I think I might win the prize “PCV Who Moved The Most During Service”, not counting moving from the U.S. to Nicaragua or training town to site, I have moved all of my stuff 5 times in the last year.
Move 1 – 1st Host Family in Somoto to Fabretto Volunteer House *September 2008
Move 2 – Old Fabretto House to New Fabretto House *November 2008
Move 3 – New Fabretto House to Dr. Carlos and Doña Vera’s fancy house *February 2009
Move 4 – Fancy house to Matt & Jess’s (temporary move for 2 weeks) *July 2009
Move 5 – Matt & Jess’s to Karla & Family’s *July 2009
I pray to the real estate gods that I don’t have to move ever again in this town! Like I said, not only is it a pain in the arse to find a good place to live, but it’s even harder to find a good family to live with who isn’t only interested in $$$$. After finding out I had to move and then being a couch surfer at my site mates’ house, I dreaded starting the house search…yet again.
Somoto is a small city, which translates: a small housing market. In bigger cities like Leon, Granada and Esteli, one has more options and a bigger area to work with. I have about 5 blocks by 10 to work with…granted a Nica block is about 25 yards más o menos (more or less). Outside of the town center there are more houses, but one doesn’t want to live where the paved roads turn to dirt. I wanted to stay more in the center, which is about 4 blocks by 6 blocks, so I could be close to everything and be in the nicer part of town.
So how does one go about finding a place to live without Craigslist or the local newspaper? Well, you ask around. Usually it’s best to start with coworkers and people you know around town. For example I started out with coworkers, the ladies at the post office, Somoto friends, and even a couple random people on the street. If those sources prove to be unreliable it’s best to go to local pharmacies and inquire within. Why the pharmacies? Well, first of all there is a family owned pharmacy on every other block and they receive business from the neighborhood…aka they are a great source for renting information, and the occasional gossip.
My room is a good 9 by 8, not including the bathroom and armoire area. I have one window that some air passes through, the floor is made of tile (like most others) and my ceiling is open which means I can see all the electrical wires running around. So far it’s been great, especially the fact that my bathroom is directly attached and I have another little space where all my clothes can go without taking up space in my room.
The house is made up of the store in front, three bedrooms on the right side, kitchen, semi-living room where the TV is and then on the left side which is apart is my room and Karla’s room. The only sounds I hear are the ones outside my window and most of the time it’s pretty quiet. My students are more familiar with the house, so they tend to stop by more often to chat which is nice. In addition, we have a leña cooking unit, which is a clay stovetop fueled by wood out in the backyard. In many Nica households this stove is inside the house which leads to many respiratory problems and these types of stoves are one of the leading causes of deforestation in Nicaragua. Many young trees are prematurely cut down and none are replaced.
The family here consists of Karla, who is about 37 and her two children Mario (12) and Eddie (5). Karla’s husband passed away last year due to a sudden heart attack when he was working in El Salvador. The cook/housekeeper Clementina also sleeps here most of the time. Sometimes Karla’s brothers Mario (35) and Byron (27) sleep in one of the extra rooms when they have work in Somoto, but most of the time they live in one of the outside communities of Somoto. It’s very interesting to me how here in Nica even lower-middle class families have housekeepers and cooks, and even hire other people to come and do the laundry. Granted most of the hired help probably makes around $50 a month, but still that’s a pretty big cost for a family of lower income.
Since I am without a washing machine now, I have decided to pay the lady Karla hires to do laundry to wash mine as well. The other day I had 40 pieces of clothing (underwear are 3 = 1 piece) and paid under $4 for the soap, softener and the labor. It is great for me because I don’t have to spend hours washing clothes, a chore which I truly loathe even with a machine…I’d rather do dishes. And at the same time it’s a wage for Arlen a woman from Santa Isabel, a community of Somoto. My clothes actually came out cleaner and smelling better than if I would have washed them. I’ll probably have her do my laundry two times a month now. The greatest part of the whole situation is everybody wins!
As for location, I’m a block away from where I used to live and I’m still right in downtown Somoto. Even better, if I need anything from the store I don’t even have to go there because Karla’s shop is 10 steps away from my room…haha, I’m soooooo lazy.
We also have a boxer named Layka and a cat named Mitch. Two months ago the dog gave birth to 10 puppies, 5 survived and were all sold at about 1 month old. This was her 2nd pregnancy and last time she had only 3 puppies…poor girl tripled the amount of offspring this time. They don’t know which dog knocked her up so the puppies might turn out to be oddly proportioned like so many Nica dogs are. I hope they turn out to be really cute! The cat is not so nice at times and likes to attack feet, but it’s still too small to actually hurt anyone with its bite.
Move 1 – 1st Host Family in Somoto to Fabretto Volunteer House *September 2008
Move 2 – Old Fabretto House to New Fabretto House *November 2008
Move 3 – New Fabretto House to Dr. Carlos and Doña Vera’s fancy house *February 2009
Move 4 – Fancy house to Matt & Jess’s (temporary move for 2 weeks) *July 2009
Move 5 – Matt & Jess’s to Karla & Family’s *July 2009
I pray to the real estate gods that I don’t have to move ever again in this town! Like I said, not only is it a pain in the arse to find a good place to live, but it’s even harder to find a good family to live with who isn’t only interested in $$$$. After finding out I had to move and then being a couch surfer at my site mates’ house, I dreaded starting the house search…yet again.
