Day 5 - Granada

Today has been quite an interesting day. Last day of class this week meant an exam which I was not expecting. I performed well and am happy that my Spanish is coming along as it is. In the afternoon, I was headed to Catalina with my professor, Carla to see the best view of the city. We went to the bus station which was by NO MEANS what I had pictured...picture a parking lot behind a wire fence where about 50 people are hanging out and listening to latin techno. The buses are converted school buses from the 1990's that have been painted festivly.

We board the bus without paying and while we wait, there is a parade of vendors selling everything under the sun. You name it...from gum and candy to socks and earrings. They were also selling fresh fruit juices in plastic bags with straws and freshly baked donuts. So random. Anyway, the funniest was when the bus was full to capacity and we were not able to leave until the entire isle was a lineup of people as well. Not sure if this was due to our rush hour departure, but it was jammed. As we departed the terminal, the bus continued to stop every 100 feet or so to both let people off and allow more people on! This was definitely not the express.

We finally arrived at Catalina and it was definitely a sight to be seen! There was a gorgeous view of a lagoon with the city of Granada in the back and the volcano Mumbacho to the right. After a little while of walking around and taking random photos of roosters wandering the streets, we headed back to the main road to catch the bus back to Granada. Turns out, we missed the last bus and got in a cab. (Note: the cabs here are similar to the sherut in Israel where they are shared with different destinations)

The cab took us to the neighboring city of Masaya where we were able to catch a "microbus" back to Granada which was similar to the cramped quarters of the regular "chicken bus" but in a minivan. Of course, we were picked up on the side of the street and were the last ones onboard. The man who collected money stood in front of the sliding door as we squeezed on. The driver continued on pretty quickly. The only problem was that everytime the door opened, my skirt flew up! After a few stops, I was given a seat until we arrived back in Granada.

Upon arrival, I went back to my host family for dinner before going out with my new friends. I met up with them a block away from the house and we headed to Calle de Calzada where restaurants and bars spill into the street, especially at night. We had a drink at a cafe called Flor de Lise where the manager literally found a table in the basement and set it up for us on the sidewalk because there were no more seats. After a bit of time here, we headed to Cafe Nuit where there was live music and a beautiful garden. All in all, a great day/night.