We are leaving Mukul tomorrow morning and that feels about the right amount of time here. Rachel still has the stomach thing that I had the last day in Granada (she is only drinking tea and having plain bread). She was feeling better today. Now unfortunately Jenny is complaining that her tummy feels bad so we are hoping that we can keep her and Ava feeling good until we get home tomorrow. Of course, Ava eats nothing but the formula that we travel with (we carried over 25 pounds of formula with us!) so there is less risk that she will get what Rachel and I got.
On the positive side of the stomach issues, I think I lost a few pounds on this trip so not eating for a few days had its upside! Normally on a trip like this I can't resist all of the good food and come home feeling too full. Not that I would recommend to anyone having what I had! I am still taking 2 Cipros per day just as a precaution. Rachel has resisted taking it ( she's afraid it will make her feel worse).
Overall, I feel healthy and rested and happy that the vacation worked out so well. Hopefully we will have a much lighter load on the way home with much less formula, wipes, diapers, etc. Still, we have a ton of stuff - suitcases, a baby car seat and base, stroller, baby crib, etc. but we have had great support along the way from the tour company and the hotels in transporting all of our stuff.
Ok - I'll sign off now. Hopefully, the next post will be from Georgetown and will include photos.
J.
Friday, June 28, 2013
At Mukul
It has been several days since the last post. Part of the problem was that we were not able to get our computer to hook up to the last hotel's wifi. We were also so busy running around. Now we are at the second hotel, called Mikul, where we have been for two days. Unfortunately, we have to leave tomorrow.
This place is just incredible. Our room overlooks the Pacific Ocean and we have our own pool in the back yard of our villa. Jenny just loves the kids camp. The woman who is in charge (named Dominga) is just great and Jenny speaks Spanish with her all day. There is an incredible spa here and Rachel went yesterday while I hung out with Ava. We have been just resting and relaxing most of the time here.
So far, I have been the only one who had stomach issues. It started on our last day in Granada and I was pretty miserable as we were packing to come here. I started taking Cipro and I am feeling much better now. Now I think Rachel has the same thing that I had. I always know that there is something wrong with me when I want nothing to do with food. That is the way it was for the last morning in Granada and the first few days at Mikul. I did not eat for an entire day -- just the thought of food made me feel bad. I had to sit away from Rachel and Jenny when they ate. But know I feel great and am eating again. The good news is that the girls have been totally healthy.
A few things that I will have to post about later -- on our last full day in Granda, we visited a coffee plantation and it was really interesting. The guide was very knowledgeable about the process and showed us the coffee fields as well as the place where the beans are washed and prepared to be roasted. It gave us a new appreciation for coffee.
After we left the coffee plantation, I was ready to head back to the hotel and enjoy the amazing pool. But Rachel asked the guide if there was anything else that we could see. He said that there is a town near the coffee plantation that is knows for its expert pottery craftsmen. So we went there. It turned out that the little town was also celebrating a festival. I forget which saint they were celebrating but it was quite a scene. The guide explained to us that the men carry huge logs loaded up with fresh fruit to offer the saint. There were men with trumpets and drums marching with the fruit and people shooting off fireworks. It was a bit like Mardi Gras. We finally got to the part of the village where the pottery is made. It was such an incredible scene. It was a very poor village with no running water and dirt floors. But the craftsmen were incredible proud and talented. Our guide translated for us as the master potter explained how they prepare the clay, how they polish it, how they use local colors to color the pots, etc. It was an incredible, painstaking process to get each piece ready to be decorated. They showed us the kiln that they use to fire the pieces and then how they polish and decorate them. Seeing that really was one of the highlights of our trip. They asked Jenny if she wanted to try to make a pot. They were so great with her -- speaking Spanish with her and showing her how to make the clay wet and put it on the spinning wheel (which they turned by hand). They helped her craft her little ball of clay into a pot. It really was incredible.
Normally, my experience with things like that is that there is the portion of the visit where they try to get you to buy whatever crafts they make. But in this case, they did not do that. They did have a room where they had finished crafts but we had to ask them if any of it was for sale. Rachel picked out several nice pieces for very reasonable prices.
Since we have been in Mikul, it has been a much different experience. This place really is one of the most luxurious places we have ever seen. The art is all beautiful and local. We are on an incredible cove on the Pacific Ocean and the waves are just amazing.
I will have to sign off now since I have to go feed Ava and I am going to check on Rachel (she is asleep back in the room). So I will stop now but hopefully will have a chance to post later. I will have to wait to post the photos until we get home.
J.
