Maysaya Market and the Maysaya Volcano

Today marks the last day for our group at La Mariposa. Paulette arranged for Bergman (a local favorite and one of the Spanish Teachers) and a chartered bus to take us out for the day on a group adventure. We began touring the magnificent markets of Masaya. It is easy to get lost in such a dense market. Good hang from the ceiling and many, many vendors line the narrow walkways selling their local wares. Cigars, clothing, pottery, food, textiles, you name it. The colors and variety of items was amazing to say the least. From here we went on to a couple other markets, making stops along the way for Bergman's educational tour of the local sights and landmarks. Our final destination for the afternoon was a BBQ at the Laguna De Apollo. Making our way down to the Lagoon was a sight to be seen. Narrow road and spectacular views kept us all in awe. At last we arrived to walk down beautifully constructed stone pathways to our table just above the lagoon. We all sat under the thatched roof and enjoyed our feast of chicken, rice, coleslaw and vegetable kabobs. Finally we all disrobed and ventured off the dock and into the water. It was so warm and refreshing; an incredible day was had by all. What an appropriate way to spend one of our final days here in Nicaragua.
-Ryan

Evening talk with Paulette Goudge

Thursday ~
Today we finished our respective work, bid adios to our Spanish teachers, and wrapped up this part of our Prism Experience with Paulette.  We concluded by listing all the ways we can continue to keep our consciousness heightened, and be more kind to our planet:  model behaviors worthy  of emulating: limit our use of water and electricity, eat less (or no) meat – unless you grow it yourself, shop thoughtfully, quit smoking – it’s cruel to your body, your family, and the planet, face fears, keep growing . . .
It was a lovely way to pull together some of our experiences here, and process what we can do with this new awareness ~ gracias a Paulette ~
Elana

Hill top vista of our next two days

Today is our last day of Spanish class at la Mariposa Spanish school, Jimmy our instructor, a young Nicaraguan man, was to give us Spanish lessons for the first session today, but he has reserved a surprise to us. We were not going to have lessons, instead he was going to take us to see a place he wanted us to see because he thought it was beautiful and he didn’t want us to leave without seeing the site. We arrived at the site eventually – it was beautiful indeed; at the far view you could see the town of Masaya, and the Mamboco volcano located in Granada in the background, shaping a large blurry blue mountain. Right before the town of Masaya was the Crater Lake Laguna Masaya, navy blue, surrounded by palm tree fields, and on our right was the active Masaya volcano which had a cross at the crater and smoke was steaming from it. Jimmy thought us much about the legends of the place, how each group of settlers, from indigenous people to Spanish missionaries’ settlers, had claimed the site connection to the spiritual powers. The breeze from the lake up to the hill we were sitting at was unavoidably seducing, for us to stay longer and contemplate that beautiful vista.-Juste






Friday, we first visit the town of Maysaya with its open air markets and then a noon picnic and swim at La Lagoona De Apoyo.

Evening reflections on the hills above La Mariposa

We took an evening hike just beyond the Mariposa property into the neighbor's ridge that overlooks the region of La Concha.  The sunset over the distant volcano was a beautiful vista to enjoy and reflect on another full day in Nicaragua.-Michelle

Afternoon Spanish lessons at La Mariposa

Spanish Lessons

Each afternoon we break up into groups of 1 to 3 people for Spanish lessons.  Our team is at a variety of levels- therefore the small group attention from our profesoras de espanol is especially helpful.  Each afternoon we spend about 2 hours in a grammar lesson and 2 hours in conversation with a Nicaraguan who speaks no English.  Each day our Spanish improves and our confidence grows as we begin to use the native language.  Conversational Spanish lessons range from discussions about the local culture, education, politics & revolution, family life, slang words, geography and virtually any other topic imaginable.  Though we don't understand everything they are saying, it is clear that learning a language is not just about words but about interactions with each other.  These lessons are preparing us for our upcoming day in Granada when we get to put the language to the test in the real world.





