Nica Beliefs

Although I’m a mere 5 hours from the Chi City, I am constantly reminded of the differences between our two cultures.  Your honor, I present exhibit A and B.

Temperature related beliefs: the changes between hot and cold will make you sick.  For example, when I moved up here from Managua in July, my host mother asked if I wanted her to warm up water before I bathe.  I laughed it off and told her it will be refreshing to take a cold shower.  I JUST found out that she asked that because since where I currently reside is colder than Managua, I would get ill from taking an even colder shower.  To this day, she claims I was sneezing for my first couple days here from taking a cold shower but I don’t buy it.  This extends to all aspects of their life – on a hot day you should drink warm coffee because cold water will make you sick.  Don’t walk barefoot in the house; the cold floor on your warm feet will harm you.  My host mom is still appalled that I will shower at night after playing soccer.

Mal de ojo: now this one may be hard to follow but bear with me.  Newborns (3 months or less) are susceptible to…direct eye contact.  Yes, if you look a baby in the eyes, it will get sick.  I’m serious.  Babies wear a red bracelet with 2 beads on it to warn people not to stare into their eyes.  Of course this does on occasion happen but gracias a dios, there is a cure!  Well two actually, which makes this even harder to believe.  One option is to run around your house 3 times and then wrap the baby in your clothes.  The other equally interesting option is that if you look the baby in the eyes you should swish moonshine and herbs in your mouth and spit it on the newborn.

Now before we get all judgmental, remember that you Americans do crazy things too (I said “you” Americans because I don’t participate in these superstitions). Nicaraguans have never heard of “knock on wood” or “making wishes at 11:11” so I think it’s time to call in the Mythbusters!

Bizarre Foods Nicaragua

Back by popular demand—my critical analysis of travel channel shows involving Nicaragua!  This edition is dedicated to Andrew Zimmern’s “Bizarre Foods”.  I didn’t find the episode as interesting as “No Reservations” but I had to share this one clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs8S8IMm05Q

This is from the middle of the show so feel free to youtube the part before it.  To set the scene, Andrew just finished up eating boa constrictor with a couple PCVs in La Trinidad (a city about 45 minutes south of Esteli).  Now on to something I experience nearly every day, public transportation!

Again, just like Tony (and in dozens of my personal travels), Andrew starts in Mercado Mayoreo.  See the white bus behind him at 1:44?  I’ve ridden it several times.  Which brings us to the first problem.  At 1:54 it shows Andrew boarding a bus that says “R Huembes” and is a bus from Tipitapa to Managua.  That won’t take him anywhere near his hopeful destination of Matagalpa...

On the other hand, he did nail it by saying the buses are “tricked out”.  I’ve ridden in buses with extra speakers, PA systems, TVs, flags, neon lights, you name it.  Anything besides a bathroom.

“Two, two and a half hours”?  That’s not long by PCV’s standards.  I regularly take buses that take 3.5 hours and some PCVs are on buses for 10 hours.

Also, that is the least crowded bus of all time.  On some of the buses there are people riding on top or hanging off the back.  Standing in the aisles for the duration of the journey is not only legal but necessary on many routes.  No joke, I've been on a standard yellow school bus with 200+ other people.

The on-bus venders could not be more accurate.  Practically every time the bus stops, 1 to 20 people get on and try to sell something.  In the video, they only showed food salesmen but there are also people selling medicine/vitamins and bible wielding people who will preach for 5 minutes and ask for money.  Oh and it doesn’t matter if there’s 40 passengers already standing in the aisles.  The salespeople will grind all up on you to get to customers in the back of the bus and then return to exit out the front at the next stop.  Keep in mind, this all occurs at 60 mph on curvy one lane highways.

The food, spot on again.  Vendedores ambulantes will sell all kinds of food imaginable from roasted chicken to coconut candies.

Fail on the bollo (corn bread) though.  “You can taste the charcoal”.  No, no you cannot because nobody cooks with charcoal in this country.

And yes, I’ve drank things out of bags before.  And I wonder why I get sick so often?  Exhibit A.

YUM!

