TravelStream™ news feed for member sarabosaw on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/sarabosaw en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:05:49 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/3/1217925960/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/3/1217925960/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/3/1217925960/tpod.html Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:05:49 -0400 Ethio Adventure

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Assosa, Ethiopia

 After staying one night in Nekemte at a pretty sketchy hotel, we shook off the heebie-jeebies and motored on to Assosa.  We were invited to visit Sherkole Refugee Camp where Nathan had been teacing a science course for two weeks.  Richelle had previously worked with the Uduk group of Sudan in another camp and was anxious to try out her 'Twampa again.   We were greeted with a tea party by our youngest hosts and spent the next 2 1/2 days visited the Uduk village.  Sherkole had more than 15,000 refugees at one point, but because many Sudanese have been repatriated already this year, the number now is closer to 4,000.  Refugees from Congo, Somalia, and other Sudanese groups were also there, but we spent all of our time with the Uduks.  We mostly just hung out and drank waaaay too much tea and coffee and held lots of cute babies (no diapers equals getting peed on a lot!) , but we also led a small program with the kids of the camp in the mornings.  It was my first time in a camp, so I was taking it all in.  The women made sure our cups were never empty and invited us to take a meal with them.  Maa is some kind of mashed corn paste and you dip it in slimy okra gooiness.  Pretty gross, but just smile and act like you like it!Because it's rainy season, drinking water was plentiful and the corn was tall so it is good times.  I guess during the dry season, the line at the water source is quite long and occasionally there is not enough.  We spent some time with some NGO workers (they are plentiful) and heard about some of the opporunities and challenges in Sherkole.  Interesting, and sometimes disheartening to hear these perspectives.   I cannot emphasize enough how much fun we had visiting with the Uduks and I'm so grateful to Nathan and Richelle for getting us the opportunity! The drive both ways was full of beautiful, breathtaking scenery.  Maybe it was ignorance, but I never thought of Ethiopia as being such a lush, gorgeous country.  Mountaneous and green, green, green.  It's hard to believe the talk of famine right now when you see this landscape during the rainy season, but what I've heard that while the "big rains" of the winter are good, the "small rains" of the summer were not and many crops were unable to be harvested.  We celebrated Richelle's birthday with a birthday breakfast, and then hit the road.  We stayed the night in Gimbi on the way back to Addis in a MUCH less sketchy place. Well, the beds were less sketchy... the food is another story! 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/3/1218271800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/3/1218271800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/3/1218271800/tpod.html Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:53:17 -0400 Ethio Adventure

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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

 Back in Addis, we prepared for a lunch that Richelle hosted for the community leaders of the Gedam Sefer project.  The final program and performance was on Sunday morning followed by lunch at Richelle and Nate's apartment.We had a DELICIOUS dinner at a Lebanese restaurant which was accompanied by a very awkward belly dancer.  I'm assuming the pickings must be slim in Ethiopia for belly dancers, because this girl was bad.  Not too mention the painted eyebrows which gave her a very surprised look... scary, actually!In the morning, Richelle had arranged a circus day for the kids at Gedam Sefer.  She hired some tumblers, etc... the kids were really excited and it was nice to say goodbye on such a high note. In the afternoon, we delivered 420 kilos of oranges to the orphange!  One of Jari's friends had sent money for the orphanage.  The sisters prefer goods to be donated over money, so we delivered mass quantities of fruit for the kids.  We filled a whole minibus with yummy oranges.  With the fast increase of food prices, one of the first things to go is fresh fruits and veggies, so this was a fine idea! And, I'm sure the guy at the fruit stand didn't mind this transaction either.  :)We visited a women's co-op pottery and all bought some beautiful things.  Unfortunately, my favorite bowl broke in transit back to the states...so sad!  After visiting the pottery, we went out for some fish.  Orthodox ethiopians fast more than 200 days out of the year and the time we were there was part of an extended fast... lucky for us.  As none of us eat chicken or beef, we were glad for our lentils and fish!  The Nile perch  is served fried and whole... a site to  behold  and so tasty!  I also visited the fistula hospital during this time.  I had heard so many great things about the hospital and was anxious to check it out.  A couple of Australians came to Ethio in the 60s to start a midwifery school and discovered so many young women with traumatic birth injuries that cause them to be incontinent.  These women are cast out of their villages with this condition, still grieving loss of their stillborn child.  This couple founded the hospital which treats them for free with a (most of the time) pretty simple surgery which allows them to return to their society and in many cases marry and have more babies.  It is truly a remarkable place and so inspirational.    Definitely a highlight of my trip.  We also visited a silk shop Sabara.  The women make the silk starting with the worms, dye them with all natural products and make the most beautiful scarves and home decorations.  Stunning!  It would be odd to not mention the difficult things one sees on the streets of Addis Ababa.  Many people are hungry and the disabilities you see are impossible to fathom.  It's hard to know what to do... giving money to kids begging is not solving any problems, especially considering they most likely just hand the birr over to an adult.  It's a struggle anywhere in the developing world, but especially hard here.    A lot of people are doing a lot of really good things here and I guess the wisest alternative is to give to reputable organization. I am so sad to leave Ethiopia (everything except the squattie potties!),  but I know that I will go back another time. It is a wonderful culture of extremely hospitable, positive, and loving people.  I have so many more photos and can't wait to talk to you about this amazing trip! 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/3/1217666700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/3/1217666700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/3/1217666700/tpod.html Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:23:01 -0400 Ethio Adventure

