I cannot believe that it has already been five weeks. I think that no that I am working time is going by even faster (That always happens when you work). So this last week I moved into my new place. It’s called the casa roja and is a hostel but the most chill hostel you could ever imagine. At the moment there are four of us staying there, myself, the two Dutch girls (staying for five months) and this other guy Matt who is also volunteering in Granada. There are also about 8 empty beds. So you could say that this hostel is not the most exciting. And next week there is going to be a change in the lineup. Matt is leaving on Wednesday and there are two other Dutch girls moving in on Sunday. It is a little sad that matt is leaving; he is totally the nicest guy ever, not to mention American. After he leaves it will be me and four Dutch girls, it will be a miracle if they ever speak English to me again. Maybe there will be other people that come and live there after next week. I can only hope.
So this week I started my volunteering. I am working at an orphanage run by the nuns of Calcutta (Mother Teresa’s order); yes all of them are from India and so far super cool. Although the place acts as an orphanage for some 20 girls I am not working with them. Instead I am working with a daycare that runs out of the orphanage that serves the families of the community as a day care so that the parents can go work and not worry about their kid. (Side note: in Nicaragua children are required to go to school starting at age 5, so all the children I am working for are under 4)
I have worked for kids a little bit before. At the cov and working at the nursery at church but never have I ever worked for so long with young kids. It is soo exhausting! I am sure it does not help that I have not been getting proper amounts of sleep, but dang, those kids just suck the energy right out of you. I don’t know how full time daycare workers can do it, I would burn out fast! But anyways, my firs week I said that i would work a 4 hour day, arrive at 8 and leave at 12. That was my plan going in on Monday, but as 12 came and went I thought that there was so much more that was needed to do. At 11 they put the kids to bed, but the kids are really bad at sleeping so you have to be sitting around patty backs trying to make them sleep for hours until around 2 when they get up, but some of the kids are a real handful and will never sleep. I just felt needed and stayed until 3 when the kids go home, and really it is after three because like in all places parents never all come on time. And then one day I was actually needed until three as the other daycare worker left early. But after three days of 9 hour days (including the commute) I was exhausted, also remember that I have not been getting sleep either.
On Thursday I looked and acted tired, even the people i am working for asked me if I was tired. I left at 1230 and just came back to the hostel and chilled. It was a good idea. That is until later that evening myself and the rest of the folks living in the hostel decided to go out. I thought it would be good, we would go to a bar, have a drink or two and then come back giving me plenty of opportunity to get home in time for a good night’s sleep, something I dearly wanted. But after walking a few blocks the Dutch girls see someone they know and we stop and start partying with them, free rum, beer food, it was great. Apparently these guys were in a motorcycle group and were stopping in Granada for the night. It was awesome for me because I got to talk motorcycles with a bunch of the guys and even got to take a ride on a 250 Honda, exactly the type of bike I want to get in California. So I was super excited. But after a little bit of talking drinking, eating and riding I was ready to call it a night. Just then a suggestion was thrown out there that we should go to a bar and go dancing, I was like no way, I am going to bed, I am exhausted, but I am easily swayed and after very little persuasion ended going out dancing. It was actually really fun; I even learned a new dance move. But at 1 in the morning I was ready to go, everyone else was still going strong. I tried to walk home, after all it was only a couple of blocks away, but everyone was telling me that it was too far and that I needed to take a cab, so in the end I took a cab, and got totally ripped off. Oh well. I am used to walking home at night, did it all the time in NYC and I am pretty sure that the areas I walked were the same as in Granada, but when the people in your group are insistent, there is not much else you can do.
