Peace and solitude. Leon is diverse in its offerings but these two states are hard to come by here. Between the 500 Watt sound systems, fireworks (see this video) and bellows of “Tortillaaaaa!” as a street seller walks past your house it can be hard to remember what life is like outside the pressure of the city. So to escape the heat and noise, last week I went with my parents to the ecolodge Finca Musica del Bosque. High above the city of Matagalpa we found cool temperatures, abundant wildlife and endless fields of coffee.
As I took photographs during our stay, emptiness and quiet stood out as the defining differences between my urban home and mountain rurality. Life was inherently connected to rhythm of the seasons and the daily cycles of nature. As a city dweller, being in this environment helps one to feel whole and provides time and space to reconnect with your spiritual side. But to be permanently based there would evoke different emotions. As a foreigner, isolation from friends and family of a similar background would be difficult and finding ones place could be a never ending process. This set of photos aims to explore romanticised notions of rural life but primarily I hope to convey the sense of solitude that comes with remoteness and connection with nature.
As always I would love to here your thoughts on this essay so please comment below. Thanks!
#Solitude #Rural #Nicaragua #Photography #Peace #Travel #Storytelling #Matagalpa