Semana Santa, the week leading up to Easter Sunday, is a vacation week for all of Nicaragua. As a result, I knew that interviews were not going to happen. So I finished up my work in Jinotega the week before and headed to Esteli to visit Camilla and Trine before they headed off for their respective vacation destinations--Costa Rica and Belize.
I had the house to myself from Thursday until Wednesday, and it was wonderful to have my own space, to relax and reorganize. I had planned on finishing my paper for LASA (for the conference in Brazil in June), as well as finishing preparing my presentation for the Norwegian university students in Leon. I got a good jump on them anyway.
I probably would have accomplished more if I hadn't been so sick. My tonsils and other glands in my throat became extremely swollen once again and were very infected. Fortunately now after another long round of very strong antibiotics, the infection is under control, though my glands are still swollen. The doctor says that it's from all the dust and pollution that is even greater during the height of the dry season right now.
Anyway, other than working and recovering, I went out with other friends in Esteli. I got to see two of my friends perform one night--one is a stand-up comedian and another is a musician. Even though I couldn't catch all the jokes, it was really entertaining. We also played a lot of pool. I was the only woman in the entire building, but I actually held my own (for once).
On the Wednesday before Easter I headed back to Managua. I needed to go to the Immigration office to extend my tourist visa, I wanted to visit my host family there, and I was going to pass through Managua anyway on my way to Leon (for my presentation) en route to Cinco Pinos, Chinandega (my last research site).
In Managua I had a really great time catching up with my host family and spending time with my "spiritual counselor" Jeanne (much better title than "nun friend"). Other than recovering from my throat infection and working on my presentation, the family also took me to a town called La Paz Centro, where we ate "quesillo," which is a delicacy here, but tasted to me like monzarella in a tortilla with onions and tomato sauce. It was good though, for sure. Although it was nice to spend time with the family's friends and extended family, it was also an extremely hot day and I wasn't feeling very well. I basically passed out in my bed when we finally got home.
Jeanne and I had a couple of great mini excursions to air-conditioned restaurants for lunch, eating ice cream in the shade near the National Palace, and long chats sitting on the sofa in her house across the road. It was SO grounding for me to spend time with her. I always feel closer to home when I am around her.
Here is a picture of Volcan Momotombo, which I snapped on our way to La Paz Centro.
This is Sergio's cousin and his family. (Sergio is Claudia's husband, and Claudia is the eldest daughter of Gloria and Ernesto, my host parents.) It's incredible to me how little Ramon does not look Nicaraguan at all. He looks like the Gerber baby!
To my very pleasant surprise, the Norwegian organization paid for me to stay in a very nice hotel for two nights. I ended up receiving their discount for the third night too. I was SO spoiled!
If the hotel wasn't enough, they took me with them to the beach in their private bus to stay in their private beach house for the afternoon. I had really wanted to check out Leon's famous beaches, and this was the best way I can imagine to do it.
The waves are pretty intense at Las Penitas and Poneloya Beaches. Lots of surfing. This is the view from my hammock.
Nothing between me and the ocean except white sand. Barely anyone was there!
I was in heaven sipping Diet Pepsi, reading a novel, swaying with the breeze in a hammock, and hearing, smelling and watching the ocean all afternoon.
My presentation went very well. It was good for me to have the pressure to put something together in a concise form after so many months of collecting tons of data. It was definitely a challenge, but everyone was very pleased. I focused my talk on the politics of education in Nicaragua, and I made a nice PowerPoint presentation to go along with it. Most of the 60 students and professors in my audience were pedagogy students or studying multicultural education. I was surprised that it went as smoothly as it did considering that I haven't taught at all this year. They even paid me $100 on top of my hotel expenses, and the coordinator took me out for dinner and drinks afterwards. I was very spoiled!
I also joined the Norwegian students to attend a play put on by a group of young people from a very rural area in Leon. Their message had to do with domestic violence and teenage pregnancy. They also put on a musical performance, which was very impressive. I was particularly impressed by the young banjo and guitar players. The guitar player really had a voice on him!
Yesterday, I also had some great interviews in Leon about the Citizen Power Councils. Two of the men that I interviewed are involved at the upper levels of the CPC and are former government officials and long-time community organizers. Very good friends of Daniel Ortega.
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