Another reason that I wanted to get a good night’s sleep was that on Friday I was going to be traveling to San Juan Del Sur, A three hour bus ride. Myself and Matt, who has friends there, decided to travel together to get down to SJDS. It was a good trip and I even got a seat for most of the ride. Although Matt got really sick on the way down, when he got to SJDS he was constantly on the toilet and even had to go to the hospital, he was in really bad shape, saying that it was the worst he had ever felt. He needed to speak to someone in the states so I lent him my comp. poor guy, says he got a parasite, guess that’s the thing to do in Nicaragua. But anyways getting only 5 hours of sleep and working with kids before a long trip is not the greatest plan. I also packed in a super hurry and apparently did not bring all of my money… so after paying for my room for the two nights only 18 bucks, I only had 300 Cordoba left for food and to get back to Granada with on Sunday. Needless to say I will not be doing anything that costs money in SJDS. I even forgot a book though, which really sucks because one of the things I really wanted to do was to just go to the beach and sit and read. The hostel has a couple books, might just steal one of them for the day…
I have realized that I have been missing out on the traveling experience. Living in hostels is where it is at, all these people from all over the place, doing the same thing that you are doing, and totally willing to just talk and hang out. So amazing! Last night I just sat down in the courtyard area of the hostel and waited for people to congregate and eventually there was a good old party going on. It was great! This is now my best experience so far. Mombacho for the awe factor, and here for the great vibe and cool people.
So on Saturday I got up and got dressed and went to the beach ready to take a dive and get some sun. I was so deliberate about putting my sunscreen on, on my stomach, on my back, everywhere that was really really white. I as so concentrated on those spots that I forgot the spots that I have been putting sunscreen on from the very beginning, my face, lower legs, and arms. Of course I did not realize this until after the end of the day…
So I go out, walk along the beach, watching the people in the ocean and looking for a good place to put my stuff. I figured I would get some sun first so I found a spot and popped a squat. I laid there for maybe 30 min, but the sand at the beach was so light that it would pick up with the slightest wind and whip into me, stinging my skin. And after I had laid there for a little while I realized that my towel was all wet and so was the bottom of my shorts which I was still wearing. Then when I finally got up and I saw the amount of sand that had piles up during just the short time I was laying there, it was so much, I am sure that if I had laid there for much longer I would have been buried. As it was I was completely covered and the sand was all in my hair. I was so covered that there was no other way to get it out than but jumping in the water. Everything I had read and heard from the people around me, it was not a good idea to leave anything on the beach so even though I jumped into the water I never stopped watching my bag. It was a little ridiculous. But the water was not that nice anyways. The water was filled with sand. The sand was soo light that even in the water it would float. So even though I got in the water and was able to wash the sand from placed like my skin, the sand in my hair, and there was a lot, did not come out. After two disappointing experiences I ended up going for another walk along the beach. There was this very interesting archipelago or something like that on the northerner shore. It was so cool, so many interesting rock structures and a great view of the city. I was also able to dry out my shorts and get a head start on my soaked towel. Took a million pictures and even a few good self-portraits the only catch was that I was wearing my aviators and you can see the reflection of my arm in the glasses.
I get back to the hostel and take a shower wearing my bathing suit still and then go outside to dry off. I started off in the shade but after a little while I got cold and moved to the sun. There was my biggest mistake. I had not reapplied sunscreen and was just sitting in the sun for a good hour. I did jump in the pool at some point but by then it was too late. My stomach and thighs were cooked. I did not feel anything until a few hours later, but I knew I was in for a treat.
There was also the fact that I had not brought enough money with me to SJDS. For lunch I had a bag of bread, actually pretty satisfying, for dinner I had some cheap street food and an ice cream and then bought a water. It is funny, while I was in SJDS I did not buy a single drink, the only thing that SJDS has going for it is that it is a crazy party town. I was really just going there for the beach. And boy did I get the beach.
So that evening I sat around and read a book that I found at the hostel as I forgot to bring a book with me. As I was sitting and reading I was also listening. There was a new guy at the hostel and he had brought a guitar with him and it drew all the folks out that were even the least bit talented. There was a good jam session. I listened for a good while and then went to bed. I have just been soo tired lately. Traveling is one of the most tiring things I have done in a while. But due to the sun burn I again did not sleep well and even woke up around midnight dying of thirst. Luckily I had enough money for a water. I downed about half of it and then went back to bed.
The next day I was supposed to travel back to Granada with Matt, but he decided to stay behind for the day and enjoy SJDS for as long as he could after he had recovered from his sickness. So I traveled back to Granada with this girl I had just met. It was nice and we were able to talk and traveled well together. In the end I got back to Granada and passed out. Sad down and did not get up from my computer till I went to bed. It was brilliant.
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