This place is just incredible. Our room overlooks the Pacific Ocean and we have our own pool in the back yard of our villa. Jenny just loves the kids camp. The woman who is in charge (named Dominga) is just great and Jenny speaks Spanish with her all day. There is an incredible spa here and Rachel went yesterday while I hung out with Ava. We have been just resting and relaxing most of the time here.
So far, I have been the only one who had stomach issues. It started on our last day in Granada and I was pretty miserable as we were packing to come here. I started taking Cipro and I am feeling much better now. Now I think Rachel has the same thing that I had. I always know that there is something wrong with me when I want nothing to do with food. That is the way it was for the last morning in Granada and the first few days at Mikul. I did not eat for an entire day -- just the thought of food made me feel bad. I had to sit away from Rachel and Jenny when they ate. But know I feel great and am eating again. The good news is that the girls have been totally healthy.
A few things that I will have to post about later -- on our last full day in Granda, we visited a coffee plantation and it was really interesting. The guide was very knowledgeable about the process and showed us the coffee fields as well as the place where the beans are washed and prepared to be roasted. It gave us a new appreciation for coffee.
After we left the coffee plantation, I was ready to head back to the hotel and enjoy the amazing pool. But Rachel asked the guide if there was anything else that we could see. He said that there is a town near the coffee plantation that is knows for its expert pottery craftsmen. So we went there. It turned out that the little town was also celebrating a festival. I forget which saint they were celebrating but it was quite a scene. The guide explained to us that the men carry huge logs loaded up with fresh fruit to offer the saint. There were men with trumpets and drums marching with the fruit and people shooting off fireworks. It was a bit like Mardi Gras. We finally got to the part of the village where the pottery is made. It was such an incredible scene. It was a very poor village with no running water and dirt floors. But the craftsmen were incredible proud and talented. Our guide translated for us as the master potter explained how they prepare the clay, how they polish it, how they use local colors to color the pots, etc. It was an incredible, painstaking process to get each piece ready to be decorated. They showed us the kiln that they use to fire the pieces and then how they polish and decorate them. Seeing that really was one of the highlights of our trip. They asked Jenny if she wanted to try to make a pot. They were so great with her -- speaking Spanish with her and showing her how to make the clay wet and put it on the spinning wheel (which they turned by hand). They helped her craft her little ball of clay into a pot. It really was incredible.
Normally, my experience with things like that is that there is the portion of the visit where they try to get you to buy whatever crafts they make. But in this case, they did not do that. They did have a room where they had finished crafts but we had to ask them if any of it was for sale. Rachel picked out several nice pieces for very reasonable prices.
Since we have been in Mikul, it has been a much different experience. This place really is one of the most luxurious places we have ever seen. The art is all beautiful and local. We are on an incredible cove on the Pacific Ocean and the waves are just amazing.
I will have to sign off now since I have to go feed Ava and I am going to check on Rachel (she is asleep back in the room). So I will stop now but hopefully will have a chance to post later. I will have to wait to post the photos until we get home.
J.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Day four in Granada
I still am not able to post photos because I am not able to transfer the photos from the camera to the computer in the hotel business center. So I will try to do that when we get to the next hotel on Wednesday. In the meantime, I will do a post about our activities yesterday.
We started the day with another wonderful breakfast by the pool. As I mentioned before, the hotel has a great breakfast buffet with traditional Nicaraguan food and they have tables set up next to the pool where everyone eats. There was a large group from Minnesota who were in Nicaragua with a national nonprofit organization that provides microloans to small businesses. They were going to be visiting some rural farms and helping out. We talked with people in that group for a long time (everyone is attracted to Jenny and Ava so it is an instant conversation starter). The people were really nice.
After breakfast, Rachel took Ava up the room to give her a bath (we brought an inflatable baby bathtub with us). Jenny and I wandered around for about an hour. First, we went back to the coffee shop that we had found the night before. We bought coffee for me and some bottled water for Rachel. While we were sitting there, we met a nice guy from Australia who was on a 6 month trip around central America. He had been in Vietnam and Cambodia and a bunch of other places. He was making his way across Central America and was on his way to Cuba. We talked all about his travels and when he found out I worked for the Fed and was from Washington DC, it turned out that he had been a student of international affairs at George Washington University in DC and he was very knowledgeable about finance and monetary policy. So we talked for a while about what the Fed has been doing and he told me about two books he was reading about monetary policy! It was so funny given that he looked like such a surf dude and had the big Aussie accent.
