Our last full day in the beautiful Nicaragua. We woke up around 8:30 and packed everything up. We had just run out of Bug Spray. My shoes (brand new air walks bought specifically for the trip) were in terrible condition and definitely needed to be thrown away. We were both a little solemn in packing up because we knew it meant we ending our amazing trip that we've been looking forward to since the day he left on his mission. So we checked out of the hotel, walked over to the bus terminal and got on the first bus back to Managua.
A little over two hours later, we pulled into Managua and got a taxi back to the Best Western Hotel. We checked in and it all kind of felt like a dream! It was the same guy that was there when we very first arrived in Nicaragua. It was like so much had happened in that short amount of time, but then there we were back at the beginning! I was definitely better able to communicate than I was when I first got there though!
So we got settled in our room, then went out to explore the hotel grounds. Brock pointed out to me all the different plants and trees that made the country so green and lovely. Then we found the coconut trees! There were a bunch of them out by the swimming pool! I have never seen a real coconut fresh off a tree. It was so cool! So Brock went over to the maintenance man and asked him if he could cut one down for us because I'd never had coconut juice before! The man smiled, got out his big long metal stick, and walked over to the coconut trees. He got one down, and then said that wasn't big enough for me so he found an even bigger one and cut it down for us! Then he whipped out his machete and sliced it open for me! It was so cool! He handed it to me and Brock told me to drink it.
I was nervous at first, not even really knowing how to drink out of the small hole in the middle of this giant coconut! So I put my mouth over it and drank. I was totally surprised by the taste and apparently I made a face about it too because they both laughed at me! It was really good though! If you've never had real coconut juice, it's very interesting. It had a little bit of sweetness, but it was quite tart too. Obviously it didn't have any artificial sweeteners or anything in it, so it was just plain fruit juice! It was good though! And I couldn't believe how much was in there! Brock and I shared it and I wanted to keep the coconut forever! Haha but of course I couldn't bring it home, so I threw it away, thankful for that memorable moment!
Haha so then we went and got our swimsuits on and headed out to the pool! We were the only ones in there the whole time we were swimming! It was so fun! That's right folks- January 4th, swimming outside and basking in the hot sun next to coconut trees! That's not something I've ever done before! It was a blast! And then we laid out for a while- my hopeless attempt to get a tan- relaxed, and then went back and changed. We wanted to go grocery shopping so that we could bring Galletas Chiky home to our family and friends! Those cookies are AMAZING! They're kind of like graham crackers with chocolate on the bottom, but thicker. Probably my favorite thing ever.
So the hotel taxi man agreed to take us to the store, wait for us, and then take us back to the hotel. It was so nice of him! So we went and bought fruit drinks, frutini candies, bon bon lollipops, some coconut cookies, and lots and lots of galletas chiky! We went back to the hotel fully stocked with all things tasty from Nicaragua :)
Then we ate dinner at the hotel (they have a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner). It was really good! They were a very Americanized hotel (obviously- haha they're the Best Western!) and they cooked like it! We got an Italian style meal, but got Nicaraguan fried plantanes (kind of like potato chips) to eat with it. It cost about the same as an American restaurant would, too, but it was really tasty! So then we went back to the room and relaxed, watching TV. They had channels in English! It was a miracle! Haha so we watched "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader" it was really funny!
Then we decided to take one last walk around the hotel grounds to soak up as much Nicaragua warmth as we could before we had to go back to reality and winter. We walked around exploring for a while, then sat outside gazing at the beautiful Nicaragua stars, chatting about how amazing our trip was. It was very relaxing and peaceful.
No comments:
Post a Comment