No Expectations
It begins with a half full backpack and a last minute rush to find enough good/clean socks to last 14 days. In less than 48hrs, I'll be en route to Pueblo Viejo, Nicaragua with what I am quickly coming to understand will be my SOS "family" for the next two weeks. What lies ahead is the life changing experience of building a classroom in a part of the world where access to education is limited to a degree I'm not sure I fully understand or appreciate just yet. It's one thing to read or see about the Global South, it's another thing entirely to visit and work there. Excited is an understatement, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling a little nervous. But as my friend and mentor Matt Branagan told me a few days ago, "you should be." And I'm alright with that.
Over the past few months, we've had meetings, fundraisers, and last night me, and around 200-300 people celebrated the night with the SOS Pubcrawl. By the time we ended up at Bull and Barrel, I had all but decided that in the future, SOS is an organization I would like to continue to be involved with. I can't say enough good things about how coordinated this effort is. The positive energy and genuine love was so crazy last night. Also, these guys can party, which is always alright with me!
With the Pubcrawl in the past, that leaves finishing my packing on the immediate horizon. Practicality is king here; we have been given some basic information about the village, but I think it's safe to say that the requirements of an immersive cultural experience like this can catch even the most practical of packers unprepared. I'm thankful for SOS and our trip leader Tessa's guidance on this thus far, and continue to welcome any suggestions from my friends who have gone on similar trips. I foresee heat being the biggest environmental factor to overcome on this trip. Heat acclimatization is a very real thing I've learned from Triathlon, and while Windsor's weather over the past few weeks has been enjoyably warm, the tropical climate of Nicaragua will take some getting used to. I'm trying to keep that in mind as I select clothes which are breathable and provide enough skin coverage to protect from the sun, mosquitoes and construction elements like dust and debris. To the chagrin of virtually every human being on the planet, I bought two cargo pants with the zip-off shorts. Y'all can hate on cargo pants as much as you want but my inner 5 year old can't wait to fill all his pockets with seashells and cool rocks.
On to equipment. With a little more bandwidth than in the past, I plan on traveling a fair bit this summer. With that in mind, I made a trip stateside a few weeks back to check out gear at REI. Wow. For any lover of the outdoors, REI is a must visit. I left REI with the following equipment: a two-person tent, a sleeping bag, a couple of Nalgene water bottles, a couple pairs of Merino wool socks, and a pair of NB Minimus' (not necessarily for the trip, but for my minimalist footwear obsession). I set up the tent in my bedroom and have been practicing sleeping in it this past week. Definitely takes some getting used to!
In Pueblo Viejo we'll be partnering with an NGO to build the classroom. There will be a construction crew there to handle skilled labour. We've been reminded a few times about not using any of the power tools. No word yet on electronic toothbrushes.
Here is our trip itinerary and daily schedule:
May 1 - Arrival in Nicaragua, overnight stay in hostel near airport May 2 - Transfer to Pueblo Viejo (AM) May 3-5 - In community, building May 6 - Bus to Matalgalpa to shop May 7 - Rest day in community May 8-12 - In community, building. May 13-14 - Rest Days in Granada May 15th - Home!
Our day will be roughly: -Breakfast at 7am -Work at 8am -Lunch at 11:30am -Work until 3:30/4pm -Shower/relax until cooking lessons at 5pm
The community would love for us to learn how to make tortillas with them and teach them some English.
We have running water between 5:30-6am, and 5-8pm. The water is collected in buckets for us to shower with. We also have electricity, which according to our Trip Leader, is unusual and a welcome surprise!
And so that leaves me here, a couple of coffees deeper, and a backpack that is still half full. I'll be writing in my journal as much as possible and taking lots of pictures. It might take me a while, but when I come back, I'm going to write up a comprehensive account of my trip. It's been a while since I've blogged, but with all the amazing things happening, there's a lot to talk about!
Talk to you soon.
Love,
Prakash
If you'd like more information on SOS, here is the website:
http://www.studentsofferingsupport.ca/
