Yay! We are in Nicaragua!!



Main lobby of airport in Managua

 Nanette

Halleluiah!....We have made it!!

All flight connections were good and we arrived in Nicaragua just after 1:00 in the morning. Ate nothing but snacks all day and am feeling bloated and tired.   As we didn't feel it was worthwhile to spend money on  a hostel for only a few hours sleep, the plan was to hang out at the airport for a few hours before grabbing a cab for the bus station.  There were several others from our flight with the same kind of plan so we passed a pleasant night talking and learning about some amazing people.

Two tired, yet still intrepid travelers



Zaida

 Zaida was born and brought up in Nicaragua but has been living in Miami for the past 32 years.  She has begun coming back to visit family and is becoming known as Santa Claus to them.  She comes every year for her birthday but gifts for her are forbidden... instead, she hosts a party and provides food and entertainmet as well as gifts to all the children (24) in her family.  Those bags at her feet are full of stuff for her to give away.

Another lady was on her way to a village where she has been encouraging and supporting art instruction in the school.  She and her husband go there every year bringing art suppies, books for the school, and sports equipment for the kids. 

And then there were the Canadians... A group of 7 young people from Ontario out for a couple of weeks of fun in the sun.  This group had a rented bus coming to take them to San Juan del Sur where they will enjoy the beaches and bars.  We were invited along with a promise to drop us off in Rivas so we could catch the ferry to Isla Ometepe  We accepted this invitation gladly and climbed in at 4:30am. It was an interesting drive through the pre-dawn darkness. We talked with each other about our travels and I was impressed with how well traveled they are.  Makes me want to just get out there on the road and see so much more of the world.  What a fun group!  Hated to leave them, but we got out at a gas station in Rivas just as it started to get light out. 

Took us a while, but we managed to get a taxi to take us and our very heavy, awkward luggage to the ferry landing.  Got ourselves installed on the top deck of the ferry and enjoyed the hour long cruise over to the island.



Cannot see the volcano for the clouds... hope it is not erupting!

 Are staying at The Landing Hotel...$5.00 a night in a dorm.  We have one dorm mate, Christopher, who is from California and has been traveling for months.