Monday, March 16 - Kathleen Garman

On Monday, we had half a day to explore Granada before heading to San Juan del Sur, where we would be working with our entrepreneurs.  Although there were no officially-planned activities, the whole group decided that we wanted to spend the morning doing a boat tour of the volcanically-created islands scattered throughout Nicaragua Lake.  Accordingly, we dragged ourselves out of bed early on our day off, packed ourselves in a small van, and headed out to the boats.

Because our group was large, we split onto two boats that followed each other around for a three-hour boat tour.  Our tour guide didn't say much, but pointed out islands of interest, like the one owned by former president of Nicaragua, Violeta Chamorro, and the island belonging to the family that owned the famous and well-loved Flor de Caña brand.  We saw islands that were for sale and islands with vacation homes that sat on their tippy tops in case of rising water levels.

One of the most popular stops on our tour was to Monkey Island, an island with a large variety of monkeys living on it. The most exciting part? For a small offering of food, the monkeys would come visit people on their boats. A mother monkey and her baby came onto our boats, and made friends with Olu and Max in particular.  After a short visit, our tour guide navigated us back to Monkey Island's shore and the monkeys hopped back to their home.

Another favorite stop on our tour was when we docked on a private island featuring a restaurant.  Some people ordered snacks, others swam, some explored the island, and still others took small naps in the many breezy hammocks. We stayed on the island for a while, but eventually had to leave so we could return to shore, get to our bus, and drive to San Juan del Sur.

After a rather quiet two hour drive to SJDS (most of us napped on the bus), we arrived at Villa Isabella, the hotel that we would be staying at for the duration of our time in San Juan.  We dropped our stuff off quickly so that we would have time to catch the sunset on the beach, which was a short five minute walk away.  After enjoying the sunset colors over the boats and the water, we returned promptly to the hotel to get ready for dinner, which was our first opportunity to meet our entrepreneurs in person.

Meeting our entrepreneurs over dinner was very exciting. Not only did we get to meet them and get to know them, but we also had the opportunity to get started on asking questions about our projects and our work. It was a little frustrating not being able to speak Spanish, as I was really interested in getting to know the ladies I would be working with.  That said, the wonderfully-patient Spanish speakers in our groups translated for us and made it easy to communicate despite the language barrier.

We ended our day excited to get to work with our entrepreneurs the next morning!

Saturday, March 21, 2015 - Matthew Rechen

Believe it or not, our final day in the beautiful city of San Juan del Sur had arrived.  While we were there for just 5 days total, we accomplished great things as a group and were able to transcend cultural barriers to make positive impacts on the entrepreneurs that we were lucky enough to work with. 

When waking up on the morning of the 21^st, we all felt a general sadness come over us as we remembered that the trip was coming to a close.  That being said, however, the morning also came with great excitement; our five days of consulting work had ended, meaning Saturday was our day to take in the beautiful sights of the city and genuinely explore. 

The more adventurous students spent their free day zip lining through the lush Nicaraguan forests, weaving through trees and careening down the side of a small mountain at exhilarating speeds.  Other thrill-seekers decided to test out the waves of the Pacific and spent their final day surfing at one of the local beaches.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, the students seeking relaxation on their spring break went to a local spa and beauty salon, Sol y Luna, which was run by one of the entrepreneurs participating in the program!  While there, they helped to stimulate her business while sinking into their chairs and getting top-notch massages that ended the trip on the perfect note.  Of course, there was always the classic group of students that still needed to pick up those last minute souvenirs, so off to the local market they went!

When everyone returned back to Hotel Villa Isabella from their day’s adventures, the group convened for one final dinner together.  This time, we would eat at a local pizza shop on the water and enjoy the final laughs and stories from the week that we had no shortage of.  Also, I have to say that Nicaraguan pizza wasn’t half bad!  All in all, it was a great experience as we enjoyed the good food together and watched the beautiful sun sink beneath the horizon on the Pacific Ocean one last time.

Our Saturday ended with us packing our bags at the hotel and boarding the bus back to Managua in preparation for our flights home the next morning.  While none of us truly wanted to leave, we knew it was time for us to return to Maryland with new friends, great stories, and having made huge impacts on the lives and businesses of the Nicaraguan entrepreneurs. 

Sunday, March 15

Sunday was a great day. At this point we had been in Nicaragua for three days and everyone was ready to get working. We had already began experiencing the local culture and were staying in our third hotel of the trip in Granada. We had also seen some of the sites but had yet to really explore things on our own. That was ok because Sunday was our first free day with no plans or schedules to stick to other than being on time for our departure to San Juan Del Sur at 2.

We decided to use this opportunity to book a boat tour of Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in the country and fourth largest in the world, as a group. This was a great chance to get to see one of Nicaragua's most prominent features as well as get to know each other even better. We took a van out to the marina, and split up into two groups to fit on the boats. Our guides took us on a winding tour through the many islands on the lake, pointing out natural landmarks and the active volcano off in the distance. He also showed us the islands owned by the owners of Fleur de Cana, Tona, and a major coffee company where the workers lived in an adjacent island in wood and sheet metal shacks.

One of the islands was small and inhabited by monkeys. When the boats got closer to the island, two monkeys jumped on and started eating goldfish out of my hand. They walked around the boat and everyone got some great pictures. After that they took us to a small island with a diving board and a restaurant for lunch. We got food, swam and explored for the next hour until it was time to go back.

