Volcanos on Borrowed Shoes
Luis convinced me to sign up for tomorrow's hike to Telica, an active volcano. My last reason for not going was that I had no shoes; I brought with me only my sandals and a pair of high-heeled boots for dancing. Turns out Quetzaltrekkers, the organization that plans the hikes, had an extra pair of tennis shoes that fit me. I've been wearing them for the past couple of hours and have not developed terrible blisters; they are well broken in.
I lived in the Quetzaltrekker house when I first moved to Nicaragua, before I found my teaching job in Matagalpa. Volunteers come from all over the world; they donate their time and pay their own food and lodging while they're here so the hikes can be run as cheaply as possible. All the profits go to Las Tías, an organization that works with street kids. (The original Quetzaltrekkers is in Guatemala, but this is the Nicaragua chapter.)
I was never a volunteer but they had an extra room in the house at the time. Luis found out about the group through me and started volunteering with them after I moved to Matagalpa. He's leading tomorrow's tour; he's now done this particular hike 34 times, I've been told, so we'll be in good hands.
I did a day trip to Cerro Negro when I was here before, but this will be my first overnight. I'm hoping the tent and sleeping bags won't be too disgusting. I'm hoping we have a tent and sleeping bags. When Luis was first starting, he once forgot the tent; the clients were pretty mad.
Anyway, don't be alarmed if there is a couple days of radio silence. We leave at six in the morning tomorrow, and then as soon as I get back on Monday, I have to go to Managua, because my flight leaves early on Tuesday. Back to the good old U.S. of A., a brief rest, and then I drive from Chicagoland to the Twin Cities. It's probably good for me to spend a couple days hiking before I begin my week of rotting away in tiny enclosed vehicles.
I lived in the Quetzaltrekker house when I first moved to Nicaragua, before I found my teaching job in Matagalpa. Volunteers come from all over the world; they donate their time and pay their own food and lodging while they're here so the hikes can be run as cheaply as possible. All the profits go to Las Tías, an organization that works with street kids. (The original Quetzaltrekkers is in Guatemala, but this is the Nicaragua chapter.)
I was never a volunteer but they had an extra room in the house at the time. Luis found out about the group through me and started volunteering with them after I moved to Matagalpa. He's leading tomorrow's tour; he's now done this particular hike 34 times, I've been told, so we'll be in good hands.
I did a day trip to Cerro Negro when I was here before, but this will be my first overnight. I'm hoping the tent and sleeping bags won't be too disgusting. I'm hoping we have a tent and sleeping bags. When Luis was first starting, he once forgot the tent; the clients were pretty mad.
Anyway, don't be alarmed if there is a couple days of radio silence. We leave at six in the morning tomorrow, and then as soon as I get back on Monday, I have to go to Managua, because my flight leaves early on Tuesday. Back to the good old U.S. of A., a brief rest, and then I drive from Chicagoland to the Twin Cities. It's probably good for me to spend a couple days hiking before I begin my week of rotting away in tiny enclosed vehicles.