In Which I Gush Excessively about Ometepe. Gush, Gush, Gush.

I just got back from my site visit to my future home on the island of Ometepe, and I am completely in love with everything about it. And I am grateful to have this blog because I have no opportunity to openly gush about it; I don’t want to tell my fellow volunteers too much because it feels like bragging, and I don’t want to tell my current host family because it seems like I’m eager to leave. So here goes.

All of us trainees went to Managua last Monday, where we were each met by 1-2 of our counterparts and given a day of orientation about the upcoming project. A lot of it was review for us, but I’m glad to know that the counterparts know what they’ve signed up for. My counterparts are both wonderful women in their thirties. Shirley will be my counterpart in my village of Urbaite, and has had previous relationships with two TEFL volunteers in the past. One of them was Joanna, who left in 2010 and wrote me the detailed overview of the island that I blogged about previously. I will be the first counterpart Sara has ever worked with, since she just began working as an English teacher last year. She is one of the most energetic and outgoing people I’ve ever met, and has befriended many a volunteer over the past few years. Both seem very motivated, and I think we will get along well and work well in the classroom. They tell me that all the English teachers on the island, I think there are 15 total, get along really well and regularly arrange social events, such as trips to the beach, and they would really like it if I integrated myself into these outings. As if I needed persuading.

On Tuesday we set out for Ometepe. We caught a lancha, a boat that is smaller and cheaper than the regular ferry, and I’ll admit I was feeling a little queasy for a bit. The boat passage took about an hour, and then we had to board a bus for an additional 45 minutes or so. The island essentially is the Concepcion Volcano, and the “highway” is a ring road that always has a spectacular view. My village is right on the highway, and is easy to find because it is right by a church. The house itself is fantastic; I have a large room complete with a sofa and matching chair, a desk, a huge closet, and a private bathroom. There is a nice patio/yard out back where two dogs, Terry and Kiara, roam, along with the family’s pet deer, Gisele. They adopted her when she was a baby and her mother was killed. My family in Diriamba didn’t believe me until I showed them a picture; they kept telling me I was confused, that it was actually a goat. She is adorable and loves to be scratched and fed table scraps. We also have an avocado tree, a lemon tree, an orange tree, a dragonfruit tree, and probably more. My family is also wonderful. The mother is named Marlene, and is a lawyer in her mid-40’s who usually works from home unless she has to go to the mainland for hearings. Her husband, Felix, alternates between working at a wind power company on the mainland for two days, then having two days off at home. Both parents are very friendly, talkative, and welcoming. The first thing they did when I arrive was offer me a snack; when I accepted (the croissants I had pilfered from the breakfast buffet were all I had eaten for lunch), they offered me a huge plate of salad and fresh cheese. I was shocked and delighted. Oh yes, they told me, we eat a lot of vegetables here. Oh, happiness. Marlene and Felix have one son, Moises, who is 13 years old. He didn’t seem to want to talk to me at first, but I gradually broke through with the one thing I was sure we’d have in common: sports. And music, though my knowledge is woefully lacking. But he seems cool and I think we’re going to get along really well eventually. There is also a woman who comes in every day from 6am-2pm to do all the cooking, cleaning, washing, etc. She is incredibly sweet and is a fantastic cook who makes homemade tortillas every morning for breakfast. I fear this is going to be yet another one of those occasions when I think I am finally going to be forced to learn to cook for myself…but somehow end up being fed by someone else (previous examples: working at a restaurant during the summers, living in Chile but visiting my host family for meals, living alone in China but living off the school cafeteria and absurdly cheap restaurants). I know she has a lot of work to do and try to help out by washing my own dishes and doing my own laundry, though she was disdainful of my washing technique. I have much to learn.

And it gets better. My family is apparently very well off, and has several farm properties on the island. I only got to visit one of them, which is a beach-farm. It is right on the shore of the lack, complete with hammock, kayak, and a house with 7 bedrooms. They have dogs, chickens, and, drumroll please, a horse that can be ridden along the beach! No saddle or bridle, but they tell me she is tame enough that it’s not necessary. She also has a 6-month-old foal that I’m hoping to maybe help train, though I’m guessing that training techniques down here are very different from what we do back home. And there are more pet deer, and they are hoping to breed one of the males with Gisele, which would mean a baby deer living in our patio! Marlene loves to garden, and they have many vegetables and crops on the various farms, from coffee to rice to bananas.   

I think I am going to like working at my schools. Each class only has 20-25 students, and I think they enjoy learning English a little more than the students in Diriamba because they live in a tourist destination. And from what I hear, teenagers from rural areas are much friendlier than stereotypical teenagers. I also met the teachers and principals in the schools, and they all seem very nice and welcoming. In fact, everyone on the island is nice; I didn’t receive a single catcall or piropo the entire time. I went running every morning on the “highway”, where I only encountered a handful of vehicles but many pedestrians, bikes, horses, and cows. And I greeted everyone with a smile.

I unfortunately didn’t get to meet the two volunteers who live near me because they both were sick. Which was too bad, because I was hoping to go to karaoke with them on Wednesday night. But there is karaoke every Wednesday, so I know I will get my chance. There is another volunteer, Zac, who lives on the other side of the island, where the port is, who I got to meet on my way out. And to my delight, he is one of the organizers of the legendary Ometepe marathon in February, so now I know all about it. There is a half-marathon option that I need to start training for, though unfortunately it involves running up to a lookout. I’m hoping to get Zac to show me the route ahead of time; this may be cheating, but I need all the advantages I can get.

I checked out the bicycles for sale, and I’m excited to buy one as soon as I arrive, two days after Thanksgiving. Then I can set out and explore all the beautiful and magical places the island has to offer. The Peace Corps says we can’t leave our sites for the first three months, which is perfectly fine with me!  

Gisele, my adorable pet deer!

View of Concepcion Volcano over the baseball stadium where my institute is currently having classes.

 Classroom setup in baseball stadium.