An image of violence and political unrest has hung over Nicaragua in the past, keeping potential tourists from exploring what the country has to offer, but this perception of the country has changed as more and more adventurous souls have wandered across the Nicaraguan border. The changes in perception are due in part to efforts made by the Nicaraguan tourism bureau, which is working hard to spread the word that modern Nicaragua is very different from the Nicaragua of the revolutionary 60s and 70s. The tourism bureau has a right to these claims- Nicaragua is after all, a much changed country, and what country doesn’t have some sort of political unrest looming in it’s past? Even Costa Rica can’t deny going through a Civil War in the 50s before finding a peaceful democracy, and despite Mexico’s recent violent outbreak, tourism increased by almost 18% in 2010. Those brave souls that do reach past Nicaragua’s reputation, are greeting by a friendly country which some local tour guides say is “the safest country in the Americas”.

In 2012, 1.07 million travelers entered Nicaragua to find a tourist mecca. They were welcomed with open arms- tourism is over a 300 million dollar value to the Nicaragua government, and the tourism sector provides employment to thousands. Endless white beaches, dormant and active volcanoes, tropical rainforests, ancient crater lakes, and a fair share of heritage sites account for some, but not all, of what the country has to offer. A warm and tropical climate with dry summer months appeals to the summer traveler and beach seeker. Volcanic rocks and lesser known canyons attract those looking for unique sporting experiences, offering remote places to rock climb, canyoneer, hike, and raft.

The beach resorts and adventure outfitters are not the only people benefitting from Nicaraguan tourism, however. Continuing trends suggest that some tourists are seeking more remote escapes- visits to rural villages off the grid. The Nicaraguan tourism bureau did and analysis suggesting that tourism to rural Nicaragua increased by 5,000 in 2007, and more in the following years. Nicaragua’s lesser developed rural areas have their own pull, which Costa Rica and Mexico can’t compete with. Travel to these areas has the added benefit of bringing additional revenue to rural communities, allowing for sustainable development.

Rural communities are pleased about the extra income, and tourists are pleased about what they find there: cheap prices that feel like deals. A liter of milk, which would go for $1.26 USD in Costa Rica (surprisingly higher than the $1.12 you would pay in the US) would only take you out $0.86 USD in Nicaragua. In the global economic downturn, cheap travel is even higher in demand.

Between it’s cheaper prices and the activities it offers visitors, Nicaragua has transformed into the hot spot to travel for those looking for a unique experience. Nicaragua is claiming it’s fair share of the tourism pie, and offering all sorts of adventures to it’s visitors. This trade seems to be benefiting everyone, from the rural villagers that are receiving additional income and the city dwellers and playa residents that are employed by the tour industry, to the travelers themselves, who return home with unique experiences under their belts and happy wallets.

Sources and further reading:

Via Fox News: Is Nicaragua the Next Costa Rica?

Investment News: Nicaragua’s Growing Rural Tourism Base

Investment News: Nicaragua’s Minister of Tourism on Tourism Strategies

Investment News: Nicaragua Wants Your Tourists

Investment News: Nicaragua Ready to Spend 121 Million on Tourism

Relative prices in Nicaragua

Relative prices in Costa Rica

Relative prices in the US

source

Lago Apanás, or Lake Apanas, is a quick 10-minute drive from the municipal of Jinotega. The 51-square kilometer reservoir is filled by Río Tuma. This reservoir alone provides over a third of Nicaragua’s hydroelectric power. The dam that creates Lago Apanás is much like any other dam- the dam itself holds back the flow of water coming from Río Tuma, resutling in a reservoir. A small gate in the dam opens, allow water to rush through. This man-made bottleneck quickens the river, making it extremely powerful. The water is then directed through the “penstock” -or a pipeline- towards the turbine. The water forcefully hits the turbine, turning it’s blades. As the turbine turns, magnets within a generator also turn. The magnets move past a copper coil, producing an electric current. A transformer is then used to turn that current into a high voltage current, which can be used in power lines to light up cities. The water moved beyond the turbine, and flows down stream. While the process has certainly been perfected in modern times, it is thought that waterpower dates back to the era of Mesopotamia.

Perhaps the best thing about waterpower is that the water used to conduct electric currents is unaffected by the process. Unlike using coal or gas, no resource is “used up” in the production of hydropower. This is why hydropower is considered renewable, and why it is such a valuable resource.

