This trip was my second cultural undertaking in the region of Latin America. Unlike my stay in Trinidad & Tobago, I was part of a medical team that was working with the native peoples of Nicaragua. I began my work in the capital city of Managua, which is located in the Pacific coastal plain. I began my day by paying a visit to the Nicaraguan national bank, and I exchanged my U.S. dollars in for Nicaraguan Cordobas. One Nicaraguan Cordoba is the equivelant to roughly 4 cents in American currency. After my usual bank visit, I began my local service by going to a freshwater resource facility that was situated on Lake Managua, a large freshwater source. I spent most of the morning loading purified water onto a truck that would distribute the supply throughout nearby slum. After the morning and afternoon’s hard work, the medical team and I spent the evening in a theater at downtown Managua, and we watched the satirical drama, El Gueguense. This drama depicted the story of Nicaragua’s independence and resistence to colonial power, and it was accompanied by local folk music. The production itself was well made, and I thoroughly found it to be a unique experience. Overall, this production gave me a feel for the Nicaraguan arts and their history. I ended my first day in Nicaragua by taste-testing some rondon (sea-turtle meat) at a local restaraunt, and it was unlike anything I had ever tasted before!
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| El Gueguense |
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