First Impressions

One of my friends came home from Nicaragua two days before I came here. We went out to dinner, and I told her she could pick, since she was probably craving some particular food. "Actually, I'm still craving rice and beans" she told me. I was a little taken aback,  rice and beans are good but why would you crave them? Once I got to Nicaragua and ate gallo pinto for the first time, I completely understood. The rice and beans are delicious, I could eat them all day, and thankfully they come with almost every meal. Over dinner, my same friend told me that it had taken her less than two days to decide to return to Nicaragua after she graduated. Being in Nicaragua, I see why she would fall in love with it so quickly. Everything is beautiful here, especially the Posada de la Abuela, where we stayed our first few nights. The eco-lodge overlooked a lake that used to be a volcano, and the water is unbelievably clear. Only my lack of swimming abilities kept me from jumping right in. I spent most of my free time on the dock, watching the fish, and at night the bats. Over the next few days we visited many different landmarks, and even though they were fun to see and learn about, I'm excited to start working with our partners at VIMAU in Estelí.