Ana Ramirez’s Nicaraguan Experience
Our friends back at St. Andrew’s wrote an article on their trip to Nicaragua. Read the full article here. …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...
Read MoreTJ von Oehsen: the Mendozas family and constellations
The most striking thing for me, throughout my entire extraordinary and life-changing trip to Nicaragua was how close I became to the people of Las Palmas in only 5 days.To be honest, before getting to the village, I was absolutely terrified. I worried if my Spanish was good enough, I worried if the family would like me, and I worried about the work we were going to be doing. Yet, even after a day, I thought of the Mendozas as family. Through working together and sharing the laughs of living together, we had become close. I even became close to the families that lived around us and, on the...
Read MoreSurfing 101: A quick lesson on the lingo
Whether you’re looking forward to surfing the Nicaragua shoreline in a few short months or your son/daughter/friend is just was, you’re going to need to know a few things to keep up with the waves (or the talk about the waves). “Brah, I was rippin’ it on that pumping righteous swell when all of a sudden- BAM! Acid drop! I was totally axed.” Need a translation? Surfer lingo can be hard to follow. That’s why we threw together a quick collection of surfer slang for you to take to the beach next time. Now you won’t look like such a Waxboy. We even included the a few of the spanish...
Read MoreFinal St. Andrew’s School Update
The last week and a half has been a fun-packed adventure. From building over 12 latrines, swimming in Somoto Canyon, and learning to surf, this spring break was action-packed! Today, the St. Andrew’s School trip is coming to a close. The Al Campo team had a great time getting to know each of you. We want to send a big “Thanks!” out to all of the parents, teachers, staff, and friends that helped make this trip what it was. Here are a few photos from the last half of our trip: This trip was a great start to the season! We look forward to getting back out...
Read MoreSt. Andrew’s explores el Cañon de Somoto
El cañon de Somoto is a 125 hectacre canyon and a National Monument of Nicaragua. Yesterday, St. Andrew’s school spent the day rafting the Rio Coco, which sits at the bottom of the canyon. The Somoto Canyon is thought to be between 5 million and 13 million years old! Despite its age, this massive rock formation remained mostly unexplored until 2004, when a group of scientists from the Czech Republic made their way through the canyon’s weaving walls as some of its first visitors. The Institute of Nicaraguan Territorial Studies and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment...
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