Adios, Nica!

The trip is over. It's back to constant rain (good), hot tea every day (better), and studying Russian (best). Here is the last of Nicaragua...

Cooking class

Beans are not very popular in Ukraine. Why is this? Black beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, pinto beans- doesn't matter. No one is eating them.

In Nicaragua, it's no problem to eat them every day. Breakfast is (happily) always this:

A drive through Nicaragua

Bright morning sky in Managua.

The hotel with the secret ruins

Nicaragua is having their presidential elections tomorrow, and you can't buy a single drop of booze all weekend long. As of 6 PM yesterday, all alcohol sales were suspended.

I'm staying at my favorite place- the hotel across from the airport- and since everyone has been cut off, I've been walking around the hotel grounds instead. There's actually a group of Russians staying here too. (They planned ahead and bought drinks before sales ended.)


Here are three cool things about this hotel... and one secret.

8 things to keep an eye out for in Nicaragua

We've got a trip to Nicaragua planned. D was a little reluctant- "Where??"- but agreed after I promised him all the fresh fruit and ocean he could stand.

As we get closer to the trip, I've been telling him a little about the country. Here's the result of that-

8 Things to Keep an Eye Out For in Nicaragua

A cheap and easy snack! A famous poet! A dessert you'd better eat fast! A thing you need for air conditioning! A dinner with a face! A place to sit! Red-and-black painted anything! Painted buses!

One Nicaraguan sunset

My Spanish teacher had me memorize a poem by the Nicaraguan poet Ruben Dario-

Qué alegre y fresca la mañanita!       A morning so happy and fresh!
Me agarra el aire por la nariz:           I take in a deep breath
los perros ladran, un chico grita        Dogs bark, a boy yells
y una muchacha gorda y bonita,        And a pretty, plump girl,
junto a una piedra, muele maíz.         Grinds corn with a stone.

It's been 100 years since he wrote that poem and while there are no more plump girls grinding corn in the mornings (at least that I saw), there are still plenty of dogs barking.

Nicaragua homestay

A sweet family with babies, cats, and a guard dog- what else do you need? :)

Guard dog Negro, on duty.

Negro, off duty!

That's Luna next to him. She's not shy at all about asking for attention and lots of it.

If you can catch her awake, that is.

Snapshots of Nicaraguan Life

Welcome to the sole tropical edition of Snapshots : )

Les presento a Nicaragua- let me present to you Nicaragua- and a few of its six million inhabitants.  And its dozens of volcanoes. And green jungles. And oversized fruits. And friendly pets. And towering palms. And holiday parades. And... you'll see!

Most of these pictures are from San Juan del Sur, a once-sleepy fishing port that's now a party hotspot for surfers, language students, and backpackers. I swear I heard more German than either Spanish or English there!