OMG isn’t it so beautiful? Said the teenage girl next to me on the plane. As I opened my eyes from a daze, I looked over the window and below us I saw a blanket of water with some patches of lush green forest and volcanoes. That was my first view of Nicaragua. Water, in form of big lakes and lagoons covering the country. As we landed, I had this great feeling of being in the right place with the right intention.

Managua has welcomed us greatly. Many warned me before my trip that Managua was unappealing and not like many capital cities. Although the latter maybe true and the poverty does reveal itself the minute you walk out of the airport (unlike other cities where it is somewhat hidden from the tourist on purpose) Managua, and Nicaragua overall, has an indescribable and welcoming charm that still, after some days of being here, bewilders me. People are very lax and endearing and the city has a town feeling that is very heart warming. After a weekend of acclimatizing, meeting wonderful people and having fun in the stunning Laguna de Apoyo with our lovely friends Natalie and Karla from MIIS, we (meaning just Manu and I, still waiting for Ricardito) started our very busy and fast-paced film journey.

From logistics to lunch meetings with people from civil society, the international cooperation community, filmmakers alike, and government, we are in the process of trying to decipher the puzzle of water access and management here in Nicaragua. The prospects are incredibly interesting and I am so happy that I am again in my home, America Latina.

Cristina Lopez