1. "Is that really our bus?"
I laughed when I first saw the bus pull up. It was small and showed no signs of a restroom. 8 hours on a bus, no bathroom and being forced to sit next to another person = an unhappy Emily. On the plus side we got drinks and snacks for the ride there...it didn't compensate for the sore back and uncomfortably, though.
2. Zip-ling for the second time.
When I found out I was going to be zip-lining again, I wasn't happy. For some reason, I didn't want to go. I have a control issue and zip-lining is not for the control freak, because you have little to no control on that thing. Even though I didn't want to, I decided to do it. While I'm over here I've been trying to do things despite not wanting to--I just tell myself that I should take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way.This time the instructors let us do different positions than just the standard one-person going forward. The first time I went backwards with the instructor and another girl, who decided to go upside down. The second line, I went superman style. It was a lot of fun and nerve wracking, but I'm so glad I did it. I liked it better this time because we were in an open area of trees surrounding a lake.
3. "Ok, I don't want to buy your hammock, now let me eat my cheesy platanos and drink my smoothie."
So my first night in Granada my friend and I walked around the town. We ended up at an outdoor restaurant ordering smoothies and cheesy platanos ( I don't ever know why I thought they would be good) . Anyways, this young man came up to us with hammocks for sale. Now, I've wanted a hammock since I've arrived in Costa Rica, so I was about to jump at the oppurtunity to buy a $10.00 hammock. I went up to the woman who owned the restaurant to get change to give to the guy, and she advised me not to buy it--so I didn't. My friend and I told him several times as we were eating our food we didn't want the hammock. He stood 5 feet away staring at us, at times he had evil in his eyes and at other times he had puppy-dog eyes. It was annoying. He didn't end up leaving until the woman yelled at him to go away.
4. Masaya Market.
I love markets with all my heart. Markets is one of the simple joys in life. They are so great because you can buy such unique things, that is guaranteed to come with a story. Also the most interesting people are in markets--I could people watch for hours in markets. At the Masaya market I ended up buying handmade jewelry, pottery and paintings. The Masaya is one of the popular Indian tribes in Nicaragua.
5. Masaya Volcano.
The volcano is still active and emits sulfur gases. We were only allowed 20 minutes, because if we would have stayed longer, the sulfur could have caused respiratory problems. On top of a hill overlooking the crater, was a tall wooden cross. It was put on the hill by the Masaya Indians because they believed the volcano contained the devil, and they wanted to the devil to leave.
6. Typical Nicaraugan Dish.
I'm pretty sure every meal I had in Nicaragua except for one was the typical Nicaragua dish. Gallo Pinto (rice and beans), salty cheese, beef and salad. I'm getting sick of the typical dishes, that are so popular and are every where. I enjoy variety in my food, not the same the same dish every meal.
7. Boat tour of the Isletas de Granada.
There are 365 Isletas (islands) of Granada and in the surrounding water are all types of fish and reptiles. We took a boat around the islands for about an hour or so and saw all types of birds, animals and trees. We stopped at one of the island named "Monkey Island" and three monkeys jumped onto our boat! One monkey named Lucy, walked and climbed all over our boat and sat on my lap! It was great. The boat tour was definitly one of my favorite memories from the trip.
8. Soy Nica.
While I was walking down the street with one of my friends there was a store named Soy Nica. With a name like Soy Nica and handbags for sale I had to go in. When I walked into the store it was so modern looking, much different than any other store I've been to since coming to Costa Rica. Inside were handmade leather bags, key chains and purses. I ended up treating myself to a new leather bag while I was there--it was too cute to resist. Not only was the store itself different the owners were as well. The owners were from the Netherlands and had one daughter. They decided a few years ago, after falling in love with Nicaragua from a vacation that they wanted to move to Nicaragua. Neither one knew anything about making handbags, but they learned how, and opened up the shop. In the back of the store is there workspace--where the workers make the bags.
9. Walking through the central square of Granada.
Every time I walked through the square I was greeted by music, a new person or temptation to buy something. The central square is the most happening place in Granada. There were groups of people scattered on benches and tables throughout the square, food stands and tables with handmade artwork. It's also where I encountered the most begging children. It's kind of like the Buckle, you can't walk through it without being approached by someone--in this case it was begging kids instead of store clerks. All the kids looked sad, hungry and dirty--I felt bad but really I didn't have money or food to give.
Masaya Indian playing music in the square.
10. Chocolate Museum.
I went to the Choco Museo with one of my friends and program director in Granada on one of our free nights from the trip. We looked around, learned about chocolate and the uses of it during Mayan and Aztec time and received free samples--it was great. Afterward my friend and I decided to stick around for awhile longer and participate in the chocolate workshop. We were able to go through the process of roasting the beans, cracking them open, grinding them and making our own chocolate bar. I ate chocolate, had fun, learned a lot and hung out with old married couples--do I know how to have fun on a Saturday night or what.
Masaya Lagoon. It's a water volcano now.
Granada Cathedral
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