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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

 Safely made it to Ethiopia, although my backpack did not!  Jari and I met up with Richelle (Rahel as she is known here) for some delicious Indian food.  An interesting choice for our first night here I know, but there are two full weeks of injera and wat ahead!  Got settled into Richelle's fantastic apartment and headed out the next morning to help with her community project in Gedam Sefer at the Bethlehem School.  Of course, on the way had to have our first cup of boona!  (Ethiopia was briefly occupied by Italy many years ago and one fine thing left behind was the most perfect macciato you can imagine...many were enjoyed on this trip.)Our first day at Gedam Sefer, the kids interviewed Jari and I with questions they had prepared in advance in English.  Real easy stuff, like.... "What is the culture in your country" ... and,  "What are you doing personally to stop the spread of HIV and AIDS?"  When I told them I was a nurse, they said,  oooh!  doctor.  And, thus I was promoted to an MD my first day in the country.  :)After a quick bite, we headed over to the Sisters of Charity orphanage where Richelle has been volunteering for several months.   I was able to volunteer here a few days as well and really enjoyed it.  Mother Therese has certainly left a legacy behind.  This place is truly amazing... a HUGE compound with abundant green space, a first-rate clinic, and all extremely well kept.  We worked in the nursery with the babies and non-walkers.  Most kids (at this time 400+) at the orphanage are HIV+ and have a pretty low chance of adoption due to their diagnoses.  It was interesting to hear from the sisters --they now have the (happy) problem of  caring for the kids as they grow up to be much older, now on antiretrovirals which of course allow them to live longer and healthier.  They have put together programs (like weaving) that give the kids a job and allow them to earn money.For dinner, we went our for our first authentic injera meal.  The restaurant also has a music group that plays the traditional music from each region of the country accompanied by unbelievable dancers. Very fun!Tuesday morning, back to Gedam Sefer. Today was health workshop day and we talked about nutrition, activity, and hygiene and did a craft project.   The kids asked such great questions and we had lots of fun making more crafts!   They are so full of energy and are super creative-- they love singing and making up dramas.  This afternoon, we left on our long and exciting trip to Assosa. 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1194062220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1194062220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1194062220/tpod.html Sun, 04 Nov 2007 00:16:23 -0400 A time for transitions...

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Tortuguero, Costa Rica

...I'd be one popular girl.  Deet, schmeet.  The stuff does nothing for me.  Even when I found a citronella plant and rubbed it all over myself, they still attacked.  Sorry that my trip is coming to an end, but soooo glad to be getting away from the skeeters tomorrow.  So, after a long trek to Tortuguero National Park, I have found my turtles.  Por fin!  Tortugas!  I had some seriously good luck, too.  Turtle nesting season is officially over the end of October, but I saw everything last night.  A big ole green sea turtle laying her eggs and covering them, and then on the way back, 5 little tortugitos flipping their way to the ocean.  It was so precious... and totally worth the wait.   The mama turtle I saw was small for the breed at maybe 3 feet long and 2 feet wide... my guide estimated that she was around 50 years old (they can live to be 150y!)  I watched her lay a lot of eggs, but they can lay over 100 in one night.    It was by far one of the coolest things I've seen in my life.  Unfortunately, the rule is no lights (we went at 10pm), which means no cameras, which means no pics to share.  You'll just have to trust me and then go see it for yourself!  I spent the night at a lodge outside of Pueblo Tortuguero in one of the nicer places I've stayed on this trip.  I had the whole little cabin to myself in the middle of the rainforest... pretty cool when the rain puts you to sleep and the howler monkeys wake you up in the morning. This morning we set out first by boat, then on foot, to see more animals in the rainforest.  Very cool...saw lots more monkeys, gorgeous birds, and scary crocodiles.  It was a long trip, but worth it.   We also stopped at a banano distribution site along the way... did I mention that a big part of the road to the park is unpaved through banana plantations?  Very fun.  But, very bumpy.Got back to San Jose around 7:30pm tonight, and now I'm just packing up... catching a flight tomorrow morning.   Can't wait to see you all very soon!sara
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1193958180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1193958180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1193958180/tpod.html Sat, 03 Nov 2007 23:56:46 -0400 A time for transitions...

