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
Wow, beautiful and colorful group photo. Thanks Ms Oji for keeping us updated.
Tejas, hope you had lots of fun. Stay dry and safe buddy, we miss you very much.
Love you,
Mom, dad , Gaji
Awesome! Sounds like a fun first day in Esteli! We love reading your blog and the photos every evening. Keep posting!
Alison, bring home some recipes so you can cook some delicious Nicaraguan dishes for us. Can’t wait to hear about your adventure when you get back. Stay hydrated. Love you!
Looks like the weather is in your favor. Cool and not too sunny. Guess what? Weather here in San Jose is the same. Don’t know where the sun goes. Any mosquito bites yet? The mural looks amazingly beautiful. Wonder how long and how many teens it take to finish the job? More pictures plz!
Glad to see you all had a fantastic day! The mural in the picture looks incredible:-)! How amazing to interact with an actual revolutionary! Can’t wait to read your blog Anya – good luck little Lider del Dia:-)!
Looks like a good day sightseeing. !
Warriors lost today to Cavs. Game 5 on Monday
Yay Lisa Calvillo, I hope you’re loving it so far <3
Thanks for posting such detail descriptions that it feels like I am physically there with all of you. I am glad the glimpsers have this wonderful opportunity to get out of their comfort zone and get to know more about Estelli, their culture and their struggles.
Keep this coming and looking forward to reading and learning more about Nicaragua and Estelli through your eyes and experience.
Cheers!
Hey Rishi,
Hope all is going well! Nice group photos and beautiful Mural. Enjoy the local food and culture. Must be very exciting ! I must take a trip into the region when next in Latin America 🙂
Look after yourself and have a great time!
Dada, Dadima and all the family here in the UK send their love. x
Take care!
Looks beautiful and great history. Hope you’re having fun Mia!!!
Looks like you had a great first day in the city! The mural is beautiful. We can’t wait to see your pictures Zach.
Thank you Cyndi to update us and know they learn more about the local history.
Hey Alison,
Hope you’re having a fantastic time, missing you a ton at home! You’re doing such great things and I cannot wait to hear about it.
Stay safe, see you soon!
Denise Ma
PS I hope your sunscreen came in handy, just like at swim practices.