Then Jenny and I found a bank and I got some cash. Then we went back to the hotel and met Rachel. We met our guide in the lobby at 10 am and we all loaded into the minivan. We drove to the shores of Lake Nicaragua. From there, we boarded a boat that was very comfortable. It had a covered top to keep us out of the sun. We put Ava in a little baby life jacket (she did not like that very much). Then our we explored the volcanic islands in Lake Nicaragua. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about nature and he told Jenny about all of the different kinds of birds. We saw beautiful birds, lots of turtles, and even monkeys swinging from the trees. Jenny just loved it.
After exploring many of the islands, the boat docked at an island and we had a really nice rest. They served Jenny a wonderful pineapple drink, I tried another one of the local beers (called Toña), and Rachel stuck with sparkling water. The island was covered in mango trees so Jenny collected mangos. There was also a beautiful parrot that Jenny liked. After a while, we boarded the boat again and explore more of the islands. Some of the islands have big houses on them. One was so big, it had its own landing pad for a helicopter! We finally headed back to the shore and boarded the minibus. Rachel asked the guide whether we can visit a town that has a big crafts market (she had read about it in the guide book). The driver said they could take us and there was a nice spot to have lunch along the way. So we drove for about 30 minutes. The lunch spot was amazing. It was on the top of a mountain overlooking the lake (the lake is so big, it looks like the ocean). We ordered an amazing soup for me and Jenny and Rachel shared a really good chicken dish. I also ordered a traditional meat dish that was similar to what I had for lunch the day before -- rice and beans, sweet plantains, and different types of mean (mainly pork and steak). It was really good. They brought Ava a baby high chair and it was the first time she had every sat in one! She had a good time destroying napkins and banging on the tray of the high chair!
We next headed back to the minivan where we drove to the crafts market. It was huge and we spent about an hour walking around. Rachel bought beautiful embroidered dresses for the girls and also shoes and a beautiful doll for Jenny. All of the locals thought both girls were so beautiful and kept saying in Spanish "so beautiful!". We were all tired so we headed back to the van and made the 40 minute drive back to the hotel.
Rachel took Ava down by the pool to feed her and Jenny and I got our bathing suits on. We splashed around the pool for a long time and got ourselves so tired out we could barely make it to dinner. So like the night before, we just had a few tapas from the hotel. Rachel took Ava to bed at 6 pm. Jenny and I were going to walk to the business center so Jenny could play on the computer (she wanted to find Disney videos). But on the way to the business center, we were walking by the pool and we met a family from Colorado with a girl who was a senior in high school. That was it for Jenny. She started playing with the girl and pretty soon they were best friends. The girl had her laptop and they were listening to Taylor Swift and looking at funny pictures on the computer. We ended up hanging out with them for over two hours. The husband was a captain in the Littleton, Colorado fire department. The wife was a public school teacher. It was really nice talking with them and Jenny asked if she could play with them the next day.
We went back to the room around 9 pm and after Jenny brushed her teeth and got her pajamas on, she went straight to bed next to Rachel. I just woke up a few minutes ago and ordered two cafe con leches for me and Rachel. Now I am going to head back to the room and make sure everyone is up. We have a tour today to a working coffee plantation and then to visit the volcano. We plan to make this a more restful day. So we think we should be getting back to the hotel around lunchtime and hopefully can just hang out in the beautiful pool.
More later...
J.
We started the day with another wonderful breakfast by the pool. As I mentioned before, the hotel has a great breakfast buffet with traditional Nicaraguan food and they have tables set up next to the pool where everyone eats. There was a large group from Minnesota who were in Nicaragua with a national nonprofit organization that provides microloans to small businesses. They were going to be visiting some rural farms and helping out. We talked with people in that group for a long time (everyone is attracted to Jenny and Ava so it is an instant conversation starter). The people were really nice.
After breakfast, Rachel took Ava up the room to give her a bath (we brought an inflatable baby bathtub with us). Jenny and I wandered around for about an hour. First, we went back to the coffee shop that we had found the night before. We bought coffee for me and some bottled water for Rachel. While we were sitting there, we met a nice guy from Australia who was on a 6 month trip around central America. He had been in Vietnam and Cambodia and a bunch of other places. He was making his way across Central America and was on his way to Cuba. We talked all about his travels and when he found out I worked for the Fed and was from Washington DC, it turned out that he had been a student of international affairs at George Washington University in DC and he was very knowledgeable about finance and monetary policy. So we talked for a while about what the Fed has been doing and he told me about two books he was reading about monetary policy! It was so funny given that he looked like such a surf dude and had the big Aussie accent.
