Day 6

2/22 

Today we got up really early and enjoyed our last pancakes from Hostel Oasis. We quickly headed out and joined our Nicaraguan friends from the learning center. We presented our gift, a crib for her baby, to Liliam, a teacher from the learning center, and headed out to excursions with the kids, Ramona, and Liliam. We were able to talk to the kids in Spanish and they all thought that Gavin was Justin Bieber. A group of girls also fell in love with him especially Wendy; they followed him like groupies.

Our first excursion was to Coyotepe. This was a political prison during the Somoza dictatorial regime from the 1940’s until 1979. We climbed the steep path to the prison which offered incredible views. We were then brought underground into the prison cells. The first level was for low scale prisoners including simply sympathizers for the revolution against the regime. The cell bars were cut down and it was still incredibly small and cramped and offered little light. We then went further down to a more sinister level of the prison. The light was little and the cells were mostly used for torture. It felt like the set of a horror movie. The guards induced both physical and psychological torture; there were blood stains on the walls as well as prisoner messages saying “I want to die." This level held more serious prisoners to the dictator including journalists and anti-Somoza activists. This level included areas of completely dark torture rooms as well as rooms were people sat in their own excrement. There were no beds and people often went insane. There is a third level down but has since collapsed and is said to be a mass grave. The prison held satanic cults until the last 20 years when the Boy Scouts cleaned the prison up for a public museum. The death count is hard to tell as the guards dropped the dead bodies into the crater of the nearby Masaya Volcano, which was our next destination. (Editor’s note: While this seems dreary, it was a great lesson in Nicaraguan history for the group)

We then stopped for a quick lunch of authentic Nicaraguan food, which paled in comparison to Ramona’s. The bus then took us to the volcanic craters where Gino gave us a more detailed ecological lesson on the Masaya Volcano craters. There are four craters, one of which is active. The vast sulfuric acid clouds billowed from the crater and blew across the other craters. Occasionally, when the wind changed, the acid in the air would send people into coughing fits. The views were even more incredible than at Coyotepe creating the perfect medium for indie pano pics. Being next to the volcano’s crater was like being next to a white abyss. It is not surprising that, as Gino informed us, a Spanish missionary, believed it to be a gate to Hell.

After our tour of the volcano and a few group pictures, we headed to Apoyo Lagoon. When we had to say goodbye to our Nicaraguan friends, some of them cried (mostly Wendy crying about leaving Gavin). Gavin gave Wendy a bracelet as a goodbye present. The hostel we are staying at has a beautiful view of the lagoon. After arriving, we all immediately went swimming and kayaking. We spent the rest of the night playing pitch, playing pool, and relaxing in hammocks and around the hostel. 

I know that others have said this but touring around with the Nicaraguan children made me realize that they are very similar to us and listen to similar music such as Skrillex and One Direction. This experience with the children has worked to end prejudice that we might have held against developing countries and their people. Seeing the political prison and all of the craziness that surrounds it made it more real than reading it in a textbook ever would, and made me feel very strange and eery about being inside the lower levels of the prison. Hanging out with the Nicaraguan children today made all the work we did this week even more meaningful because we knew we were not only helping a great cause but a great group of people as well.

(The rest of our group would like to apologize for the excessive indie-ness of this post, and for any weird phrases or terms that may have been written. It’s because Collin was one of the people writing this blog post.)

Sara(factual expert), Kayleigh(down to earth editor in chief and realist support), Moira(moral support and co-journalist), and Collin(co-journalist and indie editor). Zach Lee as backdoor journalist 

Sorry there aren't pictures.. didn't have time to wait for Brooke to send them along. It would have taken four more days.

Nicaragua Day 5!

2/21

Today was more of a relaxing day and a bit of a later start. Most of us were able to get some much needed sleep. We went out in the morning to go shopping at the parque central and checked out the bell tower of the Cathedral of Granada. After lunch we went zip lining, during which some of us were able to go upside down. When we got back to the hostel, a few of us went on a brief trip to the supermarket where we bought far too many snacks, including slightly crumbly Oreos and the Nicaraguan equivalent of Doritos. To finish the day we went to dinner at Ajua and learned about each other over quesadillas, burritos, and tacos. (Editor’s note… “learned about each other” ? )

Taking in the view up in the bell felt like we were top of Granada. We could see for miles around us and had a birds eye view of the entire city. While zip lining we felt like we were flying like a bird through the forest. "It felt like we were riding a roller coaster while zip lining upside down”- Elena. “ Oh wow the blood is rushing to my head”- Peter. We all got a pleasant surprise at lunch today when Jack H., Jack D (J Squared)., and Gavin presented Mr. Pluta, who we have all been calling Jefe, with an El Jefe shirt. El Jefe in Spanish translates to the boss, which Mr.Pluta is at Amped for Education, but also with the new nickname he has acquired. (Editor’s note: far from the boss)

And to echo what others have said, what has been most rewarding and surprising for me was interacting with the kids. Playing soccer and working with them in the learning center, you quickly realize that they are the same as you. The kids at the learning center are interested in who has a boyfriend or girlfriend, the boys joke around in much the same way as we do, and I see some of the exact same mannerisms in the kids at the rec program as in my friends. One other thing that is very surprising is how valuable knowing English is. Speaking even passable english opens up tons of opportunities. 

