Welcome to VaPué – your hub for everything and anything that is Peace Corps Nicaragua. Explore, connect, listen, support, and submit to your heart’s content.
Denise / Nica 68 / TEFL
It is the grinding roar of the engine, the sound of unapologetic power that seduces me. My name is Denise and I am a public transit addict. I am weakened by strength of its massive buses. They are without question the most powerful beasts blasting through the streets of Leon and I ride those fire-breathing dragons in true Daenerys fashion. I am indeed one with Dios es mi Rey.
I watch my cobrador servant as he hangs without effort from the front stair. Dale, suave, la vuelta, el terminal, I imitate his inflection and admire his unabashed arrogance and agility. I imagine that he acts upon my will as he controls the movement of the bus and dominates the weaker subjects in need of the transport that he is offering. He opens his hands for the fare without so much as a glance or acknowledgement of their humanity. One dare not meet his glance.
Humbly their meager coins are dropped in his strong hand. All look down or away, they are at his mercy. Somehow his sharp eye and keen memory recorded those who have submitted and those that have not. Attempts to outwit my cobrador are futile. He will tap your shoulder and you will submit just as the others.
I ride my dragon with respect as we barrel along at unimaginable speeds. Our chofer knows that he is the supreme leader of the streets behind that wheel. 30,000 pounds of rattling metal sheets hit the curve at speeds that demand you brace your position. But be not deceived, it is the cobrador’s magic that dictates the pace. He sees what lies ahead. Or who stands ahead. His whistles hold the secrets. He gives the hand signal, hits the side of the monster to signal the next move in a language known only between those two.
The magic gives him the power to jump from the moving beast, cross its mighty path, punch a timecard, and run until the timing allows him to effortlessly retain his rightful place on the steps, again hanging from the entry point. And the bus never stops once during this ritual. Should his keen observation see a traffic conundrum ahead, the cobrador sprints ahead two blocks to inform the lesser vehicles that Dios es mi Rey approaches and to bow humbly, allowing it to pass without delay. What is any of this if not magic?
I imagine that the magic is all for my purposes. I must get to my destination in a manner suited for a Peace Corps Volunteer. As I descend from my dragon and the cobrador grips my hand to guide me from that last step, I acknowledge him and his service to me. He never meets my glance, but we quietly know that his magic is what I need to begin my magic.
Steven / Nica 68 / TEFL
Interview with Julio Francisco Sanches about the origin story of the Laguna de Masaya
Buenas tardes, mi nombre es Julio Francisco Sánchez, originario de aquí de Masatepe, y a continuación les voy a hablar sobre la historia de la origen de la laguna, la cual tiene mucha relación una serpiente. Cuenta la historia que en el tiempo antes de la colonización, antes de que llegaran los españoles acá a Nicaragua, las comunidades indígenas se asentaban siempre a la orilla de los lagos, de las lagunas y los ríos. Una comunidad dirigida por un cacique, un cacique llamado Masatepelt en lenguaje Nahual, se asentaba en una zona bastante boscosa, ellos vivían en esta región de lo que ahora es Masatepe, pero mientras ellos estaban viviendo empezaron a tener problemas con una serpiente que salía del bosque, de un gran bosque, frondoso y verde, un bosque con árboles muy, muy grandes.
La serpiente cada vez asaltaba la comunidad, a la comunidad indígena, se robaba a las jovencitas, se robaba los niños, las raptaba y se las llevaba. Entonces, el cacique para ponerle fin a este azote de la serpiente decidieron atraparla, siempre el dirigía junto con los guerreros de su comunidad—atraparon a la serpiente y la amarraban
en un árbol y intentaban matarla muchas veces pero no lo lograban, era casi una serpiente mágica, o bien dicho, una serpiente mágica, una serpiente bruja, que la intentaban matar y no moría- entonces, la intentaban matar y siempre regresaba y seguía haciendo daño a la comunidad.
