Carriage Ride (Note Army camouflage material used to line carriage.)
Devotional Time by the Hotel Pool
Oropendola Nests on our Islet Tour
Dinner for Two
The Streets of Granada
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Nicaragua Trip - Day Three
After another refreshing night’s sleep, we enjoyed our personal devotion time by the hotel pool. We basically had the courtyard to ourselves and had our own private “church.” The other noisy tourists were late-risers and seemed to prefer beers on the terrace over seeing the sights of the city.
We walked several blocks through streets brimming with vendors of every sort… the Sunday market. There was a little bit of everything available. Breakfast options were still pretty slim, so we munched on dry cereal and yogurt.
We were eagerly looking forward to a trip out to the islets of Granada on Lake Nicaragua. We loved the carriage ride so much on Saturday that we decided to pay the extra $20 to take another one to the pier. There we hired a small boat to take us on an hour long private tour. There are 265 small islands near the city of Granada, all formed by volcanic explosions about 400 years ago. Most of the islands are privately owned by wealthy business people or politicians. I would hate to have my house on one, because we were only one of many boats putting around the perimeters of their homes, gawking at the evidence of wealth.
We paid about $5 extra so that the carriage driver would take us to a sight I wanted to revisit. The San Juan de Dios Hospital had been abandoned around 10 years ago. By the look of it, you would think it had been abandoned much longer ago! It takes up two whole city blocks. Trees are growing right out of the rooftops of the tall spires! Inventory books and patient records are still strewn in the hallways. One story we heard indicated that the hospital sewage had been accumulating for many years in a tank under the center patio of the hospital. Eventually, the hospital began to settle into the huge sewage pit underneath it. What a good reason for a hospital to die!
We ate an elegant supper in a new hotel, enjoying the restaurant all to ourselves, since other tourists don’t eat until late. We hit the sack early. Day three… another lovely day!
We walked several blocks through streets brimming with vendors of every sort… the Sunday market. There was a little bit of everything available. Breakfast options were still pretty slim, so we munched on dry cereal and yogurt.
We were eagerly looking forward to a trip out to the islets of Granada on Lake Nicaragua. We loved the carriage ride so much on Saturday that we decided to pay the extra $20 to take another one to the pier. There we hired a small boat to take us on an hour long private tour. There are 265 small islands near the city of Granada, all formed by volcanic explosions about 400 years ago. Most of the islands are privately owned by wealthy business people or politicians. I would hate to have my house on one, because we were only one of many boats putting around the perimeters of their homes, gawking at the evidence of wealth.
We paid about $5 extra so that the carriage driver would take us to a sight I wanted to revisit. The San Juan de Dios Hospital had been abandoned around 10 years ago. By the look of it, you would think it had been abandoned much longer ago! It takes up two whole city blocks. Trees are growing right out of the rooftops of the tall spires! Inventory books and patient records are still strewn in the hallways. One story we heard indicated that the hospital sewage had been accumulating for many years in a tank under the center patio of the hospital. Eventually, the hospital began to settle into the huge sewage pit underneath it. What a good reason for a hospital to die!
We ate an elegant supper in a new hotel, enjoying the restaurant all to ourselves, since other tourists don’t eat until late. We hit the sack early. Day three… another lovely day!
Monday, January 29, 2007
Granada Nicaragua Trip - Day Two
One of our hopes for our trip together was to spend some time alone with God, plus have time for me to mentor Kari. God was very gracious to us in both senses! Our first morning we found two rockers next to the small, quiet pool in the courtyard, and enjoyed God’s presence.
After our quiet time, we ventured out on the streets to look for a good bread store for our breakfast. If there exist good bread stores in Nicaragua, we never found one! We stepped into one, looked at each other, and stepped right out again! Instead we found some pre-packaged dry toast, dulce de leche, and yogurt and enjoyed our breakfast on the main city plaza, right outside our hotel door.
Since it was Saturday we decided to find a bus to a nearby city of Masaya, where they boast of a great artisan’s market. The express bus driver knew two speeds: FAST and STOP!! We had an interesting cultural experience en route. Suddenly, while barreling down the highway, the bus driver’s assistant in the back shouted, “PECADO!” In Spanish, that means SIN! The driver looked over his shoulder once, and kept going. The boy now became more insistent, “PECADO! PECADO! PECADO!” Now, the bus driver was truly concerned, glaring over his shoulder and considering slowing down.
One more shout of “PECADO!” and the driver slammed on the brakes. As the dust settled, the passenger behind us was thrown off the bus! His dripping packages gave away his sin. He had two sacks of frozen fish which were creating pools of fishy water on the floor. We realized that the Nicaraguans drop their “s” sounds, so the boy had been actually shouting “PESCADO!” the Spanish word for fish!
