Today was our first morning at the Hotel Con Corazon where we enjoyed a breakfast of fresh fruits, yogurt with granola, and homemade breads with several spreads. I think some of us missed the extravagant breakfast that we have had the past few days at Camino Real! Following breakfast we hopped into beds of pick up trucks and drove to the town of El Fortin where Carol Rea and the volunteers from the Puedo Leer library are setting up another library, Biblioteca Paraiso de Niño (Paradise of the kid) as well as hosting a book workshop for people in the community. First Carol presented a bin of craft supplies, books, a soccer ball, and more as a gift to the volunteers and members of this community. Then Ruth, another worker from Puedo Leer, read us all a children’s book and stressed the importance of reading aloud and how to specifically do this by emphasizing and changing the tone of your voice. We then had the opportunity to meet with some of the kids from El Fortin while helping to organize and do inventory for all of the books for their library. After organizing, some of our group played a game with the new soccer ball outside with the kids and one of the boys showed up of his talent of spinning a top on the group and then picking it up in his palm while still spinning. Working with the kids and volunteers of the library brought on a new aspect of all of the work we’ve been doing so far and it was interesting to get a hands on experience with it.  For lunch we ate at Kathy’s Waffle House, an American style restaurant in town. After lunch we had a few hours of free time to explore and relax on our own. This was a great opportunity to shop around the central park of Grenada and visit the church in town.

            For dinner John Fer, the foreign attaché for the Nicaraguan embassy, and his wife Victoria joined us at El Zaguan. This was one of the more upscale restaurants on our trip this far and the food was delicious. Following dinner we all returned to the hotel to hear more about John’s experiences, ask questions, and learn about his upcoming project in “voluntourism,” which will bring together Nicaraguans and Americans to compile data on current nonprofits in the country and those who want to help. His stories about the peace core and international work were inspiring to all of us. Each day always offers new and exciting experiences!