Nicaragua Trip

Unity College - Spring 2009

During Spring semester 2009, Jen Olin & Aimee Phillippi co-instructed a course on the Culture & Environment of Nicaragua. As part of this course, a spring break trip was taken to Nicaragua where we worked with Sustainable Harvest International.

After a somewhat troubled start to the trip (driving through a sleet storm to Boston where we found our flight had been canceled), we managed to arrive in Managua on time. We only spent one very short night in Managua before heading off for an early flight to the east coast, to Bluefields.


Jen appearing contemplative in the Atlanta airport during our layover.	Pat & Z just taking it easy.	Playing cards - most of the students still dressed for Maine.


We arrived late at night and stayed at a hotel right across the road from the airport because we had an early departure the next morning. It was a pretty nice hotel.	The rooms had nice tile floors.


Mel holding our very fancy wooden boarding passes.	Just waiting in the airport.	Lisa & Steve arm wrestling - amazingly Lisa managed to injure her leg during this.


Aerial view over Managua	Farm land, mostly rice & sesame, on the western side	The much more forested eastern side of the country


Our sketchy Soviet-era plane to Bluefields	Arriving at the Bluefields airport	Right onto the bus to head into town

We spent one day in Bluefields where we visited the FUNCOS (Fundacion Nicaraguense Cosecha Sostenible - SHI in Nicaragua) demonstration farm. We also met some of the in-country staff, including Carla, who works at the demonstration farm. Here they experiment with new crops and techniques that could potentially be used with their families in the countryside. We learned about their composting process where they make three different fertilizer products, and we helped plant pejibaye seedlings in their tree nursery. (Pejibaya, while a popular fruit in Nicaragua, is actually not very appealing. It looks like it's going to have a sweet, juicy taste like a plum, but is very starchy - it tastes and feels like what you would get if you crossed a potato with corn.)


Houses on the road up to the demonstration farm. The piles of rocks outside are how some families make their living - the women and children pound the rocks, turning them into gravel.	Sign at the FUNCOS farm - it says it's a protected area and there is no cutting of trees, hunting, or burning allowed on the property.	Our greeter


The barn at the demo farm	A garden where they try out new crops	A tree nursery where they keep seedlings for food production and reforestation


Carla showing us their worm compost bin	A regular compost pile near the garden	Liquid compost they drain from manure


Hiking through the farm	This was also our first hike through some rainforest	We got to see leafcutter ants (click on the photo to see a video of the ants)


These beautiful lycopods were all through the forest	There were also lots of plants with evolved defenses, like this porcupine tree (that's just what we called it)	We called this one the urchin tree


Pejibaye seedlings	Planting pejibaye seedlings

In the evening we had dinner at a local restaurant where got to enjoy some local artisans. We were entertained by some Garifuna dancers. Garifuna are an Afro-Caribbean group that lives on the Atlantic coast of many central American countries. They played drums and danced and got us to dance with them. There were also some local crafters who talked about their art and had some for sale.


(Click on this photo for a video clip)

The next morning we loaded up into boats for a 4 hour ride up the Kukra River. The first part of the trip was along the open coast and then as we entered the mouth of the river, someone couldn't help but say, "Welcome to the jungle." It really was a jungle. So much vegetation along the river banks, lots of exotic birds flying overhead, turtles basking on downed trees. The water, however, was very polluted and we were told to wipe it off our face when it sprayed on us. Most of the ride was pretty secluded, but we did pass by some homes and small villages along the banks. There were also occasional women washing clothes in the river and some fishers and other travelers in boats. Those who were traveling to the town where we were headed (San Francisco, or San Pancho to most of the locals) would take 12 hours in their dugout canoes. In the villages that we passed, there were often bags out by the docks of things for sale, like beans or charcoal. We were lucky to have had good weather for this. It was really a beautiful ride, but could have been miserable had it been raining.


