Back to Diriamba

It is hard to believe that two and a half months have passed in site and I am already returning to visit my training town. Time passes incredibly fast though it feels as though I have not been doing much. The real work will begin in a few weeks when school begins, garden plans will be made, and teaching will occupy my days. But before I dig into the real work, I headed to Diriamba to see their “Fiestas Patronales”, the typical celebration for the town.

 

 

These fiestas are famous in all of Diriamba and even attract tourists from different parts of the world. I have mentioned the famous folkloric dances of Diriamba in which they parade through the streets with masks and music. This is precisely the festival we had been learning about for months in training. We arrived on Saturday to visit our old host families and I was shocked at how much had changed both inside and outside the house. When I left, little Claudio was four months old. Now the little “gordito” had his seven month birthday and has changed significantly. Not only this, but the house is newly painted, they renovated one of the bedrooms, and my old room is now occupied with a sewing machine and other belongings of my host mother. There are new businesses all around Diriamba, including restaurants, bars, and clothing shops. Countless times I have left Brainerd to return finding it exactly the same and now in two months it feels like a whole new Diriamba.

 

Sunday began the biggest two days of the festivities with what they call the “tope.” San Sebastian leaves from the basilica in Diriamba to process through the streets to a nearby town called Dolores where the saints from towns called Jinotepe and San Marcos also meet up. We squirmed into the packed church to await the dances that would accompany the saint through the streets. Then we placed ourselves in the door of the church to see dancers enter and leave. Finally, the saint was carried out on the shoulders of six men to the streets where the long walk would begin. We got ahead of the dancers to find a street party on the Pan American highway as people had set up cars and tents selling food and beer along the way. It was one giant tail-gating party to celebrate the saint!

 

We made our way in the hot sun to Dolores where we had to wait for San Sebastian to arrive. When the saints all united, the virgin from Dolores came out of the church and they all danced around. Describing the event cannot begin to express how it felt to be a part of so much celebration amidst people who have so much pride for their town and Nicaragua. It was a great experience in which to participate. The night ended with fireworks and a dance party in the street, though we did our own dancing on the side to avoid the crowds.

 

Monday was hailed as the “happiest” day of the parties, it is the day of San Sebastian. People swarmed the park as dancers began dancing in front of the church simultaneously. My host sister in Diriamba had a friend who was in the second story of the church and invited us to view the festivities from there. I finally got to see Diriamba from above, plus viewing the dances from that perspective was quite a sight. The firecrackers nearly gave us heart attacks because it sounded as though we were at war and were going off all weekend at least every five minutes. As the saint left the church again, my host sister’s friend began to climb the tower to put ribbons on the saint. It is a tradition that someone does every year, but we thought he had to be crazy to want to face the wind and rickety ladder. Luckily he came down safely and later that day dared to ride a bull. Some days I simply cannot forget the safety standards I grew up with no matter how long I spend in Nicaragua. That night ended with folkloric dances on a stage in the park, though we could not handle the cold for the entire show.

 

Now it is back to my sleepy little neighborhood where I know my neighbors and care for my garden on a daily basis. I get excited for vacations and seeing my friends, but I am also happy to know that I have a comfortable home to return to. After a few days away, I get excited to eat my “normal” food, sleep in my own bed, and of course laugh with my family and cuddle little Elizabeth. The night I returned I commented that I didn’t think I had laughed that hard the entire trip as I did in an hour of being home. In the end it is nice to be able to travel and see this beautiful country, but I feel like I am fully enjoying what the Peace Corps is all about, melting into this new community and maximizing my time here in this town.