Last note, after you’re done eating or drinking whatever, waste disposal is to throw it out the window.

Anything else you want to know, holla atchya boi!

When to come visit

Somehow I’ve managed to sell some of you on the idea of visiting Nicaragua (cough Michelle, mom, dad, Jon, Brad, Justin, stalkers unbeknownst to me, cough cough…)  So when’s a good time to visit?

March 31^st-April 8^th.  It’s Semana Santa so I have the whole week off.

June 28^th-July 2^nd.  That Friday is National Teachers day so I have a long weekend.

July 13^th-22^nd.  Summer break = week off.

September 13^th-19^th.  Revolution and Independence Days.

December (anytime!)

If you’re still on the fence, Spirit Airlines has some outrageous deals if you’re willing to travel at odd hours. Roundtrip for under $500. No excuses, cya soon!

Creepy Crawlies!

Mother wanted to know about creepy crawlies.  Ask and you shall receive!

Spiders.  Yes they exist and there are some whoppers.  I may have run across a tarantula back in training but it managed to escape my tennis shoe rocketing at it.  I’ve found to gigantic daddy long legs in my bed recently which is unnerving.  Other than that, I’ve killed a couple large black ones the size of half dollars.

Cockroaches.  Back in training when I used a latrine, there were lots.  The bottoms of latrines are ideal breeding grounds for cucarachas.  Therefore, once every couple of months, the latrines are fumigated to try to control the infestation.  Where I live now is generally much cleaner and we have a toilet so not an issue.

Mosquitos.  Public enemy number one.  Obviously there are billions of mosquitos all over Central America.  Of the many varieties, Nicaragua is lucky to have both the type that bites during the day which carries dengue and the kind that bite at night which has malaria.  This of course is a tiny population.  Malaria rates are so low in Nicaragua that only 1 PCV has contracted it in the past 3 years.  In addition, we’re heading into the dry season now so mosquitos are few.  That being said, at home I still ALWAYS sleep under a mosquito net.  Not really because I’m scared of mosquitos but more to keep out the other multi-legged friends from sleeping with me.  Before going to bed, I have to shake out my sheet to make sure nothing is there.

Sounds like fun right?  Crank up that A/C or heat for me!

Central American Turmoil

As some of my overly concerned followers already know, the Peace Corps has suspended their programs in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.  In fact, the PCVs in Honduras were all successfully evacuated while the volunteers in Guatemala and El Salvador will continue their projects but will not receiving new trainees in the coming months (they are being phased out more or less).  There is still a chance that all of these countries will reopen again May.  The reason for the closure of these countries was the increase in organized crime.  Although PCVs felt safe in their sites, taking public transportation to major cities has become increasingly dangerous.

But Pedro, you obviously don’t live in any of those countries so what’s the big deal?  Well I just so happen to live less than an hour from one of the most popular border crossings between Nicaragua and Honduras.  That being said, I still feel 100% safe in my site and while traveling.  The Honduran government is nowhere near as stable as the Nicaraguan administration which has allowed the gangs in Honduras to gain prominence and power.  Therefore, operations here in Nicaragua are going to continue with continuous reevaluations of country security.  For more information, check out www.peacecorps.gov

No Reservations Part III

For the 1 or 2 of you that aren’t living and breathing on my every word, the past two days I’ve been providing my own input on a Travel Channel show about Nicaragua.  Here’s the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPDKGduC2DU

• Cuzusa – never heard of it but really wanna try it now 
• Chicharones – very popular and delicious. 
• Pelibuey – usually only gets busted out for special occasions.  Have yet to try it; I may just have to buy one and raise it in my back yard. 
• PLANTANO MORDURO AND CUAJADA!  I cannot even BEGIN to tell you how often I eat plantains and cheese.  Fresh cuajada is ok, at least better than normal Nicaraguan cheese.  Cuajada is more suave and queso normal is more crumbly.  Neither really has any flavor except salt.  Sometimes they’ll fry the cheese too.
• Never heard of morongo, but looks yummy/scary.
• “Everyone who comes to Esteli stays here”.  I love Esteli, but I’m not about to move in.  And yes, EVERYONE is related.  In Spanish culture, it’s normal to have two first and two last names.  Also the wife’s last name doesn’t change upon marriage.  When a child is born, it receives the first last name of the father followed by the first last name of the mother.  In short, all last names are generally just generational variations.  In fact, it’s not uncommon to even see someone with a identical last names (example a boy named Juan Maria Lopez Lopez).

