Hey friends and family, this is Emily Huang reporting our 10th day in Esteli, Nicaragua! It’s incredible to think that we have finished our 10th day already; we have gained so much experience and knowledge through our activities. Today, we got to experience life on the farm and was even able to milk goats and cows.
This morning, we woke up at 5 am (gasp). After our 5 am wake up call, we all trudged to the bus half-awake and very tired. But it was all worth it. Our bus ride to the farm took approximately an hour (which most of us used to catch up on sleep). The farm, otherwise known as La Garnacha, was absolutely breathtaking. La Garnacha was incredibly lush and green. The amazing plant life was stunning. The workers at the farm warmly welcomed us and allowed us the honor of working alongside them and understanding the history of their farm.
Along with being a natural reserve, La Garnacha had one of the most amazing views of the 14 volcanos shared by Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras. Since it was a cloudy day, we were not able to get the full experience. The worker there told us that every year, many people come during November and September to see the volcanoes — apparently this is one of the best times of the year because of the clear skies. After that, they showed us one of their rich fields, which contained numerous plants and vegetables. During this tour, we learned that La Garnacha grew and sold organic vegetables to numerous businesses and restaurants in Nicaragua. In addition, our group learned how the farm grew from only having one or two sales to having over 300 sales in the past 16 years.
Working in the farms was truly a one-of-a-kind experience. The glimpsers were able to peel coffee beans, feed goats, and learn about fertilizer. Along with our work in the farm, we had the option to drink a nice warm coffee (made from their own beans) or drink soothing lemongrass tea (which was also grown in the farm). At 12:00 pm, our group enjoyed a delicious lunch made by the wonderful people at the farm.
After lunch, we traveled back to our hotel and worked on our CAP (community action project) presentation. The principal from the school of Santa Cruz visited us to see what we had come up with. Our whole group had a blast presenting and collaborating with her about the project. At around 4:15, we finished and had free time until dinner (which was at 6 pm). Many students went out to explore the city and culture during this time.
All in all, today was an unforgettable experience. Our group was able to see beautiful landscape and greenery while learning about life on the farm.
Well that’s the summary of today. We all had a bunch of fun, and we are excited for what is to come. Good night friends and family, tune in tomorrow to see what happens next.
Buenas noches,
Emily
Thumbs up for Organic vegetables farm!!!
We miss you all…
can’t wait to give you a big abrazo!!!
Wow! Looks beautiful. Erich I’m sure that you must have seen some cool birds on the farm. You can tell me about them when you call next. How was the coffee? Did you get to roast the beans too? We are all enjoying reading the blogs. Love, Mama
Hey I may not be the first reply today because I actually socialized tonight (Gloria says hello and that she has always adored you). It is a good thing we talked today because I couldn’t find you in any of the pictures and had I not talked to you I would have been worrying about where you were. I hope you all got the water back on so you could shower!! I am officially starting to count down the days until you get home because even though I am so proud of you I am missing you a lot. I even forced myself to listen to G-Easy because I was missing you but I only lasted about a minute.
Hey Suz, hope you’re having an awesome time in Nicaragua! How was the city? Sounds really cool. Mom said I can rent out your room while you’re gone, thanks! Anyways I hope you have a lot of fun and stuff working on farms and milking goats and whatnot. Buy me foreign candy. Miss you. Have fun!
Looks like it was cooler on the farm by all the long sleeves and sweatshirts in the pictures. You all look fantastic. I love hearing all the details. You are all doing a fab job with the blogs!
Julia, sorry I missed your call yesterday. Everything is good at home. Can’t wait to pick you up at the airport in one week!! Yay! Keep having an awesome time and enjoy the experience.
Love, Mom
Hey Javi!
The Chun’s say Hi to you! (Seattle Washington)
They are glad that you are there learning and having a good time. We all miss you? We played soccer in their backyard.
Javi!
The Chun’s say Hi To you.
Te extrañamos mucho mijo!
The Chun’s say Hi to you! They missed having you here. We ate good food and play some soccer.
Praying for you and your new friends.
Te quiero mucho..:pero J te quiere mas!
sounds like a great time still, with tons of great experiences already! i love seeing the pics, and especially the ones where i see you catiana! i sure miss you and your wit and humor here at home. you looking good in the photos. hey did you fall in love with a farm animal there??
thanks for the family phone call on your free day, i know it was harried and hard to hear at times but we were all so glad to hear your voice. we’ll hear more stories for sure when you get home.
it’s been a long trip but it’s coming to it’s close sooner than you all think, so continue to enjoy and make the most of your time there!!
catiana-dad and i about to leave for costa rica on tuesday, we’ll come home same day as you on august 8th, will make sure your sister picks you up! sorry we won’t be there to greet you upon your return. but we’ll see you that night.
Love reading your blogs. Erich, what an experience to have. Hello from R.i., Oma