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Nursery school in La Concha

Prisms on Culture: Service projects around La Maraposa

Prisms on Culture: Service projects around La Maraposa
Ive had the pleasure of working con mis amigos Ben y Manuel here on the Mariposa grounds this week. Trabajamos has been underneath the warm unforgiving Nicaraguan sol, but so damn fun. The animales on the property talk just as loud if not louder than the people who reside here and our guide Manuel has shown us how to interact with them. A simple whistle from him is returned with Native birds swooping down dancing on branches and giving the same call back. I cant remember when something as normal as a whistle made me feel so connected to nature/the enviroment. Al ciente!

IPad portraits of nursery school children

Service projects around La Mariposa

Another great day at La Mariposa!  From 8 - 12, today's work activities consisted of watering the plants both surrounding the hotel and in the garden at La Concha Nursery, assisting at Panama school, Panama Escuela and various carpentry tasks around the hotel.

As an architecture student it was very rewarding to assit in the construction of some shelving for the hotel.  With limited materials such as random pieces of wood, some cane branches and some nails purchased at the local hardware store down the road in San Juan the hotel now has a shelf below the billboard to display various brouchures and books for guests to look at in their spare time. -Cheers...Tim

Paulette Goudge, Director Mariposa

Paulette Goudge:  Our host at the Mariposa is both proprietor of this conscientious Spanish school and eco hotel,  and remarkable resource for history of Nicaragua, including issues of education, trash, water,  and the power dynamics between alleged “first world” and “third world” countries – indeed continents.  
When we choose this destination as our hub for eco-learning and raising our consciousness about the myriad cultural and communal topics that interest us, we knew about Dr. Goudge’s academic social and political work; indeed, we had assigned cluster students the introduction  to her text: The Whiteness of Power:  Racism in Third World Development and Aid.  However, we have been practically breathless at the wealth of knowledge she has offered, sharing her experience concerning the topics above; moreover, modeling for us a conscientious life:  hiring local teachers and staff for the school, kitchen, and grounds; raising vegetables on her organic farm that we eat at all our meals; recycling water; heating with sun;  rescuing birds, dogs, monkeys, horses; using local transportation;  and giving back to the community over 90% of what she takes in.
We continue to be impressed by her insight and dedication – what a gift to have her as our moral guide. ...Elana

Panama School

Martes – Tuesday
A few of us have chosen to work at Panamá, an elementary school which has become a special project of La Mariposa:  a.k.a. Paulette Goudge, the woman behind it all.  Panamá is located high in the hills of the near volcano Masaya , and for this very little can grow there:  the ash is only hospitable for pineapple and cactus fruits, which need little water.
Not only is the land challenging for agriculture, but the gasses from the volcano cause respiratory problems as well.  Furthermore, the altitude makes it impossible for any sort of ground water; so water must be brought up a few times a week to the school and the community via a pair of oxen.  Right now the oxen are recuperating from castration, so water is brought by truck of hand cart in smaller quantities.
All that’s the back story to the school there, which serves about 100 students morning and afternoon  (students go for half the day only, with younger one in the morning). A few impressions:
The children are so eager to learn.  They are proud of their notebooks, their pencils, their book bags and their rulers.  They are proud of reading words, maps, los signos (signs) of mathematic.  They beam energy: playing fotból in the school yard, raising their hands to answer a question in class, rushing to the front of the room to have their finger pricked to be tested for malaria. They laugh at seeing their pictures reflected back in our digital cameras, and take turns posing for us, adopting tough stances of boxers and soccer stars, or making the victory sign of peace.
We spent some time in the library reading to those who are learning, or for those who already have some skills, they read to us ~ and corrected our pronunciation when we read gringo Spanish.  An excellent bi-lateral exchange!
We will spend the next few mornings here – and this afternoon I will practice my math vocabulary  . . .it’s back to second grade for me, with pleasure.
Elana

Vive zip it! La Luguna de Tiscapa

Below General Sandino's silhouette is the Tascapa Crater in downtown Managua
When one sees the view of this small laguna framed by beautiful green trees and plants, it takes a few seconds to take it all in. It also takes a few seconds to accept the fact that one is about to soar over it along a massive zip line. One after the other I watched my peers get pushed from the patio that sat at the top of the cliff ledge. When it finally was my turn and when I was pushed into the open air the rush and the exhilaration threatened to overtake me. The wind rushed into my face as the tree tops rushed under my feet. The scenery then surrounds you and you are no longer an onlooker, you a part of it....Ben