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Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Hello from Puerto Viejo de Talamanca!I have spent two very nice days relaxing here.  I love my cabina at Jacaranda... it´s a very cool, laid back place and super-close to everything.  My two buddies from Cahuita are here to and we have adjoining cabinas.  Yesterday, I finished another book and spent some time discovering the town.  This town has SO many yummy restaurants and the seafood is a-plenty.  BUT, it is much, much more expensive here in CR than in Nicaragua, so it´s not easy on the budget.  Today, I rented a rusty ol' cruiser and biked down to Manzanilla and back stopping at any beach that looked pretty and stopping once for lunch with homeade gingerale. Yum.  Only one problem, when my chain fell off.  But, luckily it was easy to get back on and a nice man stopped to help...but at that point my hands were all greasy anyway.  :)  From the looks of the bike, I was lucky to only have problems with the chain. I kept thinking the whole time...this is a looooong walk if my bike breaks.  Creak, creak, creak all the way down the bumpy road.  But, I´m back in one piece. Tomorrow, I´m off to Tortuguero for my last chance to see those darn baby turtles.  Found a tour that will drop me back in San Jose on Saturday...because I´m so sad to say, my flight back to Chicago leaves this Sunday morning. Bummer.  Dos dias mas.  :(Hasta luego, sb
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1193783400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1193783400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1193783400/tpod.html Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:42:34 -0400 A time for transitions...

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Cahuita, Costa Rica

Hello again, friends,I'm writing now from the teeny-weeny town of Cahuita.  Literally, two main streets that cross each other and 3 of the ends meet the beach.  Costa Rica buses are so nice and so well organized...  I actually took a picture of the bus station because it was so refreshing!! I bought my ticket, they told me to go to Gate 6 at 10:15.  And, guess what...my bus was in Gate 6 at 10:15! Unbelievable!!I checked into "Cabinas Jenny" where my cute (and clean!) little room looks right over the Caribbean.  I was actually happy last night when the power went out... I was lying in the hammock on my balcony and could see the stars and moon perfectly over the water.  This morning I went snorkeling on the coral reef and then hiked the return through the Cahuita National Park.  I was a leeetle bit scared when my guide popped out of the water and said with a smile, "Don't freak out now, but we're looking for sharks." Thankfully for me, we didn't see any, although he was quite disappointed.  I think I would've bit through my mouthguard if we had.This whole part of the country is lined on the one side with the Caribbean, and backing right up next to it, the jungle.  So, it is obviously a very beautiful (and, exciting) hike.  We saw lots of interesting wildlife, not the least of which were the crab-eating racoons.  They are so cute; they dig around in the sand for their dinner (dig, dig dig... crunch, crunch, crunch).  We also saw monkeys and sloths, gorgeous birds,  snakes and B I G spiders. After we were finished, our little group enjoyed a lovely lunch together.  This really sweet dutch couple and I hiked back out to a beautiful beach and had a nice swim. Stayed out there until it was almost dark and headed back in for dinner.  All in all, a nice, nice day.  Tomorrow, I'm moving on to Puerto Viejo... a little farther south, and a little livelier.  My plan is to stay there a couple of days, then TRY to get up to Tortugero up north to see those silly tortugas that have been haunting my trip (I will see baby turtles!).Later, gators,sbP.S.  Happy Halloween?  It doesn't really exist here, as far as I can tell... there are a couple little kids in ballerina dresses, but that's it!  Much less of a fiesta than Chicago!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1192908840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1192908840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1192908840/tpod.html Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:02:13 -0400 A time for transitions...