Entonces el cacique de la región habló con el chamán, con el brujo de la localidad, el médico brujo de esa misma comunidad para ver qué podían hacer para ponerle fin a este problema porque ellos no querían viajar, ya dejaron de ser nómadas y se asentaron en el local. Entonces le propuso una solución al problema, que tenían que atraparla en un árbol específico en medio del bosque pero no tenían que amarrarla con cuerdas, ni con cadenas, ni con nada que se le pareciera sino que tenía que ser con una cuerda especial hecha con los cabellos de una doncella virgen, de una indita virgen. Entonces procedieron a hacerlo, a buscar a una doncella virgen y a quitarle sus cabellos para elaborar la cuerda, el mecate con cual iban a amarrar la serpiente, entonces atraparon a la serpiente una vez hecha la cuerda y buscaron ese árbol que estaba en el centro del bosque para ir a amarrarla.
Así que amarraron a la serpiente con la cuerda hecha con los cabellos de la doncella virgen y la serpiente no se pudo soltar, intentó, intentó, pero no se pudo soltar—entonces ella, en su desesperación, vomitó un huevo, el huevo cayó y se rompió, pero el huevo no era otra serpiente sino que se formó un pequeño charco, justo al romperse el huevo se empezó a crear ese charco, el charco empezó a crecer, a crecer y a crecer, y como estaba la serpiente en el centro de ese bosque, lo cubrió completamente, hasta que formó lo que hoy es la laguna de Masaya, o la laguna de Venecia, como se conoce acá. Entonces, una vez cubierto ya el bosque, se formó lo que es la laguna de Masaya, y dicen las personas que la serpiente aún está viviendo ahí, de ahí que esa serpiente tiene esa laguna encantada para que siempre estén llegando personas, las que llegan a bañarse, y se quedan ahogadas ahí.
Name:
Hey! I’m Alice Kinney in Diriamba, Carazo.
Where do you call home?
Southwest Michigan! I grew up in Hastings and went to school in Kalamazoo.
What were you doing before you joined Peace Corps?
I was finishing a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education of Spanish and English at Western Michigan University. I was also a nanny for a family with two little girls (love them)!
Weirdest/most specific/interesting item you brought to country with you?
Honestly, I think I packed mostly normal stuff but the most useful item has been my Swiss Army knife. I’ve had this baby since I has in high school and it has served me well. Whether you need to open a bottle (of something), sharpen a pencil, remove a sliver, or cut through cardboard/plastic this little guy has got your back!
First impressions of Nicaragua? What surprised you most?
Hot but beautiful. And I couldn’t believe how kind and open the people were. This is something I am still trying to understand but the Nicaraguans that I have shared my time with have been nothing but patient with me. My host families are a huge part of my service and I am always surprised how much they care about me and my well being.
Funny anecdote from training/service so far?
I was invited to a “traditional dance class” to practice Salsa, Bacahta, and Merengue by my neighbor. I went thinking “Oh, how awesome! I can work on fine-tuning my dancing.” But when I arrived it turned out to be a Zoomba training class that was focused on the movement of the hips and butt. I’ll let you imagine my face when I discovered this and was positioned in the front row of a full-on twerk shop. Anyways, the first class was a bit of a shock but needless to say I returned a number of times to get my sweat on and bond with my neighbor.
Best Spanish mistake?
Hmmmm… Well this actually took place in Spain during study abroad. I was planning to go see the movie “Planet of the Apes” with a group of friends. I told my host mom a few days ahead of time and she seemed really confused but I just assumed she had never heard of the movie. I talked about it again the next day and I still received a blank stare. Finally on the day of the movie I told her for the third time that I was leaving to see the movie “La Planeta de los Apios” and she said okay. It wasn’t until I sat down in the movie theater that I realized the movie was called “La Planeta de los Simios” and I quick found out that apio = celery.
Favorite Nica food?
Easy. Empanadas de Maduro con pico de gallo y crema
What do you hope to accomplish in your service?
I hope to positively develop myself as a human being. I also hope to serve as a positive example for the kids in my community and be a bridge for them to reach their potential.
What do you miss most from home?
Okay, where my Michiganders at?? I would pay big bucks for a Muldoone’s Vegetarian Pasty from Munising, Michigan. Google it.
Name:
Sophie Parker
Where do you call home?
Palo Alto, California
What were you doing before you joined Peace Corps?
