Let me, let me downgrade ya...

So, as we had been amply warned, Carazo, the department where currently reside within the confines of training, is the creme de la creme of Nicaragua.  Most families here are what we could consider to be middle class and have much nicer accomodations than those living in departments outside Carazo.  Flash forward to my site visit this week. 

I was placed in Rivas, the department capitol of Rivas.  Rivas, Rivas - as my sister pointed out, much like NY, NY.  The city itself has a population of nearly 50,000 and is comfortably situated a mere 15 minutes from Lake Nicaragua, one of the largest lakes in the world and home of the island Ometepe, 45 minutes from the Costa Rican border, 30 minutes from San Juan Del Sur, a popular tourist destination where I was told I will once again feel like I am in the united states as it is consistently populated with cheles or white people, making the locals stand out, and about an hour and a half from Managua, the capital city.  Over the course of this week, it began to sink in that this will be my site for 2 years.  As I texted my PCVL that I was missing my friends and family from training, he comforted me saying "you are in one of the best, if not the best site, people will flock to visit you."  I am excited to get to know more of the city and the surrounding area.  Rivas itself has a great deal of traffic in terms of tourism as a hub to access the aforementioned sites and as such, contrasts greatly with the sleepy town of Diriamba where I have spent my first few months in site.  Having said that, it is still very relaxed or tranquilo as many people do not stay overnight in the city itself.  Furthermore, it is hotter than hell. Even sitting directly in front of the fan my landlord provided me, I was continued to sweat, sweat, sweat. 

We arrived to our respective sites this past Monday, we had 3 fulls days to get to know our respective counterparts, our new homes, and the area we will be living in.  In that time, I attended a variety of meetings where I was introduced to different NGOs and staff members of the health center in Rivas.  For the week, PC provided us with a small cuaderno or notebook to take notes.  Cuadernos save lives.  I met so many people over the course of this week, who had I not written their name down, I would have had to be reintroduced numerous times when I arrive as an official volunteer.  Never fear, there were still people whose names I did not catch, especially when I was being introduced to a wide variety of people at one time.  Even at night, as I got to know the two volunteers who live in my site a bit better and was introduced to their friends, I found myself frantically padding my pockets for my cuaderno.  I am the official nerd of Rivas.

My counterparts consist of an HIV/AIDS specialist, a social worker, and a specialist nurse.  Of the three, I was able to meet 2.  My main counterpart seems to be the HIV/AIDS specialist as she was the one I was with for the majority of the week.  I will be working with her and another representative from and NGO on a support group for people in the disctrict living with HIV/AIDS.  This was one of the largest projects the former health volunteer was active in.  In this same vein, I will also be working with the program coordinators of all 8 sectors of Rivas to create a sustainable youth group which is awesome.  This seems to be a very important component as it has been brought up numerous times at several different meetings.  I will also be working in the schools themselves to give health charlas as well as working with group of retirees on different health topics.  I attended one of these meetings to introduce myself and after a class of folklorico, a group member accompanied me to pick out a skirt for work.  Afterwards, she introduced me to some different members of the community as well.  Everyone seems very open, welcoming, and hospitable, which I could not be more thankful for. 

One of those individuals is a woman who runs a local comedor or diner where you can dine in style for about $1/meal.  Each meal was well balanced and was much different from the gallo pinto I was used to eating.  On my last night, as I was feeling homesick for Diriamba, she brought me a plate of gallo pinto, avocado, and maduro.  I have never been so excited to see rice and beans or so embarassed to ask for ketchup to adorn them.  This woman spoke with me in the mornings about herself, Rivas, and the other health volunteer that COSed or finished her service in April.  It was nice that even though I was there for three days, I feel that I have already established connections. 

My soon to be host mother, showed me this place.  I will be working with her as well as she is the responsable for the group of retirees.  In my house, I finally have my own bathroom.  The last time that happened was about a year and a half ago.  Despite the heat, the accomodations themselves are very nice.  Though in my house in Diriamba, not only do I shower with a shower head, but I also am one of the only volunteers with hot water.  Now, in my house in Rivas, I have been brought back to reality with daily bucket showers.  Allow me to explain.  Running water is not always accessible so when it is, we fill large plastic trashcans of water, which we are able to use for the toilet tank, toothbrushing, and showering.  When I shower, the water is cold, which is a more than welcome, after a full day in the inferno.

Now, I´m sure you´re all wondering whether or not my biggest fear has been realized.  One of my fellow aspirantes informed me that today, her last day in site, a mouse crawled out of her purse, I have been fortunate enough to have had only one, if it could even be called that, encounter with a mouse.  As I was relaxing, watching TV with my new site mate and some of her friends, she exclaimed that there was a mouse in the kitchen to which I responded by jumping from my seat and running to the doorway.  As her friends laughed at me and encouraged me to relocate myself in the seat furthest from the kitchen, I remained terrified.  Though mice, undoubtedly, are scared of people, just as we are of them, it seems to be an instinct I can´t shake, no matter what train of logic is presented to me.  The only piece of information I have been able to find solace in is that mice eat roaches.  Thank God!