Somoto is a small city, which translates: a small housing market. In bigger cities like Leon, Granada and Esteli, one has more options and a bigger area to work with. I have about 5 blocks by 10 to work with…granted a Nica block is about 25 yards más o menos (more or less). Outside of the town center there are more houses, but one doesn’t want to live where the paved roads turn to dirt. I wanted to stay more in the center, which is about 4 blocks by 6 blocks, so I could be close to everything and be in the nicer part of town.
So how does one go about finding a place to live without Craigslist or the local newspaper? Well, you ask around. Usually it’s best to start with coworkers and people you know around town. For example I started out with coworkers, the ladies at the post office, Somoto friends, and even a couple random people on the street. If those sources prove to be unreliable it’s best to go to local pharmacies and inquire within. Why the pharmacies? Well, first of all there is a family owned pharmacy on every other block and they receive business from the neighborhood…aka they are a great source for renting information, and the occasional gossip.
My room is a good 9 by 8, not including the bathroom and armoire area. I have one window that some air passes through, the floor is made of tile (like most others) and my ceiling is open which means I can see all the electrical wires running around. So far it’s been great, especially the fact that my bathroom is directly attached and I have another little space where all my clothes can go without taking up space in my room.
The house is made up of the store in front, three bedrooms on the right side, kitchen, semi-living room where the TV is and then on the left side which is apart is my room and Karla’s room. The only sounds I hear are the ones outside my window and most of the time it’s pretty quiet. My students are more familiar with the house, so they tend to stop by more often to chat which is nice. In addition, we have a leña cooking unit, which is a clay stovetop fueled by wood out in the backyard. In many Nica households this stove is inside the house which leads to many respiratory problems and these types of stoves are one of the leading causes of deforestation in Nicaragua. Many young trees are prematurely cut down and none are replaced.
The family here consists of Karla, who is about 37 and her two children Mario (12) and Eddie (5). Karla’s husband passed away last year due to a sudden heart attack when he was working in El Salvador. The cook/housekeeper Clementina also sleeps here most of the time. Sometimes Karla’s brothers Mario (35) and Byron (27) sleep in one of the extra rooms when they have work in Somoto, but most of the time they live in one of the outside communities of Somoto. It’s very interesting to me how here in Nica even lower-middle class families have housekeepers and cooks, and even hire other people to come and do the laundry. Granted most of the hired help probably makes around $50 a month, but still that’s a pretty big cost for a family of lower income.
Since I am without a washing machine now, I have decided to pay the lady Karla hires to do laundry to wash mine as well. The other day I had 40 pieces of clothing (underwear are 3 = 1 piece) and paid under $4 for the soap, softener and the labor. It is great for me because I don’t have to spend hours washing clothes, a chore which I truly loathe even with a machine…I’d rather do dishes. And at the same time it’s a wage for Arlen a woman from Santa Isabel, a community of Somoto. My clothes actually came out cleaner and smelling better than if I would have washed them. I’ll probably have her do my laundry two times a month now. The greatest part of the whole situation is everybody wins!
As for location, I’m a block away from where I used to live and I’m still right in downtown Somoto. Even better, if I need anything from the store I don’t even have to go there because Karla’s shop is 10 steps away from my room…haha, I’m soooooo lazy.
We also have a boxer named Layka and a cat named Mitch. Two months ago the dog gave birth to 10 puppies, 5 survived and were all sold at about 1 month old. This was her 2nd pregnancy and last time she had only 3 puppies…poor girl tripled the amount of offspring this time. They don’t know which dog knocked her up so the puppies might turn out to be oddly proportioned like so many Nica dogs are. I hope they turn out to be really cute! The cat is not so nice at times and likes to attack feet, but it’s still too small to actually hurt anyone with its bite.
Wiring across the ceiling, at least I have electricity though!
You can see my tin roof, luckily there are no spaces in between the walls and roof. This means alot less critters come in!
All my pictures on my wall! I love having everyone up there!
World Map that Tim sent me, I put where everyone is at right now with pink stickys! Can you see Allison all the way in Africa in Tanzania?
I put the postcards sent to me around the map, approximately in the area where they came from.
Lots of books and an empty wine bottle on the floor.
Desk, air conditioning (har har) and my beloved country's flag.
Where I sleep, sans mosquito net because it's not too bad where I live.
Peace Corps Map!
The two quotes I read everyday before I walk out the door. One is from Terri Kempton and the other from someone else who I can't remember at the moment...oops.
I've got everything necessary to sobrevivir (survive).
Bathroom on one side, closet on the other.
Yay for working showers! No hot water, but at least no bucket baths when there is water!
Having a closet is really nice and handy!
What Eddie, you don't want your picture taken?
Needless to say, that ended real quick... 
Putting his sunglasses on one of the puppies.
Posing with our dog Layka and her puppies.
You can kind of see the rest of the house...I'll get some better pix soon.
And now he's in the bucket.
In his swimming pool.
And annoying poor Mitch.
Arlen taking a break from housework.
Eddie with Karla, reading one of the books from the Cusmapa house I brought with me.
Mario and I, he's at that "I'm too cool" teenager stage.
Karla and I 
