Days 21-25 - Managua

This past week was a very interesting experience being in the capital city of Managua. The city itself is very spread out and comprised of over 200 barrios (neighborhoods). My Spanish lessons were 4 hours each day comprised of 2 hours grammar and 2 hours conversation. My grammar professor was not very good, but my conversation professor was fantastic. There were 8 other students there this week which was nice to have some camaraderie. One couple had retired to Costa Rica from California and several others were from Belgium, Switzerland and Holland. In the afternoons, I went home to the family for lunch and met back up around 1 for our activity. In the evenings, I played volleyball in the street with the younger girls and their neighbors. Their neighborhood was pretty nice and very safe; however, I was told that many of the boundaries between barrios are blurred and even crossing the wrong street could be dangerous. Aside from the volleyball, I pretty much took it easy this week and spent time in the house at night.

Monday, we went to Mercado Roberto Huembes which is also one of the main bus terminals in Managua. Pretty crazy there...they have everything from artistic goods, barber shops, shoemakers and clothing stores to the traditional fruits, vegetables and meat sections. We also rode on one of the city buses which was a pretty crazy experience. Each of the bus drivers takes so much pride in their bus and decorates it to show their personality. Some of them have tinted windows and blast regueton while others are a shrine to Jesus...pretty outrageous.

Tuesday, we visited the Malecon (boardwalk on the lake) and went to El Mirador (lookout point) where they house the Sandino Museum. It was interesting to see how Managua is attempting to draw in more tourism and also to learn more about the history of the country. At El Mirador, our guide from the school showed us a canopy tour where at night apparently the mob takes their victims to be tortured (Laguna de Tiscapa). It was cool to see and also to get a better understanding of how the city is organized.

Wednesday, we attempted to visit an Archaeological museum on the edge of town, but even though the school called in the morning, it was closed when we arrived. Upon waiting for the bus to take us back toward the heart of the city, a few teenage boys came around as well. When the bus came, one of them grabbed my purse and tried to take it and run off. I was extremely quick and slammed my arm down to my side and was able to hold on to all of my things. Apparently, Managua is notorious for muggings and December is the high time, so no one was really surprised that one of us had an experience of that nature. Luckily, the bus driver noticed what was going on and did not allow him on the bus. I am happy that this happened because although a bit nerveracking, better to have a humbling experience while with a Nicaraguan. A bit of time later in the afternoon, we visited El Palacio Nacional which is the former residence of the President and currently the National Museum. We had a great guide who explained all of the flora and fauna in Nicaragua as well as the cultural diversity in the country due to its position in the middle of Central America. On the second floor, we were able to stop in at a performance where teenage girls and guys were doing traditional Nicaraguan dances. Imagine Caribbean rhythms mixed with Latin music...it was great.

Thursday, there was a hike organized at Chocoyero Reservacion. We had a local guide who showed us all of the different species of wildlife around including monarch butterflies, white faced monkeys and a variety of tropical birds. It was really beautiful there and also nice to get out of the heat of Managua.

Friday straight after classes, I'd arranged to have a taxi take me to the bus station as I planned to head back to San Juan del Sur to see some friends. I had lunch with the family and bid them goodbye before getting on the bus at 1:30. I arrived to San Juan del Sur around 5 and had arranged to stay back at the Spanish school where I'd been the week before as one of my friends was still there. I had never been so happy to see the beach. Being in Managua was a great experience, but not a place I would love to spend a lot of time.