Studying sociology and spanish at Elon University, North Carolina.
Weirdest/most specific/interesting item you brought to country with you?
A LOT of trader joe snacks.
First impressions of Nicaragua? What surprised you most?
How incredibly kind the people are and how safe I feel in the country.
Funny anecdote from training/service so far?
I won a swimming competition in my site and was then interviewed about it for channel 4.
Best Spanish mistake?
The difference between calcones (underware) y calcetines (socks).
Favorite Nica food?
Tajados and fresco de cacao.
What do you hope to accomplish in your service?
I hope to make great relationships with people in my site. I hope to leave the mark on my community as an example of someone from the United States who cares about other people’s cultures and is accepting.
What do you miss most from home?
My family and my puppy dog Bella.
Tara Seibel / Nica 66 / ENV
My neighbor in the United States was a vibrant, strong 6-year-old with big glasses and a black and white puppy—Rainy. Every day after school, she would visit me. Sometimes her visits were to share a new song she learned or teach me how to string a fishing pole. When summer storms would roll into Wanblee (a small town on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and home to the initiation of the American Indian Movement) she would run to my garage, grab our Pow Wow chairs, and we would sit. We would watch as the Thunder Beings made their way to the Badlands, bringing rain and an epic storm across the sky—a storm we could see coming from 40 miles west. Watching the storms and admiring the grand nature of all that surrounded us, Rainy would tell me stories about the Star Boy and the White Buffalo Calf Woman. She shared stories that rested close to her heart. She told stories that were passed down to her from her mom and dad and from all of her ancestors that, too, welcomed the Thunder Beings through their history on the land in (what is now) South Dakota. Rainy is Oglala Lakota Sioux, a descendant of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. Her whole self is strengthened and enhanced by the stories, the people and the traditions that surround her.
In my mid-twenties, a handsome young devil (now my husband, horns and all) challenged me to consider moving from Denver to Pine Ridge. There, he said, I would find community like I had never experienced before. He said I would find extreme beauty and extreme pain, and the chance to work alongside tribal members to fight the legacy of centuries of oppression. My experience there over the following years would profoundly shape how I see the world and how I position my perspective.
In the Lakota language there are two powerful words, mitakuye oyasin. They convey the sentiment that we are all related—that there is an intimate, spiritual connection between all living things on this earth as well as those who passed before us. These words are used in every prayer. The Lakota teach that every action we take and moment that we live is a prayer. Therefore, to experience this world as we are meant to, we must aways live with an awareness of our relation to the physical and spiritual world around us. As I’ve learned about the history of this place now called Central America, I’ve been taken by the reality that this meaning exists, too, in its indigenous cultures. For example, to the Mayans there exists the word in lak ech—a belief that we are all a part of a larger whole. This sentiment translates in Spanish as:
Tú eres mi otro yo.
Si te hago daño a ti,
Me hago daño a mi mismo.
Si te amo y respeto,
Me amo y respeto yo.
As I reflect on my time on Pine Ridge, all of my thoughts and feelings and experiences are tied up in the humble reality that I have been able to grow, develop and be refined by the communities I have been a part of, not in spite of, but because of difference. As a white, Christian educator living on a reservation, it was critical for me to interrogate my identity and the impact of my identity as I took space and interacted, especially with students. In doing so, I could work to humanize and be humanized by experiencing joy and pain with others. We could share our truths and share our experiences as far as the sharing allowed us to magnify the joy and process the pain which is a transformative process. And I’ve grown because I’ve learned from and within difference. I’ve grown because I was open to interrogating my own belief system—what it was, what it meant, where it came from. I have been able to incorporate different systems of beliefs, shift and mold and modify my world view, and really identify my truths. Based on my limited experience in this life and drawing from the truths that others have graciously shared with me, I offer this humble reflection:
To all of my fellow volunteers, tú eres mi otro yo. You and I, we’re related—inextricably linked to one another. And, therefore, where there is injustice in this world and where there is marginalization and oppression, we are all affected. As such, we have the privilege to come together and to collectively experience the human condition. Also, our talent and our care and our passion and our responsibility are connected. Our joy is connected. Where we triumph and overcome, we have the privilege to share and multiply our experience. This Peace Corps experience is unique. There are few other people in the world who have shared the same late night songs and conversations,
the same questions and struggles, the same charlas that perhaps included horse manure or dinámicas or teaching strategies or condoms, the same pizza cravings and favorite frescos, and the same hopes.
