Don't Worry Madre

Pura vida, Costa Rica

As stated in my blog post yesterday I took a group of 4 students on a 9 day trip to Costa Rica. Below you will find a brief summary of the trip along with photos. If you have any questions let me know. In Costa Rica we spent the week in Spanish classes a CPI…

Costa Rica Precursor

My trip to Costa Rica was unlike an of my other adventures. Instead of traveling solo or with a small, trusted band of friends I was the solo adult taking 4 high school students. Three of the four had never been on an airplane and none of them had ever been outside of the United…

My, my Alice time does fly

Do you ever feel like Alice falling down the hole? As if you’ve taken one step, expecting to land in one spot only to find your self in a completely foreign place? But wait. Not only are you in some unknown land, you’re also unable to disconcern how much time has past. Has it been…

Agua Frio

I stand naked. I stand in front of the shower wearing the past two days of travel on my skin reflexively waiting for the water to warm. Ten seconds. Twenty seconds. Thirty. A minute later the realization hits me, no hot water. There has been no hot water. There will be no hot water joining…

Little Corn, Nicaragua

My trip to Little Corn was more then slightly ironic. I spent 3.5 weeks in Nicaragua, and most of my time was spent taking classes and studying. Towards the end of my classes I decided to spurge a bit and go to an island in the Caribbean, Little Corn. After my research the island seemed…

Homestay, Esteli Nicaragua

As I have mentioned before I had a wonderful time staying at Doña Victoria’s house while in Esteli. As a grandma, many of the members of her family live on the block and her house is full of laugher and love. She and her family treated me as an extension of the family. We danced, celebrated…

Getting there (by bus/boat) Isla Ometepe ->Little Corn, Nicaragua

I’m a cheap traveler, doing almost anything to lower my cost of travel. So when looking at going to the Corn Islands in Nicaragua I knew I didn’t want to pay $200 for a flight. This determination left me with two choices: I either didn’t go at all, or I would try to get there…

Leather Workshop, Esteli Nicaragua

While walking to Las Mujeres Ambientalistas we stopped at a local leather working shop. This shop in the front was a store selling saddles, rope, and more, and in the back held a workshop where young men, most working to pay for school, manipulated, cut, and stapled leather; making items for the store front.

Horseshoe Making workshop, Esteli Nicaragua

After our stop at the leather workshop we made a quick detour to a horseshoe making workshop. In the back of a house, just after the kitchen, two men worked in a rhythm heating, pounding, and cooling the metal until it was ready. Once ready it was placed in a large canvas bag, already bursting…

Las Mujeres Ambientalistas. Esteli, Nicaragua

Here are some more pictures of the female owned and operated CO-OP I visited while in Esteli. Las Mujeres Ambientalistas

Off-The-Beaten-Trail Guide to Nicaragua

I always try to find the most possible information whenever I plan to visit a new location. Where should I stay? What should I do? What shouldn’t I do? Unfortunately, very often I am either unable to find enough information, or the information I do find keeps me on the beaten “back packer trail”. Occasionally,…

Love letter, Nicaragua

Dear Nicaragua, Words cannot express the sadness that has descended into my heart since entering the airport. I have but a handful of minutes until I must leave your embrace. I wish I could stay. From the very first moment my feet touched your ground I have felt an attachment. This attachment has grown from…