Kyla Shabazz

This morning, after a much needed night of sleep, we all got up around 7 am. Breakfast was prepared for us at the bed and breakfast where we stayed around 8 am. There was fresh fruit, rice and beans, bread, and eggs. After we finished eating, we gathered in a circle and got an introduction to our tour guides for the trip, Joe, Juan Carlos, and Elisa. After they introduced themselves, each of us shared our name, major, and where we were from. After introductions they began to talk about some of the things we were going to do and see. We then loaded the buses and headed to our first destination.

Our first stop was quite a ways away, about a 2 and a half hour drive. We left the urban city if Managua and headed to the more rural areas. We stopped at Don Henry’s dairy farm. While we were there some of us used a latrine for the first time, not very fun. Don Henry showed us where he milked the cows, and took them to graze. We also learned about the feed that they make by combining different plant species. We got a look at some of the cows and calfs also, Don Henry was very nice, and gave us a great tour of the farm.

Jessica Beutler

Hi friends and family,

The first part of our day was seeing the daily life of the Nicaraguans and visiting a cattle ranch. This morning, I got fresh fruit and rice and beans for breakfast, than we headed out of Managua to see the cattle ranch.

After visiting the cattle ranch (which was very informative and interesting), we headed out for lunch. Earlier in the day, we were given three options for lunch ; chicken, steak, or vegetarian. The restaurant was very cute and the food was delicious! I got the chicken option which was very juicy and tasty. The sides for my chicken were french fries and rice. I also got ice tea which was a mixture unsweetened and sweetened tea. By the time I finished my lunch, I was in a food coma. Fortunately I have been able to catch up on my sleep on the bumpy bus rides. When I am not sleeping, I am taking in the wonderful landscapes.

I’m so glad that I took Spanish in high school because everything is just about in Spanish. I can translate more signs and conversations. Can’t wait for the rest of the trip!

Jessica Beutler

Lexi Gordon

¡Buenos noches from Nicaragua! Our first day of adventure was a lot of fun and everyone was excited for another great meal once it was dinnertime! We had an authentic Nicaraguan meal of gallo pinto, chicken, beef and vegetables with fresh juice that was incredible after our history lesson from Joe. We were lucky to get an eye-opening overview of the political history of Nicaragua, and learned how things aren’t necessarily black and white, but are in many shades of gray. After dinner, we all reflected on our first full day in the country. We sat and practiced mindfulness, being truly present in the moment, then discussed some of our highlights of the day. Some enjoyed the experience on Don Henry’s farm while others loved seeing Matagalpa. Joe gave us an overview of our plans for tomorrow and told us what to expect during the home stay (like the possibility of not showering for a few days!). Afterwards, we all had free time around the hotel. This was a great opportunity to get to know everybody and really bond as a group. We had a great night playing card games and talking, and of course getting some WiFi. What we’ve seen so far has been so beautiful and amazing, and we’re excited and grateful for what we’re able to experience next!
¡Hasta luego!
Lexi

Notes, 1. Pictures from 12/16 will follow so check back, 2. we will not have Internet access until later this week.

Dear Family and Friends:

As you can see, we are off and have arrived safely in Nicaragua. Everyone is waking up and seeing Nicaragua in daylight for the first time. We will be busy from early to late each day with limited WiFi access. Your students will be adding to the blog each day so check back often.  We will post each time we have an opportunity so please be patient.

It is a joy to spend time with these outstanding OSU students and we cannot wait for the adventures for the rest of the week.

Dr.’s Mary Rodriguez and Jeff Hattey

Cole Wallis

Hello!

The 4:00 A.M. departure wasn’t too bad because of all the excitement of our trip. As preparing for our first flight, we are all sharing stories of our past travel experiences and anticipating this one together! I am excited to travel with other First Year Students and learn and grow together. Although I’m not entirely sure what to fully expect, I am eager to see what this trip will bring. In the airport, I have already noticed my peers and I getting even more close.

Although I’m nervous for our journey, my nerves are nothing compared to my excitement! The six hour layover in ATL gives us time to get closer, learn more about each other, and catch up on some much needed sleep. After some lunch, uno, and meeting Scarlet—our new dog best friend—I feel ready to head out to Nicaragua! In just a few hours we’ll be in a completely different country! Nicaragua, the adventure begins!!