Applying sunscreen before departure - in retrospect, we needed to do this more often	Waiting on the boat dock in Bluefields	One of our trusty boat captains (click on image for a clip of the trip)


Rene - FUNCOS staff member	Carla & Maura	Fishermen around the mouth of the Kukra River


Some locals bringing back goods from Bluefields - they found us amusing	More locals - they didn't find us so amusing since our boat's wake rocked their canoe	Some dugout canoes


Raft in the river	Women doing laundry - during the whole trip I felt like we were quite the spectacle


Even the animals seemed to find us amusing		This is a pretty typical home in the area


The bank of the river, where it hadn't been cleared for cultivation, was very lush, with a great diversity of plants	The current was pretty strong	This bend in the river was an important part of the revolution - Contras would hide in the vegetation and ambush any Sandinistas coming up the river


Charcoal for sale along the river - tropical hardwoods make excellent charcoal, but this leads to deforestation	Beans for sale along the river - our boat captain was doing shopping for his wife	A more typical "dock" along the river

We arrived at a village called Asentimiento around noon. A family was nice enough to make us a wonderful lunch of fried chicken, cabbage salad, and an amazing dessert of cassava with honey. Afterwards we walked over to the school, which served 1st - 4th graders, where the teacher, Miguel, talked to us about the school and local life. They had very little in the way of supplies in the school - no books or writing supplies. Some of our students were really struck by Miguel having to use a soccer ball to try to teach about the world and that the children probably had very little idea about where they are in the world. Another surprising revelation happened the next day, a Thursday, when the children were running around the village and not in school. When we asked why they weren't in school, we were told that not enough students had shown up, so school was canceled. This is apparently a common event as many time parents keep their children at home to do work. To help provide the students with lunches at school, they wanted to put in a garden and we helped with the process that afternoon.


Our arrival at Asentimiento	Animals roam everywhere in el campo - dogs, mules, cows, pigs, chickens


Steve - either serenading or getting ready to eat the chick he just caught	Hanging out waiting for lunch	The kitchen where our meal was prepared


These enormous beans are called tursio pelos - they aren't for food, but are used to improve fertiliity of soils	Miguel talking to us in the school	The local kids were wary of us at first, but they eventually overcame it - Georgina (the girl on the right with the pink and black tank top) was the first to come stand by us


We started by cutting the grass with a machete and then picking and digging the soil to turn it over. We then had to go through all the soil with our hands, crumbling up the large clay, dense chunks and removing the grass roots. We also found ourselves in the midst of mounds of hormigas (biting ants).


While working in the garden, the kids started to warm to us - they loved finding worms and putting them on us and then running away, giggling. They also liked making fun of our names.

We then loaded back up and continued on to the major town in the area, San Francisco (but the locals call it San Pancho). San Pancho is a big town with a baseball team and many homes. FUNCOS has a field office here. Despite its size, there is no electricity or running water still. There apparently were solar panels, but neighbor disputes resulted in them being destroyed, so now they are inoperable. The streets are all dirt and frequently filled with animals. We were surprised how many horses and mules just seemed to wander wherever they wanted. Another surprise is how many small tiendas were there selling junkfood. We stayed in a church dormitory here for the night before heading out to our communities and for the night on our return before heading back to Bluefields.


Some typical homes in San Pancho		A tienda selling snacks


The main street going into town	Trash in the streets - there are no recycling facilities	Selling bananas


Beans drying in San Pancho	This is a kitchen "sink" in most of the homes in el campo. It's a projection coming off the house with wooden slats so water can drain out. A bowl of water dipped from the well acts as the sink.


In el campo, everywhere had the same latrine set-up - a wooden shack (most weren't on concrete, just dirt) and one of these clay pots with two partitions. The shallower section in front has a tube coming out of it - you're supposed to pee in here and it just flows out the back. There is no toilet paper, you just use whatever you have (hence the bucket of some cardboard pieces). Also, you have to hover - these are not attached.		In San Pancho, everyone had a similar well set-up - you crank and crank as pressure builds up and eventually the water pours out. Tyler and Steve were the first to try it and didn't realize that when you let go of the handle, it has to release the force and will start spinning around pretty violently and can apparently knock you to the ground while your friend laughs. We were all put to shame by all these 8 year old girls who could fill a bucket of water faster than we could. Bathing is done through bucket baths - you fill a bucket of water and use the little closet (the white building) to pour it over yourself.


The church dorm we stayed in	Inside the church dorm


The view from the back of the dorm	This is a really fuzzy picture, but the only one I had of the home of the wonderful woman who fed us while we were in San Pancho	A map of the area from the FUNCOS office - San Pancho is in the red box (the most southern), El Coloradito in green (NW of San Pancho), Las Breñas in purple (NE of San Pancho), and Bluefields is in, well, blue (far east); the Kukra River is the really squiggly line

One thing we all noticed and was surprising to us was how many fruit trees there were - everywhere - yet people seemed to eat very little of it and instead prefer very starchy foods like cassava, corn, and rice. There were lemons, limes (even sweet limes), oranges, grapefruits, papaya, mango, bananas, etc. but we were the only ones who seemed to want to eat them all fresh.