The artisan’s market was a fun stop for us. We mostly window-shopped. Our biggest purchase was four identical clay bead bracelets – one for Kari and me, and the other two for Norma and Krista. Later I read an inscription on one of the beads. It said “Cuba!” So much for Nicaraguan souvenirs! I’ll attach a photo of one of the lovely murals in the artisan’s market.
We opted for a local bus back to Granada. The eight block walk to the bus stop was an eye-opener. We have heard that 75% of Nicaraguans live below the poverty level. I think that percentage perhaps is slightly underestimated. We saw starving dogs and starving horses, but also starving people. From then on, we always bought extra food to share with the needy all around us.
The local buses also have two speeds. SLOW and STOP. Once again, my cane came to the rescue. Otherwise the two of us would have been standing, packed like sardines with the rest of the hot, sweaty bunch.
The sun was lowering in the sky by the time we made our way back to the main square. On a whim, we decided to hire a horse and buggy to take us for a sunset tour of Granada. Our favorite stop was at an arsenal built by the Spaniards soon after establishing the city. It was most recently used during the civil war in the 80’s to house prisoners. We climbed up into the guard tower and caught our first glimpse of Lake Nicaragua and the volcano that overlooks the city. What a view!
We ate a real meal that evening at a restaurant recommended by the carriage driver. I ate guapote – the most typical fish from Lake Nicaragua.
Day two… a lovely day!
After our quiet time, we ventured out on the streets to look for a good bread store for our breakfast. If there exist good bread stores in Nicaragua, we never found one! We stepped into one, looked at each other, and stepped right out again! Instead we found some pre-packaged dry toast, dulce de leche, and yogurt and enjoyed our breakfast on the main city plaza, right outside our hotel door.
Since it was Saturday we decided to find a bus to a nearby city of Masaya, where they boast of a great artisan’s market. The express bus driver knew two speeds: FAST and STOP!! We had an interesting cultural experience en route. Suddenly, while barreling down the highway, the bus driver’s assistant in the back shouted, “PECADO!” In Spanish, that means SIN! The driver looked over his shoulder once, and kept going. The boy now became more insistent, “PECADO! PECADO! PECADO!” Now, the bus driver was truly concerned, glaring over his shoulder and considering slowing down.
One more shout of “PECADO!” and the driver slammed on the brakes. As the dust settled, the passenger behind us was thrown off the bus! His dripping packages gave away his sin. He had two sacks of frozen fish which were creating pools of fishy water on the floor. We realized that the Nicaraguans drop their “s” sounds, so the boy had been actually shouting “PESCADO!” the Spanish word for fish!
The artisan’s market was a fun stop for us. We mostly window-shopped. Our biggest purchase was four identical clay bead bracelets – one for Kari and me, and the other two for Norma and Krista. Later I read an inscription on one of the beads. It said “Cuba!” So much for Nicaraguan souvenirs! I’ll attach a photo of one of the lovely murals in the artisan’s market.
We opted for a local bus back to Granada. The eight block walk to the bus stop was an eye-opener. We have heard that 75% of Nicaraguans live below the poverty level. I think that percentage perhaps is slightly underestimated. We saw starving dogs and starving horses, but also starving people. From then on, we always bought extra food to share with the needy all around us.
The local buses also have two speeds. SLOW and STOP. Once again, my cane came to the rescue. Otherwise the two of us would have been standing, packed like sardines with the rest of the hot, sweaty bunch.
The sun was lowering in the sky by the time we made our way back to the main square. On a whim, we decided to hire a horse and buggy to take us for a sunset tour of Granada. Our favorite stop was at an arsenal built by the Spaniards soon after establishing the city. It was most recently used during the civil war in the 80’s to house prisoners. We climbed up into the guard tower and caught our first glimpse of Lake Nicaragua and the volcano that overlooks the city. What a view!
We ate a real meal that evening at a restaurant recommended by the carriage driver. I ate guapote – the most typical fish from Lake Nicaragua.
Day two… a lovely day!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Nicaragua Trip - Day One
Kari and I had a marvelous time together in Granada, Nicaragua! Kari has to leave the country for 72 hours every three months in order to stay in Costa Rica, since she does not have a residency visa. Three months ago she traveled with some of the other Sojourn teachers to Panama City. This time I offered to go with her on a trip - just the two of us. To save money, we planned it ourselves, making our hotel reservation based on the recommendation of a friend from Nicaragua. We could have gone through a travel agency for around $400 apiece, but we ended up spending $166 each!! Aren’t we good missionaries?!?
