{"id":3480,"date":"2016-08-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-08-25T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gridalt.wpenginepowered.com\/the-current\/en-camino\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T12:03:55","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T16:03:55","slug":"en-camino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/live-grid-wp.pantheonsite.io\/es\/the-current\/en-camino\/","title":{"rendered":"En Camino"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a special guest blog post from Kelsey Schrock, Project Coordinator for GRID Alternatives’ International Program in Nicaragua. Here, she details a small taste of life in Nicaragua–a must read for anyone interested in traveling on one of our upcoming volunteer trips<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m certain that every important life lesson I\u2019ve learned in Nicaragua could be summed up by a ride on the chicken bus. I could tell countless stories, of horror, laughter, embarrassment and shock of my experiences on the bus. Until moving to Managua I had very little city street smarts. Growing up in rural Iowa and having lived in a small town my entire life, getting on a bus and being able to get anywhere was both liberating and terrifying. Especially in Managua; a disperse city with no downtown and no street names. Even after living here three years there are still moments where I come across a neighborhood I\u2019ve never seen before. Yet the great thing about Managua is that you can get to the nearest market or cross the city on less than a dime (literally). And even traveling by bus to the mountains or the beach every few weekends was still within my volunteer budget.<\/p>\n

Yet if you\u2019re planning to travel the land of lakes and volcanos by bus, be prepared to practice the precious virtue of patience. I had to laugh when I was in San Francisco visiting a friend this year and we decided to take public transportation one afternoon after doing some shopping. She promptly pulled out her smart phone and told me that our best option was a bus which would be passing in 10 minutes. So we casually finished paying at the cashier and crossed the street. She literally counted down the seconds until the bus appeared around the corner. So timely, so precise, so predictable. Exactly what U.S. culture thrives on, and exactly the opposite of what to expect in Latin America.<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s my advice for basic survival skills on the streets of a Latin American city, and ironically for life in general:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Time is fluid and unpredictable.<\/strong> It\u2019s impossible to know when you\u2019ll arrive at your destination. There may be traffic, you may find a friend along the way and change your route, you may get robbed, the bus could break down, there could be an earthquake. Literally anything could happen, so roll with it. You\u2019ll get to your destination eventually.<\/li>\n
  2. Expect to be uncomfortable.<\/strong> It\u2019s possible you may get a seat, but it\u2019s best to go in planning to be squished between sweaty strangers and building some tricep muscles on the ceiling rail. Even if you do get a seat don\u2019t forget what it feels like not to have one.<\/li>\n
  3. The rules you follow, aren\u2019t the rules everyone follows.<\/strong> Someone may think it\u2019s ok to throw litter out the window, or put reggaton music on the radio as loud as they want, bring live chickens in a bag, or ask you inappropriate questions, or get in your personal space. It\u2019s not worth getting angry. Observe and reflect on your own values and customs that you have been taught and why they are different. And don\u2019t forget to take care of yourself and your needs.<\/li>\n
  4. Only by getting lost will you find your way.<\/strong> Never get too confident that you know where you are going. When uncertain ask at least three people for directions and you might get closer to your destination. Even after living in the same place for years, you\u2019ll still stumble upon somewhere you\u2019ve never seen before. Take it all in. Maybe you can give someone else directions the next time they get lost there.<\/li>\n

    \"\"\n<\/ol>\n

    I\u2019ve come to appreciate moments spent in transit, even (and especially) when things don\u2019t go as planned. A few weeks ago the chicken bus broke down on my morning commute from Managua to Masaya. After waiting awhile, it was obvious that the bus wasn\u2019t going to be repaired anytime soon. So the passengers slowly and calmly began to get off the bus and wait for another bus to pass by. Of course we all have places to be. It was obvious I was going to be late to work. But I didn\u2019t hear one person complain or even hint that it was an inconvenience. Everyone just went on with their day. Buses break down. You don\u2019t always get to your destination on time. Asi es la vida.<\/p>\n

    Tonight on my way home from work I stared out the window at the glow of lava from the Masaya volcano reflecting on the clouds that had gathered for the hope of rain at dusk. (Yes, I pass an active volcano on my daily commute\u2026how cool is that) Sometimes my time spent on the bus is the best meditation time. Even in the chaos, I breath and soak in my surroundings.<\/p>\n

    There is a brief moment at the end of the day, between 5 and 6 in the evening, when it seems that even la tierra is taking a deep breath. The beams of the scorching sun sink and cast colors on the clouds not even a painter could imitate if they tried. On a clear day the sunset highlights the majestic silhouette of the Momotombo volcano seen from all over the pacific coast. The 90 degree weather drops a few degrees and a long-awaited breeze strokes your face. Soon the sticky humidity will return, but for a brief moment Managua is a bearable temperature; pleasant even. And all the negative thoughts and the stress slip away. It reminds me why I love this place, even in all its locuras.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Kelsey Schrock, Project Coordinator for GRID Alternatives’ International Program in Nicaragua details a small taste of life in Nicaragua–a must read for anyone interested in traveling on one of our upcoming volunteer trips.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":3481,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[78],"tags":[],"audience":[],"content-type":[12],"focus-area":[19],"region":[],"series":[],"content-author":[],"class_list":["post-3480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-equity-community","content-type-news","focus-area-international-impact-stories"],"acf":{"hero_media_type":"image","hero_media_image":null,"hero_media_url":"","hero_media_poster":null,"hero_video_play":"inline","related_stories":null,"pattern_override":null,"story_callouts":null,"media":null,"featured_blog_post":null,"featured_event":null,"pdf_download":null,"blockquote":null,"author":null,"notice":null,"social_embed":null,"contact_card":null,"meta_details":null,"faq":null,"table":null},"yoast_head":"\nEn Camino - 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