Oops!

The bad news is that I got robbed. The good news is that its the first time in over 5 years of being a traveler! I was on the bus to Nicaragua with my friend Ahni and decided to take a nap....which is normal bus behavior. We decided that what must have happened is the lady behind me reached under my seat, pulled my bag back, took out my wallet, took the money and cards, and put the wallet back so I didn't notice for a few hours. It was an unfortunate incident but at least my camera, ipod, and passport were all left unharmed! So despite a bleak beginning to the trip, the rest was awesome.

I went to Spanish school for 3 days, 4 hours a day and can now sputter out a few more sentences. I have decided that Granada is the best city ever. It's beautiful with its colonial architecture, outdoor markets, churches, and a central 'people only' avenue full of restaurants, bars, hostels, and friendly Nicos. And it's cheap. I bought a 5o cent t-shirt and a 5$ bottle of rum, which was the expensive kind. Apart from a few torrential downpours do to a nearby tropical storm, the weather was sunny and HOT.

We went to Laguna de Apoyo, a beautiful crater lake heated by thermal vents in the volcano. We kayaked and spent the day sitting on noodles in the warm water. Another highlight was the market in the nearby artesian town of Masaya. You can buy everything from raw meat to cheesy t-shirts in one place. We saw a plethora of shoes being made right on the street. I almost bought a bracelet, and then asked the lady what it was made of and found out is was frog. It was real cute but I couldn't bring myself to wear a frog. So I stuck with buying a cotton hammock.

Now I am back in Ciudad Colon finding notaries and trying to get my fraudulently spent money back. I am off to the ranch in 3 days!.. with my new cowboy boots!!!