Somehow, I managed to finagle my schedule so that I only have classes at UNAN Tuesday through Thursday which gives me a four day weekend. While this has given me more time to travel, my main motivation for this schedule, it has also given me the chance to take ceramics classes in San Juan de Oriente, a small town about an hour from Managua. Getting there is always an adventure; the first time It took longer to get there than expected because at the bus stop I was told there were no direct buses (I think the bus driver just wanted me on his bus) so I had to take a bus to Masaya (another nearby town known for its artisan market), change there and then continue. When I eventually made it to Don Jose´s house it was rather late but luckily they were running on rural Nicaraguan time (even later than UNAN time). The second time, I caught the bus on the highway near my house and since it was the bus that that continues on to the Costa Rican border, there were no seats. Nothing like an hour of standing in incredible heat crowded up against a score or two other people and their entire luggage.

Turned out Don Jose had cold on my first visit so his son, Jonathon, taught me. We spent three hours centering and coning the clay, which basically constitutes the first step to throwing a piece. While this sounds incredibly boring, it was just what I was hoping for, patient, one-on-one tutoring so that I can really refine my skills and become a confident thrower. The artisans of San Juan de Oriente are incredible throwers in the sense that they make their livings throwing rows of identical vessels and painting them in pre-Colombian, geometric or free (animals and flowers) patterns. After my lesson, (which cost a whopping $5), Jonathon showed me around San Juan de Oriente and the neighboring town of Catarina. We ended up at the lookout at Catarina which gives a beautiful view over the Laguna de Apoya (reportedly the cleanest body of water in Nicaragua), Granada, the volcano Mombacho and Lake Nicaragua. After sitting, chatting and sketching for a bit, I had to catch the bus back to Managua.

The last two Mondays I’ve returned to San Juan de Oriente to continue lessons. Every class, my skills are growing and through my conversations with Jonathan I am getting a window into a Nicaragua that is very different than the hustle and bustle of Managua. Life seems slower, more relaxed out there. People make time to go fishing with their friends; food is grown or hunted and there isn’t even a clubbing or bar scene, just drinking with friends. While there is a certain smug satisfaction in the country lifestyle and peaceful nature, there seems to be a restlessness to get out and see what else there is, at least I get that sense from Jonathon. The (mis)perception of Managua as a gang warzone is also apparent here even as I become more and more comfortable in the capital. For me, it is also wonderful to just get out of the city and breathe country air for a few hours a week.