Gannon Volleyball Nicaragua Photo Gallery (New Photos Added Daily)
We got an early start to the day with breakfast at our hotel in Managua before departing for San Juan del Sur at 9 a.m. The driver packed all of our luggage in the last two rows of the bus. After a two-hour drive, we arrived at El Coco Azul Hotel in the heart of San Juan del Sur. We immediately noticed the entrepreneurial spirit of the Nicaraguan people. They had homemade refreshments, street cart food, locally-made crafts and commercial items available for sale.
We were briefed on the ground rules for the town by our tour guide, Brooke Rundle. We were allowed some time to eat lunch on our own and explore at our leisure. Hammocks seem to be ubiquitous here as they are for sale everywhere and hanging up in front of all the hotels and people’s homes.
After a quick bite to eat at the local market, we took a ride to a local school in El Carrizal. As we pulled up in front of the school, the students were busy and excited, moving chairs and tables in preparation for our time with them. The children, ranging in ages from three to 17, introduced themselves to us in English and were eager to show their knowledge of the language. We then split up into smaller groups to help the kids read books and develop their English-speaking skills. Each of us had three students and they took turns reading out loud.
We finished our time at the school playing soccer, football and volleyball. They were enthusiastic for the opportunity to spend their recess time and were extremely grateful that we were able to visit. When it was time for them to go home, we distributed basic school supplies, such as pencils, pens, markers, coloring books, clip boards and much more. Before returning to our hotel, we walked across the street to a woman-owned and -operated co-op had a unique variety of homemade jams: tamarind, pineapple, passion fruit, and more. Many of us purchased this delicious treat for only $4.00 per jar.
We came back to the hotel to get cleaned up and drove out to a resort to spend a few relaxing hours at the pool that overlooked the city and the Pacific Ocean. We enjoyed a poolside dinner with a sunset view, and then headed back to the hotel for local gelato. After only one day in San Juan del Sur, we are looking forward to the rest of our time here. We will get many more opportunities to interact with the local people and learn about Nicaraguan culture. To learn more about community projects in San Juan del Sur, visit
http://sanjuandelsur.org.
Emily Carver '15 and Taryn Graham '15
Gannon Volleyball
