When I first came to Nicaragua, I knew practically nothing about their history or current situation both politically and economically. It has been so interesting for me to learn about Nicaraguans’ culture and history, which is why I think I loved today so much. Today, our class took a little road trip to a mountainous region where we met a man who, for lack of better words, was a hermit. He lived in a very, very small house deep in the mountain away from any sort of civilization.
Because he lives in seclusion, you might assume he hates people, but that is far from the truth. He actually loves people and greeted us with so much kindness and generosity. He recited a poem for us (which I unfortunately could not understand) while we signed our names on a sheet of paper he keeps. This man has been on TV and was known nationally as well as internationally. This humble, kind, man was actually an artist, and a very great one at that. The government protects the place he lives because he has carved his artwork into many rocks in the area, and each told a story.
Many are carved in the side of the mountain and contain Nicaragua’s history, including many different people and places. Seeing this was so humbling and I was pretty awe-struck. On one side of me I had a beautiful view of the valley and other mountains, and on the other side of me I had these amazing rock sculptures that were carved with the most modest tools known to man. It’s pretty powerful when you realize he can create so much meaning and such beautiful things with three tools that are smaller than most forks and knives.