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San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

My week back in Granada was eventful and interesting.  I did moreclasses and volunteered a few days at the Centro de Salud.  Acouple of days I  consulted with the doctor... just  tookweights and ages and observed the consulations.  Very differentmethods than I'm used to and boy, do they just hand out the penicillinscripts.  Geez...can you say superinfection?  Speaking of infections, I picked up one myself at the clinic from therunny-nosed niños.  I've had this yucky head cold, so I've beenannoyingly sniffly all week, but luckily have not passed it on to allof my schoolmates. I will say that the damp rainy season surely isn'thelping me get better any faster.  I am not surprised to havepicked something up as the doctor never even washed his hands betweenpatients (remember, no running water?) and finally used a alcohol washonly after we touched the baby with impetigo.  So, needless tosay...happy to have walked away with only a cold!The days when the doctor isn't at the clinic, the nurse sees patientsand I helped do a few dressing changes and clean up some wounds, butother than that just spent most of the time gossiping with Jaqueline,the nurse in charge, and making little gauze packs which I actuallyfound quite fun.  They don't have those handy-dandy individualpacks of gauze here, so we buy it like fabric by the roll and cut andfold into pieces.  It's pretty time consuming, but at least itfelt like I was being helpful?I'm not going to volunteer at the clinic next week, though... justgoing to do more school and I'm moving into a hostel with a friendbecause I'm sooo sick of living at the school.  It's really a hikefrom the city center, and dangerous at night so we always have to takea taxi so it´s really limiting.  I can't wait to move in...there's a pool and even better,movies!  I haven't seen a tv in 3 weeks and I really missit.  :)Yesterday, some amigos and I made our way down to San Juan del Sur, onthe pacific.  It's a cute little surfing town although at themoment, in the rainy, low-tourist season, it's a little bit dead andREAL rainy.  Geez, it just stopped raining now for the first timein 24 hours...literally.  But, we are trying to not let it get usdown!  We have let go of our ideas of laying on the beach andwatching sunsets, but are enjoying the salsa and reggaeton at thedisco. Had a little bit too much fun last night because we were sayinggoodbye to Mr. D'arcy, so we slept in and went out for pancakes thismorning.  We were so lucky last night...saved from a potentially disastrous situation!  The main reason I wanted to come here is because of the baby tortugas...there is  wildlife preserve about 45 minutes-ish from here and it's where the turtles lay eggs and the babies hatch and go out to sea.  Anyway, when we arrived we were told sorry, but no one is going now because there's been too much rain and the trucks can't pass the rivers.  Bummer.  Then, we met a guy with a 4wheel drive who said he could take us, but we would all have to ride in the back.  If we got to either river and it was too deep, we could simply just turn around.  Sounds good!  One by one though, people started backing out and thank God!  Around 8pm, we were sitting out at this bar on the beach and a literal monsoon blew in...stuff was flying around and we were freezing and wet.  So happy we weren't out offroading on the back of a 4x4 crossing rivers in the dark.   With my luck, I would´ve ended up with cholera or something! So sadly, no tortugas...but still hoping that I can see some in Costa Rica?Headed back to Granada tomorrow...should be a pretty chill week. Looking forward to a week of travel after that before I head back toChitown.  ¡Vaya bien!sara
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1192406100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1192406100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1192406100/tpod.html Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:52:26 -0400 A time for transitions...

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Granada, Nicaragua

Well, here I am back in Granada.   The last few days on the farm we did school in the morning, continuing our afternoon lessons on farmlife.  One evening we walked down to the laguna... on our way back up (a steep and wet hike) we came across a very scary (and thankfully, very dead) boa constrictor.  Eek... On our way back into town we saw the hometown of the famous Sandino and a gorgeous cemetary... I know wierd, but it was.   Very colorful and beautiful.  I, of course, ended the week with another wierd stomach thing.  But, we have since figured out that I must have a cubano bacteria, because the only thing that makes it better seems to be mojitos.  Between this and all the fried food, I'm going to come home fat and drunk!Anyway, moved into the house across the street from the school with my classmate.  We were joined today by yet another student, Marlen and it's good to have the company. This morning the three of us went up Vulcan Mombacho and hiked around.  Unfortunately, it was downpouring rain the whole time, but didn't stop us from having lots of fun.  At one point, when we turned around to go back, our entire trail was flooded into a waterfall and we were walking shin deep in the water.  Remember the boa constrictor?  Well, I was the whole time... Thankfully, no more snakes!  Afterwards, we were able to walk around a butterfly sanctuary... beautiful.  Later this week, we are taking a nighttime tour of Vulcan Masaya-I know, I think I have a volcano addiction?So, we are settling back in to city life.  And, I begin volunteering at the clinic tomorrow morning, so it is sure to be an eventful week.  xoxo,sb
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1193626920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1193626920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1193626920/tpod.html Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:44:12 -0400 A time for transitions...

