Round and round first week back in Granada

After a sad goodbye to the kids from Los Quinchos, the team headed to
Managua to extend their visas at the department of immigration.  As
with all things in Nicaragua, the system was a bit crazy. We got told
off for not being in the correct line, even though there was no line,
we could buy donuts, ice cream and pizza inside the building while
waiting and we got to experience Nicaraguan ingenuity when we had to
get our paperwork photocopied on the street- on a photocopier on
wheels.

Luckily we had Diego from the Escuela to help us with the confusing process!
Our tour has come full circle as many of the team started their time
in Nicaragua at the festival El Berrinche Ambiental at the “Casa de las
Botelitas”

Our first big group meal at the casa was middle eastern themed, with
delicious hummus, home made falafel and pita bread!

We shared the week with visiting circus artists from el Collectivo el
Nido de las Artes, Los Quinchos, la Escuela de la Commedia y el Mimo
de Granada  and a silks artist called Sarah from the USA.

This week was “Semana Santa” in Nicaragua (Easter week) so the local
kids from the barrio didn’t have school and came to circus workshops
every morning at the casa. We taught them diabolo, acrobatics, magic,
poi,hoops and juggling with the visiting artists.
We also made juggling balls with the local kids to take home.

It was nice later in the week to walk down the street and have the
kids yell out our names and say hi to us.

Part of this week was to make combined shows to fundraise for the
school. We did 3 shows in Granada outside la Casa de los Tres Mundos
and 1 show at the casa where we are staying.

Trying to organize the 7 members of PWB is hard at the best of times,
so trying to coordinate 15 artists to make new acts was crazy but fun!
Our 2 largest group acts were club passing and acrobatics. Bea and
Oihana were stoked to be able to fly in giant pyramids.
Thanks to Rafa and Cesar for being the big bosses and organizing the
choreography for the acts.

We improvised a few combined acts, including Paddy, Cesar, Levi and
Cesar doing hats and Enrique joining Karen, Poppy and Bea in the hula
routine.

The youngest performer of the group was 13 and really focused. When
the guys from Los Quinchos (Axel, Miguel, Elliot y Lazaro) joined us
for 2 days they jumped into the ever expanding acro act.

On Friday the whole team crammed into the school bus (30 people!) And
went to the beach in Popoyo for the day before a show at ‘Rancho
Relaxo’ in the afternoon.
Seeing a giant group of jugglers in swimmers (bathers), a couple of
eskies (coolbox), and some beach soccer was pretty rad. And we all got
sunburnt.

Saturday night we held a birthday party for Karen with pinatas, a
specially-made playlist (thanks Paddy!), swing dancing class and a
unique Nicaraguan celebration entitled ‘make Karen into a cake’ it
involved cracking eggs onto her head and then throwing flour and drink
at her. At least her hair is nicely conditioned now!

(Karen says) Thanks to all the team for making my birthday so special
and having extra new friends to celebrate with me!

We are nearly at the end of tour and tears are starting to well up, we
are excited to have a few more shows and days together, but we’re
really going to miss everyone we’ve had the pleasure of meeting here.
We’ve only got one lot of donations left and then we can pack up the
empty bag to bring back for next years tour.

Dame los cinco perrita! Muchas gracias a todos!

Karen, Bea and Oihana

Nicaragua 2015