Bananas	Coconuts	Papaya - this tree was actually growing in a garbage dump	These are tiny sweet pears


Tree loaded with lemons	Sweet limes	This is actually guava - it's a long pod with a sweet substance surrounding the large seeds, similar in taste and texture to cacao	Marañons - the fruit apparently makes a great fermented drink, but it's better known for its seed, the cashew


Jicaro - not only an edible fruit, but the tree has a lot of mythology surrounding it, partly because of its cross-shaped leaves		Ceiba - not an edible fruit, but a useful one. The incredibly soft cottony fluffs are used to make blankets

The next day the 16 of us divided into two groups - Aimee, Becky, Erin, Jen L., Mel, Nicole, Stacy, & Tyler went with Carla, Greg, & Cipriano to Las Breñas by a 4 hour mule ride, while Addie, Jen O., Leslie, Lisa, Nate, Pat, Steve, & Z went with Maura, Mercedes, & Rene by a 5 hour mud hike to El Coloradito. In both villages, the experiences were similar in that we stayed with host families, living their rustic daily lives, and worked on some small projects.

In Las Breñas we stayed with Don Cipriano, Doña Marta, and their large family including children and grandchildren. This family began working with FUNCOS a while ago and, for the past couple years, Cipriano has been an extension agent for FUNCOS in Las Breñas. This means he actually gets paid by FUNCOS, and therefore, they have been able to afford a pretty wealthy house by local standards. They have a raised wooden floor on posts and even a second floor. The downstairs is like a really big porch and the upstairs is where the whole family (12 of them) sleeps. The kitchen is a dirt floor, grass-roofed side building. It is all open to the environment. They have a well pump like those in San Pancho, but the well is shallow and can't be used in the dry season. So, they still carry water daily up from the river. Their outhouse is like those in San Pancho as well. However, something that definitely sets this family apart is their recent acquisition of electronic equipment. Because of Cipriano's salary, they have been able to afford a solar panel, a small TV, and a DVD player (they even get more reception with their antenna than most folks in this area of Maine do). Doña Marta received a grant through the Trickle Up program and was able to purchase a small refrigerator for her cheese and bread business, although as far as I could tell they don't actually keep it running. All of these items had to be brought from Bluefields or Rama by boat and then either on mule, or carried by people, the miles from Asentimiento to their home.

Despite our relative luxury at the home of Don Cipriano y Doña Marta, the work we did was at a much more typical home in the area. To get to our work site (which was the nearest neighbor's home), we hiked across fields, through forests, over a river, through multiple barbed wire fences, and through many mud pits. The travel took us about 35 minutes. When we weren't around, Cipriano said he could do it in 15 minutes. The place where we worked was the home of Don Santos y Doña Inez. Their home was a tiny pole shack that they shared with their two daughters. They all slept in a miniscule loft upstairs that they got to by climbing a pole. We first "helped" harvest some beans from their garden, which was guarded by an attack parrot on the gate. The traditional harvest technique is to pull up a bundle of bean plants and then wrap the roots of a couple around them all to make a bundle so they can be hung upside down to dry. During our travel to Las Breñas we had seen many racks of drying beans in fields. Cipriano said that even though this was the dry season, there was a lot of rain, causing the bean harvest to suffer. He also said that climate change is making it very difficult for farmers to know when to plant and harvest. Also while at our worksite, we started construction of a grain storage facility so Santos y Inez can keep their beans and grains dry, making them last longer. Doña Inez also showed us their water supply. They are not able to afford a proper well and so instead use a hand-dug well that is filled with mud. This is the water they use for all cooking, drinking, and cleaning. Their daughters do not attend school because it is just too far to travel.

