Well at lot has happened between now and the previous entry, most of it revolving around study term ending, not having very much internet access, and my service term starting.
Here is a summary of the events that have happened between now and then, for a more detailed report with pictures and the such, go to the goshen website blog at goshen.edu/sst
Study term has ended, that means final exams and oral presentations were given, and the farwell party has occured, and the lot of us students have been sent to our service locations for the next six weeks.
I am currently doing my service at Laguna De Apollo, with a biological research organization called FUNDECI/GAIA, (I believe that they have a website somewhere, perhaps you could google it and find out), and I am with 2 other students Brian and Amanda for the remainder of the 6 weeks that I am in Nicaragua. The station works with LAgauna de Apollo, a lake at the bottom of a volcanic crater that was created by a vocalnic eruption a buncha years ago. We are working with projecst related to reforestation, compositing, monitoring the animals and such around the rainforests surrounding the lake, etc.
My host family lives in a community at the top of the crater (in a commune of about 5 families, the livnig conditions are dirt floors and barely electric. there is no running water or computers, or anything like that sort), and I have a 45 minute walk with Brian every morning (although we have done it under 30 minutes most days) down and up the side of the crater to the research station located at the bottom . There we have done work such as digging holes and filtering compost (aka not doing very much at all) and swimming in the lake. It is gorgeous location, and I wish I had my camera (still being repaired in Managua apparently) to document it as such.
Overall we haven´t done much, and will continue to be here at the station for another 5 weeks. We are nearby to 2 other cities, Masaya (which is where I am now, using a cybre cafe to use the internet for the first time in a very long while) and Granada. I have 2 host brothers, Carlos 8 and Noel 14, and they are very friendly. They also own 2 dogs and 2 ducks that are interesting to deal with in the mornings or during the nights.
If you have sent me messages over the last few weeks, I will try to respond, but my time on the internet is limited, so make a note of that if I do not respond, or do only very hastily!