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San Jose, Costa Rica

Do you know the way?  I only said it to save you from the urge to write it yourselves.  And, I hope this song isn't stuck in your head all day the way it has been in mine!  :)An early start since I had to leave the Isla around 5:30am by ferry to catch the TicaBus to San Jose.  A pretty long, boring day.... but when it comes to border crossings...isn't boring better?  Definitely don't like those exciting stories.  Anyway, crossing the border was very long, but uneventful.   I especially like the part where they hose the entire bus down with antibacterial spray like we're just all infectious on our way to plaque their pura vida!The drive into San Jose from the border is gorgeous.  The lushest scenery you can imagine with shadows of volcanoes in the backdrop.  The change is immediate after you cross the border... it's akin to driving across the border from Tijuana to the US...it's that different.  Within moments, the roads don't have potholes and there is no garbage on the sides of the road.  You can see instantly that Costa Rica is a MUCH more wealthy country.  It was a really odd transition.My day of traveling began at 5:30am and I didn't arrive in San Jose until 6:00pm.  Was pooped to say the least.  Had promised myself a treat, so that's what I did.  Checked into a really nice hotel and just went out for the most expensive dinner I've eaten thus far on my trip.   And worth every penny.... no stops... from the wine to the gooey chocolate cake with ice cream.  And, the best part is... now I'm going to go take a bath (did you hear me, a BATH!!!) and watch cable TV.  Hurrah!Tomorrow morning will be another early day... headed on to Cahuita where I will be trading my Latina salsa for Caribbean reggae for the next week.  Talk to you soon!sb
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1193452080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1193452080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarabosaw/ca-2007/1193452080/tpod.html Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:41:27 -0400 A time for transitions...

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Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua

¡Hola!I spent my final week in Granada studying and seeing the sights around the city.  My friend Marlien and I got a room at  hostel and had a grand ole time living outside of the schoolhouse.  A little freedom goes a long way.  :)Nothing spectacular last week, as I studied long days (most 7 hr/day).  Did book a massage..I deserved it right?  It has been a long month.  It was with a blind massage therapist....at least that's what the sign says... although, now that I think about it, that's a pretty good way to get young ladies to strip in front of you, huh?  Hmmmm....  Anyway, US$10 for a 1-hour massage. I'm not complaining!On Friday, moved on to Isla de Ometepe.  An island in the middle of Nica that shaped like a figure 8 because of two volcanoes in the middle.  It's bigger than you would think...we only saw a portion of it and drove around for a good chunk of the day, partially because of the road conditions.  We decided that since we only really had one full day to explore, we better try a tour and I'm really glad that we did.   These two chicos drove us around all day long... we hiked up to a waterfall (4km straight uphill...about 4 hours in all, but very beautiful), then we saw petroglyphs on a beautiful finca, and lastly, but not leastly, a refreshing swim in a freshwater pool with a view of the volcanoes. Ahhh...vacation at last.  On Friday night we stayed in Charco Verde on a wonderful finca ... it was so relaxing...we could hear the waves all night...much nicer than the market noise and bombas I heard all last week, that's for sure.  And, I'm glad to report, the gallos on Ometepe have much better alarm clocks, unlike their cousins in Granada who think 2:30am is a nice hour to start their racket.  We finished the weekend with a night at the disco in Moyogalpa... not the coolest place (actually, felt a little bit like a high school dance!), but we had fun anyway, and I was very sad to say goodbye to my good traveling buddies Marlien and Charlotte.Since I am moving on today, I thought I would make a little list... I am so sad about leaving Nica.  It was a little bit of a rough start, but I was very soon won over by this little corner of the world.Entonces,Things I am going to miss about Nicaragua--1.  Gallo Pinto2. The slow drawl of the "¡Buenas!" that always greets you when you walk through a door.3.  My nuevos muchachos from the world over4. The very prevalent "esta bien" attitude of pretty much every Nica I met.  No matter what your request...you generally get a smile with a "si, esta bien, chica"5.  Macoas... THE Granadian drink only made perfect by local Flor de Caña ron.6.  La Musica....Salsa, Marengue, Reggaeton...name your tune... In Nica:  Donde hay musica, hay una fiesta.7.  Daily history/culture lessons with MariaLydia, my favorite Nica feminista8.  The tshirts worn around Nicaragua.  All in English, and I'm pretty sure the owners have no idea what they say... there have been some doozies, but my favorite by far:  While driving down the road on the bus, I saw this guy, drunk before 9am, wearing a shirt that said, "I'm results-oriented." Things I am not going to miss about Nicaragua--1.  Gallo Pinto2.  "Tss...Tssss.... Mi amor"  Seriously, do they think we LIKE that???3.  Electricity/Water issues... a real bummer.4.  Relentless MosquitoesIn my mind, the good well outweigh the bad... I would love to come back to this kind, beautiful country very, very soon.  But for now, on to Costa Rica!Cheers,sb
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