Nicaragua’s hydroelectric sector will only expand in the coming years- a recent announcement promises investments of over $50 million dollars in power stations that will produce over 20GW of electricity.  However, it is important to note that Nicaragua is still light years behind countries like Paraguay, which relies almost entirely on renewable energy.

Further Reading:

Energy Information Administration Charts

Lake Apanas

Hydropower

Hydroelectric Dam diagram

How Stuff Works – Dams

Lake Apanás Tourist Guide

New Projects

(source: BBCWorldWide)

You can see that we’ll be staying in the perfect place for visiting the Mesoamerican reef. (The Roatán islands are above the northern Honduran coast).

(source)

(By clicking on the image below, you can view the full-size article).

The beginning:

A french physicist, Antoine-César Becquerel, first observed the effects of solar power while experimenting with an electrode in an electrolyte solution. As light graced through the solution, Antoine observed a voltage. That was 1839. It wasn’t until 1883 that Charles Fritts was credited with developing the first solar cell, made of gold-coated selenium. Most of today’s solar cells are made of a silicon conductor, which Russell Ohl started working with in 1941. With the discovery of the silicon solar cell, solar energy research pick up pace. By 1955, a solar battery had been produced by 3 American researchers at Bell, and was used to power the telephone carrier system of Americus, Georgia.

Production:

Today, the production of solar energy is a precise process. SolarWorld, one of the worlds largest producers of solar cells, uses a four-step process:

1. Grow a polysilicon crystal: Polysilicon, and a very small piece of silicon with boron is heated until it molds together. The boron ensures that the new metal will be positively charged. When the mixture is cooled, it hardens into a single solid crystal.

2. Cutting wafers: The polysilicon crystal is then cut. It is first squared off into a uniform cubic shape, to make it usable, and then sliced into a wafer-like structure. The wafer is then textured, or etched, to increase surface area. This maximized the absorbing power of the cell.

3. Becoming a cell: A blue-purple silicon-nitride solution is painted onto the wafers, to increase light absorption and minimized reflection. The now purplish-wafer sheets can absorb the suns energy, but they have no means to harness it. Thin metal pin-stripes are added to the surface to pull the energy towards a a single concentrated area. The solar cells are complete, but to be used efficiently, there is one more step.

4. From cell to panel: Finally, the thin solar cells are now strung together and laminated onto a glass frame. The frame is given a junction box, where energy is collected from the metal pin stripes and harnessed for use. A solar battery is born.

Nicaragua going solar:

Today’s fast paced but increasingly eco-conscious world has a lot to gain from solar energy. Even when you take into account the green house emissions released in their production, studies show that over the course of their life the use of solar panels can cut pollution by 90%. Unlike natural gas and coal, the sun isn’t going anywhere, so we can use it’s light with out worrying about depleting it’s stores.

In Nicaragua’s case, solar power can help in even bigger ways. Remote villages, isolated in the mountains and far from any other forms of civilization may find that solar panels are the easiest way to get electricity. A solar panel is a local source of energy, which can be installed virtually anywhere. Connecting an off-the-grid hut to a nearby solar panel requires only a small amount of wire, while trying to create a live wire that connects that same hut to a power plant miles away could require a so much labor and capital to install that the home simply has to go with out electricity. When one thinks about how much their life slows down simply in a power outage, it’s easy to see why solar energy may be the answer to some rural families’ prayers.

No matter your knowledge of solar cell production, there is one thing all of us can understand, and that’s how much life slows down with out electricity. When your power goes out, what’s the first thing you do when it comes back on again? Turn on the lights, cook dinner, or check your email? When was the last time you did a school project with out electricity? If neither your school nor home had electricity, what would you be missing? (Lights, research abilities, movies, science projects).

These are the things Al Campo International keeps in mind on the Globetrotter Solar project. The Globetrotter Solar teen travel adventure camp specializes in the installation of solar panels in remote villages. The trip’s goal is to bring light to rural classrooms that would otherwise be dark. In schools, the entire community can benefit from the panels. If you are interested in volunteering on our next solar project, click here and find out more.

Read more…

Solar greenhouse emissions

SolarWorld

Wikipedia

Inventing the Solar Cell

While corn and beans can fill tummies, a diet based on only a few ingredients leaves gapping holes in the nutritional intake of growing children. These holes are widened further in the winter, as food stores become limited. When the closest grocery store is hours away (and out of budget), dinner is the same every night: corn and beans, with the occasional cheese or egg add-in. One in three Nicaraguan children suffers from a Vitamin A deficiency and/or anaemia.

