Volcanoes, monkees and mango trees

For those of you that I didnt have a chance to fill in, I (along with a lot of other folks) got laid off from the library. So I bought a ticket to Nicaragua. I can only be here for a couple weeks because I already had teaching obligations (weak).

First, I can report that this thing about the "rainy season" seems to be quite accurate. But its not endless, usually just a few hours a day. I´ve been in Granada for four days now and reveling in all there is to do here.

The first day I took some sort of old army truck to the top of an inactive volcano. The craters (more than one) are all filled in with plant life now. The best part was really the rainforest experience. All sorts of funky plants. That hike was an all day deal.

The next day I kayaked around the tiny islands outside the city. Some are privately owned with houses. Others, people hangout and fish on. Many have mango (everywhere around here, people eat them like apples) and plum trees for the picking and one had monkees that would take food right from your hand! Too cute, but I was advised that monkess are not for hugging.

The third day I took a tour with an opera singer which was novel but exhausting. Then to another volcano, quite different from the first. This one is active and therefore considered, "adventure tourism". Checkout the plumes!

Next to a bat filled cave that really tested phobias I didn´t realize I had. Apparently the sonar thing means they will not fly into your head (if ever in this situation, repeat this to yourself over and over). On the way out, we saw this funky looking creature that we didnt recognize. Any guess?

We also stopped at market selling mostly touristy shlock but with some hilarous but sad knick'knacks.

Today I explored an old cemetery, a crumbling abandoned hostpital, and a cigar factory.   Interesting, but it was dripping gross hot.

Tomorrow I am off to a big island south of here. So far I have met a Canadian traveling for a few mos before starting a PHD in astrophysics, a woman doing her grad thesis on displaced Jewish communities around here (appar. Nic still has 30-50 Jews), a volunteer engineer building a variety of solar powered things for a village in Honduras, a couple nurses doing aid work, a guy traveling around the world convinced he doesn´t need guide books, and some other random folks.

This is a charming little town. Excited for whats next.
Hope you´re all well,
-Dan