It’s obvious to me that I am definitely NOT in New Jersey anymore, or as Dorothy said to Toto, “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.”  We just got out of dipping in the hotel pool and I am sitting in the covered outdoor patio area of our hotel to take advantage of the Wi-Fi connection that doesn’t quite work in our room. A tropical breeze blows past me and I am sipping a cool glass of white wine. The temperature is around 87 degrees F but with the humidity, the “real feel” is 96 degrees F. Steamy. Tropical. Hot. Definitely not New Jersey.

The above photo was taken from our room balcony overlooking the town square and the beautiful church. Each morning since we arrived I have watched one particular older woman set up her food stand from start to finish. The process fills me with joy. I did take video of the whole thing this morning, from her waiting for the horse cart to arrive with all her things on it, to setting up for business. It’s part of daily life here. I will have more photos later, but for now you will have to be satisfied with my words and only a few photos.

Until you visit another culture other than your own comfortable one, you really can’t begin to understand. You sit smug in your own little bubble thinking that everyone does and reacts the same way. Until you are removed from that into a totally different culture which makes you look at the world in a completely different way.

Since we’ve arrived we’ve taken a horse drawn cart through the city, stood on the edge of an active volcano, taking in the steam and gases rising out of it, and later after it was dark, peering into its depths to see the glowing lava and hearing the magma exploding which sounded a lot like thunder, walked through a cave made from lava with lots of little fruit bats, and hiked around a “dormant” volcano’s rim in a cloud forest, seeing howler monkeys on the way back down.

I promise more photos to come but it might not happen until we return. It just depends on the weather and if we are confined to our room while we are in Panama since the weather outlook for weather without rain is not looking good at this point.

I must say that although Nicaragua is poor, the people here have a wonderful sense of national pride. It is evident in everyone we speak to. They are quick to tell you how great their roads are and how hard they are working on being self-sufficient in energy. They even harness the gas from an active volcano to provide power. They are proud people, as they should be for what they have accomplished.

So tomorrow we head to Panama and leave Nicaragua. More to come!