Then Jenny and I found a bank and I got some cash. Then we went back to the hotel and met Rachel. We met our guide in the lobby at 10 am and we all loaded into the minivan. We drove to the shores of Lake Nicaragua. From there, we boarded a boat that was very comfortable. It had a covered top to keep us out of the sun. We put Ava in a little baby life jacket (she did not like that very much). Then our we explored the volcanic islands in Lake Nicaragua. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about nature and he told Jenny about all of the different kinds of birds. We saw beautiful birds, lots of turtles, and even monkeys swinging from the trees. Jenny just loved it.
After exploring many of the islands, the boat docked at an island and we had a really nice rest. They served Jenny a wonderful pineapple drink, I tried another one of the local beers (called Toña), and Rachel stuck with sparkling water. The island was covered in mango trees so Jenny collected mangos. There was also a beautiful parrot that Jenny liked. After a while, we boarded the boat again and explore more of the islands. Some of the islands have big houses on them. One was so big, it had its own landing pad for a helicopter! We finally headed back to the shore and boarded the minibus. Rachel asked the guide whether we can visit a town that has a big crafts market (she had read about it in the guide book). The driver said they could take us and there was a nice spot to have lunch along the way. So we drove for about 30 minutes. The lunch spot was amazing. It was on the top of a mountain overlooking the lake (the lake is so big, it looks like the ocean). We ordered an amazing soup for me and Jenny and Rachel shared a really good chicken dish. I also ordered a traditional meat dish that was similar to what I had for lunch the day before -- rice and beans, sweet plantains, and different types of mean (mainly pork and steak). It was really good. They brought Ava a baby high chair and it was the first time she had every sat in one! She had a good time destroying napkins and banging on the tray of the high chair!
We next headed back to the minivan where we drove to the crafts market. It was huge and we spent about an hour walking around. Rachel bought beautiful embroidered dresses for the girls and also shoes and a beautiful doll for Jenny. All of the locals thought both girls were so beautiful and kept saying in Spanish "so beautiful!". We were all tired so we headed back to the van and made the 40 minute drive back to the hotel.
Rachel took Ava down by the pool to feed her and Jenny and I got our bathing suits on. We splashed around the pool for a long time and got ourselves so tired out we could barely make it to dinner. So like the night before, we just had a few tapas from the hotel. Rachel took Ava to bed at 6 pm. Jenny and I were going to walk to the business center so Jenny could play on the computer (she wanted to find Disney videos). But on the way to the business center, we were walking by the pool and we met a family from Colorado with a girl who was a senior in high school. That was it for Jenny. She started playing with the girl and pretty soon they were best friends. The girl had her laptop and they were listening to Taylor Swift and looking at funny pictures on the computer. We ended up hanging out with them for over two hours. The husband was a captain in the Littleton, Colorado fire department. The wife was a public school teacher. It was really nice talking with them and Jenny asked if she could play with them the next day.
We went back to the room around 9 pm and after Jenny brushed her teeth and got her pajamas on, she went straight to bed next to Rachel. I just woke up a few minutes ago and ordered two cafe con leches for me and Rachel. Now I am going to head back to the room and make sure everyone is up. We have a tour today to a working coffee plantation and then to visit the volcano. We plan to make this a more restful day. So we think we should be getting back to the hotel around lunchtime and hopefully can just hang out in the beautiful pool.
More later...
J.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Day 3 in Nicaragua
I just woke up and will try to do a quick post before the girls wake up. Yesterday was a wonderful day of touring Granada. We started the day with a really nice breakfast by the pool. Then we met our guide at the front desk at 10 am and he took us on a really interesting and full tour of the city. We started on a carriage pulled by two beautifully decorated horses. That sounds hokey but it is actually the way many people travel around the city (as we were moving around the city, we saw many locals with carriages (usually pulled by one horse or a mule). The guide was really knowledgeable about the city history, politics, and religion. We visited the old train station and the city cemetery (it reminded me of a New Orleans cemetery with huge, ornate crypts above ground). Then we continued by carriage to a beautiful church. Since it was Sunday, lots of people were at the church and it was nice to see all of the families.
At that point, we left the horse drawn carriage and walked. We had Ava in the umbrella stroller (or one of us carried her) and Jenny was fine with walking. We climbed the long circular staircase that goes to the top of the church bell tower. From there, we had a great view of the city. There was a nice breeze from the bell tower (it is pretty hot here so the breeze felt good). We next walked through one of the historical neighborhoods and our guide explained the history of how the city was formed and some of the politics. We next visited a former convent that is now a museum. It had amazing pieces that were more than 1000 years old.