Well I hope you enjoyed learning about Nicaragua.  Come visit!

No Reservations Part II

For those of you who missed the last post, I’m sharing my views on the Travel Channel’s “No Reservations” episode on Nicaragua.  Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4eS52aWUks

• After more depressing chureca talk, Tony visits the old Cathedral and palace.  I’ve been there!

Look familiar?  Back to the show...

• Referring to the restaurant that is no longer open;  No I have never eaten anything that…interesting.  Would I?  Maybe if I had a chaser of antibiotics.
• Tony’s breakfast spot – don’t know where that is either but I’m gonna keep my eyes peeled.  Leche agriga is good; I’ve eaten it numerous times.  I’ve eaten dozens on nacatomales and they’re also delicious though I’ve never had one with raisins or olives.
• Esteli!  I’ve been there numerous times because it has the bank that the Peace Corps uses.  The weather is notably cooler here up in the mountains.  The vegetarian comment is so funny because it’s true.  PCVs have this problem all the time.
• Ay, mondongo.  This dish is actually very common and I could eat it…  If I wanted to.  I only know of one PCV who has braved it and then promptly spent the next two days in bed and the bathroom.

That’s it for this episode. Let me know if you have any questions that I didn’t talk about! Here’s part three for tomorrow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPDKGduC2DU

No Reservations Part I

Before I came to Nicaragua in May, I watched an episode of “No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain”.  Lucky for me, the show was about Nicaragua!  Here’s part one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhEIMNVmWgg

 I’m gonna take you through minute by minute of how “correct” everything is.  It’s 15 minutes but actually quite informative.

• First off, were the issues involving Nicaragua that popular back in the 80s?  Cause I sure didn’t know about it after I accepted my invitation.  I was more along the lines of “Where is Nicaragua?”
• That is a fairly nice taxi.  I’ve ridden in much shadier editions.  And yes, I think 7 of us did take a taxi to Burger King once…
• I have never seen nor heard of drag races in Managua (but would love to attend one…).  Maybe I don’t hang with the right crowd.   Tony and his Nicas are drinking Tonas, one of two popular brews.
• I have only eaten one cheeseburger in Nicaragua and it was definitely not at some sketchy street vendor.
• Marcado Mayoreo!  I have been there countless times.  At 6:46, you can actually see the signs for the “buses expresos” that I take to Somoto, Ocotal or Jalapa.  Very accurate but I don’t know where he ate at, and regardless, would never eat there.  It's usually very crowed and dirty.  In that scene, the yellow things that they’re eating and didn’t mention are tajadas (thinly sliced fried banana chips which I eat nearly every day).
• At 10:09, they’re eating vaho (my favorite Nica dish because it actually included fruits and vegetables).  No idea where that restaurant is but I’m gonna search for it. 
• La chureca.  I have never been there because it is dangerous (as Tony later mentions) but from what I’ve heard, it’s very VERY real.  My soul hurts every time I watch that scene.
• In the last scene, Tony is drinking Caballito.  It is below bottom shelf rum; a half liter costing around $1.  A while back, a batch was accidentally mixed with methane and killed some people and caused blindness in others.  Needless to say, I’ve never touched the stuff.

If you want to get a head start on tomorrow's analysis:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4eS52aWUks

Other ideas...

Hypothetical situation: say you’re too lazy to leave your comfortable first world house (rumor has it there was a blizzard back home…) to figure out how to mail me something.  Never fear!  New ideas:

•  Gift me something on iTunes!  Now that I have first world internet, I can download movies in a couple hours.  Help keep me “cultured”. 
• Play “Words with Friends” or “Scramble” with me on your mobile device!  I’m “Pstephan2” and now that I speak Spanish, beating me in English based word games should be a breeze…Or will it?