A few hours, and a discussion about Corn Island later, their bus pulled
into the Parque National Volcán Masaya. Eli paid the nominal admission fee
and the bus slowly trudged up the volcano. The bus stopped at the Centro
de Interpretación Ambiental, which had an exhibit of pre-Columbian history,
but it was closed that day. Blair did, however, buy tickets for the bat
cave at the top of the crater.
Climbing back into the bus, Blair instructed the driver to pick up any hikers, as many tourists try to hike the several kilometers to the top from the Center. The driver did pick up several grateful tourists along the way; two Americans and three Canadian missionaries.
They spent about an hour looking into the smoking crater and the beautiful countryside before heading to the bat cave. Once there, everyone agreed it wasn't that impressive and headed back down to the crater site. Blair was disappointed that the stairs to the cross were blocked off. They were unstable following an earthquake that occurred earlier that year.
He had hoped to see how far Jim could see from that high point, but he decided that he could live without the results. Anyway, Jim could probably see just as well from the parking lot they were in.
Jim, however, was already nervous. He could feel the minute movements from the active volcano. He knew there was no immediate danger, but his sentinel sense was telling him to get his vulnerable guide off the mountain.
Seeing several students get on the bus, Jim herded the rest of the wayward anthropologists to the bus where they headed down to the entrance. Within a few minutes they arrived at the gate and dropped off their extra passengers. Two actually stayed on as they were going to the town as well.
Within a short time, the bus had found their hotel where Jim and Blair checked in the group. They had filled the small hotel completely up. The students were okay with sharing the bathroom but were stunned that the walls didn't quite reach the ceiling.
"It's just for one night," Blair encouraged. "I just hope no one snores." Blair tried to joke. "You at least can dial it down," he whispered to Jim.
After everyone settled in, they got back on the bus and headed towards the walled in Mercado de Artesanía. This series of shops sold everything from pottery to hammocks to hand carved wood boxes. Eli advised them to get most of their souvenir shopping done here as it was the best opportunity to shop they'd get. Blair reminded them to haggle with the shop keepers as the final price was never the FINAL price. They split up, each group going their own way. Eli decided to stay with a group of students with poor Spanish skills while Jim and Blair headed in the other direction. They had decided to go in together on prezzies for their mutual friends so were looking forward to shopping for them.
The first two stalls had hammocks. After a fierce discussion Blair bought one. He had plans for the summer with the hammock and the roof of the apartment.
Getting that first purchase out of the way, Blair and Jim decided to shop around then buy. Jim was looking forward to haggling with the shopkeepers.
After shopping for a time, Jim dragged Blair back towards the entrance which had a series of food stalls. "Come on, Chief; I'm hungry. What do you want to eat?"
"The fried plantains look good. So do some of the tamales. Hey, use your nose; which is the best place to eat? The cleanest, freshest food?"
Jim's nose twitched and Blair shot out his hand to ground him. Jim turned in a circle and eventually pointed to a stall towards the middle of the line. Blair smiled and started to drag Jim with him. They ordered and took their food with them to sit at one of tables set up for that purpose. Both people watched while they ate. Blair pointed out some native Nican Nuns, dressed in white habits with blue trimming. Several students and Eli filtered past, and most either stopped by or waved. Unexpectedly the squeal of a microphone filled the air. Jim winced and dialed his hearing down. Blair quickly checked to make sure Jim was okay. "You okay, man?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. They're making an announcement."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, you'll like this. It seems that they're holding a native dance presentation starting in an hour or so. Full costumes and everything."
"Very cool! Come on; I'm done. Let's finish up our shopping and then come back and watch the dancing. We'll let people know as we see them about the entertainment."
The two left the table and continued with walking around the site. Blair bought a very pretty hand painted picture of Nicaragua and Jim found very reasonably priced leather goods that he was able to use his bartering skills on. He bought hand worked wallets for his brother, Steven and his father. For Sally, he found a hand sewn tablecloth with embroidered fruits on the edges and matching napkins. He was especially pleased with this purchase as it was under 25 American dollars. Blair picked up a beautifully carved wooden decanter set that had a tray and individual cups to go with it. For Megan, he decided that she would love the carved kangaroo puzzle box.
