Thank you, Margaret.  This is really great advice.

Thanks also to our other suppportive friends on this list!!

Best wishes to all,

Alison

Margaret McMorrow wrote:
> Andy,
> 
> I know you guys won't have a lot of time, but I would encourage you not
> to dismiss the contact.  If the university is able to send people to
> pick you up at the airport, this will simplify your lives considerably.
> You can ask them to drop you off at the hotel you have chosen
> afterwards.  Have a discussion with them, start to learn the culture and
> thank them profusely.  It's very tempting to be independent, but you'll
> gain an amazing advantage by having locals to help you navigate, even if
> just to recommend a good place for dinner.  Guidebooks are great, but
> local contacts are better.  Just my two cents.  
> 
> Also, if you haven't already, please respond to the Peace Corps contacts
> that I forwarded, even if just to establish an email contact and lay
> down plans for a June meeting.  Those people are really busy, and
> probably couldn't meet with you on this short notice anyway, but I don't
> want to burn any bridges there. 
> 
> Good luck in your trip!  Take lots of pictures for the group, and have a
> great time.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Margaret
> 
> 
> Margaret Ramalho McMorrow, P.E.
> Staff Associate
> ARD, Inc.
> [log in to unmask]
> 802/658-3890
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Engineers Without Borders [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Andy M. Touchette
> Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2007 5:46 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Nicaragua Contacts
> 
> Carlos,
>    Thank you for all the connections you have been building. It looks as
> of now we will not actually be spending very much time in Managua.  
> We dont get in until Wednesday afternoon and we are going to meet the
> med-students at noon on Thursday. So I dont know how much we will be
> able to do there. Shanta and I have a travel book and we have found a
> place to stay in downtown Managua for Wednesday night. Once the
> med-students come the next day we will be renting a car and have their
> host family to stay with. This might be a good contact to keep for the
> trip in June when they can have more time for other things, but it looks
> like we will be pretty busy for the short amount of time we have.
> 
> Andy

-- 
Alison Pechenick, Lecturer
Department of Computer Science
College of Engineering & Mathematical Sciences
351 Votey Hall
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05405
(802)656-2547
http://www.cems.uvm.edu/~apecheni