We too are connected to those students, teachers, community members, and family members with whom we work and with whom we live. The power of our work lies in that connection. The communities that we have the privilege to partner with have the questions we will explore and they have the answers. We have the chance to look for the all of the bright spots in our communities. We have the responsibility to recognize what we bring and what limitations we have. We have the joy to connect with the realities of our neighbors. And the privilege to sit with our 6-year-old neighbor, learning from the wisdom she carries. I am grateful to walk alongside each of you as we do this work.
As a friend once shared before I left the reservation to move to Nicaragua: we are learners forever in this life, life is struggle no matter where you are, and love is real no matter where you are, adventure can be found no matter where you are, and hope exists no matter where you are. Living here will aid all of us in the process of being more human because we shared and learned from difference. That is real transformation. That is what revolutions are built upon.
Name:
Brijesh P. Kishan
Where do you call home?
Black Mountain, North Carolina
What were you doing before you joined Peace Corps?
Before joining the Peace Corps, I assisted with political campaigns in North and South Carolina; having graduated with a Bachelor’s in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. During 2017, I began my service with the Peace Corps in Burkina Faso, but unfortunately returned home due to a myriad of reasons resulting in the termination of the program country-wide. Now, I’m bringing my talents to Nicaragua and couldn’t be more happier with my second opportunity to serve this beautiful country and amazing people!
Weirdest/most specific/interesting item you brought to country with you?
Tiger Sauce, you either know about it, or you don’t; and if you don’t come find me and I’ll tell you about it!
First impressions of Nicaragua? What surprised you most?
I’ve been thinking how lucky I am; to have a family so loving that I truly reciprocate the feeling; to have the privilege to aid in a country so beautiful I can’t describe it; and to learn from a people so full of love, laughter, and openness that I’ll never forget it. How fast I’ve accepted Nicaragua as home, that’s what has surprised me the most.
Funny anecdote from training/service so far?
My inability to fit inside a Microbus; we need special microbuses for 6ft tall+ individuals!
Best Spanish mistake?
That one time I went into the local school for the first time, wanting to invite students to join our Entrepreneurship group. Trying to excite the chavallos, I said “who wants to make a lot of money with your ideas in the future?!” That was followed by blank stares and zero enthusiasm. Little did I know, I was saying “we want to make a lot of money with your ideas in the future!” No wonder kids didn’t show up in the first couple of meetings!
Favorite Nica food?
Tostones or Tajadas con Pica
What do you hope to accomplish in your service?
I hope to change just one life for the better, and strike that piece humanity that is common within us all; even if that one life is my own.
What do you miss most from home?
My family, the backbone and support to my strength.
Kate Crowley / Nica 68 / ENV
It’s meet-your-counterpart day but as my counterpart has not yet arrived, I am learning about my future site from my fellow PCVs’ counterparts. Unexpectedly, all
anyone has to offer about Diriá is its high per capita of brujas. All my language professor told me was that it had a nice park! All this brujeria wasn’t in my site packet.
The sister pueblos of Diriá and Diriomo both straddle the carretera, Diriá to the north, and Diriomo to the south. More or less, that is. After living in Diriá for a year, sometimes a coin flip is still as good as my guess when it comes to
deciding what comarcas belong to which municipalities. Both pueblos are named after Diriagen, an indomitable leader of the indigenous Nahautl
people. Despite being overwhelmingly Catholic, the area retains a strong connection to pre-Columbian traditions and beliefs.
At times, the references to these old beliefs are tongue-in-cheek: each pueblo has at least one bar with a bruja-related name. But more often than not, people in these pueblos are unironic in their beliefs. While I have never heard a witch walking the streets hawking her potions or seen a front-door sign stating Hay Maldiciones, I’ve heard many second- and third-hand stories of witches. The most prevalent belief I discovered was that of the micas. Micas are witches that have the power to turn themselves into animals, most often monkeys. Online research tells me the legend of the micas is also known as La Mona, Mona Bruja, or Mico Brujo.