Walking around, Blair bounced from stall to stall. "I love bargaining! I think Americans lose a valuable part of their culture by not experiencing the thrill of the hunt, the thrill of bargaining until both members reach a mutually agreeable price. The interaction between the buyer and the buyee promotes friendliness and." Blair continued to talk about the psychology of bargaining prices as he walked from one stall to another.
Jim just smiled and patted his friend on the back, getting lost in the sound of Blair's soothing voice. He was doing fine in the noisy shopping center, but he was getting tired and Blair's voice helped to keep him centered and focused. "Well, I think we're good here. Why don't we go and get good seats by the stage. It looks like the chairs will fill up fast."
"Sure, sounds like a plan." Blair started walking back towards the stage in the middle of the building.
On the way, they ran into several groups of students and Eli. They joined the two and the group was able to find seats in the same area. The music came on and brightly colored men and women danced out. Bright greens, yellows and reds flashed across the stage as all ages of dancers from children to adults performed national dances.
Blair kept his camera flashing, knowing he'd be able to make slides and use them in classes. Jim was impressed at how graceful some of the dancers were. Dancing was not one of his fortes.
The show lasted for two hours and at the end, the announcer invited the spectators to join them on stage for a dance contest. Jim saw his bouncy partner next to him and had an idea. Eli must have had the same one because he tapped Jim on the arm and pointed to Blair, then the stage. Jim nodded and mouth, "Partner?"
Eli thought a second, and then pointed to one of the female students, an older graduate student that was working on her masters at Rainier. She had traveled almost as much as Blair and was also a bouncy type, though quieter.
Jim nodded. Smiling to himself, he whispered to Eli, "You grab Sarah and I'll grab Blair." Eli nodded and leaned over towards Sarah.
It took a few minutes of persuasion but the two agreed and walked up to the stage. Blair talked to the announcer and climbed up onto the stage. He then pulled Sarah up with him. Blair had taken off his glasses and h ad removed his hair tie. Now his shoulder length hair hung loose and free and bounced when he did.
Jim saw his partner converse with Sarah and knew that this would be worthy blackmail material for years. As the fast paced, modern music started up, Jim readied his camera. He started snapping as his uninhibited partner danced to the beat. Sarah quickly followed Blair's lead and the two were obviously having fun. Several other couples were on the stage and while one or two others matched Blair and Sarah's enthusiasm and skills, they were the best dancers up there. Of course this WAS in Jim's biased opinion, but listening in to other conversations about the dancing; Jim figured they were a shoe-in for winning.
Within a few minutes there were only three couples not tapped out of the contest. By this time, the Rainier students were using the heavy drum beat to perform some type of tribal dance. The audience was cheering the couple on loudly.
When the song ended, the room rang with the loudly cheering audience. When it quieted down enough to be heard, the announcer rapidly asked people to cheer for their favorites. The first couple got a good cheer, but the second was louder. Finally, when he pointed to Blair and Sarah the crowd went wild, shouting, cheering and clapping. The two students stood panting and blushing. As a reward, they were handed a case of Pepsi Twist, which had just been released in the country. The couples were given one last celebratory dance and then sent back to the audience. When Sarah and Blair reached the group, Eli and Jim started clapping and cheering in their honor. Jim didn't think Blair or Sarah could go any redder.
"Okay, stop it!" Blair cried. "We're embarrassed enough already. We danced, we won, now let's go!"
Sarah nodded; she really wasn't used to being the focus of so many people. Her fellow students kept on congratulating her and patting her on the back. A few high fives were also seen.
"That was some great dancing! Where did you learn that?" Salia asked. Others nodded and reiterated the question. Sarah blushed again and said, "Well, I don't know about Professor Sandburg, but I traveled in Africa a lot. One of the tribes I stayed with taught me some of those moves. Rather, I watched several dances and picked up the technique. I saw that it was a great way of dancing and tried it out at a few dance clubs."