Kaleigh Bryden

Today marked the official start of our Nicaraguan journey. The anticipation that has been building up inside my peers and I has finally begun to be rewarded. After an entire semester of learning about Nicaragua and what was planned for us on the trip, we are now so close!

Our day started off very early at 4AM and was more difficult for some of us, especially those who couldn’t sleep due to excitement. However in due time we arrived at a crowded Columbus Airport and boarded our flight to Atlanta. Upon arriving in Atlanta, most of us took the opportunity to take naps in the terminal. There was no rush for us to get to our gate, as we had a 7-8 hour layover in the airport. New friends laughed and joked around over lunch until it was time to “get down to business”. And by that, I mean discuss thoroughly what to do when going through immigration and entering Managua.
I particularly enjoyed this part of the day, especially because we all had the chance to present infographics we made regarding certain aspects of Nicaragua. We learned quick but important facts about food, culture, animals, education, agriculture, and many other topics that relate directly to our travels.

The plane ride to Nicaragua was another popular nap time (or for some, catching up on movies), and after landing and going through customs, we met our guides Joe and Juan Carlos and hopped on vans to go to our hotel. We enjoyed fresh fruit and juice before heading to our rooms and prepared to dream about all the wonderful things in store for us on this trip.

Amanda Zanola

As this amazing trip comes to a close, I wanted to share a quick recap of our experience! The first two days we mainly focused on sustainable agriculture when we visited Don Henry’s dairy farm. We learned about different grasses for feed, production and delivery of milk, and Don Henry’s personal experiences. This was the first farm we visited, and it was interesting comparing the United States and the Nicaraguan diary industries.

The next big event of our trip was staying at the homestay with host families. It was an eye opening experience, and most of us were out of our comfort zones. I, along with other students, grew very close to the parents and children of the families. Since the majority of the class did not speak Spanish, there was a language barrier; however, our families used hand motions and pointing to communicate with us. I think the whole group will always appreciate how kind and welcoming the people in the community were, and in general the people of Nicaragua.

We ended our trip with some sight seeing and swimming! It was great getting to experience the market, lake Nicaragua, and seeing a volcano. But overall, this trip was a great way to learn about environmental sustainability and a fun way to make amazing friends that have the same interests. I hope some day I can return to Nicaragua 🇳🇮

Hannah Farr

After an awesome night out, everyone was awake by 4:30 am to begin our journey back to the United States. Despite the fact that we were all exhausted, everyone had a smile on their face knowing we were going home. At the same time, we were sad to leave this beautiful country that taught us so much. The week was filled with educational tours, difficult situations, and pure fun.

We are all leaving with a better appreciation of agriculture, sustainability, and life in general. I think each and every student on this trip was inspired by someone at sometime throughout the week. I have no doubt that we will use these newly-learned skills, take them back to our communities, and make a difference in someone’s life. I know for a fact that everyone made multiple new friends this week, friends that will last a lifetime. It was so special to share this experience with such great people, and I know the memories will last forever.

We enjoyed a relaxing flight from Nicaragua to Atlanta by watching movies and/or sleeping. The anticipation to get home to our families is definitely present, but we will all miss Nicaragua and the people that made it such a memorable and life-changing experience.

Taylor Blythe

I don’t think I could have had a better alarm this morning…mariachi music at 7 AM. Although it may have been blaring in my ears, it was the perfect way to start our last day in Nicaragua.

After getting around and eating breakfast, we were off to the city of Granada, an old Spanish colonial town with plenty of history. As we entered the city, everyone could noticed the beautiful architecture. It truly was stunning. Granada is the oldest colonial city in Central America that hasn’t been relocated at some point. Our first stop was to the old cathedral to walk up the bell tower, which Joe claimed to be the best view in Granada. As usual, Joe didn’t disappoint. The view was awesome! In order to see the view from the tower, we had to climb up these spiral steps that could barely fit both feet on one step, but it was worth it.