A study conducted in rural Nicaragua showed that only 30% of homes had electricity of any kind. Only 20% of homes had running water, and less that a quarter had sanitation facilities. In these poverty-stricken communities, 50% of mothers had to cut the size of their families meals because they just couldn’t get enough food. USAID attempts to relieve these numbers by providing 21,000 Nicaraguan families with food donations and nutrition education. This aid has helped significantly- the infant mortality rate is almost half of what it was two decades ago. The drawback is that these programs can only reach so far. Living off-the-grid prevents many families from ever receiving assistance. 53% of deaths in children under the age of 5 can still be attributed to nutrition-related issues, and one-fifth of the population in rural areas shows signs of stunting.

The good news is, these families do have farm land. A simple home garden, when added to the corn and bean staples, can fulfill a family’s nutritional needs. By adding a few vegetables to every meal, essential vitamin and mineral intake increases substantially. Despite the fact that mangos grow well in Nicaragua, canned fruit juices account for most of the fruit seen in these rural areas. These canned juices include artificial flavorings and extra sugar, but no extra Vitamin A. Educating families on the importance of produce and the nutrients they provide has become the goal of many organizations working in Nicaragua.

Al Campo International joins the ranks of these organization every summer, helping communities build their own home gardens for vegetables. A single garden can give a families produce  year after year, and can provide essential vitamins to children in need. By educating parents on how to grow and use fruits and vegetables, we can fight the many diseases related to hunger and vitamin and mineral deficiency. Take a look at our Extended Spanish, Surf, and Service trip if you’re interested in helping!

Further Reading:

Study on Nicaraguan Village Nutrition

USAID CASA Program

The FAO on Nutrition in Nicaragua

After studying the Mayan ruins of Copán for three decades, William Fash, and archeologist from Harvard University, is still trying to figure out one thing: how did such a powerful dynasty fall?

The sudden drop off in construction of new temples leaves archeologists wondering: Did the entire city collapse suddenly? Or was the decline slow and gradual, the lack of new buildings simply evidence of economic turmoil? Each major Mayan city seems to have it’s own story, but determining the exact reason for their fatal end has proven to be almost impossible.

Signs of malnutrition and the mineral content of soil on Mayan farm lands have led some theorist to believe that the Copán collapse was a simple result of poor irrigation systems. Irrigation was vital to the success of the Mayan crop, but if the irrigation water sat too long, salt deposits built up. Eventually, the salt levels became toxic for plants, and the crop would fail. A few years with out a good crop could easily lead to a famine. Unable to sustain itself with out food, the Mayan people slowly dropped off until none remained.

Central square of Copán today

Other archeologists have an entirely different idea. Rastojón, a near by city, was founded about the same time as Copán, but it’s population held on for years after the Copán collapse. The city shows signs of life over a century later. Rastojón, unlike Copán, has clues the point towards war during the time of the Copán collapse. The Maya had several rivals in the Copán valley, but for some time it was thought that they were peaceful. Later, archeologists uncovered large quantities of warlike artifacts. The intricate temples of Rastojón depict war scenes. Perhaps Rastojón was a Mayan fort, built to protect the city of Copán.

Other indigenous tribes rivaled the Mayans in the Copán valley, but some evidence points to a different enemy: social inequality. The Mayans used slaves to build many of their temples, and Mayan royalty held slaves for their personal use. An imbalance of power and unhappy slave population could have quickly lead to civil war. Over throwing the king would not have lead to immediate collapse of the city, but a suddenly economic decline due to civil wars, in combination with famine or sickness could have been too much for the Mayan population to withstand.

You may be wondering why there are so many theories but no concrete answers. Archeologists wish there were concrete answers. Unfortunately, there is very little evidence to use. It can take years to study one little segment of a site. Uncovering an entire site is almost impossible with our current technology. Even if each ancient Mayan city was an open book for us to read, all we have to base our stories on is what the people left behind. We are lucky that the Mayan people had their own language- it give us a window into their world. Otherwise, we’re left piecing together a very large jigsaw puzzle. That job is made even harder by robbers, who loot important pieces from archeological sites before we have a chance to study them. The pieces we do have come together to create a rough sketch of what Mayan life was like, but it’s full of holes. We’re left to guess what fills the gaps, and there are thousands of possibilities.

