Hey guys, Salina here!

Today was our first free day here in Leon. We started off the day nice and late, waking up 8:30 am. We quickly went to Imabite for some delicious breakfast, where we enjoyed granola with yogurt.  From there we went back to the hostel where most of us dispersed into groups to start our free time. We got about 4 hours of free time, in which most of us explored the city, went shopping, visited the internet cafe, and also tried some new foods.

One of the most frequently visited places by glimpsers was the central park shopping scene. Here we had the chance to buy souvenirs for our loved ones and looked more in depth into the cultural aspect of Nicaragua. We saw many Nicaraguan businesses, children selling street food, and even people supporting the Sandistas during a gathering. We witnesses the cultural support of the people through face painting and waiving banners and flags. In one of the shops the people were sewing garments right before our eyes. Some of our Spanish speaking glimpsers were able to bargain with street vendors for better prices. Visiting this market was an eye opening experience because of the wonderful exposure to culture.

After our free time we had dinner and headed over at the local student center where we began our English Tutoring session. We had a great time teaching our students and enjoyed some cake that yesterday’s leader, Zoie made with other glimpsers. Because of the Nicaraguan culture, some students went out and bought soda, which is commonly eaten with cake. We had our soda poured into bags which we drank from. This was a fun way to involve ourselves in the culture and connect with our students.

As we were walking back from our English tutoring classes, the lights went out throughout Leon. This was a beautiful experience because the people in the streets joined together with flashlights and candles. Back at the hostel we started out our nightly meeting with candles lit and stories of our exciting day being shared. From here I passed the torch to my fellow glimpser, Matthew who taught us how to “dab” and shared his love for music. I can’t wait for tomorrow, when we will learn about global business.

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