Now I've had good gallo pinto. Crunchy. Greetings from oh-so-Nicaragua in the town of Matagalpa. We've spent the last week in a really amazing community called El Lagartillo. The students have been busy in home stays and in language classes... but Spanish class which takes them out milking cows, cutting coffee and traipsing through the mountains. Lucky ducks! Much of the group agreed that El Lagartillo seriously trumped Estelí - I agreed, too.

For just a few hours we are passing through Matagalpa on the way to another small coffee community called La Grecia where we are promised to meet an amazing man named Vicente, who I have already started calling Vinnie. And somehow, not sure how, I've stumbled upon a little spot with fans, local organic coffee and legitimate crunchy gallo pinto. My tipico breakfast is stellar but I can't eat it fast enough to keep the flies from landing on it.

We have just about 3 weeks left in Nicaragua - and on the course - and I'm feeling pretty ready to be done. I really like many of my students, but at this point in the 3-month course there are now some tensions and troubles. Sigh. In the meantime, I am enjoying Nicaragua. The people absolutely do not cease to amaze me. Right when I think I've got something figured out, some Nica will turn it on its head. The experience in El Lagartillo was awesome. My home stay family was so very different than other Central American families I have known. The dad washed the clothes and cooked, mom did too, and both cared for their kid. They both worked in the fields but also as teachers. The village has about 115 people total and are a cooperative. Some really incredible women out there, some really adorable little kiddos and a very sweet Border Collie-like dog that made me miss my Norma a whole bunch.