Hola from Granada!

What a whirlwind this week has been! There are so many things I could say about my first week here!! Granada is unlike any place I have ever been. There are countless new sights, sounds and smells from the dogs sleeping on the sidewalks, to the clopping of the horse drawn carts, to the aroma of delicious pico (a sweet bread) and sizzling tortillas that contrasts the occasional odor of rotting garbage. Car horns beep frequently, vendors chirp constantly selling everything from meats to sunglasses to mops, and music blares from the open doorways of houses. School is still out for winter break and kids of all ages linger on stoops and in streets, playing soccer and baseball and sitting around talking.

Tres Pisos: Fùtbol Sin Fronteras Office and our Home

Despite the beautiful weather and friendly environment, Granada has many less sunny qualities and heartbreaking realities. In my first house visits with my two Nicaraguan co-coaches, Flaca and Techo, we visited homes with only dirt for floors and only tin roofs. “Water” that is an opaque bluish green courses down the edges of the roads and trash litters the parks and wooded areas.  A child selling goods and a person sleeping outdoors are far from uncommon sights. I knew of many of the societal issues here in Nica before I came down here, but actually seeing how that manifests in the day to day is very different.

El Centro: The Center Square in Granada

My first week also consisted of many, many highlights! Some of these include:

Juggling and playing soccer in the square on our first night.

Eating and drinking the most amazing Calala (similar to a papaya) juice at Claudia’s.

Walking the 10 km to La Laguna where we set out to teach a clinic at the Peace Project but arrived two hours late. It immediately started to rain when we arrived.

Meeting the Veteranas, FSF’s alumni/oldest team.

Eating tons of Gallo Pinto.

Making dinner at Tres Pisos with the other interns and the five Nicaraguan coaches. (Struggling big time with my Spanish understanding!)

Getting a fan in my room.

Enjoying the more leisurely pace of life. Many jokes have already been made about “Nica time” vs. “US time.”

Anyways, off to my first Spanish class!

Hasta luego!

Allie