November 26th, 2005: Granada, Nicaragua
November 27th, 2005: Granada, Nicaragua
On the 25th we were going to take a boat tour around the islands in Lake Nicaragua, but unfortunately we were so busy that we ran right out of time! After eating breakfast, swimming in the pool, lounging around the pool, eating lunch, and then contemplating what we might do for dinner we just couldn´t fit it into our schedule. (Looks like we´ve official made our 
transfer to CAST - Central American Standard Time)!!! On the 26th we headed down to the waterfront to finally take that boat tour we had been planning. Unfortunately there was something that was bugging us..... literally. We were surrounded by bugs. Not just a few, or even a swarm...there was just a solid thicket of bugs. They were in our hair, all over our skin, going up our nose and getting sucked into our lungs with 
every breath. It was absolutely horrible, so we had no choice but to head back. If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you can hopefully see them. The "grainy" look to the picture, or the appearance of a blizzard is actually the swarms of bugs! It was like nothing I´ve ever seen before! Needless to 
say, the rest of the afternoon was spent by the poolside where we were safe from the pests. On Sunday morning there was a small group of musicians that came by our hotel with a statue of Maria. They play a song for you, and you donate some money, or even flowers to decorate the shrine. we went to Masaya to once again see the mythology and folklore festival. As I mentioned in a previous posting, people dress in very ornate costumes and tour 
the city with their marimba bands. We found out today that the houses they visit are by volunteer basis, and after the dancers complete their show, the hosts at the houses provide food and drinks for the dancers as well as anyone else that has come along to watch the show. We were stopped by the owner of one of the homes and offered a wonderful rice dish, a bun and a glass of rum & Coke. We didn´t want to oblige, so we declined their offer, but the owner would not take no for an answer, and even offered us more food and drinks when we had finished our meal! They were extremely friendly and generous people, and we talked with them for some time about the 
festival and about life in Canada. It was so nice of them to welcome us into their home and treat us so kindly. They even waved us goodbye as we left to tour the rest of the city. After leaving there, we went towards the old market and came across another troop of dancers, this time in devilish costumes. We toured the city with them for a little bit of time, before heading back to the market to watch the traditional Nicaraguan dancers. The costumes of the dancers are very ornate, and I only wish that I could do the music justice in print. The random picture of Barney beating to a pulp was from a children´s birthday party taking place in the market. We thought it was too great and just had to add the picture.
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