A depiction of Copán in its golden era

There is one thing we can bank on however. The decline of Copán, as the Mayan capital, ultimately brought the entire Mayan civilization down. Any society needs to be able to provide for it’s people. The moment that the population lacks means for life, the entire society will fall. The fall of a state as strong as Copán would bring economic down turn. If the economy declines to far that the society can no longer provide for it’s remaining population, total collapse will ensue. The fall of Copán, with out doubt, came with grave consequences.

Want to visit Copán for yourself? Take a look at our Honduras trip!

Further reading:

William Fesh interview with La Prensa

Interactive Learning – Mayan Collapse

Authentic Maya on the Mayan Collapse 

…Imagine a hill with no roads, no electricity and no running water with a few houses, most made of wood, with dirt floor and sheets for walls. Yet the material and economic scarcity was quickly forgotten by the warmth, hospitality and generosity of the families who live there. Upon arrival, all the families gathered in front of the closest house to the entrance of the community to welcome us. Moncho, the community spokesman, greeted our group by thanking us for our journey and kindness to help them improve their sanitation system. A mix of anxiety and happiness surfaced in our faces, but courageously we split our unity to form new ones with our families.

Some houses were close by, but others required going up a long, steep and rocky hill ­— a journey we did several times a day. Despite distances, language barriers and different diet, we quickly became part of our hosts’ families. Bonds were formed by our common work building latrines, milking cows and playing, dancing and talking at night under headlamps and candles.

Our work was tough but rewarding. It consisted of digging large holes of about 10 feet deep in a very rocky soil and building stonewalls around the holes to protect them from caving during the raining season. We dug 12 holes and by the time of our departure many of the latrines were completed. This process was rewarding not only because these latrines have a life of about 20 years, but also because we surpassed our limitations — physical, linguistic, and cultural. Sadly, our home stay came to an end and hugs, gratitude and tears we headed our way to the Somoto Canyons, and later to the town of San Juan del Sur, on the Pacific Ocean.

In our stay in San Juan del Sur, we engaged in different activities with a preschool in need of materials and help. We taught children to braid and had fun making handprints and face painting. Over time and through our own determination, we overcame the challenges of communicating with children ages 3 to 5, their cries and silence. By noon, they were playing soccer with us and painting our faces.

Despite the wind and the cold water, some of us with different degrees of success tried surfing for the first time- quickly we learned that patience, balance and pure luck are the keys to riding the huge waves! After a few more exploratory trips — canopying and seeing the majestic colonial town of Granada —we headed to the impressive Laguna de Apoyo, a volcanic lake, for the last day of our journey…

Original piece was written by Ana Ramirez, Spanish teacher and Assistant Headmaster for Student Life at St. Andrew’s School – Delaware.

Our team made a quick trip to the Mayan city of Copán to scope out the best views for you….

…and took a tour of the nearby town where we’ll spend a week.

This will be home-base while we converse with our Spanish instructors, explore the ancient temples of the Maya, and take horseback excursions into the surrounding mountains. Even today you can feel an influence of Mayan culture in the community. Between horseback rides and soaks in the hot springs, we’ll visit remote villages and work to promote sustainable agricultural practices, like soil conservation.

Our next stop was Little Cay:

Maps source: www.Google.com

Little Cay is a small island just off the coast of Utila. There is one house on the entire island, which will be home to our group during the second week of our trip. Snorkeling and SCUBA diving on a daily basis will be easy from here! We’ll help a local marine conservation organization on the lionfish project. Check out the views from the bedrooms!

We even jumped into the water and tested it out for you:

Who’s ready to get their flippers wet? Read about our Honduras, Scuba, Spanish and Service trip here.

This June, IB students from across the nation can join us for a 13-day Nicaragua adventure of language immersion and cultural experiences. Hosted by Centaurus High School of Colorado, the IB trip includes 40+ hours of community service, sustainable development projects, local village home stays, language immersion, zip-lining in the Mombacho Cloud Forest, swimming and kayaking in an ancient crate lake Laguna Apoyo, surfing lessons in San Juan del Sur, and wildlife encounters with tropical birds, Endemic salamanders, Howler monkeys, and White-Faced Capuchin monkeys.

Our immersion program is the ideal jump-start for IB students heading towards the IB test. There is no better way to improve your spanish-speaking abilities than to practice them!

Centaurus High School hosted a trip last year that was a huge success. You can read about one participant’s experience in our Notes from McKenna feature. McKenna and the other participants found friendship, a passion for service, and broke language barriers.

Learn more about our opportunities for IB students here.