So we got up the next morning (Monday) around 7:30, feelin good besides our itchy bug bites. We went downstairs and had a delicious breakfast with eggs, rice and beans, toast, and fresh fruit. I was so excited to try papaya for the first time!.... and it was gross. Nope. Don't recommend it. But they did have bananas and pineapple which were both very delicious :)
Anyway, then we went out into the city to do some shopping! It was so fun to see all the different stores. Matagalpa is one of the more ritzy places in Nicaragua and you could tell by what the people wore and how the stores were. However, Brock knew about a particular tie shop that he wanted to visit. So we walked over there and he was right- they had AMAZING deals on ties! Good quality ties. We bought 15 ties for 30 bucks! Woot!!! Fabulous. Then we went to a souvenir shop and I got some T-shirts and a cool Nicaragua thing to hang on our wall at home. It was way fun! Then we headed back to finish packing and check out of the hotel.
So we did just that, and called a taxi to meet us at the hotel so we wouldn't have to drag our luggage all the way down the hill. He came and then we went to the bus terminal to prepare for our longest travel day of all! We caught an Express bus to take us from Matagalpa to Managua- a 2 1/2 hour drive. However, there were not enough seats for everyone on the bus... So they got out buckets! And we all sat on buckets in the aisle for the whole trip! It was so funny! I got to sit by a cute couple who had just bought a new puppy- and man was that puppy adorable! They had it in a little box and he was just as happy as can be. I melted, and now I want a puppy :)
Haha so anyway, we had to get off a little bit early because our connecting route went by about half an hour outside of Managua so it would save us quite a bit of time by not having to go all the way to Managua and back track. So we got off, but the guys had tied our bags really tight to the top of the bus and it took them FOREVER to get them down! It was funny, the bus driver kept almost driving away because he thought they were done but they weren't. So when we finally got our bags we had to run across the busy street (that was so scary) and wait on the other side for the connecting bus to take us out to Juigalpa (which would be another 2 hour drive). So we waited for probably ten minutes in the hot sun, having no idea when the bus was going to come! I just kept reminding myself that it was still saving us time even though we were waiting :) And then it came and stopped for us and once again was the hurried yelling directions at us of what to do and I was just frazzled as can be! But we got on okay and man was that bus crowded! Apparently that's the worst time of day to travel because it's by far the busiest. Haha, I believe it. We were standing and totally packed up next to each other like Sardines!
And off we went, on the long hot and squishy bus ride. Brock laughed in my ear and said that I am now getting the REAL Nicaragua experience! Haha it was fun :) There was a little girl standing in front of me and just staring... It was so cute. By this point in our trip I was used to everyone staring at me because I'm white with blonde hair and blue eyes. Not very many people have seen someone like me, especially in some of these smaller poorer cities. It was funny because the adults would know to look away when I caught them staring, but the little kids didn't. They just kept looking at me in awe hahaha it was so cute! So I said "Hola!" and she smiled shyly and said "hola" back. It was adorable :)
So the bus ride kept going and I was doing fine, until we stopped and a bunch of sales people got on. Then it was just annoying. They literally were pushing through the bus when it was already impossible to take a single step! Selling bread and drinks and random things. I was getting pushed on to this woman with a sleeping child in her arms and I had zero control over it! It was so annoying! And it happened like three times! I was like, seriously people! I don't mind when they do it on a not crowded bus, but when we already can't move and they just push through us, it was irksome. Haha but apparently that's also part of the culture so no one else really seemed to mind at all! It was so interesting!
Anyway, towards the end, we finally got a seat as more people got off, so I was finally able to relax a bit. Man, that was a long trip :) But I'm totally glad it happened because, like Brock said, I got the full Nicaraguan experience! And after a long, stressful, and sweaty trip we made it to Juigalpa! We got off at the stop and took a taxi to the Hotel La Quinta.
Now that was more like a Nicaragua style hotel! The other ones we stayed in were more Americanized, clean and well-kept. This one, well, was less that way. The bed was hard. The floor was not clean (I think I even found some old gum smashed into it), and the shower was something I decided to avoid for that night :) But it did still have a flushing toilet, clean sheets, and running water! That's all ya need right? Haha and it had a TV too! It was old and fuzzy and the channel buttons only went one direction, but it worked :) Once again- full Nicaragua experience! Most people in that country have even less than that so I didn't even think to complain at all. Plus- it was only $15.00 for the night! Woohoo!
Anyway, so we brought our stuff in and then wanted to head out to Santo Tomas (even more driving). Santo Tomas was Brock's very first area. He never actually served in Juigalpa, but we just stayed there because there's not hotels in Santo Tomas. So we convinced a taxi guy to drive us out there because the next bus was going to be way too late.
One thing I loved about that area of the country is how country-like it was! There were cowboys on horses herding cows and sheep all over the place. It was definitely a small town feel with super friendly people. I told Brock it was like the Logan, UT of Nicaragua. Still had city things, but definitely a country feel (and smell). I liked it!
So when we got to Santo Tomas we had our Taxi driver take us to the LDS Church. When he dropped us off, Brock was way confused. Apparently they had made a new church building since he was last here! Haha so we walked around searching for a while til he figured out where we were and then we headed over to the home of la familia Orozco Plata! This family was Brock's 3rd baptism ever! They were all still super active in the church and so happy to see him!
We sat there visiting with them for a while and then they made us a delicious meal called Nacatamales! It was AMAZING! I guess that's what their family does for a business... sell home made nacatamales. It's like, a burrito type thing with pork, cheese, and delicious sauces! I can't even describe it. But it was delicious. And they were all worried I wasn't gonna like it! But holy cow I downed that thing! And they were all so happy- it was cute :)
And then it started to rain! I don't know if I've described Nicaraguan houses yet. They are all connected like in one big building and each individual home has a front and back door and it's just kind of a long hallway. All the roofs are made of tin and they don't completely enclose the home. They cover it all and the way they're slanted keeps the rain outside but there's openings above the walls. It's really interesting! So when the rain started to come it was really loud on those tin roofs! We were there like a month after the rainy season ended so this was not a bad storm at all. Compared to Utah it was a pretty good sized rain storm but compared to Nicaragua I guess it was just some light sprinkles haha. It was really cool to see though! And it didn't last very long. So when it was over we thanked that wonderful family and set out to go see Edwin!
Edwin was Brock's very first baptism. It happened on November 26th, 2006 (the one year anniversary of our first kiss! I know, I know, so cheesy ;) ), a week after he had gotten to Nicaragua. We knocked on their door and the family welcomed us in. We sat and visited for a while, and the mom sent her daughter to go buy crackers and soda pop for us! What? I was blown away! But once again, that is their culture! You come to their house, they welcome you and feed you. It was so nice of them! We couldn't stay long with them though because it was starting to get dark and we still had to get back to Juigalpa.
So we said bye and then started hurrying to the bus stop. Oh no- it was ahead of us! So we took off running as fast as we could go but we weren't going to make it! A taxi driver pulled up laughing at us and told us to let him take us to the bus. Phew! That saved us! We caught the bus just in time! And then it was dark, and we rode back to Juigalpa to go to sleep. It had been a long day of lots of traveling but it was so worth it to see those cities and meet those people!
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