Big volcano

We got up early and climbed a volcano--we could have
taken transport to the top but instead slogged up and up into the
cloud forest(cool and refreshing) except I had to keep stopping to lay
down and catch my breath. It was steeper than subway stairs. Lot of
butterflies and we walked through a coffee plantation on the way up
(the only reason I made it to the top was free coffee with cane sugar)
it was completely awesome and worth it as shown by the view. Came back
to Granada by typical Nicaraguan bus service which is old US school
buses converted that you have to run to catch--I love them and think
this would be great for the mta to learn from.

First day in Nicaragua is mostly about the fruit

We flew in much later than planned last night to Managua, due to
various passport mishaps(someone forgot that his passport expired!)and
our pilot in Houston got stuck in traffic from a flood on the
interstate--I didn't realize they have flooding problems in texas.


While panicking on the plane about where to stay, we were very excited
to meet a lovely woman from the Rainforest Alliance who gave us a ride
2 hours to Granada in her car! Stayed in a fairly hideous and
reasonably unfriendly hostel for the first night and promptly moved on
in the morning.

Granada has beautiful architecture, all photos are on my
camera...bright colors, a crazy mercado and a ton of bicycles and
stray dogs.

We are eating all kinds of fantastic fresh fruit, the mango smell like
perfume and we ate a fruit that looks like a potato and tastes like
caramel.

I have my feet in a pool while writing as it's still in the 90's at
night.