Besides the work projects, we also toured the land of Cipriano and his farm. People who live in these areas do not actually own land. The land here is not very good for farming and so much of it is unclaimed. People find some unclaimed areas, set up fences and work it. While it is unlikely, the government could evict them from the land that is technically not theirs. Because the soils have such a high clay content, Cipriano has worked for years through composting to improve soil quality. They grow a garden for their own consumption. They also grow a lot of corn, rice, beans, and cacao for market. For livestock, they keep chickens, pigs, and cows. They were really amused when we wanted to help milk the cows. At night their sons entertained us playing music they had written. One evening they invited a number of local women to talk to us about the life of women in the area. This was really fascinating. All of these women had received loans through the Trickle Up program for small businesses, mostly agricultural. But, we also asked other questions about personal relationships, etc. They asked us some questions too. They wanted to know why we waited so long to get married. All of these women had been married quite young by our standards (13-16 years old). Later that night they had an evangelical church service in their home with many visitors and Jorge, Yader, Alejandro, y Heyling got out a Spanish-English dictionary and spent many hours with us going over English words and pronunciations. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.


Parts of our mule ride out to Las Breñas - parts were very easy going, but there were a lot of large mud pits and streams to cross


This photo doesn't show the entire difficulty with this spot - the area behind Becky is a very steep, muddy, slippy bank	My mule - she was great, with the exception of her propensity to go down banks and through rivers instead of over bridges	Much of the area we traveled through to get to Las Breñas consisted of cleared cattle ranches, primarily through slash & burn	Lizard on burned tree stump


The house we stayed at - very large and luxurious	When we first arrived, we strung up our hammocks and had to try them out	After a while we managed to make ourselves quite at home


During the day, the pigs and dogs lounged around outside - at night they slept under the house, which was right under us, and they aren't all that quiet	Another meal of gallo pinto y queso	Marta's kitchen - it opens right up to the compost pit in the garden	Marta making cheese


Cipriano showing us how he uses bean hulls for mulch	Noelia showing off a carrot	Us weeding the garden in the rain


Their compost pit that the chickens work over	The worm compost bin - they have spent many years improving their soil for crops	Pesticide sprayer - they practice organic gardening, so all their pesticides are plant based, mostly a mixture of onion and pepper extracts

Chicken coop

Tree nursery - FUNCOS/SHI promotes reforestation as well as sustainable agriculture practices

This is a fence line along a bean field - Cipriano has planted mahogany trees near each of the current posts. This not only lessens his work since he won't have to replace posts, but it also contributes to reforesting with tropical hardwood species.


Cipriano & Noelia by a bean field - they have their beans lying out to dry, but may need to hang them because the dry season wasn't so dry	On our way to Las Breñas we passed by other farmers trying to dry their beans as well	Opening a cacao fruit


We all took a turn trying the fresh cacao	Becky looking suspiciously at it	Mel examining the seeds intently	The white part is what you eat fresh, the seeds inside of that are used in making chocolate - they're very bitter and apparently have a very high caffeine content


on the rocks	View of the land from the rocks	Pretty big tree with buttress roots


Harvesting papaya for our breakfast	Picking guava for us - the guys loved showing off for the gringas	Another fruit they picked for us had red seeds that you could use as face paint - it didn't come off very easily though


Showing off included the machete juggling demo - Tyler participated and immediately became their new best friend (click on the photo to see a clip of Tyler)	A rice dryer - the cover can be slid over when it rains	Rice pounder to remove the hulls - the whole apparatus is carved from wood


The stream for washing clothes & yourself. Water for cooking and drinking comes from the same stream, but a spot up a bit from this spot.	Heyling carrying water up the hill one morning	This is to show the distance from the house of the water source - this is how far the laundry has to be carried and how far water for the house has to be carried every day, up hill.


Barbed wire is everywhere in el campo - not only is it the cheapest way to make fence, but it's used for clothesline as well (no need for pins)	Cat nap - working hard to keep rodents out of the grain sack


Us on the way to Santos y Inez's home	Home of Santos y Inez - this is the dry season and there is still a muddy moat around the house	Compost bins made from tree bark


Inside their home with their two daughters - this view shows nearly 1/2 of the floor space inside the home	Their clay stove - these stoves are common in el campo; they are about 4.5 ft long, 3.5 feet deep, and 3.5 feet high	The upstairs loft in their home - the floor space up there is about the size of a queen size bed. All four of them sleep and dress there.


