Reflections: San Juan del Sur 2013

On Christmas Day 2013, our family made the trek south to San Juan del Sur for some much needed relaxation. I had just completed a full year of studies including both summer terms while working full time. My family vaguely remembered who I was! We decided to take a mini vacation at Playa Marsella Beachfront Hotel for 5 nights. We settled in for 5 days of nothingness. Beach, pool, naps, and reading consumed our days.

One of the days, we ventured to SJDS town to explore the town and some select real estate. Walking into a RE/Max agency, we inquired about a particular property of interest. And, yes, it was still on the market.

In my spring semester world geography course, I chose to do a missions project for my final assignment. The goal of the assignment was to choose a particular area of the world and apply the 5 themes of geography. I took it a step further and researched San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. Why Nicaragua? Ten years ago in the highlight of my travel agent experience, Jeremy saw a documentary about Nicaragua. Then, over and over again through various outlets, Nicaragua kept reappearing in our lives. So, I dug in, and developed a geography assignment like no other.

When my grandmother died in 2010, I decided to someday open a Christian school in her honor. I didn't know where, when, or how, but I knew it was what I was supposed to do...someday. Hence, the theme for my project. I researched the country of Nicaragua and its economy, government, education system, real estate, climate, and culture. Now, we were there, in reality, looking at the possibility of a Christian school on the square in a quaint red building in San Juan del Sur, NI. However, we all knew in our hearts that this was a future possibility, not for here and now.

So we relaxed for a few more days before our trek to Granada.

Reflections: Arrival 2013

8:34 p.m. December 24, 2013. The Managua airport welcomed the Kane family after a lengthy day of travel from Salt Lake City, UT. Gathering our luggage while adjusting to a 90 degree temperature difference, signs exclaiming, "Bienvenidos!" captured our attention. Sure, we have traveled to many countries over the years with similar customs and immigration experiences, but never with the intentions that we had for this trip.

After clearing immigration, we met our driver to take us to the Art Hotel in Managua for the night. Along the way, we experienced the sights and sounds of Christmas Eve in Nicaragua. It was anything but a silent night. Late into the evening when North American families were tucking their children into bed, Nicaraguans were lining the streets gearing up for a celebration.

When we arrived, the hotel attendant showed us to our room. Exhausted, we were ready to turn in. She gently explained that we should just stay awake, because at midnight we would be be awaken anyway. So, we decided to stay up to see what the hype was all about.
At 5 minutes till midnight, the popping and crackling of the fireworks began to increase. At midnight, the Kane family was immersed into a deep fryer of fireworks. The smell of sulphur and the remnants of paper filled the warm, humid air for nearly an hour. Our first Nica Christmas was louder and brighter than any Independence Day celebration we could imagine in the U.S. Once the commotion subsided, we settled in for a long, not-so-winter nap. For tomorrow, we would travel south to San Juan del Sur.