Day 6

Today was our excursion day and we were all so excited to finally enjoy some of the Nicaraguan culture.  We started off the day with scrambled eggs, pancakes, and a Nicaraguan oatmeal which was delicious; and don’t forget the rice and beans and Chilero hot sauce.  We then set off for ziplining in Granada.  There was an option of doing a coffee tour for those who did not feel up to ziplining.  There were 11 lines total, and the guides were awesome.   They helped some of us to tricks, such as superman (legs around the guide with arms flying) and upside down monkey (legs in the air, head down as if you are doing a handstand).  Don’t worry family, we all made it down safely. After ziplining, we headed to lunch at TipTop chicken which is the equivalent of KFC in the states.

After lunch, we went to the market in Masaya which had beautiful items, many that were hand-crafted for sale.  We were on a time limit, but many of us bought some fantastic souvenirs to bring home. As we finished up at the market, we were off to see the active volcano.  As we were driving, it began to rain.  The park’s officials said that the view was terrible at the top, especially with the rain so we were not allowed to tour the site.  This was disappointing, but we kept our happy attitudes and headed to the store instead to stock up on hot sauce, drinks, and candy.

Upon returning home (aka our hotel bungalows) we were given a strict timeline of 45 minutes to get ready for our reception dinner. We were told to look our best, which is quite the challenge when three girls are sharing one shower.

Dinner was at Los Ranchos, one of the top restaurants in the country. We had the option to order steak, sea bass or chicken. Most opted away from the chicken as it was a staple of our dinner menu all week long. Some of the team ordered white wine... but due to communication barriers some red wine was enjoyed instead. It was nice to enjoy a nice meal with some air conditioning. After dinner, approximately 150 pictures were taken outside of the restaurant.

Through this long week of hard work, sweat and laughter, it is safe to say we have all grown to love one another a little more and worry a little less. It has been a fun day.

-Nina, Kelly and Nicole