Teaching us how to harvest beans	Santos showing off some beans	Our group holding the harvest


Digging post holes for the grain storage - we had to dig these multiple times because of mis-measurement; it took a really long time and would have taken even longer if Tyler hadn't been so fast!		Building the base


Adding the frame	Cutting metal for the roof	Inez showing us their well - Additionally, Santos & Inez do not have a latrine


Sunrise	Jen milking	Mel getting read to milk (click on this photo to see a clip of Stacy)


We brought some water with us, but we also needed to filter extra water for us to drink - the family found this very interesting and were suspicious of the color of the first few glasses	One afternoon we brought out some toys, a kite and some frisbees, to play


Local women who came to talk with us	Students taking notes	Alejandro y Yader entertaining us one night (click on this photo to see and hear a song they wrote about Sept. 11)


Musicians who performed for the church service	Late night language lesson - watermelon = sandia (click on the middle photo to hear some of the language lesson)


As we were getting ready to leave, some of the boys wanted to show off their ability to do splits - they were quite proud of themselves.

While one group was in Las Breñas, the other group was in El Coloradito. Their journey began with an arduous hike through knee-deep mud in some places . . . .


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We all met back together in San Pancho and then traveled back up the Kukra River again to Bluefields before heading back to the Pacific coast for a little bit of R & R time.


Waiting at the San Pancho dock to take us back	Mariano y Julia came to say goodbye	Local kids watching us load up to leave


Relaxing a bit in Bluefields before heading back		Addie checking notes with Mercedes in the Bluefields airport while we wait for the plane



I killed some time at the Bluefields airport taking photos of signs I found interesting or funny		Still trying to get the mud out of their ears

Back in Managua, we had a little time for a quick tour. We saw some monuments, the presidential palace, and a photo display of how the city looked prior to the 1972 earthquake. We visited a huge market and an exhibit about Sandino and the revolution. We also visited a volcano with a coffee plantation and got to see some howler monkeys. While in Managua we stayed in a very welcoming and comfortable Quaker house.


Photos of the Quaker House


Leslie claiming her bed at the Quaker House	This is a semi-inside hallway to the patio	The patio


Kid who was making faces at us	3-wheeled taxis	Bicycle rickshaws	The city buses are old US school buses


Cathedral on Plaza de la Revolución	Presidential Palace	La Casa de los Pueblos


Huge flag on Plaza	Sandino statue	Common billboards around Managua announcing the triumph of Ortega & the ideals of Sandino


El Guerrilleo sin Nombre	Monumento a la Paz - where armaments are buried	Monument for the workers	Ruben Dario monument


This guy was making roses, crickets, etc. from these leaves.	Jen trying out a toy in the market	Protest camp in the middle of the city - former workers for Dole who are now disabled due to continued exposure to the pesticide Nemagon


Up on a hill in Managua is an old prison where Somoza kept political prisoners. This lake is behind the prison and where executed prisoners would be thrown.	This is a remnant of a statue of Somoza that was toppled during the revolution. This is the horse's backside.	The building has now been turned into a Sandino exhibit - irony.


A huge painting of Sandino	A display about women in the Sandinista army	Greg & Mercedes - Greg is finally starting to relax a bit!


Managua garbage dump - burning	We were in Nicaragua during the dry season. When we were on the Atlantic side, it didn't seem very dry. But, on the Pacific side, it was very hot and dry.	Volcano with a strange crater in the top


The volcano we visited	In the truck going up the volcano	Becky making a new friend


Map of the reserve on the top of the volcano	Parts of the hike		Cool seed pods from trees on the volcano


View from the volcano top	Lava tube - you can feel the heat and even see the steam coming out	Howler monkey


Driving by a volcano	Making dinner in the Quaker House	Mercedes was very kind to talk to us about her time as a Sandinista

For our final day in Nicaragua, we visited León and a nearby beach. León is the education center of Nicaragua, with a university, museums, and cultural events.


Cordoba statue at León Viejo	León cathedrals


León market	Mangos, melons, papayas	Beans	Cheese


More pro-Sandinista images and art from León


Self-explanatory	Public transport in León	Nate and his new dog, Oscar


Last day at a beach near León

Our last night in Nicaragua

On return to the U.S., we planned and held a Nicaraguan culture night fundraiser. We displayed crafts we brought back; served a meal of gallo pinto, fried plantains, tortillas, sweet cornmeal dessert, and hibiscus tea; and showed a movie students made about the trip. We raised $430 which was sent to SHI for projects at the school in Asentimiento.