Our next stop was to the hammock factory, Tío Antonio. My first impression of the factory was that it wasn’t really a factory at all. Only one small room was truly dedicated to making hammocks, the rest of it was an open area and a coffee shop. During our time, we discussed how Antonio and his journey. He has helped so many people from all walks of life, especially young disabled people and mothers. Antonio truly is inspirational, he is a go getter and never gives up.

Olivia Pflaume

Laguna de Apoyo

After an exciting morning shopping and learning about several of the social issues facing the citizens here in Nicaragua, we traveled to Laguna de Apoyo for a relaxing last day. After about an hour long bus ride we arrived at the volcanic crater where we were able to swim, kayak, drink smoothies, and enjoy the beach.

While I was there I took advantage of the dock off shore. A lot of us swam out to the dock to do flips, sunbathe, and hangout. There was a nice hangout spot for people to buy food and drinks and sit around and chat. My favorite part of the trip was seeing the sun set around the mountains of the lake. Being able to end our time in Nicaragua with a relaxing beach was almost surreal.

Hannah Maggard

PIZZA!
That was the key word of the day. While all of us were getting over the upset stomach stage and rice and beans, it was nice to have something familiar. Especially something so good.

Today we went to the smile cafe which was a cafe where deaf and blind people could work. The founder/owner gave such an inspiring speech I think all of us left feeling a greater sense of gratitude for the country and coming on the trip. This was exactly what we needed on the last day of the trip.

We then headed to a lake that was inside a nonactive volcano. Let me just tell you how cool that was.Definitely a highlight of the trip. We got to layout in the Nicaragua sun that has been avoiding us and just relax for awhile. We shared many laughs, conversations and AMAZING Nicaraguan smoothies!

To end the night we came back to the hotel for PIZZA! After enjoying this amazing pizza and soda in glass bottles, we started our night out on the town! We went through this amazing array of Christmas lights (They are way more festive than the United States). It was the best time to jam music from the bus because we found out Marvin had an aux cord, and to look at Christmas lights! Getting us in the Christmas spirit we have all been lacking due to the warm weather. We then walked around by the lake and looked at a carnival type event in Nicaragua. They are so festive it’s crazy to think! We were all exhausted but very happy to have some fun before heading home!

All in all, today was by far one of my favorite days. After all the rainfall, hectic, and tiring days we had time to relax and hear a really awesome story, shop a little, swim in an old volcano, have some great smoothies, PIZZA, and have an amazing night on the town.

Mallory Smith

“This morning I woke up bright and early, 6 am, and went on a hike up in the mountains to try and see some of the wildlife that we don’t have back home. Walking along the trail we suddenly heard these deep howls that, and when we followed them, we ended up seeing the howler monkeys!

When we returned to the hotel, there was a breakfast prepared for us which included french toast, yum! After finishing that I headed back to the room to get dressed nicely for the day ahead of us!

Our first stop of the morning was the Sol Café Plant to explore the dry milling process of coffee beans. Learning the process was really interesting because each step is crucial and has to be done perfectly or else the coffee can be deemed not good enough for export and could possibly lose money for the farmers and the dry mill.

We then headed inside and did “coffee cupping” at the Sol Café, which included smelling different coffee fragrances and then tasting them. It was really funny because we had to “slurp” spoonfuls of coffee to spread it on all the surfaces of our tongue, and then spit it out! Learning all the different processes that go into making a single cup of coffee are so important to know in order to truly appreciate your coffee and where it comes from!”

Amanda Osborne

After leaving the coffee farm this morning, we had lunch at a restaurant we visited before the home stay. The fruit drinks and steak were just as good as the first time around. (After eating a fairly strict native diet for the last few days, it was somewhat refreshing to find a side of French fries on my plate). After finishing the meal, Joe collected us all to deliver the news that we were no longer visiting LaLa Dairy Plant. While this depleted us of an opportunity to learn about a new field of production here in Nicaragua, it gave us the chance to do some shopping at a local market in Masaya. Personally, I left with a beautiful hammock and what is probably the best smoothie I’ve ever had.

Looking at the stone front of the market, I couldn’t help but think of some of the old white churches back home. Just driving by, I wouldn’t have guessed it was filled with vendors. That’s one of the things I’ve noticed most about the cities here, all the buildings have very similar looks from the outside, aside from maybe a small sign that distinguishes it from another building. Each structure is versatile and holds potential and application for whatever is needed.

