I finally ate a decent
breakfast in Leon by making good use of the hostel kitchen. Fruit followed by a
giant frittata topped with avocado for less than $2. This is when coconut oil
becomes a traveller staple. Not only can it be used to ease sunburn and hydrate
skin and hair, but it can also be used in cooking! I walked to the markets by
the cathedral, meandering through stalls of colourful fruit and vegetables,
buying tomatoes, peppers, onions, potatoes, mangos and avocados the size of
butternut squashes and so beautifully ripe. Supermarkets are giving us a shoddy
deal back home.
I walked back past a
homeless man outside begging, I gave him my bananas and I was so warmed by the
genuine delight in his face, eating them immediately. It took me by surprise
that small difference I may have made to his day, and the difference he made to
mine. Language not a barrier, skin colour irrelevant, just kindness that is so
easy to give.
I made it to Estelli after
a long sweaty bus ride with Spanish pop blaring over the speakers. I met Ava on
the bus, a girl from London I had met two days ago in Bigfoot hostel in Leon,
along with her friends Amelia and Eden. They kindly let me join with them for a
homestay in Miraflor.
Miraflor is a nature
reserve, a very bumpy bus ride away from Estelli. At 5am the following morning
we took the bus, ascending higher into the hills as the sun came up. Our family
were Lorraina and Nelson who had the most beautiful, spotless home tucked away
in the side of the mountain. Their garden was full of hydrangeas and hibiscus,
set against smoky blue mountains. A cacophony of crickets and birds filled the
skies. Lorraina cooked us breakfast, the most delicious fresh hot tortillas and
gallo pinto with amazing coffee picked straight from the other side of the
mountain.
Nelson took us horseback
riding all over Miraflor. The land is so parched, it's the end of the dry
season and everywhere is crying out for rain. Come December and everywhere is
lush and green. We went swimming in the river, the most refreshed I've felt
since I started travelling, and headed back. The northern highlands has many
farming communities, which explains the delicious food and fresh produce. Lunch
was sublime, a Nica dish filled with fresh vegetables.
We spent the afternoon
reading in hammocks, playing with their children and watching the light change
over the landscape, the sky turning lilac as dusk swept over. Over dinner
Lorraina told us about the hurricane that destroyed their home and how they
were able to build this one through a charity project from England. A woman
called Sadie came for several months and helped them rebuild their home. It was
wonderful to hear of a charity project that has been sustainable and
beneficial, and had made such a difference to Lorraina's life. I am often
skeptical of international charity projects, whether they endure when
volunteers leave. This one clearly had. There were pictures of Sadie in my
room, they had also remained friends.
Lorraina spoke no English,
yet it was remarkable how we could still communicate with rudimentary Spanish,
picking up certain words, signing and non-verbal cues. I was reminded that
communication is about so much more than language. Again it reminds you of the
connection you can make with people all over the world.
Families like Lorraina's
rely on ecotourism to bring in extra income. Nicaragua is the poorest country
in Central America, and in areas like Miraflor, people are isolated so there
are few ways they can make revenue. I strongly urge anyone who visits Estelli
to do a homestay in Miraflor. Not only is it so peaceful and beautiful, with
some of the best Nicaraguan cooking you will taste, but you are directly
helping a family. You will also get a true insight into how local people live
in Niaragua. Our homestay was organised via treehuggers, opposite the Luna
hostel in Estelli.
I had the best nights
sleep I've had so far, in my own room with a double bed and a mosquito net!
Serious luxury after weeks of dorm rooms. We left the next morning, thanking
Lorraina profusely for welcoming us.
I am travelling with the
girls to Granada. It is fantastic to have found familiar faces at repeated
points during travelling, and has made the journey very companionable. Part of
what I love about travelling is that you can change your plan and direction at
any time, depending whether you want to stay or move on, just see where the
wind takes you.
Imogen
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