Micas turn into monkeys in order to take surprise revenge on their enemies. In some versions of the legend, micas are usually taking revenge on their ex-lovers. Who’s going to expect that innocent looking monkey to be his ex-girlfriend? Jokes on you, señor (she never liked that mustache anyway).
Pre-Columbian legends of the Nahual people described shamans with the powers to turn into different animals, sometimes with sinister motives. The arrival of Europeans in Mesoamerica brought the concept of medieval witches, and the blending of the legends produced the female micas known today around Central America. I’ve always been fascinated by the subtle ways misogyny makes itself known in culture, and witches are a dramatic example. I find it quite interesting
that before European arrival, the idea of magical people doing sinister deeds was not gendered, something to remember when we think about everyday instances of misogyny here in Nicaragua and get tempted to stereotype cultures.
Halfway through my service I have unfortunately not learned to cast any curses, which is quite a disappointment as someone who has always aspired to be Hermione Granger. I did however go to a witch’s house once—she had an absurd amount of animals in her tiny backyard (horse, cows, goats, pigs, turkeys, cats, dogs), and was generous enough to gift me a few sacos of poop for my compost. Crossing my fingers for enchanted ayote.
¿Hablas español? Use your language skills as you live, learn, and serve in a community overseas. Hear more from Nicaragua RPCV Polly Wiltz and other PCVs serving in Spanish-speaking countries.
Name:
Rebeccah Schechter
Where do you call home?
Stamford, Connecticut
What were you doing before you joined Peace Corps?
Full-time student and environmental activist!
Weirdest/most specific/interesting item you brought to country with you?
I brought a Stainless Steel reusable razor from the 1930’s, it comes in a cool case where you can sharpen the same blade over and over again (Sustainability!)
First impressions of Nicaragua? What surprised you most?
A country where making friends is easy, the nature is abundant, and the heat is no joke.
Best Spanish mistake?
To say I am going to catch the bus, I would normally say, “Voy a coger el bus.” Apparently coger in this country has a sexual connotation to it… so people’s response is usually, “Todo el bus?!?” I now use agarrar… and people don’t look at me weird anymore.
Favorite Nica food?
Gallo Pinto with Maduro!
What do you hope to accomplish in your service?
I hope to inspire young people to treat the earth like they would treat their mother.
What do you miss most from home?
All the Vegan Junk food and my friends and family
To close a month that has been especially full of inspiring projects and campaigns to fight gender-based violence here in Nicaragua, we’d like to share this video created by the Gender and Development Committee of Peace Corps Nicaragua.
This video is a tool that can be used to facilitate discussions with community members about the negative effects that “piropos” or street harassment have on an individual and societal level.
Denise Hollingsworth / Nica 68 / TEFL
Did you hear that? Indeed. Your ears are not deceiving you. The rattling sound
you hear are the sounds of the wagon of skeletonized slaves pulled by long-gone oxen. Legend has it that La Carreta Nagua is driven by the Skeleton of Death, and represents the death and terror as the Spanish conquerors passed through villages enslaving the indigenous people, leaving a path of destruction. Legend says
that the passing of the wagon now foreshadows a death in the community.
Such legends and myths are wonderfully illustrated in the Museo de Mitos y Leyendas in León. The museum is conveniently located just south of Leon’s center in the former prison, locally known as “Prison 21.” The museum’s founder, Carmen Toruño de Garcia (1918-2011) was born in Posoltega, Chinandega, Nicaragua and lived there most of her life. It was there that her ideas to preserve the legends of her culture took root. The detailed depictions of the legends were initially housed in her home but as the exhibit grew, it was obvious that a larger more public space was required.
Greeting you at the entrance is one of the largest gigantonas in the world. In case you missed the memo, gigantonas are parodies of the Spanish women who were romanticized by Spanish colonial culture. A smaller version of the gigantonas dance through the streets through the Purisima accompanied by an animated drummer and el Enano Cabezón.
