I’ve come down with Gripe

La cruza on the top of the Volcan Masaya (it helps keep the devil away because it was believed that the volcano was a portal to hell)Volcan Masaya is an active Volcano and one of the smaller volcanos in Nicaragua

We could only stay near the top of the volcano for 20 minutes because there were toxic gases coming out of the volcano

A few days ago I came down with a small cold…but here in Nicaragua no cold is small! My family told me I had gripe (aka the flu) and then they proceeded to give me their home remedies to cure me of my gripe. First rule of thumb, I was not given any cold water…only boiling water. I wondered why I couldn’t have cold water and I was simply told that because the climate here is so different it is important that I only have hot water to cure me of my gripe. Next, I was given a lemonade drink (limon) that was also hot but very tasty as well. To conclude I had to wear warm closes such as a sweater. Keep in mind that in Nicaragua it is around 80 to 90 degrees and very humid. Therefore, I was boiling! However, three days later I do feel much better and feel that the home remedies did help a bit.

Our group of trainees taught another lesson in the local school and we are also meeting with a local youth group. The youth group is going to give a lecture in the school concerning the effects/consequences of using drugs. Hopefully, the knowledge they impart on their classmates will resonate and help to curb the use of drugs in the small pueblo. As I was typing this blog entry, the lights (luz) went out and I am left in the dark with my computer (my battery still has 3 hours of life left!!). That brings up another fun topic…electricity and the lack there of in Nicaragua. For the most part, we do have electricity most of the time; however, it does go out during the nighttime around 7pm at least once a week. This isn’t major problem as long as I’m at my house, but if I happen to be walking around on the street it causes a major dilemma. When the street lights go off it is pitch black and you cannot see a thing. You just hope that a car (preferably with headlights…because people often drive without any headlights at all) will pass by to guide you closer to home. At this moment I am safe inside my house, my family is also at home but unfortunately due to the electrical outage they are missing out on their favorite tele novela (soap opera). I have decided to cut this blog entry a little short because it is pitch black and the only light around is coming from my computer screen…bugs seem to be flocking in droves and are quite literally swarming around my head!! Buenas Noches