“We had cake for Moira’s birthday. That should be the ending of that blog post.” - Moira

Nicaragua Day 4

Day 4! Today we lived off of $2 just like the average Nicaraguan. It was a real challenge as we had to manage money, making sure we didn’t go over our limit but still had enough to eat. We drank only water all day. 75 percent of people in Nicaragua only live off of the equivalent of 2 American dollars each day and now we have experienced the same thing. We couldn’t have pancakes this morning in the hostel, we didn’t have chicken at Ramona’s home for lunch and we ate pasta for dinner - with or without sauce and salad depending on how much money we had left. It was a truly humbling experience that showed us how fortunate we are to have a lot of the things we take for granted each day. We also got to interact with the 7th graders at the learning center with fun bilingual games and musical chairs. It was super fun and we all had some pretty good laughs at other people’s expenses! After having fun with the students we ate rice and beans at Ramona’s house, which was delicious as always. It was our last day of working today and we finally finished the tables for the learning center and began working on a special gift for Lilliam, the learning center teacher.  Selah, an Amherst HS senior and returning Amped volunteer left today - bye Selah! We ate at “la casa roja”, the Amped staff house, and had a big group discussion about the trip and the things we’ve seen so far. The conversation really opened our eyes to each others thoughts. We also learned some statistics on Nicaraguan education from the best teacher ever, Pluta. Overall, it was a really rewarding day. 

Editor’s note: Students also did not swim in the pool or use their phones today as part of their challenge. It was the first time Amped has ever done this exercise and I was impressed and a bit surprised how seriously each student took this. This group is amazingly flexible and so much fun to be around. Some of the insights from tonight’s discussion were incredible and reminded me how fortunate I was to work with these guys in at Smith Academy. 

Day 3 in Nicaragua

2/19

Day three in Nicaragua! Cameo gave a beautiful, heart warming speech all about Pluta’s luscious locks, the flow is just too irresistible that Cameo just had to express herself. We went to the market first thing this morning for some shopping, while some of the guys went for a straight shave. At the market we were able to practice our spanish speaking skills and learn to negotiate with the vendors. Many of us are surprised with the welcoming nature of the locals, and how they worked with us to understand each other. The girls felt excluded from the straight shave, as they would not allow us to get our legs shaved. “I felt like I was pampered like at a spa”-Gavin W. We were able to accomplish building two more tables for the new learning center. When we were working knowing how much the kids need them and will appreciate them really kept us motivated throughout the day. We have all appreciated Brooke’s love of orange juice as she has been carrying around a jug of it in the hostel. We had another fabulous meal at Ramona’s. we were able to enjoy a traditional meal Arroz de la Valencia. The meal is typically served at celebrations. Getting to see how other people live and their different culture really makes many of us appreciate what we all have and sometimes take for granted. Many of the kids we see look like the happiest kids in the world. It’s the simplest things like playing pass or soccer with them completely makes their day and puts a smile on their face. Also, the kids enjoy helping us with our spanish and learning some new english words. For many of us it’s amazing to be able to use the skills we learned in spanish and use them in real situations. For those who didn’t speak or know any spanish coming here, they have learned many new words and phrases along the way. It’s amazing to realize how putting in a little effort can result in communication between two different cultures. While we have fun relaxing at the hostel, the most fun we have had is out in the community volunteering.

