Laguna Adventure

Yesterday was a bit tough because I had to fire my Spanish teacher. I had her the first three days I was here, which was okay, but when I got her again I knew that I couldn´t keep working with her. She´s really nice but not a good teacher at all. I felt bad, I know she like everyone here really needs the money, but I´d rather be a jerk for a day than waste a week not learning much. So I told the school and they had me write a short essay--in Spanish, of course--stating why I wanted to change teachers and giving some advice so that she may improve her work in the future. At least I didn´t have to say it to her face.

Today was much better. My new teacher, Carla, has been teaching Spanish for almost ten years and is very good and patient.

This afternoon, Carla and I went to Laguna de Apoyo, a 6 kilometer lake inside the crater of a former volcano. The water was the most perfect temperature and it was lovely to be completely submersed in water. I don´t know when I last went swimming. Carla told me that in 2001, there was a big earthquake that originated in the lake. Afterwards, the area around the crater trembled everyday for two months and most of the people had to move because it was so scary. But since then, it has been calm. She also told me that the center of the lake is rumored to contain a whirlpool, but she doesn´t think it´s true because one of her students once swam almost all the way across the lake. (She was really worried about her at the time, though.) Oddly, though they grow up surrounded by so much water--Nicaragua´s nickname is the Land of Lakes and Volcanoes--Most Nicas don´t know how to swim. I´ve asked a lot of people why this is and the general consensus seems to be that kids don´t learn how because their parents don´t know how and can´t teach them.

After the swim and some orange juice, we walked back to the main turn off at the bottom of the crater to wait for a taxi to take us up the hill. After 30 minutes of waiting, we decided to start walking and catch one when it came by. Unfortunately, that never happened. So it was about a 45 minute walk uphill in 85+ degrees. Luckily, most of it was in the shade and I brought some water. We saw a few monkeys and a lot of birds along with way, so that part was nice. I think that I may have to return to Nicaragua in the rainy season because, as lovely as things are now, it´s quite dry and I´d love to see it when everything is green and blooming.