Ben Casto

The evening of Thursday the 21st started off very slow for our group. We had to wait in line before we were able to visit the Masaya Volcano. But the sun went down and our patience was rewarded as we drove down towards our destination. Oh We were only allowed 10 minutes up at the viewing location due to sulfur levels, but it was a worthwhile 10 minutes. Since we were able to go at night, we could see not only the glow of the lava really well, but also some of the lava itself! The pictures don’t do it justice but we all took plenty. I know I won’t forget this unique experience anytime soon.

After the volcano, we drove back down towards our hotel. On the way we were able to see all of the lights from the capital city of Managua. For dinner we were served the very traditional Nicaraguan dinner of bread, vegetables, and spaghetti. No rice or beans??!? We felt very cheated(not). Overall it was another wonderful day in a wonderful country.

Mallory Faler

This morning we woke up at a new hotel in Selva Negra where we were able to clean up and rest. Some us went uon an early morning hike in the trails around us and the others slept in to catch up on some sleep. The hotel served a very delicious breakfast, offering a variety of choices.

After breakfast we took a tour around their farm. We started off talking more about coffee and the fermentation. After that we walked through their garden and learned more about the food they grow and produce. They had strawberries, carrots, broccoli, papayas and more. There were also animals such as cows, chickens, and pigs living on their farm. Everything they grow is for their customers and staff. All the meals we had were prepared at the hotel and came straight from their farm.

We also learned that the workers here are given food, housing, insurance, and education. In order to get to work for the farm they need recommendations. There are both permanent and temporary workers. Of the families that do live here, there are requirements that they have to follow. For example, if they have children they must go to school and if they don’t they are given a strike. After a few strikes they have to leave. Some people have grown up in the community and are offered jobs on the farm. However, it’s not uncommon for them to leave and go somewhere else.

Skylar Plank

Can you name 10 facts about chocolate? Well by now we all surely can. This afternoon we had the opportunity to hear from and learn about the process of taking a cacao fruit and turning it into delicious chocolate from two talented young women. Megan and Alex sat down with us to explain their passion for this industry and how they are trying to make a difference within a small Nicaraguan community. This project started about 4 years ago when the women saw an opportunity to benefit the people of Xoco Terra, Nicaragua, and this opportunity was the sweet treat we all know and love as chocolate.

They briefly explained the 10 steps it takes to get from fruit to bar which is as follows:
1. Break open the cacao shell
2. Take out the fruit from the center
3. Put the fruit in a wooden box and let it ferment for 5-7 days (during that time they flip the boxes to continue the process)
4. Put on huge tables to dry for 5-7 days
5. Then they are sent to a factory to roast the beans
6. After the beans are roasted they take off a thin shell and the remaining bean is called a nib
7. Nibs go into another machine mixer with stones that grind down chocolate for 24 hours with sugar
8. It turns to a liquid chocolate and then they have to mold it
9. Before they can mold it they change the temperature several times to get it to shine and snap properly
10. Finally they package it and distribute it

After learning about this process we got to sample the chocolate and make purchases!

Maeve O’Hara

This evening we were given time to relax and take a step back to have some alone time and enjoy the views of Selva Negra. We were able to hike, sleep, and journal. I used my free time to catch up on my journal with a couple of my classmates. We decided to write in Selva Negra’s beautiful chapel, which was very peaceful and open.
Before dinner, a couple of classmates enjoyed some delicious chocolate milkshakes. We ate a delicious dinner of fish with a surprising side of rice and beans. We did not have reflection after dinner, but some of us did hangout and play cards before bed. It has been so nice to get to know more people in the class over this week, and I am sad that it is coming to an end.

Joshua Strine

The morning started off the same as yesterday. Several students has an early wake up call as the roosters started crowing as early as 5:30. After packing out of our belongings, we sat down with the host family for our last meal together and our last cups of Peñas Blancas coffee. As we finished up our breakfast, everyone got the opportunity to say goodbye to their family that was staying behind at the house as we headed back up to the cooperative center for one last meeting with the members.

