On our first full day in Nicaragua we were allowed to explore the city of Esteli and learn about some of the most important events, movements, and people of its past. We started out the day with a quick Culture and Safety seminar (which included a freestyle rap about not petting stray dogs) before we went out on a city tour. First we vistited Parque Infantil, a park across the street from our Hostil. Then we walked through the streets of the city, getting a sense of our new environment. The streets were very crowded with shops of all kinds, even a few recognizable stores such as Payless. DSCN6422We walked to city hall and observed the Catedral Nuestra Senora del Rosario de Esteli. Throughout our tour we observed several murals made by the community which vividly displayed the importance of history to the people of Esteli. Many of them depicted important revolutionaries, such as Augusto Cesar Sandino, while others colorfully displayed the cultural life in Esteli.

DSCN6416After Lunch Fran (our in country trip coordinator) treated us to some ice cream from a store nearby our Hostil. Later in the day we walked to a museum and were given an informative tour (special shoutout to Sam for translating). We received an understanding of how important the civil wars and political tension of the past hundred years has effected Nicaragua and its people. After diner we were able to listen to a musician play several songs from famous Nicaraguan musicians before returning to Hostil for our nightly meeting. It was a great first day in Esteli, and although some people were homesick, we were able bond more as a group. Were all looking forward to the next couple of weeks and are excited to be here in Esteli.DSCN6428