Blair, who had overheard the question, agreed with her. "Yup, that's about how I learned it too. Though I did have a tribal member teach me so that I could join in on one of the dances after a hunt I participated in. The trick is to be relaxed and loose and follow the beat. After a while, it's like the music is dancing for you."
"Do you think you could teach me how?" Salia knew if she could dance like that, she would never leave a club by herself again. She loved to dance and any new steps she saw, she learned.
"Sure," Sarah replied. "It's not that hard."
The group packed up and started moving toward the exit. At points during the show, the rest of the group had found those sitting and watching the dancing, so they could leave immediately after the show without waiting for stragglers.
Within a short time, they had left the market and were back at the hotel. Most fell asleep quickly and slept the sleep of the just.
The next morning, everyone met for breakfast and loaded up the bus. By mid- morning, the study group had reached Granada. The first order of business was to find a hotel. This was quickly done, but it was still noon by the time they were checked in completely.
"Are you hungry?" Blair asked. Mumbles of agreement answered him. "Cool. What would people think of having pizza for lunch? I was told of an excellent place quite near to the lake and the main square we're seeing today."
The students cheered and George and Salia grabbed Blair's arms and dragged him out the door. They were very tired of Nica food and wanted pizza. Blair looked over his should and quipped, "I guess they're eager to see the lake!"
Jim groaned and followed the group out the door. The restaurant was small but easily accommodated the group. When the pizza arrived, everyone groaned at the wonderful smell that accompanied it. The pies were quickly devoured.
Afterwards, Blair and Eli led them towards Lake Nicaragua. Eli lectured on the way, "Lake Nicaragua is the only known fresh water lake that contains sharks. However, because of heavy fishing, they are low in numbers and stay quite near the middle."
Reaching the shore, students took the required pictures, using the volcano in the distance as a good backdrop. This was quickly done and as the water was extremely polluted, they made their way to a small park like square. At one end there was a statue of a conquistador. Blair asked, "Pop quiz. Where else have we seen or heard about Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba?"
The group conversed and George ventured, "In Leon Viejo?"
"Yup. He founded both Granada and Leon some time near 1524 and was eventually beheaded in 1526. Of course, he head was placed on a stick and paraded around the town square before being buried in the church we saw at Leon Viejo. You'll notice the heavy Spanish influence all over Nicaragua and much of it was because of Cordoba. In fact, if you turn around, you'll see one of the most prominent ones here in town."
The group did and saw a white dome of a church above a sea of green trees. Blair spoke up, "Here will be a good place for pictures. Once we get closer, it's impossible to get a good picture of the church. That's where we'll be heading next, though, if you want to wait till then."
After a few more minutes, the group headed over to the main square. There Blair pointed out the Cathedral built in 1712. He pointed out the Bishop's Residence and several other houses that were considered historic. He also pointed out a gazebo and some monuments. He also made sure to point out the Casa de los Leones which was built in 1724 and was now a cultural center. It was known as the Lion House because of the stone lions that were on either side of the door, at the top. He also showed that the edges contained stores and set the students free to explore.
He requested a meeting that night after dinner to make sure all were okay, and went off by himself to look and shop. For once he was on his own; Jim having decided he wanted to go off on his own. At the Casa de Leon, Blair found a perfect gift for Jim - a beautifully worked painting of Granada. Blair thought it'd look great on a wall in Jim's bedroom or maybe the kitchen. Afterwards he decided to ride in one of the horse drawn taxis just to see the city at a slow pace.
Blair enjoyed taking the slow, scenic route around the city. The Spanish architecture was beautiful and Blair could almost feel the history that drenched the town. The tour took a couple of hours and Blair was dropped off back at the square. It was still fairly early and Blair took the opportunity to explore the shops without Jim.
He found some beautiful pottery that was typical to the area. Blair took the opportunity to have it shipped. One of the pieces was quite large and would have been impossible to take on the plane. Eventually Blair became hungry and picked up some fast food. Granada was used to catering tourists and food stands were common. By the time Blair had finished eating, he had made his way back to the hotel.
