A land far, far away...

I arrived in Managua last night and the view of the city, flying in, was spectacular. There are huge swirly trees made of lights all over the city. When I landed and met "grandpa" he told me the trees were put there by their president, for his wife. Each tree costs $20 000 and the energy it takes to power all the trees is 2 million dollars a year. He told me the people hate the trees and that the goverment is corrupt.

We arrived at the Hostel and I was greeted by a woman that I realize is Grandpa's wife; they are all so kind. My room is basic but very clean with a giant fan. I sat outside for a little while chatting with a man from Belgium and the breeze was lovely. The bed was comfy and the fan was nice too but I still tossed and turned quite a bit. It is my first night of the trip after all! I woke up early this morning and could hear a rooster crowing in the distance. The view out my bathroom window is breathtaking...despite the rusting tin rooves. 

I showered under a trickle of water from the shower head and headed down for breakfast. They served me some delicious, juicy watermelon before a huge plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes and onions, rice and beans (a traditional NIcuraguan dish), a giant piece of avocado smothered in salt, and a tortilla. It was so delicious and I am so full!

I  got some directions for the closest ATM, where I headed after my adventures, re-packing my bag. I was a little nervous about heading out alone but once outside the walls of the hostel, it was great! The roads are cobblestones, with uneven sidewalks full of cracks. There are homes, shops, restaurants, and repair shops all sharing space on the street. A busy intersection loomed without crosswalks, and I wondered how I was ever going to get across. I watched as a woman crossed with a child by zooming between cars. A slowing car waved me on and I started to cross when I realized the light had turned green! I waited on the median in the middle until there was a big enough space between cars for me to cross. I noticed then that there were horses hitched up to wagons waiting just off the road. They are tiny and very thin, which makes me sad.

I was smiling as I walked towads the market where there is an ATM as I realized I may have just been bitten really hard by the travel bug. This city reminds me of India, Cambodia, as well as many other poorer countries I've been to. The market is a mix of stalls selling snacks, drinks, hammocks, furniture, and other wears. There are shoe repair shops, fresh fruit, and men selling water in small bags, yes bags. The stalls are attached by tin rooves that look haphazardly attached together. Everyone is smiling and friendly. Trees shade the different areas and there are some areas with sidewalks to walk on and some with dirt paths. Unfortunately, my experience with the ATM was not quite so enjoyable. I didn't understand anything it was saying and there were no options to translate to english. I can't even figure out what it's asking based on any common words as I'm pretty sure that it's not saying what I think it is. I try my debit and my visa before giving up and heading back to the hostel. I will have to try a different machine later. As I walk back to the bright blue building where I've stayed, I see several horse drawn carts filled with people. One has a picture of a bus on the side so I wonder if that's what it is....a horse drawn bus! The air smells strongly of smoke and I can see as I look around that the country is poor. I think I'm going to enjoy this place a lot!

Here's where I'm sitting writing this now:

I will be meeting Jan in a few hours at the bus station and I hope I will find something to occupy myself until then.