"Spring Break": Rum & Love in Nicaragua

Buenos Dias faithful readers! I’m back in the States after a fabulous week in Nicaragua full of gallo pinto, cheap souvenirs, dirt, Spanglish and a whopping dose of “That’s What She Said”…

It would be very difficult, (and obnoxious), to recount the entirety of my trip via blog post. Ergo: I’m going to sum it all up by sharing some of my favorite Nicaraguan memories, interesting details about the trip and amazing experiences that only Latin America could offer…

1) Day #3 in Nicaragua was the birthday of one of my fellow travelers: JP Morgan. Several of us pitched in a few cordobas, (Nicaraguan money), to buy the birthday boy a red Clifford piñata stuffed with lollipops and other delicious treats.

Because we didn’t have a bat handy, the group decided to put a coconut in a grocery bag and wildly swing the contraption in the direction of the piñata. Being his birthday, JP took the first whack at Clifford’s head. The coconut smacked the piñata and immediately exploded sending coconut juice flying across the room. Because of the explosion, Clifford’s red dye began to bleed and spill all over the floor. It looked like a crime scene… coconuts + piñatas = FAIL!

2) On the group’s vacation day…our driver, (Arnolfo), took us to Grenada for a relaxing boat ride on Lake Nicaragua. Half of the boat ride was like traveling through a tropical bayou and the other half was like sailing through a beautiful lagoon with private islands and spider monkeys. Sitting on the boat reminded me of childhood adventures sailing on Lake Wylie at Camp Thunderbird. It was incredibly peaceful and nostalgic.

3) Now that I have tasted the pollo y carne, (chicken and beef), at Casa Grande, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to appreciate US meat again. This upscale restaurant in Madagalpa marinated its meat and poultry in the most delicious spices and roasted vegetables to make it explode with juices during your mouth-gasm. Another delicious Nicaraguan dish… “Platanas Fritos”… (aka: fried plantains)

4) Some horrible child, (that remains unknown), started a very strange fad at the school of Santa Theresita in Madagalpa by asking us Americans to sign our names in their notebook… Just picture hundreds of little ninos swarming around you as if you were a Disney World character or Angelina Jolie. By the end of the week I had given my “autograph” to about 250 kids. Next year… I’m buying a stamp with my name on it!

5) I taught 3 classes of English at the school of Santa Theresita for four days between the hours of 8:00 AM and noon. The 3 levels I taught were second grade, sixth grade and eleventh grade.

The second graders were absolutely nuts. They were adorable and thought I was a goddess… but never stopped jumping, shouting and competing for my attention and praise. One little boy felt the need to kiss me… constantly… it was slightly inappropriate.

My sixth grade class was more reserved but still managed to disrupt the class by showering me with stickers, key chains and lollipops. Being the sucker that I am… I simply couldn’t deny their tokens of love.

The all-female eleventh grade class was made up of girls ages 15-17. While Antonio taught the class, I humbly sat at the professor’s desk and watched the girls stare at me because of my bright blue eyes. (To them… my china blue ojos made me a freak!)… Despite our rocky beginning, the girls and I bonded during the week and they ended up giving me a gorgeous manicure and a Nicaraguan dress shirt on the last day of class.

During our final hours at Santa Theresita, my travelers and I through an enormous Nicaraguan dance party! The 11th and 10th grade classes along with every one of my fellow travelers broke it down to the sweet sounds of Nicaraguan pop-music.

There are so many other amazing memories that I made this past week in Nicaragua… I befriended/flirted with 2 crazy cab drivers, I watched as my buddy’s face went numb after he ate a hot chili pepper, I saw a man peeing in a public park and slept in a hostel with some very shady characters… But most importantly: I made some wonderful new friends and can’t wait to travel back to Nicaragua with them next year… Spring Break 2010!