Volunteer Visit

I found out Friday where I would be going for my volunteer visit (drumroll please...) the department capital, Esteli in the region of Esteli where there are a lot of agriculture volunteers. The region is about 2 hours by bus from my training site in Niquinohomo, in the north of the country. I am visiting a volunteer here with whom I get along so well and have been learning a ton about the projects here at site. I really hope I get assigned here for the resources in a departmental capital and also the resources in the campo where the agriculture is. The region is famous for a lot of different things: tobacco for cigar making (20 cigar factories in the city), leather making (boots and belts), coffee production, beans, pig farms, artisania marble statues, woodwork, was the site for the standoff between the Sandinistas and the government (traditionally this has been a Sandinista town), Esteli is between two national parks--Miraflor (famous for more than 300 species of orchids) and Tisey (big pine forests in the mountains and several waterfalls), cheese production amongst others.

I am looking forward to observing the volunteer, Melanie tomorrow in class and meeting other key movers and shakers here in town to get a better idea of what secondary projects I could do once I am assigned to my permanent site. Pictures and more info to come. Stay tuned!