Once we returned, we had some time to walk around, go shopping and pack up our stuff before it was time to go. The bus ride to San Juan del Sur from Granada was about two hours and most people slept or listened to music. We knew we were headed to the hotel that Jane owned, so were we all excited to see what it looked like. We got our rooms and unpacked, ready for the longest part of our journey.

Dinner was a homecooked meal prepared by Jane's chefs. It was a delicious chicken with rice, potatoes, salad and bread with multiple pies for desert. We had our dinner with the entrepreneurs and this was our first chance to meet and talk with them. Everyone talked for a few hours and we got to know the people we would be helping and working with. After they left everyone got ready for bed, excited for our first full day of work the next day.

Final Presentations in San Juan del Sur - March 20th

Friday was the final day of work, culminating in the presentations of our time with the entrepreneurs.  The day began with the classic Nicaraguan breakfast to recover from a long night.  Despite having little sleep, we were very excited to present our hard work.  We then all showered and dressed in our best clothes.  In our best clothes, each group presented to the rest of the students, faculty, entrepreneurs, and their families. 

Groups all followed a similar format: beginning by presenting background on the business and entrepreneur they were assigned to, a SWOT analysis, and then a presentation of the deliverables and recommendations.  Despite the similar presentations, groups were very creative in what they came up with to help the businesses.  From debt refinancing, brand creating, promotions increasing sales, and the introduction of accounting, every group came up with creative and very helpful deliverables.  I was amazed by the work of the groups.  I was especially surprised of all that was accomplished in such a short time.  I cannot imagine what we could have done in more time.

At the end of each presentation, the entrepreneur would join the group at the front of the audience to receive their certification of participation.  Entrepreneurs also took the opportunity to express their gratitude.  They told stories of their past, their present, and where they wanted their future to be.  This is when we all realized just how important our work the last couple days had been.  Each presentation got emotional at the end of each presentation.

Ivo Lopez, the entrepreneur behind Click!, was very impressed with our presentation.  At lunch he asked me to go visit his home quickly to meet his mother, as he wanted her to meet the people behind the deliverables for Click!.  She told me that she was amazed by our efforts and expressed her gratitude even further.  

Afterwards we all went back and rested before getting dressed up again to head to “El Timón,” the best restaurant in town.  We were treated to the most amazing meal of the trip, with many ordering incredible lobster dishes.  Over dinner everyone shared stories of the trip and expressed their excitement to go out together one last time.  We went out to a couple bars along the beach and danced to every song.   It was fantastic to see how close and comfortable everyone had gotten with each other.

March 13- Sam Byrnes

This was the first full day of the trip and I knew right away that this was going to be the most awesome trip. Jane hooked us all up because we got to go see an active volcano called Masaya not too far away from the hotel. Seeing it from a distance was awesome enough, but the long thin road to get there built up the anticipation to the highest level. From the guide we were handed, we were made aware that rocks could fly out at any time and that standing close to the volcano for more than five minutes could be hazardous to your lungs, which was even more awesome because Arielle was very concerned.

Once we got there it started out to be a let down, but after we got to higher ground we saw just how massive the volcano was. Originally there was so much smoke that all we could see was fog in that direction, but the new vantage point changed that. Apparently during the revolution, enemies would be dropped into the pit. They aren't coming out.

Next we walked out to the highest point possible to get a great look at the volcano Masaya and a crater that was once an active volcano. Here we took the coolest pictures and a group selfie thanks to Olu's long arms.

After the trek back down the steep hill, we went to dinner, which was cut short because of a rally by the people of Nicaragua. Thank god we had the most awesome driver because he took us through all of the backroads to get back to our hotel safely. Since it was not the best night to go out, the group hung out together by the pool and exchanged stories. This was great because this was the first time we all really bonded together, which set up some great experiences we had throughout the rest of the trip.

March 12th- The Arrival- Olumide Akinwande

 

 

The Arrival- Olumide Akinwande

 

 

March 12th marks the date of the start of a new journey in a foreign country. Having an early flight, I had an opportunity to be exposed to this new country before most of the students in this study abroad program. Immediately upon landing, I experienced several emotions as I touched ground in the capital of Nicaragua.

 

Excitement

Anxiety

Optimistic

Hopeful

Elated

Frantic

Inquisitive

Lost

 

In the midst of my emotions, culture-shock hit me like a ton of bricks. Everything was in Spanish.                                                                        EVERYTHING.

From the language being initially spoken to the signs on the walls of the airport, Spanish was the primary language used. Funny enough, this situation also added to my unstable emotional state. However as I proceeded to navigate through the airport, a person who offered assistance in English eased my tension and directed me towards my destination, Camino Real. In the cab, this scenario and my feelings caused by it continuously replayed in my mind. After further contemplation of my experience I gained vital insights that will last me for the rest of my life.

 

They are as follows:

1. Language is vital for inclusion
2. Humans are heavily dependent on language.
3. My dependence on language shapes my view of self and how I interact with the world around me.
4. My dependence on language influences my confidence in my interaction with the world around me.
5. I need to learn Spanish.... jk (laughing out loud)

This experience help place my feet in the shoes of an everyday foreigner who does not speak English in the United States. I am able to now see life from a different perspective and view the difficulties that are present with foreigners in a country that does not speak their only language. I expect the rest of my trip to provide even more paradigm shifting experiences that will not only help me become a global business person, but even a better person.  

 

to be continued....