In the lobby he bumped into George and Salia. They had also taken one of the carriages around the city. After comparing rides, they all agreed that it was the best way to see the city.
After wishing them a good evening, Blair walked to his room. He had found brochures in the lobby about the islands and he wanted to study them and finalize the plans for the rest of the trip. He had a small choice in hotels and he wanted to make sure he picked the best one with the most to offer.
Blair spent the next couple hours organizing the trip to the Corn Islands. They'd take their bus to the coast and then take a ferry from Rama to Big Corn Island where they'd stay at the Casa Blanca. The trip would take most of the day, 9 hours, beginning at 5 a.m. in the morning. Blair knew that the students wouldn't enjoy that, but they'd be able to sleep once on the ferry. He just hoped for calm waters.
By the time he finished making reservations, it was time for dinner. Blair had made plans with Jim to meet in the lobby. Gathering his wallet and camera, Blair made his way downstairs to the lobby where Jim had just entered from outside. "Hey Jim!" Blair called across the room.
Jim altered his trajectory, aiming for his partner. "Hungry yet?"
"Yeah, do you mind if we eat here at the hotel though? I don't really feel like going anywhere else tonight."
"Sure. What did you do?"
Blair detailed his day, ending with his reservations. "The Casa Blanca is right on the beach and has fans in the rooms. They also have mosquito nets, so we don't have to worry about buying any and the best part is that every verandah comes complete with a hammock."
Jim agreed that this would be a great place to relax. After dinner the two men met the rest of the group in the lobby. The students and Eli seemed happy with Blair's reservations and quietly talked about what they'd be able to do on the island.
Blair enthused about the good seafood Corn Island was known for. Little Corn Island was a short boat ride away and was known for a black-sand beach it had. Snorkeling expeditions took place daily. There was even a Spanish galleon wreck nearby to view underwater. There was also even a dance club in another hotel for those students who wanted to experience the night life.
George asked him how they were traveling to the islands and Blair replied, "By ferry of course. Hope people brought their Dramamine! But don't worry, the day we leave, we're going to fly back to Managua the day before we leave the country and that is just an hour long flight back to civilization."
The students seemed relieved that they'd only have to take a long boat ride once. Everyone was extremely anxious to get there and just relax for a while before traveling back home.
Climbing back into the bus, Blair instructed the driver to pick up any hikers, as many tourists try to hike the several kilometers to the top from the Center. The driver did pick up several grateful tourists along the way; two Americans and three Canadian missionaries.
They spent about an hour looking into the smoking crater and the beautiful countryside before heading to the bat cave. Once there, everyone agreed it wasn't that impressive and headed back down to the crater site. Blair was disappointed that the stairs to the cross were blocked off. They were unstable following an earthquake that occurred earlier that year.
He had hoped to see how far Jim could see from that high point, but he decided that he could live without the results. Anyway, Jim could probably see just as well from the parking lot they were in.
Jim, however, was already nervous. He could feel the minute movements from the active volcano. He knew there was no immediate danger, but his sentinel sense was telling him to get his vulnerable guide off the mountain.
Seeing several students get on the bus, Jim herded the rest of the wayward anthropologists to the bus where they headed down to the entrance. Within a few minutes they arrived at the gate and dropped off their extra passengers. Two actually stayed on as they were going to the town as well.
Within a short time, the bus had found their hotel where Jim and Blair checked in the group. They had filled the small hotel completely up. The students were okay with sharing the bathroom but were stunned that the walls didn't quite reach the ceiling.
"It's just for one night," Blair encouraged. "I just hope no one snores." Blair tried to joke. "You at least can dial it down," he whispered to Jim.
After everyone settled in, they got back on the bus and headed towards the walled in Mercado de Artesanía. This series of shops sold everything from pottery to hammocks to hand carved wood boxes. Eli advised them to get most of their souvenir shopping done here as it was the best opportunity to shop they'd get. Blair reminded them to haggle with the shop keepers as the final price was never the FINAL price. They split up, each group going their own way. Eli decided to stay with a group of students with poor Spanish skills while Jim and Blair headed in the other direction. They had decided to go in together on prezzies for their mutual friends so were looking forward to shopping for them.
