March 15th: Mark's Perspective

5:08am, laying in bed waiting for my 5:15 alarm.  Curt is in another bed at my feet and Doug is across the room.  I get up, get my bathing suit on slowly without making a noise.  I pick up my pre-packed bag of camera and tripod and head out the hotel room door.  I knock on room 20's door: Kim and Alicia. 

I know it is early especially seeing I got to sleep at 12:30 the night before.  I don't care; I am an amateur photographer and one of the toughest things about photography is having the chance to photograph beautiful scenery; and I have a few new techniques I want to give a try. 

Alicia is game to check out the sunrise while the rest of the team sleeps.  She plans to jog but it seems a leisurely stroll at this hour will suffice.  We walk out the back of the hotel patio to a mob of barking street dogs that use the beach to sleep: we scared them.  It is dark and it takes a minute to realize how many there are, quite a few.  There are dogs everywhere!

We walk to a river that meets the ocean.  Fishermen are starting their day as white herons and other birds dive in the water for their first meal.

We walk back the hotel and go for a swim in the waves.  I go in the water maybe 20 feet and the first wave pushed harder than expected.  Alicia is not more than 5 feet from land and she gets knocked off her feet and thrown on the beach.  Unexpectedly these waves are 7 to 8 feet tall and we cannot venture very far.
After breakfast, Roberto Reyes (Rotarian and owner of the hotel) picks us up and we head to the hospital in Leon for a press conference.  The local Rotary clubs have donated some equipment and we are part of the program.  We are taken aside by a few doctors that ask for our financial help in some programs they want to start at the hospital.  More potential projects for the clubs back in Canada.

After the hospital, we drive to the hardware store that Roberto owns to pick up water buckets, school supplies and a pinata.  We start driving out of the city, further down a dirt road, progressively becoming more and more bumpy and unused.  We pass cows, boys on small-underweight horses and men on bikes; no cars.

Roberto is bring the supplies to a remote village.  While there he shows us the 3 wells that the Rotary clubs have installed.

We set up the pinata.  The local school teacher organizes the children and the blindfold.  I quickly realize how dangerous this game is! 

I asked Roberto to what grade the children in this community go to school for.  Grade 4.

We have fun with the kids and pinata and the women of the village are grateful for their new water buckets.  The men of the village are on hammocks, almost mocking our activities and certainly not showing any interest.
It became apparent that Roberto donated the supplies to the village on our behalf and the thank you's are directed to us; we do not deserve it.  Roberto is a man with a heart larger than he is.

We continue with our Leon local tour with a visit to the local University and a school that teaches English.  We stop by a local cafe that Curt is interested in (the publican in him) that over looks the city's main square and the basilica that was built in 1709 (not the oldest church in this city).  This city is bustling at a relaxed pace; everyone is out but not in a rush.  We feel safe, quite the contract to the dangers of Managua, the capital city.

Back to the hotel.  Curt and I head for the waves.  We are like children!  We look at each other: perma-smiles.  Body surfing the waves and having a great time.  One large wave comes in and we start riding in it's surf; this one is too big.  We get brought to the bottom and dragged on the sand.  I have a burn on my arm and back, Curt is scraped on his shoulder.  This one beached us.

For dinner we head to Robert's home, greeted by his family and one of the Doctors we met at the hospital earlier in the day.  Curt entertained with guitar and singing and we spark interesting conversations on Nicaragua politics, health care, education and comparisons to Canada... very interesting.

Curt and I end the day with blogging and emails.  Educational, eye opening, R&R: productive day and we have learned lots and enjoyed much of this country. Once again I am humbled.

MC