Leon and other outings

This weekend was a mix of activity and relaxation. On Friday I went with Mike and Gina and the family to Galaries, the big mall. Our little outing included window shopping, lunch, groceries, and my first experience at GameSpot, the arcade in the mall. Although we enjoyed our time away, it was longer than expected. There were some rotundas and roads closed in the area, which made our trip home long and frustrating. Mike and Gina did a great job of navigating, and I got one last tour of Managua!

On Saturday, I took a trip with my friend Leah. We decided to visit Leon, where she used to live. I met Leah at a gas station, and we took a "chicken bus" to another bus stop. The Nicaraguan public transportation system uses school buses, which are commonly known as "chicken buses." They have no laws against maximum capacity, so you often see these buses overflowing with people, especially around 8 am and 5pm. Thankfully, our bus wasn't overflowing. When we got to the next bus stop, we waited in line to take a micro bus (or a van) to Leon. However, because it was a workers holiday, the buses were very slow. After about an hour and a half, we finally got a bus and headed to Leon. When we arrived in Leon, everything was wet and there were some small floods in some areas of the city. We managed to only get our feet slightly wet as we jumped into the back of a camionetta. A comionetta is a pick-up truck with benches in the back that is commonly used as transportation in Leon. We took a short drive through the city and towards the main square. This is where we spent the majority of our day having lunch, shopping, and taking in the city. I was able to find a few things for great deals! After shopping, we visited the family that Leah used to live with. They had a parrot that could talk. It said some funny things and it could even laugh!

After our visit, we took a taxi to the bus stop and grabbed a micro bus home. I got out at another bus stop on my own, and took a taxi home, which was the first time I have ever done that. Thankfully, a lady who spoke English, saw me struggling to communicate with the taxi driver and helped me out. It was great to finally be home and rest my feet after a fun day in Leon.

On Sunday, I went with Rebecca to see where Chilo lives. Chilo is the lady that cleans our apartment. She is a sweetheart. She lives up on the hillside, which is beautiful, cool and green. It was fun to see her family and their way of life.

Monday night, I had one last visit to the Pena's household. This is where Aimee was living for about 2 months of the semester. They made a wonderful Nicaraguan meal including quesillos, cacao, and arroz con leche (rice pudding...yum!) It was delicious, and I thoroughly enjoyed my last meal with them. As always, it was difficult to say goodbye, but I have so many fond memories of that family.

Some of the pictures I have posted are from Leon and my visits, but I have also posted a few random ones that I have taken in the past few weeks. Enjoy!