The first two stalls had hammocks. After a fierce discussion Blair bought one. He had plans for the summer with the hammock and the roof of the apartment.
Getting that first purchase out of the way, Blair and Jim decided to shop around then buy. Jim was looking forward to haggling with the shopkeepers.
After shopping for a time, Jim dragged Blair back towards the entrance which had a series of food stalls. "Come on, Chief; I'm hungry. What do you want to eat?"
"The fried plantains look good. So do some of the tamales. Hey, use your nose; which is the best place to eat? The cleanest, freshest food?"
Jim's nose twitched and Blair shot out his hand to ground him. Jim turned in a circle and eventually pointed to a stall towards the middle of the line. Blair smiled and started to drag Jim with him. They ordered and took their food with them to sit at one of tables set up for that purpose. Both people watched while they ate. Blair pointed out some native Nican Nuns, dressed in white habits with blue trimming. Several students and Eli filtered past, and most either stopped by or waved. Unexpectedly the squeal of a microphone filled the air. Jim winced and dialed his hearing down. Blair quickly checked to make sure Jim was okay. "You okay, man?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. They're making an announcement."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, you'll like this. It seems that they're holding a native dance presentation starting in an hour or so. Full costumes and everything."
"Very cool! Come on; I'm done. Let's finish up our shopping and then come back and watch the dancing. We'll let people know as we see them about the entertainment."
The two left the table and continued with walking around the site. Blair bought a very pretty hand painted picture of Nicaragua and Jim found very reasonably priced leather goods that he was able to use his bartering skills on. He bought hand worked wallets for his brother, Steven and his father. For Sally, he found a hand sewn tablecloth with embroidered fruits on the edges and matching napkins. He was especially pleased with this purchase as it was under 25 American dollars. Blair picked up a beautifully carved wooden decanter set that had a tray and individual cups to go with it. For Megan, he decided that she would love the carved kangaroo puzzle box.
Walking around, Blair bounced from stall to stall. "I love bargaining! I think Americans lose a valuable part of their culture by not experiencing the thrill of the hunt, the thrill of bargaining until both members reach a mutually agreeable price. The interaction between the buyer and the buyee promotes friendliness and." Blair continued to talk about the psychology of bargaining prices as he walked from one stall to another.
Jim just smiled and patted his friend on the back, getting lost in the sound of Blair's soothing voice. He was doing fine in the noisy shopping center, but he was getting tired and Blair's voice helped to keep him centered and focused. "Well, I think we're good here. Why don't we go and get good seats by the stage. It looks like the chairs will fill up fast."
"Sure, sounds like a plan." Blair started walking back towards the stage in the middle of the building.
On the way, they ran into several groups of students and Eli. They joined the two and the group was able to find seats in the same area. The music came on and brightly colored men and women danced out. Bright greens, yellows and reds flashed across the stage as all ages of dancers from children to adults performed national dances.
Blair kept his camera flashing, knowing he'd be able to make slides and use them in classes. Jim was impressed at how graceful some of the dancers were. Dancing was not one of his fortes.
The show lasted for two hours and at the end, the announcer invited the spectators to join them on stage for a dance contest. Jim saw his bouncy partner next to him and had an idea. Eli must have had the same one because he tapped Jim on the arm and pointed to Blair, then the stage. Jim nodded and mouth, "Partner?"
Eli thought a second, and then pointed to one of the female students, an older graduate student that was working on her masters at Rainier. She had traveled almost as much as Blair and was also a bouncy type, though quieter.
Jim nodded. Smiling to himself, he whispered to Eli, "You grab Sarah and I'll grab Blair." Eli nodded and leaned over towards Sarah.
It took a few minutes of persuasion but the two agreed and walked up to the stage. Blair talked to the announcer and climbed up onto the stage. He then pulled Sarah up with him. Blair had taken off his glasses and h ad removed his hair tie. Now his shoulder length hair hung loose and free and bounced when he did.
