Cesar looking at Volcan Concepcion during our January visit to Ometepe
Volcan Concepcion
An interesting twist to the end of this trip to Granada is the imminent eruption of the Conception Volcano on Ometepe, a nearby island in the lake that borders Granada. So far they have evacuated 20,000 people and are expecting an eruption any day. Although based on its previous eruption patterns Granada won't be affected, there was a strange thunderstorm last night that brought unexpected rain during the night. Coincidence?
One of my favorite parts of life here is learning more about how our Nicaraguan friends live and how they perceive us by seeing their reactions to different situations. Last night was a prime example. First, Suyen, Jennie, and I were eating dinner and discussing a possible trip to Ometepe. I was worried about the impending eruption, but Suyen didn't seem to think it was a big deal. I asked how we would get off the island if it did happen, because the 5 ferries would probably be booked. Casually, she said if it were to erupt, Jennie and I would be transported by helicopter to the US Embassy while she would be stuck waving goodbye with the rest of the Nicaraguans on the shore of Ometepe. It was a funny comment at the time, because we are comfortable around each other enough to make joking comments about our cultures, but it definitely stuck with me. That level of security, of importance, and of relative value is always a relevant and present difference between us here. To think about "wealth" is to have to think about it in so many ways. I try to avoid flaunting the differences in wealth here by wearing the same clothes every year, eating locally, living in local homes, and so on. But there are so many inherent differences and privileges that come along with being American that our Nicaraguan friends are constantly aware of. I can't imagine how hard it must be to feel like, on a scale of the world, you are valued less than another person purely because of your nationality and national resources.. For our Nicaraguan friends to be so open to us and our personal comfort zones and efforts to fit in here is truly selfless and generous.
We were still sitting in her backyard when the flashes in the sky began. Between the two of us, we managed to describe to Suyen "heat lightning" and that there was nothing to be scared of. It's been a particularly hot week, so I didn't think for a second the flashes would turn into something more. Despite Suyen's nervousness, we headed out to meet the others at a nearby restaurant for dessert. Slowly but surely, the flashes grew more violent and soon began to be followed by cracks of thunder. Suyen kept disappearing into restaurants for different things, and was clearly distracted at the table when she would return. We began to teach her to count the seconds between flashes of lightning and claps of thunder, explaining that the storm was far away and would probably stay out by the island. Proving us wrong, drops of rain began to fall (the first since December!) and soon enough Suyen had moved her chair under the overhang and was shooting me "I want to leave" glances. We hustled home in the rain, and Suyen took off her shoes to run...that's right, run! Suyen, for all of her wonderful qualities and endless energy, hates to run. But in this case, she was at her wits end and just wanted to crawl into bed until the storm passed. Getting back to the house, Jennie and I found that our room had a few unwelcome visitors....large spiders and an unidentified bug that looked like a caterpillar-turned-grasshopper. One of the spiders was sitting patiently on one of Chepe's coaching certificates hanging on the wall, so our usual routine of smacking them with our sandals wasn't going to work. Staring at the wall uncomfortably for a few minutes, Suyen came in and instantly noticed our shiftiness, following our gaze to the wall and then calmly knocking the spider off the certificate and smashing it with her sandal. The juxtaposition of our comfort levels with these different situations was really apparent....so much of what makes us uneasy are things that we are exposed to a lot. Sometimes I catch myself feeling badly that this family lives with spiders and crazy caterpillar/grasshopper bugs, but then I have moments where I realize that Suyen thinks we are crazy for living in a place with snow, frequent thunderstorms, and cold temperatures. There is so much to think about when learning about how other cultures live, and how they want to improve their society, and I'm so grateful to share these moments with good friends here, even if it takes a little bit of ash and rain!
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