After spending much needed time at Cafe de la Sonrisas learning how to make a hammock, enjoying a delicious lunch, and doing a little sign language we headed on to the Lagoon! The remainder of the day was spent relaxing by the water and then exploring Granada which is clearly a tourist area (never expected to hear so much English in Latin America).
The next morning we met a potter and indigenous leader in a small community called San Juan de Oriente. Here we learned how to make pottery in a traditional way. The clay is pressed out by dancing on it, the brushes used for painting are made using the hair of women from the community, and everything else used from the rocks for polishing to the colors for decorating came from the earth.
While the process of making the pottery is long (and a little tedious), the incorporation of tradition, culture, and spirituality makes it all worth it.
That evening we continued on to the Mountainous region Matagalpa. This area is about the size of Frankfort, Ohio with one stoplight and is extremely country. Not the rural experience that we’re used to in the states as it is very poor but definitely the country.
The view from the hotel is gorgeous but there’s little wifi and it’s close to impossible to walk down the large hill to “town”.
Despite the secluded hotel situation, Matagalpa taught me a lot. Most importantly to be thankful for everything I have.
While traveling to the coffee farm I watched children swing on makeshift swings made out of rope and wood. The drive there was 100 times worse than driving down 772 in Ross County or through the mountains of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee as we traveled on a long, winding dirt path.
Next we went to the community school which confirmed that I need to work with children for the rest of my life. The area was very impoverished but the children were so happy and full of life. Second to children, my biggest joy in life comes from coffee!
Directly next to the school is a coffee cooperative. The speaker spoke about social projects taking place for the community such as the rural community tourism which provides accommodations to families, lunch, and bird watching. After learning about the community we got to dive into the culture!
We explored the coffee farm (jungle), made tortillas, engaged in a traditional dance, and learned about natural medicines while making and tasting syrup made for curing colds.
– Lauren