We traveled by bus. The trip to Nicaragua was uneventful. (I'll write an entry soon describing the return trip adventures!) We left around noon and arrived around 10PM. The border crossing was definitely third world, but we managed better than most, thanks to my cane! Since I’d had foot surgery only 4 weeks previous, I decided to take my cane along, not only to help me walk, but to give me a “passport to grace.” Don’t think I was playing my sympathy card! Honestly, the cane was my salvation! People were very gracious and accommodating.
One interesting note about the bus ride… the roads in Nicaragua at night are narrow, dark, rough and unmarked (no center lines, no any lines!) Get a seat in the back if you want to avoid a heart attack. What you can’t see can’t hurt you!
Before the trip we had investigated how much a taxi should cost from the bus station to our hotel. The first taxi to happen by, seeing our foreign faces, wanted double that price. We should have forked over the extra two dollars, since we ended up waiting and hunting for another taxi for at least another 20 minutes.
We walked into our hotel lobby and were “wowed.” The lobby was gorgeous! Our room was small, but clean, with a decent, clean bathroom. Initially we were disappointed when we saw that our window did not look out on the street. But, after a good night’s rest, we opened our curtain and looked out on the lovely courtyard, and decided our view wasn’t half bad!! The attached photo shows you that view. Tomorrow I will write about our second day there.
We traveled by bus. The trip to Nicaragua was uneventful. (I'll write an entry soon describing the return trip adventures!) We left around noon and arrived around 10PM. The border crossing was definitely third world, but we managed better than most, thanks to my cane! Since I’d had foot surgery only 4 weeks previous, I decided to take my cane along, not only to help me walk, but to give me a “passport to grace.” Don’t think I was playing my sympathy card! Honestly, the cane was my salvation! People were very gracious and accommodating.
One interesting note about the bus ride… the roads in Nicaragua at night are narrow, dark, rough and unmarked (no center lines, no any lines!) Get a seat in the back if you want to avoid a heart attack. What you can’t see can’t hurt you!
Before the trip we had investigated how much a taxi should cost from the bus station to our hotel. The first taxi to happen by, seeing our foreign faces, wanted double that price. We should have forked over the extra two dollars, since we ended up waiting and hunting for another taxi for at least another 20 minutes.
We walked into our hotel lobby and were “wowed.” The lobby was gorgeous! Our room was small, but clean, with a decent, clean bathroom. Initially we were disappointed when we saw that our window did not look out on the street. But, after a good night’s rest, we opened our curtain and looked out on the lovely courtyard, and decided our view wasn’t half bad!! The attached photo shows you that view. Tomorrow I will write about our second day there.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Surpise Celestial Sleepover
Yesterday morning I was working on the computer at home when I received a panicky phone call from Lori’s neighbor. Wilma couldn’t get through on the office phone to Lori, so she asked me if Lori had house guests. As I was contacting Lori by Skype, Wilma called back to say, “It’s robbers! They are leaving with her TV!” I had her call the police, and Eric drove with Lori to her house. A small group of men evidently had forced the lock on her carport gate and broken down her front door in broad daylight. Fortunately, her losses total less than $1000. She will have to replace her passport and driver’s license. The police never came, though about 4 hours later a “judicial investigation team” showed up to look for fingerprints and write a report. Then Lori and her landlord had to go to the police station to file a report while workmen stayed behind to screw the door back together again.
In the afternoon I did a lot of phone calls for Lori. One of those calls was to the emergency number for the US Consulate. Inside each passport it says to call to report if your passport is lost or stolen. I first tried several phone numbers for the US consulate in Costa Rica, but either got answering machines or no answer. So, I decided to call their emergency number. A man answered the phone in English. He didn’t say, “Good afternoon! US Consulate.” He didn’t even say, “Hello.”
He answered the phone like this: “Yeah?”
I was a bit surprised and figured I must have the wrong number! But, I asked in English, “Is this the US Consulate?”
“Yeah.”
It was an American accent. At this point I wasn’t sure if his vocabulary extended beyond this one word. “Yeah.”
Anyway, I explained the robbery and he said simply, “You don’t need to report it. She just has to replace it.”
Lori really wanted me to come over after Eric left in the early afternoon, but I was in the midst of an urgent ILF project - printing and sending 47 personal, signed, official ILF invitations for the IT Filipino leaders. I was on the phone for about an hour trying to decide between DHL and FedEx. (That is a story in and of itself!) The DHL messenger finally showed up at 6:30PM, freeing me to go join Lori at her house. Celeste was a welcome addition to the slumber party. The damaged front door may not have looked terribly secure, but the 115 pound dog was a nice deterrent to any further break-ins!
