When I woke up this morning, it was hard to believe that today was our last day in San Juan del Sur and essentially the last day of the entire trip. I think all of us had become somewhat accustomed to our way of life here in Nicaragua and knowing that this journey was almost over was bittersweet. This morning we ate, yet again, another delicious breakfast made by Roxanna. We seem to talk quite a bit about food but only after eating Roxanna's cooking can you appreciate our countless praises.

After breakfast, some of us decided to venture up to Pelican's Eyes, a luxury resort from which you could see most of San Juan; the view was gorgeous and was well worth the arduous climb up hundreds of stairs (or so it seemed to me). The weather was beautiful and a couple hours later, we returned to Hotel Isabella  to pack up our suitcases to leave for Managua. Our visit to San Juan was at an end and we bid good bye to all of the wonderful hotel staff and Ian who was staying back in San Juan for another day. I think all of us enjoyed the small town feel of San Juan, the proximity of the beach and getting to know the entrepreneurs we worked with. It was no doubt a great experience.

Our huge bus rocked back and forth for about an hour before we arrived at the potter Juan Palino Martinez's home. We listened to Juan describe the process of making pots: from starting with the sand and clay to ending with the painting and engraved pot. We watched one of the potters expertly shape a pile of mud on the rapidly spinning wheel and turn it into a pot while Juan let us hold pots from all different stages of the cycle. Knowing all the complex tasks that go into making one pot (and the fact that it takes almost a day to make one on a regular schedule), compelled us to buy many of his goods which he had displayed in his home. They were beautiful and we appreciated the hard work he put in even more after watching and listening to him.

After cleaning out our wallets at Juan Palino's studio, we trudged back into our big bus and continued our drive to Managua. We stopped on the way at a McDonald's at the request of Jose who wanted to compare the menu choices to the ones in the United States. We also stopped at a local grocery store in Managua to purchase some last minute provisions to take home. The ride was long (and I took a nice nap) but we finally reached Camino Real where we enjoyed our last dinner in Nicaragua--it was delicious, of course. Edwin, one our favorite people, left tonight to go back to his home in San Juan so Adios's were said and we were all given a hug (I will be posting a picture of us with Edwin!).

Later on in the night, all of us sat around the pool and reflected on the trip. We had a great deal of constructive criticism for next year's class but one thing was clear--this trip was an amazing experience that we probably won't ever forget. Pat, Lily and Jane were great and they all made our trip that much more memorable. All nineteen of us felt like we had made a difference, though at first it may have seemed to us just a minor contribution. Our final day in San Juan and Nicaragua was filled with travel but it was a good day to catch up and reflect on all that we had done in the past two weeks.