R.I.G. Rest in Granada

Today Christian took us to the cemetary which is suposed to be the most beautiful in Central America. I don't doubt it; it was incredible to see so many ornate monuments and statues honoring one's life and death. It is so different from the cemetaries in the U.S. For one, as opposed to having individual plots, it is separated into families. The graves build up wards like buildings, not outwards like the spacious ones in the US. At the entrance sits a woman selling flowers and shielding herself from the sun. Today was cooler than yesterday by seven degrees, still stiffling at 90. Although it may be as hot as hell, its beauty makes it a peaceful resting palce.

mi familia

I just have to take some time to rave about my host family. My host mother, Marta, is a fabulous cook! Last night she made us Nacatamal, a typial Nicaraguan dish. It is similar to a Mexican tamale but is wraped in a banana leaf and stuffed with pork, rice and vegetables; very tasty! My host father, Roberto, scolds us for trying to clean our own room and enjoys giving out marriage advice. The oldest sister took us shoping yesterday at the market; she made me buy some shorts because my, "legs are too white." When she asked me this morning why I was putting on sunblock I replied that it was because I didn't want to get skin cancer, at which she was very surprised to learn that one could get cancer from the sun. Our host brother Christian has been a wonderful guide and taken us all over the city. The next brother is Lesli who is 17 and attends university; I was happy to discover that he likes to play cards, but a little dismayed when he beat me at E.R.S. The youngest sibling is Roberto Carlos who is 7 years old; we've been enjoying drawing all over floor with chalk and reading stories. Finally, there is my host sister's baby who is 1 and a half. He gets really excited when ever there is music on TV and loves to dance. I feel so lucky to have ended up in with them!!! Here are some pictures, in order of appearence: Christian, Jenn my travel buddy and Marta, Roberto Carlos and Lesli. I'll have to post pictures of the rest of the family next time.

Mombacho, Mombacho, Mombacho

Mombacho is the name of the volcano that presides over Granada. At one time it was inhabited by pumas which have since been hunted to near extention. Mombacho does host a variety of other endemic species, none of which were bold enough to grace my camera though. However, I did get to see some amazing plants; trees so intertwined they looked like a nervous system and the smell of sulfer and heat took me by surprise as i leaned over an open volcanic vent.

Last night I got to ride a scooter and for all the bugs in my teeth, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face!!! I gotta get me one of those. This weekend we are planning on spending time with our host family and going to a baseball game; it should be cool. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Warning: No More English Spell Check

I'm a terrible person for not writing sooner but I've been so busy! First I should warn you that i no longer have english spell check, so my creative spelling will come as no surprise to many of you. With that said, I'll try to give a brief description of my travels thus far (although we've done so many fabulous things that it seems a chore to write it all; therefore I'll do it in list form):
- Arrived in Managua Friday night. By six pm it was already dark and as we were landing the weather was described as "smokey" due to the fact that many people burn their trash (Dad, i don't recommend you go there, it's an enviormentalist's nightmare).
- Was met by my friend Dawn at the airport, for which I was very grateful. It turns out you have to haggle with the taxi drivers here (a skill I have yet to master).
- We spent the weekend in Managua melting and visiting with Dawn's numerous friends; all wonderful people.
- Visited the dump and saw the people who live there including the children who make a living separating the garbage.
- Ate at pizza hut- talk about being confused!
- Tried to get used to the idea the 100 cordobas = about $5.50
- Tried to get used to the idea of throwing toilet paper in the garbage and not in the toilet.
- Cold showers (they feel great in this heat).
- The electricity going off at night.
- Went to a prison where during the sandista revolution 400 people were inprisoned and killed. Some of the cells were so dark that when the prisoners were released they were completely blind.
- Swam in a beautiful crater lake.
- Took a cramped, crazy bus ride to Granada
- Spent the night in a beautiful hostel
- Went to Spanish class at the language school Casa Xalteva.
- Went on a tour of the isletas, saw a few monkies.
- Met our host family THEY ARE FABULOUS!!!
- Tried fried cheese for the first time.
- Fell in love with daily fesh made juice. There are some great fruits here that I've never seen before.
- Explored Granada and took some awesome pictures that I'll post as soon as i can.

I can't believe I've been here less than a week; it seems impossible. My friend Jenn and I are having so much fun here that we are planning to stay in Granada another week before heading to Santo Tomas where we will meet up again with Dawn and see what the sister city organization (with olympia) has been up to. I have already gotten job offers to teach English which puts my mind at ease. So far i've only gotten a slight sun burn! Well, I'm just about spent. I'll try to write more often so I can give you more exciting, detailed accounts.
Hasta luego!

Be a Devout Boy Scout- A Guide to Passport Success

Go look in your underwear drawer, between your mattress, in that safety deposit box or where ever you keep your passport and check the expiration date. If it expires anytime within the next year (or you don’t have one) my advice is to renew it now!! Why this excessive measure you ask? Here’s my story.
It all started about 8 weeks ago when I took a look at my passport and realized it expired in 2009. Now I know that’s a ways off but I really have no clue how long I’ll be abroad and when I’d have a good chunk of time again to renew my passport, so I decided to be on the safe side and get it over with. Little did I know that I would come dangerously close to postponing my trip. As it turns out this is probably one of the worst times in history to apply for a passport. Due to the new regulations that you now need a passport to go to Canada and Mexico, along with the commencement of travel season, the Dept. of State is receiving twice the amount of applicants as usual. So by the beginning of April when I still hadn’t heard anything, and I began to get a little anxious. I followed all the proper steps: I called the agency (after about 10 tries I finally got through only to wait 20 min. before reaching anyone), I sent an e-mail, and called my congressmen’s office, but the response was always the same, “It’s currently being processed but I’ll put a note on there to rush it.” Well call me a cynic, but by Monday the 16th when I still hadn’t heard anything I decided to take matters into my own hands. As a last resort I headed to the passport agency in Seattle; I’d heard tales of people going to this magical land and getting their passport the next day. Armed with my birth certificate, flight itinerary, ID and everything else I could possibly need, I entered the building that would be my home for the next 8 hours.
To make a long story short, they said they could not locate my passport in the system but I could reapply if I liked, it would be $97 and could I return at 2:30? Seeing no other alternative I conceded. As it neared 5:00 and the cleaning crew entered my name was finally called from behind the bullet proof window. I never knew a few pieces of paper could be so beautiful! As I oood and ahhhd at the pretty colors, I left Seattle (during rush hour) about $130 lighter (after parking) but one passport heavier. Alas, was it really worth the peace of mind?
Just this morning came a knock at the door as the mail carrier handed me a flat package from the Dept. of State containing, low and behold, my passport! Call me “Ye of little faith” but I sincerely doubted my pleas were being heard. So the moral of the story is 1) Apply now if you will be needing a passport anytime in the near future (i.e. if you’re planning on visiting me), 2) I know it seems counterintuitive but have faith in the system; remember that the “squeaky wheel” does get the grease if it squeaks loud enough, and 3) as the boy scouts say, “be prepared,” it just might take a trip to Seattle to assure that matters are taken care of. On the bright side, I guess I now have a back up passport- Nicaragua here I come!

Count Down

Two more days until I head to Nicaragua! Welcome to my blog. This is where I'll be weaving my travel tales. I invite you check in from time to time and see what I'm up to. Please share this address with anyone you think might be interested and I look forward to your comments. Wish me luck!