As I sit, munching on my lunch, I decided to do some more blogging. I know - you´re estatic right?? Hahaha. Joking!

I realized in my last post or two, I forgot some details, some happenings, that occured in Esteli. On Sunday, there was a soccer game between Esteli and some other place. In short, Esteli won...whoot! So that night, there was a concert festival in the park and we went to check it out. The group was Las Minas and is the only female group in Nicaragua. I thought they were pretty good and especially since it was live; usually people never sound as good live but they were great. I obviously didn´t understand anything they were singing about - that is until they started singing ´´I will Survive´´. The sucky thing about that evening was that there were many drunk guys, dancing, trying to get us Canadian girls to come dance. A simple ´no´ does not suffice, nor does laughing at them, pushing them or telling them to leave you alone. It was slightly annoying, and a tad creepy, so it made the experience a bit less enjoyable. However, I try not to let those things bother me...stay positive!

As I said, Tuesday I started work; Wednesday, today and tomorrow, I continue. Hahaha. Today Katy, one of the managers, asked me how I was at painting. I said I´ve taken classes in highschool and outside of school, but I said I wasn´t sure if I was up to their standards. I wasn´t. She said I could practice on some paper, just use my imagination. That led me to paint a spectrum of the colors to practice blending and combining colors and I painted a corn cob. I didn´t think it was that bad, but clearly Katy did. So she said I could paint the white letters on the ´mantas´ or pieces of art we´re working on. It was a little discouraging, but what can I do?

This weekend I don´t have to work Saturday because its Mothers Day here and its quite a big event, seeing as there are so many single mothers in Nicaragua. So, I was planning on going to Leon with this other girl I met - Krista from Virginia. She found this really neat 2 day hike-tour of different volcanoes in Leon. Here´s the website: http://www.quetzaltrekkers.com/nictelica.html. Its looks great! And all proceeds go towards helping street children in Leon. Here´s a description just for easy reading:

In the morning we pack our backpacks and have breakfast in the Quetzaltrekkers office. Then we go by public transport to a small rural village close to the volcanoes Telica and Santa Clara where our trail starts. Our trail winds towards the agitated western slope of the volcano, offering great opportunities to see the Nicaraguan national bird Guardabarranca perching high on majestic Guanacaste trees. Walking on through fields and forest for about 5 hours, we head up to the impressive active crater of Volcán Telica. The steep walls of the 150 m wide crater drop down more than a hundred meters, providing a view that will make your head spin. From the top you have great views of the volcanoes San Cristobal, Cerro Negro and Momotombo and it is the ideal place to see the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.

Our campsite, just 15 minutes down from the active crater and nested within an older inactive crater, looks like a garden of Eden. When it is dark we go back to the crater for the best possible views of the glowing lava. Next morning we rise early to climb a ridge where we can see the sunrise. After breakfast we clear the camping area and go down the steep southern slope, walking through a beautiful dry forest. Crossing the corn and bean fields between the volcanoes Telica and Santa Clara, we walk towards the small town of San Jacinto where we visit the famous Hervideros - bubbling mud pools caused by a subterranean lava flow of Volcán Telica. After having lunch in a local comedor, we get on the bus back to León.

Uummmm...I think that about does it. I´m feeling a little less homesick than in the beginning. I still can´t wait to come home but its more because I miss people than because I hate it here. I think I´ve said this already. Oh well. Other people in my group are doing ok..some complain alot about it here which bugs me when i´m trying to stay positive. I try not to complain too much, and I don´t think I have. But its exciting to think that I´ve been here for 4 weeks and am starting my 5th week - that means only 9 weeks remaining, 8 at work! I know I know, it seems like I´m counting down, but please don´t think of it negatively. I am enjoying this experience, honest. I´m excited to be here but I´ll be happy to go home.

Thats it for now. I´ll hopefully be able to blog later about my weekend in Leon, maybe upload some pics. Hasta luego for now!!

Take care and of course...miss you all!