The hike back to the cooperative was a difficult one for some students as it rained all though the night and into the morning.
We began to gradually arrive at the cooperative center with many stories to share. As everyone made it we had one last chance thank everyone in the community for hosting us. After the students shared a few words of gratitude each member of the community did the same. Everyone gathered together for a group photo before saying our last goodbyes. It was a sad time for everyone as we said one last goodbye to the community. We all loaded on the bus and were on our way to The model farm.

Brenna Loxley

As we said our final goodbyes to our host families and loaded on to the buses, I think I can speak for the entire group that this experience is one that will stick with us forever.

After leaving Peñas Blancas, we made our way to Canavalia to eat lunch, visit their cacao operation, and to talk with the local veternarian (who was also our guide during our visit). Fun fact: cacao beans are actually formed inside football shaped pods. Es muy intersante.
As well as the lunch and tour, we sat and talked with the local vet. In Nicaragua, being a vet does not pay like in the states, he called it almost like “missionary” work, a field that you must be very passionate about to pursue.

After leaving Canavalia, we headed to Selvas Negras, where we have access to hot showers, buffet dinner, and WiFi (of course).
Very excited for the rest of our time in Nicaragua!

Bryce Cunningham

This evening, we arrived to Selva Negra. If trip advisor were to rate this place it would probably be above 5 stars. The view is beautiful, the food is fantastic and most importantly the water is hot. Tonight we had the opportunity to come together and relive our homestay experiences by having a group discussion about what each of us took from it. We haven’t always had an opportunity to just sit and talk after a meal as we are always on the go, but tonight after we ate we all kind of just sat around and shared so many laughs and stories. Not to mention, we got DESSERT. I, personally, have never wanted carrot cake more than I wanted it last night and it was beautiful.

Shannon Pyle

This morning we woke up and were greeted by our homestay moms with a warm and delicious breakfast. My breakfast included rice and beans, scrambled eggs with veggies, and a homemade tortilla. Then, we began our 40 min walk to the Cooperative meeting area down a long, rocky road where we would meet our peers before heading out to the coffee fields. It was pouring as we woke up, and the rain didn’t let up as we began our walk out to the fields.
The path to the coffee fields was filled with steep and muddy fields, so everyone was slipping and sliding and having a great laugh watching each other conquer the muddy slopes. Everyone was given a woven basket and told to pick the red, ripe berries from the trees in order to be harvested to create delicious Nicaragua coffee. While picking the beans, we were surrounded by beautiful views of the mountains and waterfalls of this biodiverse landscape.
After having a great time and learning about the process of picking the coffee beans, the group headed to the wet mulling location where the beans begin their process of turning into coffee. Here, Dr. Hattey gave a very informative lecture about the process of fermentation and the importance of runoff for the plants surrounding the coffee beans and the environment. He taught us about the circle of life and how the people of this community are doing their best to limit the pesticides they allow to enter the landscape. Overall, this morning was filled with information about the process of harvesting and making coffee in Nicaragua, first hand experience into this process, and having fun with our study abroad peers. As Dr. Hattey said, “You might think it’s gross, but it’s Biology folks.”

Deanna Langenkamp

After lunch, brought in by our host moms, we all met in the meeting room to learn a little more about the cooperative from Freddie, a member of the cooperative. He told us some of the history of Peñas Blancas and how the cooperative works together. Then, we had the opportunity to choose to stay and hear about the artisan work done by a group of women or go hiking up in the mountains. I chose to go on the hike.

Ariel, another cooperative member, was our guide for the hike and we were joined by a man from London named Tom. On the hike up, we passed by a few houses and trekked through Maria Jesus’s coffee field. When we reached the tree line, the land became extremely steep, but we climbed on up to a beautiful waterfall. We all stood in admiration of the scene before us as we attempted to catch our breath. In order to get a group photo, a few of us had to climb into the waterfall, and let’s just say we got our daily baths… We slipped and slid the whole way down and only managed to fall once (poor Amanda.) As we reached the edge of the tree line once again, we stopped for some great pictures on top of a large rock (which Josh proceeded to fall off of). But in the end, we all made it safe and sound out of the mountains. During this hike, we realized how difficult life in the mountains can be and how hard the individuals work in this community each day.

