Day 4, Part 2
Gringobus!
On our way to SJDS, we stopped in Granada for a delish lunch and jaunt around the town. I lived life on the edge and tried two Nicaraguan specialities for lunch. I had the coyolito, a drink that is certainly ?muy sabroso.? It is made from a berry of (I think) a cactus fruit, and is a bit spicy and almost gingery, but is still sweet and refreshing. Two thumbs way up! I also tried the guapote, a fresh water fish that lives in Lake Nicaragua/Cocibolca. It too was muy sabroso, especially accompanied by the live folk music performance with which we were serenaded. For desert, we had a dance performance by Erikka and Edwin, Nicaragua?s Lord of the Dance.
Nica Lord of the Dance
The Chef, forgetting to grill my lunch
We had a bit of time to wander around the town before heading back out. Granada is beautiful architecturally, and was clearly a popular tourist destination.
Granada Cathedral
Granada is known for its beautiful doors. Color me jealous! I want doors to my house that look like this!
Excitingly, as we sat in the shade of the cathedral listening to the music from the service after our frantic shopping endeavors, the Bibliobus, a German-Nicaraguan library endeavor (serving primarily prisons) that apparently predates Jane?s SJDS Biblioteca Movil project, pulled up down the road! We took off on a hunt for the founder, who turned out to be a spry 80 something year old German woman, who was as perky and adorably motivational as you can imagine! Since she spoke no English, and we spoke no German, I think that her Bibliobus project serves prison communities…but I could be totally wrong!
Bibliobus
Our goose hunt took us to the local art school, where a few of us wound up getting some beautiful paintings by a student. I purchased one called “Sirena,” or “Mermaid.” Also nearby? A donut shop. Erikka gamely tried the Boston Cr?me and gave it a big thumbs up.
What could that be?
Erikka traveled to Nicaragua from Boston JUST for this Boston Creme!
We piled back into our van, now driven by Miguel, since Richard was unavailable. Miguel is just as lovely and has beautiful eyes (I said it! You all thought it!). We did a quick drive down to the shore of the lake, but ultimately decided that we?d rather head straight to SJDS rather than take a boat trip at twilight (Edward Cullen was unavailable). Allegedly, there are fresh water sharks in the lake, but they are close to extinct. I was okay with not using myself as bait to test the theory.
We arrived in SJDS at our home away from home, Hotel Villa Isabella shortly after dark, checked in, got a little dolled up, and headed up to the Pelican Eyes resort for a traditional Nicaraguan happy hour night cap, featuring Flor de Cana, juices of sorts, and a florescent green cherry. MMmmacaus!
Mmmmmacaus!