Senora del Rosario