Picture 1 - Sunset at San Juan Del Sur - Boats in the distance
.
Picture 2 - Drummer on the beach
.
Picture 3 - Parrots in the trees
.
Picture 4 - Another sunset
Picture 4 - Another sunset
.
Picture 5 - School on the beach
.
Picture 6 - Tona Beer a Nicaragua favourite
.
Picture 7 - Us and Jenny our Spanish teacher
.
The Nicaraguan border was slightly difficult to navigate as it is very spread out. First we had to get our passport stamped on the Costa Rican side. We changed our Costa Rican Colones (520= 1 American dollar) to Nicaraguan Cordores (21 = 1 American Dollar). We then had to walk 1km, where police checked our passports. A little further down on the other side of the street a half of a block in we waited in line to have officials stamp our passport into Nicaragua. Then we had to cross the street again and walk through a small opening into a parking lot/ bus station. There a taxi driver offered to drive us to San Juan Del Sur for $20. Since the buses would have likely been 2 hours and the taxi only 30 minutes we took the taxi. We needed to be in San Juan Del Sur before supper as we had to connect with the Spanish school we had previously contacted to make sure there was room in the school and that they had set up a home stay (accommodation and meals with a local family) for us.
We arrived in San Juan del Sur around 3:30 PM and quickly found the Spanish school. We spoke with Jenny who explained in some English that she was the only teacher available and so Scott and I would have to take lessons together. Normally they the school provides 4 hours a day of one-on-one. She also said that a home stay was no problem and that she would take us to the home that evening. Our Spanish studies would be Monday through Friday 8 AM until noon every day in a restaurant overlooking the beach and ocean, which I didn’t think was a bad deal at all. We would be staying with a family from Sunday night until Saturday morning. On Saturday our friends from Stratford, Chris and Heather VanPelt would be arriving to spend 7 days with us across Nicaragua. After eating Jenny drove us to our home stay family. We quickly met the head of the family Suzanna. Suzanna was the grandmother and with her lived her daughters Chillo, and Martha, Chillo’s husband William, their three children, Kayley (11), William (6), and Andrew 8 months. Chillo’s friend Linda also lived with the family. The family was very close and very accommodating to Scott and I. Linda was the only family member who spoke English and she was not always there and so Scott and I would use our limited new Spanish and sign language to converse with the family. It definitely forced us to learn as quickly as we could. We learned that Suzanna had her own business, which included selling fried shaved sliced plantains with a cabbage salad on top and a piece of chicken or beef. Her product was apparently very popular and from about 6 pm – 10 pm her and her family would sit outside her home and sell over a hundred of these each night for a dollar a piece.
On Monday we started our lessons with Jenny – who claimed not to speak any English, but I think this was meant to immerse us in the language and she knew more English that she was letting on. Mornings were filled with studying with Jenny and in the afternoons the school offered free activities. That afternoon we went with the class to a secluded beach by boat called Playa El Coco. On Tuesday they offered Salsa lessons in the community centre. I really enjoyed it but Scott called it quits half way through as it was really hot. On Wednesday Scott took the afternoon to go to a private disc golf course a few kilometres out of town and I decided to hang out at the beach right in San Juan del Sur. While at the beach I unfortunately witnessed several people pull a man out of the water attempt to give him CPR and then without waking up putting him in the back of a truck to take him to the closest hospital, which was 20 minutes away. It really shook all of us on the beach. Later that evening Scott returned from the Disc Golf course raving about it and the American owner Vince. We decided that when Chris and Heather arrived we would all go there on the Sunday. That evening we had said good night to Suzanna and her family and just as we turned off the light we heard cars crashing and we both looked at each other and said oh my gosh I hope the kids weren’t hit, as they would often play with their friends on the sidewalk until late, as it is summer holidays right now. We went to the front and found out that a car had hit two people on a motorcycle. Thankfully no one was hurt. For the next hour the police directed traffic outside the home and it sounded like the whole community came over to Suzanna’s house to see what had happened. On Thursday afternoon Scott and I again went with the class to a beach slightly out of town called Playa Remanso or Romantic beach. The waves there were huge and we were loved diving into them. That evening we went to a local pub to study. That night they were hosting a DJ from the USA and we really were grooving to the music but around 10 we realized we hadn’t studied much and the next day was our last class along with an exam. We moved onto another pub a little quieter and tested each other for the next hour. I must say I really enjoyed learning Spanish and was really wishing I could stay a couple months to become fluent. Scott enjoyed it also but was ready to move on. The next day we reviewed our week’s studies completed our tests and passed with flying colors. We received our certificates and thanks Jenny for all her patience. That afternoon we spent our time lying on the beach. Scott played some ultimate Frisbee with other people on the beach. That evening we sat out with the family and said our goodbyes.