In the afternoon I did a lot of phone calls for Lori. One of those calls was to the emergency number for the US Consulate. Inside each passport it says to call to report if your passport is lost or stolen. I first tried several phone numbers for the US consulate in Costa Rica, but either got answering machines or no answer. So, I decided to call their emergency number. A man answered the phone in English. He didn’t say, “Good afternoon! US Consulate.” He didn’t even say, “Hello.”
He answered the phone like this: “Yeah?”
I was a bit surprised and figured I must have the wrong number! But, I asked in English, “Is this the US Consulate?”
“Yeah.”
It was an American accent. At this point I wasn’t sure if his vocabulary extended beyond this one word. “Yeah.”
Anyway, I explained the robbery and he said simply, “You don’t need to report it. She just has to replace it.”
Lori really wanted me to come over after Eric left in the early afternoon, but I was in the midst of an urgent ILF project - printing and sending 47 personal, signed, official ILF invitations for the IT Filipino leaders. I was on the phone for about an hour trying to decide between DHL and FedEx. (That is a story in and of itself!) The DHL messenger finally showed up at 6:30PM, freeing me to go join Lori at her house. Celeste was a welcome addition to the slumber party. The damaged front door may not have looked terribly secure, but the 115 pound dog was a nice deterrent to any further break-ins!
Thursday, January 04, 2007
What a Way to Start 2007!
We had a wonderful New Year's Eve service at our church, Iglesia Principe de Paz. As people filed in, we handed out multi-colored slips that read, "List 10 reasons you are thankful." Luis Diego, now the new director of I.T. Costa Rica, led us in music of thanksgiving as the seats began to fill.
Rather than having traditional "church," we now pulled out an "IPP BINGO" sheet. "Tico Bingo" is a big thing at this time of year. It is a lottery that benefits the Red Cross. So, the artwork on our Bingo sheets mimicked the Tico Bingo slogan. In IPP BINGO, however, all are winners. Everyone had to fill their nine squares with a thanksgiving, a goal for 2007, and a signature of different individuals in the church. The group was very animated as they got to know one another better, focusing on gratefulness to God.
After more wonderful singing, the pastor spoke on all the things we forget to be thankful for. He concluded his message by quoting Revelation 7:12. "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
We then shared in a very precious time of the Lord's Supper.
As we drew near to the conclusion of a beautiful morning, the people filed to the front to deposit their multi-colored slips of gratitude, along with their offering, in a large, clear glass bowl. As they deposited their offerings of praise, each had the option of drawing a Scripture slip. We had made up about 25 slips of paraphrased Scriptures that focus on gratitude. Each person that drew a slip and read their portion aloud into the microphone. People were so eager to participate that I quickly ran out of slips. Some people spontaneously shared their thanks by quoting memorized verses.
We all joined hands in a large circle and read in unison the passage from Revelation that was on a PowerPoint slide. You should have heard the enthusiasm as we thought about preparing for the day we would all stand before the Lamb: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
Still in a circle, the pastor led us in a prayer of commitment for the coming year. He then told us no one could leave without personally greeting and blessing each person in the crowd... about 80 of us! There was such a warm spirit that people stayed for about another half hour, hugging and blessing one another.
What a way to start 2007!
Rather than having traditional "church," we now pulled out an "IPP BINGO" sheet. "Tico Bingo" is a big thing at this time of year. It is a lottery that benefits the Red Cross. So, the artwork on our Bingo sheets mimicked the Tico Bingo slogan. In IPP BINGO, however, all are winners. Everyone had to fill their nine squares with a thanksgiving, a goal for 2007, and a signature of different individuals in the church. The group was very animated as they got to know one another better, focusing on gratefulness to God.
After more wonderful singing, the pastor spoke on all the things we forget to be thankful for. He concluded his message by quoting Revelation 7:12. "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
We then shared in a very precious time of the Lord's Supper.
As we drew near to the conclusion of a beautiful morning, the people filed to the front to deposit their multi-colored slips of gratitude, along with their offering, in a large, clear glass bowl. As they deposited their offerings of praise, each had the option of drawing a Scripture slip. We had made up about 25 slips of paraphrased Scriptures that focus on gratitude. Each person that drew a slip and read their portion aloud into the microphone. People were so eager to participate that I quickly ran out of slips. Some people spontaneously shared their thanks by quoting memorized verses.
We all joined hands in a large circle and read in unison the passage from Revelation that was on a PowerPoint slide. You should have heard the enthusiasm as we thought about preparing for the day we would all stand before the Lamb: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
Still in a circle, the pastor led us in a prayer of commitment for the coming year. He then told us no one could leave without personally greeting and blessing each person in the crowd... about 80 of us! There was such a warm spirit that people stayed for about another half hour, hugging and blessing one another.
What a way to start 2007!
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