Once you regain your composure from your giant gigantona sighting, you will notice the tank that the FSLN stole from the National Guard in the liberation of the City of León in 1979, as well as the illustrations of Somoza torture victims on the outer prison walls. And all this before you ever enter the actual museum, no less.
Once inside, you will be intrigued by the tales of the Flying Woman, Pancho Ñato, La Yeguita, and many others. The life-size illustrations are charming, shocking and fascinating–all at the same time. There are even sound effects guaranteed to chill you to the bone.
For a nominal sum of 20 cords for locals (that includes PCVs, that was my prevailing argument) and 50 cords for tourists, you will, in essence, receive two guided tours. Your guide will provide a history of “Prison 21” while also providing details of
each legend. An interesting cross-section of history for a small price.
Name:
Henry Hartzler
Where do you call home?
Byron, MN
What were you doing before you joined Peace Corps?
Just finished student teaching and then was living in the North Woods as a kayaking and climbing guide
Weirdest/most specific/interesting item you brought to country with you?
A hanging closet from college — turned out to be the most useful thing I brought!
First impressions of Nicaragua? What surprised you most?
It’s much hotter than Minnesota! Never thought that I would find climbing here though.
Funny anecdote from training/service so far?
When we went to La Boquita at the end of training, I came back so burnt that I was literally the same shade of red as the wall across from Britton’s house. Even applying aloe hurt!
Best Spanish mistake?
Accidentally asking for a coño of ice cream instead of a cono will make your server turn bright red.
Favorite Nica food?
Guiso de pipían – specifically made by Doña Lígia!
What do you hope to accomplish in your service?
I hope that the schools that I work implement school-wide and classroom-wide interventions that support learning of the whole child.
What do you miss most from home?
While I am eternally grateful that there are bolted climbing routes in Matagalpa, I miss the long, perfect granite lines of Yosemite and the endless number of overhanging walls at the Red.
Name:
Sam Gogan
Where do you call home?
Maryland. Silver Spring area
What were you doing before you joined Peace Corps?
I was finishing my Master of Public Policy degree at University of Maryland
Weirdest/most specific/interesting item you brought to country with you?
Skateboard
First impressions of Nicaragua? What surprised you most?
I was surprised by my first “rainy season” experience.
Funny anecdote from training/service so far?
Learned this dicho from my host mom during training: “Amor de lejos, amor de pendejos.”
Best Spanish mistake?
I can’t say comb that well
Favorite Nica food?
#gallopinto
What do you hope to accomplish in your service?
I hope to help my counterparts with their English speaking and teaching skills. When I leave, I want them to be better off compared to when I arrived.
What do you miss most from home?
My family, S.O., friends, and independence.
Katherine Wzorek, who served as a Volunteer in Nicaragua, shares her Peace Corps story, “Sisters.” Watch it here.
Name:
Duncan Fort
Where do you call home?
Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
What were you doing before you joined Peace Corps?
I was floating aimlessly around for two months after graduating from St. Lawrence University.
Weirdest/most specific/interesting item you brought to country with you?
Climbing gear! Harness, shoes, quick-draws, carabiners, grigri…but I forgot to pack my rope so it’s all a bit useless.
First impressions of Nicaragua? What surprised you most?
3 a.m. music and mortars in the streets of La Paz.
Funny anecdote from training/service so far?
The number of times I have hiked 5 km up a mountain to my rural community to find class or co-planning sessions cancelled is some form of cruel joke. But at least it’s good exercise, right?
Best Spanish mistake?
Ano y año son bien diferente.
Favorite Nica food?
¡Desayuno típico con huevos revueltos, crema, tortilla, gallo pinto, cuajada, y café!
What do you hope to accomplish in your service?
Updating my community’s water system and translate 100 years of solitude Spanish – English.
What do you miss most from home?
SNOW! And family and friends and food and my car and hot showers and live bluegrass.
Happy Anniversary, Nica 67. Two years in, three months to go.
Here it is, hot off the (digital) press: The latest issue of Va Pue! The theme for October was Raíces. Click here to check it out. If you are interested in submitting art, articles, or photos for future issues, email pcvapue@gmail.com or submit here.
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