The girls head down the stairs from our room to explore

As peaceful as this place seems in the daytime, after dark the volume goes way up. Our first night’s sleep was repeatedly interrupted by birds squawking, dogs barking, and a rooster who crowed repeatedly ALL NIGHT LONG. (Last night we were smart enough to crank up the fan, not because it’s hot but to create some white noise.)

Despite this, Nadia and Lanie were up at 6am, clattering around unpacking their suitcases, looking out the windows, and talking in what they may have mistakenly believed were soft voices. Eventually we couldn’t contain them anymore and they, followed closely by Zoe, headed out to explore the gardens outside our room. There were large wire enclosures holding rescued birds and monkeys, and friendly dogs everywhere. (There are a lot of stray dogs here, and this place takes them in.) The grounds here are very secluded and private, and the kids have the run of the place. They were in heaven.

Bob is dutifully doing his homework right after class ended. The rest of us procrastinated.

At 7:15am we were called to breakfast. There are no other kids here at the moment, but in general everyone was very welcoming of them. (At breakfast time we were looking around for Lanie, to tell her to come and eat, and eventually found she was already at the head of the line, being helped by some random other guests.) Then it was time for Spanish class. The classes here are one-on-one, and we were each assigned two teachers — one for two hours of conversation practice, and one for two hours of grammar lessons. Then off we went with our teachers to separate corners of the compound. Our “classrooms” were little nooks with chairs and whiteboards tucked into the balconies and treehouses scattered through the grounds. The sun was shining, a breeze was blowing, and it didn’t feel much like work at all (except when I had to take a test that I’m sure I failed pretty miserably).

Not a bad life.

Fresh bananas for the taking!

The girls’ lessons were well tailored to their ages. Lanie played Uno with her teacher to learn colors and numbers, and they all got to walk around the grounds during their lessons as a break from sitting still. I think they’ll be happy to go back for more tomorrow.

Yesterday afternoon we signed up for the day’s excursion — a trip to the finca de pina (pineapple farm), a beautiful place tucked into the mountains. It was a far cry from the industrial farms of the US. Along the dirt track beside the field there were plantain, mango, and coconut trees, one of which held a nest with a mother bird and her chicks. Tomato plants grew in between the rows. When asked about pests, the farmer mentioned that foxes sometimes eat the pineapples — and when asked if he did anything to control them, the he shrugged and said, “Foxes have the right to eat too.” (Mind you, all of this was in Spanish. Bob was the only one in our group who appeared to understand most of what was being said, but fortunately the guide from our school provided some translations.) The girls were starting to drag a bit by the end, but were quickly revived by bowls of fresh pineapple. It was a different variety than we typically get in the US — paler, softer and juicier.

The next stop was what they were really waiting for — dinner at an open-air restaurant that had a pool. Our group from the school had some moments of confusion about the proper procedures, since our guide disappeared when we went in, but we soon sorted it out and had food ordered (and kids in the pool). We were all confused by the menu, so our family just ordered a “family platter” with some things that sounded vaguely familiar. It turned out to be delicious, and a great sampling of Nicaraguan cuisine. (All the meals served at the school are vegetarian, so this may have been the last meat we’ll have for a while.) Bob and I ordered local beers, which turned out to taste pretty much like Budweiser (but since they cost about $1, we didn’t complain).

Then back to La Mariposa for some family reading (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban).  Bob made note of the fact that the temporally-challenged rooster did not start crowing until 10:14pm.  Tomorrow I’m tempted to continually poke him with a stick during the daytime so that he’ll sleep at night.

At the finca de pina