Mary Lauofo

After taking a long hike with a small group of students to a nearby waterfall, the group split off to go to their homes. My house was a decent hike over a big hill and down a gravel lane. When I got to my house all of the brothers and the one sister greeted me. We spent awhile talking on the front porch and then went inside to the kitchen to continue our conversations.

Brenna, my house sister, came back after awhile and then we all continued in conversation while we waited for our house mama to get back from teaching the other group how to make bracelets. When she got back, she immediately began making dinner. She let me grind the corn to make the tortillas.

Everyone ate dinner together in the kitchen. Dinner was rice, beans, a tortilla, coffee, eggs with sausage, and mashed potatoes. Afterwards, my little house sister wanted to play Hangman like we had the night before. So, the oldest brother, Brenna, the little sister, and I all played Hangman and tic tag toe until bedtime.

Michaela Collins

This morning I woke up before my alarm went off to the sound of roosters. I have no idea where it’s coming from since we are in a hotel far from any houses (as far as I know). I don’t even feel like sleeping in because I just want to get some more of that delicious coffee, sit in the open air dining room (that overlooks the city of Matagalpa), and maybe eat something I have never tried before! Surprise surprise; I ate a new kind of cheese for breakfast. I avoided it, at first, because it looked like tofu, but I went back for it when I got seconds. It turned out to be very yummy, and I crumbled it onto my gallo pinto for a great combination. A little after breakfast, we said goodbye to our beautiful hotel.

On our way to our home stays, we stopped for a bathroom break (and a surprise waterfall!) It seemed like a popular place to come and visit, and for a good reason: it was so beautiful. We walked down tons of slippery stairs to get to the view, but it was worth it.

We even went far down enough to go behind the waterfall and Dr. Rodriguez took a photo of all of us.

Claire Nicholson

Good thing we brought hiking boots! We finally arrived to our home stays and their cooperative land is just beautiful. The pictures I’ve taken of the mountains look like they should be on a calendar. Our family’s introduced themselves to us and greeted us with loving hugs. They really do take us in as part of their own family.

They want to share as much of their culture with us so that means a very long hike to their main river that used to be the main entrance to the cooperative before it grew so much that you can’t pass over it as easily anymore. The hike from the main building to the river was about 2 1/2 miles one way. (No mom I’m not exaggerating) If the rubber boots we brought here weren’t broken in before, they definitely are now.

On the hike some of the members shared their knowledge about the trees and plants along the way. At one point we were picking limes off a tree that were so sour i would compare them to warhead candies. On the way back i think our first reality check was seeing a cow causally stroll along the path and across the river.

Right after our hike we went to our family’s homes. My host Mom, Norma, has 4 daughters and 3 sons who all have children. Three of Norma’s grandchildren were with us tonight, Freyder, Dadi, and Ella. Norma made us an amazing meal that I’ve never heard of before, but of course i ate everything. She quickly learned how much Taylor and i enjoy her coffee because everytime we sat down she filled a mug for us.

The rest of the night the kids and us played with silly putty i brought for them and shared few words but lots of laughs. They are one of the most loving families I’ve ever met and I’m so happy to be able to be apart of it.

Ciera Lipper

Tonight, we took a long and rigorous, but stunningly beautiful hike through the rainforest. We had the opportunity to try an extremely tart, and also delicious, orange picked fresh from the tree. Perhaps the most stunning view was just as the hike was ending, there was a double rainbow going over the mountains as the sun started to set. We then divided up to stay in the homes of our host families. Upon arriving at my home, we helped to make dinner, which was fried potato strips (french fries), Gallo pinto, and some soy protein mixture. I also had my first cup of Nicaraguan coffee, which also happened to be my first cup of coffee ever. We ate with our host Mom in the dining/living room. After eating, we helped to do the dishes. I was also very happy to get to meet the family’s dog, Scooby. After cleaning up, our host Mom and her daughter taught us how to make beautiful bracelets that they sell in Granada, Nicaragua’s capital. I don’t speak any Spanish, so it took a lot of patience for my host Mom, but she was a wonderful teacher and the bracelet turned out great! Her daughter also made a very sweet gesture by giving us dreamcatchers that she had made. In turn, we presented our gifts to the family, and enjoyed a moment of gratitude. We then played Crazy 8’s for a while before going to sleep after a long and exciting day.