Jim saw his partner converse with Sarah and knew that this would be worthy blackmail material for years. As the fast paced, modern music started up, Jim readied his camera. He started snapping as his uninhibited partner danced to the beat. Sarah quickly followed Blair's lead and the two were obviously having fun. Several other couples were on the stage and while one or two others matched Blair and Sarah's enthusiasm and skills, they were the best dancers up there. Of course this WAS in Jim's biased opinion, but listening in to other conversations about the dancing; Jim figured they were a shoe-in for winning.
Within a few minutes there were only three couples not tapped out of the contest. By this time, the Rainier students were using the heavy drum beat to perform some type of tribal dance. The audience was cheering the couple on loudly.
When the song ended, the room rang with the loudly cheering audience. When it quieted down enough to be heard, the announcer rapidly asked people to cheer for their favorites. The first couple got a good cheer, but the second was louder. Finally, when he pointed to Blair and Sarah the crowd went wild, shouting, cheering and clapping. The two students stood panting and blushing. As a reward, they were handed a case of Pepsi Twist, which had just been released in the country. The couples were given one last celebratory dance and then sent back to the audience. When Sarah and Blair reached the group, Eli and Jim started clapping and cheering in their honor. Jim didn't think Blair or Sarah could go any redder.
"Okay, stop it!" Blair cried. "We're embarrassed enough already. We danced, we won, now let's go!"
Sarah nodded; she really wasn't used to being the focus of so many people. Her fellow students kept on congratulating her and patting her on the back. A few high fives were also seen.
"That was some great dancing! Where did you learn that?" Salia asked. Others nodded and reiterated the question. Sarah blushed again and said, "Well, I don't know about Professor Sandburg, but I traveled in Africa a lot. One of the tribes I stayed with taught me some of those moves. Rather, I watched several dances and picked up the technique. I saw that it was a great way of dancing and tried it out at a few dance clubs."
Blair, who had overheard the question, agreed with her. "Yup, that's about how I learned it too. Though I did have a tribal member teach me so that I could join in on one of the dances after a hunt I participated in. The trick is to be relaxed and loose and follow the beat. After a while, it's like the music is dancing for you."
"Do you think you could teach me how?" Salia knew if she could dance like that, she would never leave a club by herself again. She loved to dance and any new steps she saw, she learned.
"Sure," Sarah replied. "It's not that hard."
The group packed up and started moving toward the exit. At points during the show, the rest of the group had found those sitting and watching the dancing, so they could leave immediately after the show without waiting for stragglers.
Within a short time, they had left the market and were back at the hotel. Most fell asleep quickly and slept the sleep of the just.
The next morning, everyone met for breakfast and loaded up the bus. By mid- morning, the study group had reached Granada. The first order of business was to find a hotel. This was quickly done, but it was still noon by the time they were checked in completely.
"Are you hungry?" Blair asked. Mumbles of agreement answered him. "Cool. What would people think of having pizza for lunch? I was told of an excellent place quite near to the lake and the main square we're seeing today."
The students cheered and George and Salia grabbed Blair's arms and dragged him out the door. They were very tired of Nica food and wanted pizza. Blair looked over his should and quipped, "I guess they're eager to see the lake!"
Jim groaned and followed the group out the door. The restaurant was small but easily accommodated the group. When the pizza arrived, everyone groaned at the wonderful smell that accompanied it. The pies were quickly devoured.
Afterwards, Blair and Eli led them towards Lake Nicaragua. Eli lectured on the way, "Lake Nicaragua is the only known fresh water lake that contains sharks. However, because of heavy fishing, they are low in numbers and stay quite near the middle."
Reaching the shore, students took the required pictures, using the volcano in the distance as a good backdrop. This was quickly done and as the water was extremely polluted, they made their way to a small park like square. At one end there was a statue of a conquistador. Blair asked, "Pop quiz. Where else have we seen or heard about Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba?"
The group conversed and George ventured, "In Leon Viejo?"
"Yup. He founded both Granada and Leon some time near 1524 and was eventually beheaded in 1526. Of course, he head was placed on a stick and paraded around the town square before being buried in the church we saw at Leon Viejo. You'll notice the heavy Spanish influence all over Nicaragua and much of it was because of Cordoba. In fact, if you turn around, you'll see one of the most prominent ones here in town."