- Lindsay and Brooke

Nicaragua Day 2

Day two in Nicaragua! We woke up early again and came had breakfast at the hostel. Mama Tiff, Peter, Ben, and Cassi went into town to get eggs, mango, bread, papaya, and watermelon. We had a shorter amount of time to eat compared to our first day, then we headed out on a long walk to the learning center. At the learning center we met the 6th grade Nicaraguan class. We broke up into three groups with the Nicaraguan kids and painted murals with them. Once we split into the groups we really began engaging ourselves with the Nicaraguan children. Our projects were English/Spanish vocabulary, life cycle of a plant, and Mombacho Volcano. We painted murals inside the learning center to make it look cooler. We got to use a lot of our Spanish speaking skills with the children, and we were very astonished with how much English the kids could speak with us. We got to paint our names in the learning center alongside many of the Nicaraguan children, which will stay in the learning center for many more grades to see.  After the kids left for school, we began construction of tables and chairs which will be used in a new learning center that will be started in June with the next group of kids that comes to Nicaragua. We sanded down wood to smooth it before construction. After we finished we enjoyed another delicious lunch at Ramona’s, whose pollo, arroz, and frijoles are unparalleled. After filling our bellies we split up. Half of us continued constructing tables and half of us went to Amped’s recreation program to play soccer with the local children. At the rec program we got to meet even more kids that were a great group to be around. The half that was working we started assembling the tables and we sanded down the rest of the boards for the legs of the tables. We also tried some native sour fruits from a tree a very nice Nicaraguan man picked some and gave them to us. The two groups headed back to the hostel at the same time and met up to have a little down time before dinner. After grouping up, we walked through town to the Amped staff house where they treated us to a dinner of chicken, hot dogs, and cheese burgers. We had a blast while we ate, played cards, listened to music, and socialized while getting to see the house of our hosts.  Some of us took part in what had to have been the most corrupt but most fun game of Monopoly that we had ever played in which the winner was still unclear. After we finished we walked back to the hostel. some went into town for ice cream, and the rest came straight back. We’re winding down for the night and preparing ourselves for a busy day tomorrow. We really enjoyed socializing with the local children and getting our hands on involvement in the community. We can’t wait for what lies ahead.

“Ramona’s a badass” - Peter L.  (Editor’s note: she is an older, Nicaraguan woman, for more information: http://ampedforeducation.org/stories/)

"When you walk by kids on the street in the US, they just pass, but here every kid says hello or hola when they see us.” - Zach Lee

"The fields with all of the wild horses caught me by surprise." - Ben L

Editor's note: Sorry, my computer died last night so yesterday's blog had to be posted this morning! We'll be posting another one tonight. - Jeff

Day 1 in Nicaragua!

Day one in Nicaragua! We woke up early and Brooke, Moira, Lizzie, and Lindsay went shopping in Granada to get breakfast. We had eggs, watermelon, pineapple, pancakes, and STINKY SALTY CHEESE. After having a group talk about our week itinerary and meeting all the Amped staff, we left for Pantanal. We walked through the neighborhoods where the high school, primary school, and learning center are located. We were served lunch by Ramona, a local supporter of Amped for Education. She was old, kind, and so generous, and she gave us delicious pollo, arroz, frijoles, and ensalada! And of course, lots of AGUA, it was 90 degrees all day!! After that, we got on a bus and headed to Lake Nicaragua where the group split into two different boat tours. One group went with Gino, who works with Amped and knows a lot about the Lake Nicaragua wildlife. Gino’s group had their tour in Spanish (but struggled to keep up with how fast he talked). The other group went with Mr. Pluta, and we all met up on an island where some people swam, ate mangos, and relaxed. Now we’re hanging out at the hostel, about to head out to la cena en Granada!

This being our first time in Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere, seeing the poverty and living conditions of many of the local people was shocking. Most of the rural houses were shacks, with laundry hanging from rooftops and stray dogs along the side of the road. However, seeing these conditions makes us more excited to help. Also, hearing and speaking Spanish so often is already improving our Spanish skills. We’re really excited to be in such a new place, helping children, and learning about Nicaraguan culture. Many of us are excited to meet the learning center children tomorrow. It is HOT though - we’re all sweating like pigs. Hasta mañana! 

Ben, Mia, Cassi

Lizzie’s note: The markets were nothing like I expected at all. I didn’t think there would be as many people or as congested.. It was crazy to see how people live in certain places down here. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life, so it made me rethink how I go about things and how different it is. It’s just crazy. 

Brooke’s note: Seeing the kids when they got out of school was cool. They seemed all energetic and happy being at school and I don’t always see that type of enthusiasm with kids back home about school. It seems that they have it hard, but you wouldn’t really know it.

Editor's note (Jeff): What an awesome, enthusiastic, curious group of kids! Also, for the amount that they talked about monkeys all day, none of these guys mentioned that we saw and fed monkeys!

Update from Amped in Nicaragua

Hey everyone!

We're getting excited for you all to experience Nicaragua and spend a memorable week here. We know that taking photos to document your trip is important, so we set up an album on the Photo Circle app (some of you might be familiar with it). You'll be able to upload your own photos to the album, and save photos that other group members have uploaded as well. If you'd like to take part, download the app (it's free!) before the trip, and when you arrive Sarah will give you the pin so you can access your group's album.

We'd also like to remind you to be on the lookout for an email from Sarah with a pre-trip survey. It only takes a few minutes to fill out and will help us make our volunteer experiences the best they can be.

If you have any questions before departure, email Sarah anytime at sarah@ampedforeducation.org.

See you soon!

- The Amped team