Nothing says good morning like a 4:45 AM wake up call. (Or 4:15 if you’re the lucky leader of the day.) And nothing shows stepping outside your comfort zone like milking a cow or a goat for the first time ever. As the previous details may hint, today was second and last reality challenge of the trip: working like a local day. Starting early in the morning was just one of the facets of daily life of many Nicaraguans. We embarked on a one hour scenic drive to La Garnacha, a beautiful, mountainside farm outside of Estelí. Filled with pancakes and loud music, perfect to sing along to, the bus ride was over before we knew it. Upon reaching La Garnacha, we met the owner, Don Pablo, and he talked about the farm’s history and relationship with the government. La Garnacha is a natural reserve and it also has a super cute gift shop where they sell artisan trinkets and farm grown/made products.
After talking to Don Pablo, we split into two groups. One group went to go milk cows (vacas) and the other groups went to milk goats (cabras). Despite the slight protest and kicks (from the animals and students), the overall experience went really smoothly thanks to the guidance from super cool local farmers.
Afterward, we went to the vista point of La Garnacha and learned more about all the active volcanoes in the area and all the effects they had on all the neighboring communities. The fun didn’t stop there!!! The rest of the day was filled with more activities like gathering food for the goats, taking out weeds to clear a field for future crops, going over the process of coffee production, and, last but not least, gathering the poop from under the goat coop to make compost. Working on the farm was a really fulfilling start to our day and it gave great insight into the daily working life of many farmers.
It was truly one of the highlights of the trip for many of us and it helped us gain more of an appreciation for not only culture in Nicaragua and the rest of the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean who face similar challenges. It was also amazing to see our delegation push ourselves and really get into the experience and make the most of it all. Overall, it was a rocking and swell day filled with unique and interesting experiences.
“Peace out from Estelí 1A, later”
Dear Gurshi,
Glad to know that you guys are enjoying this unique experience. I am sure this is the first for most of you ( going to a farm and milking cows/goats). It is good to realize and appreciate how privileged we are.Everyone misses you a lot and is waiting for you to be back. We are going to Carmel today.
Love
All of us.
Sounds like an amazing day. Each post seems like the days just get better and better. Molly I love the picture of you milking the cow. We are in CT. I have shared the blog posts with everyone. The Sherman’s all send their love. Keep having a great time. I love you. Hugs. Love Mom
What a unique experience. Glad you are getting out of your comfort zone. Angela, we really miss you. Enjoy the weekend.
Love you!
Mom, Dad, Andy
Flynnzo,
Who is the goat’s ally? . . . Yup.
Sounds like an amazing experience.
Hope you are capturing these memories/experiences.
So happy for you.
Dad-O
PS Pete Campbell says ‘hi’
Wow what an amazing experience, I’m glad you are all enjoying the time with the animals and locals and understanding better the knowledge of the earth, the lands and the animals 🙂 how beautiful, love you and miss you Zuleima! Hope you are having fun and feeling well, take care .
Hey Molly- Nice picture milking the cow. I can’t wait til you get back so you can play water polo with us at Norcal. luv, Mia
We had our “Living like a Local” – day of working on a farm in Jinotega yesterday. It was equally challenging and enjoyable – including feeding baby pigs and collecting chicken eggs. We’re still recovering from the exhaustion, though. Hope you all get a good night sleep and that everyone is feeling healthy. Please give my best to Sam, Jae and Briel. See y’all at the airport in 6 days! -Mr. Sierra
It is great to see that you are all having a good time. Is there a way for the pictures to get uploaded so that we can view them better. I noticed that the other groups have upload them so that they can be zoomed in or out. I can’t wait to see how your project turns out.
Rick were you catch up on some of the Copa America high lights? Abuelitos say hello, everyone is missing you.
Much love,
La familia
Zuleima, que emocionantes experiencias tienes, me siento muy contenta por ti,Disfruta al Maximo estas experiencias unicas que son tan bonitas. We love you and we miss you a lot!!!!!?
Molly. Weitzman
You milking the cow is the best pictur yet. Missed you this weekend, but so glad you are having all these wonderful experiences. Now I guess picking up Pebbles poop will be nothing compared to goat poop. savor the last few days.
Love you
Nana
NIIIIIIIICE!!! Farm work!!!
Brianna,
I remember growing up we had to do similar work at Abuela’s mom’s house in Puerto Rico!! Poop scooping huh? I guess doing your chores here at home will be a breeze!! 😉 Michelle wants to know how was your “Vaca/Cabra” milking experience? HAHAHA!!! Also, how is your spanish coming?
Nos vemos el viernes!! Te queremos mucho!!
Papi y Michelle