The group did and saw a white dome of a church above a sea of green trees. Blair spoke up, "Here will be a good place for pictures. Once we get closer, it's impossible to get a good picture of the church. That's where we'll be heading next, though, if you want to wait till then."
After a few more minutes, the group headed over to the main square. There Blair pointed out the Cathedral built in 1712. He pointed out the Bishop's Residence and several other houses that were considered historic. He also pointed out a gazebo and some monuments. He also made sure to point out the Casa de los Leones which was built in 1724 and was now a cultural center. It was known as the Lion House because of the stone lions that were on either side of the door, at the top. He also showed that the edges contained stores and set the students free to explore.
He requested a meeting that night after dinner to make sure all were okay, and went off by himself to look and shop. For once he was on his own; Jim having decided he wanted to go off on his own. At the Casa de Leon, Blair found a perfect gift for Jim - a beautifully worked painting of Granada. Blair thought it'd look great on a wall in Jim's bedroom or maybe the kitchen. Afterwards he decided to ride in one of the horse drawn taxis just to see the city at a slow pace.
Blair enjoyed taking the slow, scenic route around the city. The Spanish architecture was beautiful and Blair could almost feel the history that drenched the town. The tour took a couple of hours and Blair was dropped off back at the square. It was still fairly early and Blair took the opportunity to explore the shops without Jim.
He found some beautiful pottery that was typical to the area. Blair took the opportunity to have it shipped. One of the pieces was quite large and would have been impossible to take on the plane. Eventually Blair became hungry and picked up some fast food. Granada was used to catering tourists and food stands were common. By the time Blair had finished eating, he had made his way back to the hotel.
In the lobby he bumped into George and Salia. They had also taken one of the carriages around the city. After comparing rides, they all agreed that it was the best way to see the city.
After wishing them a good evening, Blair walked to his room. He had found brochures in the lobby about the islands and he wanted to study them and finalize the plans for the rest of the trip. He had a small choice in hotels and he wanted to make sure he picked the best one with the most to offer.
Blair spent the next couple hours organizing the trip to the Corn Islands. They'd take their bus to the coast and then take a ferry from Rama to Big Corn Island where they'd stay at the Casa Blanca. The trip would take most of the day, 9 hours, beginning at 5 a.m. in the morning. Blair knew that the students wouldn't enjoy that, but they'd be able to sleep once on the ferry. He just hoped for calm waters.
By the time he finished making reservations, it was time for dinner. Blair had made plans with Jim to meet in the lobby. Gathering his wallet and camera, Blair made his way downstairs to the lobby where Jim had just entered from outside. "Hey Jim!" Blair called across the room.
Jim altered his trajectory, aiming for his partner. "Hungry yet?"
"Yeah, do you mind if we eat here at the hotel though? I don't really feel like going anywhere else tonight."
"Sure. What did you do?"
Blair detailed his day, ending with his reservations. "The Casa Blanca is right on the beach and has fans in the rooms. They also have mosquito nets, so we don't have to worry about buying any and the best part is that every verandah comes complete with a hammock."
Jim agreed that this would be a great place to relax. After dinner the two men met the rest of the group in the lobby. The students and Eli seemed happy with Blair's reservations and quietly talked about what they'd be able to do on the island.
Blair enthused about the good seafood Corn Island was known for. Little Corn Island was a short boat ride away and was known for a black-sand beach it had. Snorkeling expeditions took place daily. There was even a Spanish galleon wreck nearby to view underwater. There was also even a dance club in another hotel for those students who wanted to experience the night life.
George asked him how they were traveling to the islands and Blair replied, "By ferry of course. Hope people brought their Dramamine! But don't worry, the day we leave, we're going to fly back to Managua the day before we leave the country and that is just an hour long flight back to civilization."
The students seemed relieved that they'd only have to take a long boat ride once. Everyone was extremely anxious to get there and just relax for a while before traveling back home.