We arrived in San Juan del Sur around 3:30 PM and quickly found the Spanish school. We spoke with Jenny who explained in some English that she was the only teacher available and so Scott and I would have to take lessons together. Normally they the school provides 4 hours a day of one-on-one. She also said that a home stay was no problem and that she would take us to the home that evening. Our Spanish studies would be Monday through Friday 8 AM until noon every day in a restaurant overlooking the beach and ocean, which I didn’t think was a bad deal at all. We would be staying with a family from Sunday night until Saturday morning. On Saturday our friends from Stratford, Chris and Heather VanPelt would be arriving to spend 7 days with us across Nicaragua. After eating Jenny drove us to our home stay family. We quickly met the head of the family Suzanna. Suzanna was the grandmother and with her lived her daughters Chillo, and Martha, Chillo’s husband William, their three children, Kayley (11), William (6), and Andrew 8 months. Chillo’s friend Linda also lived with the family. The family was very close and very accommodating to Scott and I. Linda was the only family member who spoke English and she was not always there and so Scott and I would use our limited new Spanish and sign language to converse with the family. It definitely forced us to learn as quickly as we could. We learned that Suzanna had her own business, which included selling fried shaved sliced plantains with a cabbage salad on top and a piece of chicken or beef. Her product was apparently very popular and from about 6 pm – 10 pm her and her family would sit outside her home and sell over a hundred of these each night for a dollar a piece.
On Monday we started our lessons with Jenny – who claimed not to speak any English, but I think this was meant to immerse us in the language and she knew more English that she was letting on. Mornings were filled with studying with Jenny and in the afternoons the school offered free activities. That afternoon we went with the class to a secluded beach by boat called Playa El Coco. On Tuesday they offered Salsa lessons in the community centre. I really enjoyed it but Scott called it quits half way through as it was really hot. On Wednesday Scott took the afternoon to go to a private disc golf course a few kilometres out of town and I decided to hang out at the beach right in San Juan del Sur. While at the beach I unfortunately witnessed several people pull a man out of the water attempt to give him CPR and then without waking up putting him in the back of a truck to take him to the closest hospital, which was 20 minutes away. It really shook all of us on the beach. Later that evening Scott returned from the Disc Golf course raving about it and the American owner Vince. We decided that when Chris and Heather arrived we would all go there on the Sunday. That evening we had said good night to Suzanna and her family and just as we turned off the light we heard cars crashing and we both looked at each other and said oh my gosh I hope the kids weren’t hit, as they would often play with their friends on the sidewalk until late, as it is summer holidays right now. We went to the front and found out that a car had hit two people on a motorcycle. Thankfully no one was hurt. For the next hour the police directed traffic outside the home and it sounded like the whole community came over to Suzanna’s house to see what had happened. On Thursday afternoon Scott and I again went with the class to a beach slightly out of town called Playa Remanso or Romantic beach. The waves there were huge and we were loved diving into them. That evening we went to a local pub to study. That night they were hosting a DJ from the USA and we really were grooving to the music but around 10 we realized we hadn’t studied much and the next day was our last class along with an exam. We moved onto another pub a little quieter and tested each other for the next hour. I must say I really enjoyed learning Spanish and was really wishing I could stay a couple months to become fluent. Scott enjoyed it also but was ready to move on. The next day we reviewed our week’s studies completed our tests and passed with flying colors. We received our certificates and thanks Jenny for all her patience. That afternoon we spent our time lying on the beach. Scott played some ultimate Frisbee with other people on the beach. That evening we sat out with the family and said our goodbyes.
No comments:
Post a Comment