We are in Nicaragua!! Last night, we arrived at about 2 AM so we couldn't see what we were getting into. From the airport though, we were picked up sand we rode in the back of a truck for 3 hours. That was our first chance to get to interact with any Nicaraguans. We all, being the experts that we are, decided to strike up conversation. One of my teammates was trying to remember words that she knew and onion was one of them. She tried to tell the people that we all like onions. However, it translated as we are all onions! That was when we all became a little humble and realized we actually know nothing. We have a lot to learn for sure.
This morning we woke up to beautiful palm trees, a hot sun, and a volcano right behind us! The country here is so beautiful. We checked out a small town today and got our 15 minutes of fame. Everyone was staring us gringos down! My favorite part though was when we went to a small village. I have never been welcomed like that before in my entire life. I didn't know any of these people but they didn't hesitate. The ran up and kissed me on the cheek and held my hand. They kept telling me over and over that I was bonita (which was a real confidence boost since I haven't exactly "put on the dog" down here).
I was honestly surprised at the living conditions in the villages. I guess I didn't expect it to be that bad. I don't know how to explain it other than it really was a village and nothing more. All in all, it was good to get our feet a little wet and catch a glimpse of what our next months might look like. From what I can see, we have a lot that we can do here, but we also have much to learn from these amazing people.