At that point, it was lunchtime. The guide recommended a place with good local food and we said goodbye to him and sat down for lunch. The restaurant was beautiful and we were seated in a lovely outdoor courtyard (like many of the typical colonial style buildings, the courtyard had a fountain, ceiling fans, and a beautiful, lush garden). We had a feast. I had a few of the very cold, local beers that were excellent. Rachel and Jenny stuck with sparkling water. Then we ordered a huge dish that had many of the traditional Nicaraguan prepared meats including chicken, pork, and steak. It also had plantains, and beans and rice. Jenny had a grilled cheese sandwich. We stayed there for more than 2 hours eating and relaxing. Because the climate is tropical here, it usually rains every day and we played with the girls while were were waiting for the rain to stop. Then we walked back to the hotel across the beautiful central square across from our hotel.
After resting in the room for a little bit and changing Ava, Jenny wanted to go swimming in the hotel pool so we all went down there and Rachel held Ava while Jenny and I were in the pool. The water was great and the pool area was so beautiful. We met a nice family from Texas and the two girls (one in college and one in high school) played with Ava and Jenny.
We were too tired to go out to dinner so we stayed in the hotel and had some tapas on the hotel front porch overlooking the central city square. Rachel took Ava to bed at around 6 pm. Jenny and I wandered around for a while more. We lay on the pool chairs and told stories. Finally we went back to the room watched some TV. We went to bed around 8 pm. As with last night, Rachel slept in one room with Jenny (with Ava in the pack and play). I slept in the other room.
I slept great but the crazy chirping birds woke me up at 4:45 am. I did not mind. I like getting up early before everyone else. It took a shower and came down to the business center to do this post. I still need to post some photos and I will try that later.
Today we are meeting our guide at 10 am and we will be taking a boat tour of the volcanic islands on lake Nicaragua and I believe we will be visiting the volcano. So far, nobody has gotten sick. We are being very careful about what we eat. We will keep our fingers crossed that everyone stays healthy. We have taken some great photos and I cannot wait to post them.
More later...
J.
At that point, we left the horse drawn carriage and walked. We had Ava in the umbrella stroller (or one of us carried her) and Jenny was fine with walking. We climbed the long circular staircase that goes to the top of the church bell tower. From there, we had a great view of the city. There was a nice breeze from the bell tower (it is pretty hot here so the breeze felt good). We next walked through one of the historical neighborhoods and our guide explained the history of how the city was formed and some of the politics. We next visited a former convent that is now a museum. It had amazing pieces that were more than 1000 years old.
At that point, it was lunchtime. The guide recommended a place with good local food and we said goodbye to him and sat down for lunch. The restaurant was beautiful and we were seated in a lovely outdoor courtyard (like many of the typical colonial style buildings, the courtyard had a fountain, ceiling fans, and a beautiful, lush garden). We had a feast. I had a few of the very cold, local beers that were excellent. Rachel and Jenny stuck with sparkling water. Then we ordered a huge dish that had many of the traditional Nicaraguan prepared meats including chicken, pork, and steak. It also had plantains, and beans and rice. Jenny had a grilled cheese sandwich. We stayed there for more than 2 hours eating and relaxing. Because the climate is tropical here, it usually rains every day and we played with the girls while were were waiting for the rain to stop. Then we walked back to the hotel across the beautiful central square across from our hotel.
After resting in the room for a little bit and changing Ava, Jenny wanted to go swimming in the hotel pool so we all went down there and Rachel held Ava while Jenny and I were in the pool. The water was great and the pool area was so beautiful. We met a nice family from Texas and the two girls (one in college and one in high school) played with Ava and Jenny.
We were too tired to go out to dinner so we stayed in the hotel and had some tapas on the hotel front porch overlooking the central city square. Rachel took Ava to bed at around 6 pm. Jenny and I wandered around for a while more. We lay on the pool chairs and told stories. Finally we went back to the room watched some TV. We went to bed around 8 pm. As with last night, Rachel slept in one room with Jenny (with Ava in the pack and play). I slept in the other room.
I slept great but the crazy chirping birds woke me up at 4:45 am. I did not mind. I like getting up early before everyone else. It took a shower and came down to the business center to do this post. I still need to post some photos and I will try that later.
Today we are meeting our guide at 10 am and we will be taking a boat tour of the volcanic islands on lake Nicaragua and I believe we will be visiting the volcano. So far, nobody has gotten sick. We are being very careful about what we eat. We will keep our fingers crossed that everyone stays healthy. We have taken some great photos and I cannot wait to post them.
More later...
J.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Still day two in Nicaragua
We just finished a great breakfast by the pool. The hotel has a really elegant outdoor courtyard with a pool and tables all around it. The breakfast was served there. They had a really nice selection of food -- Jenny loved it and so did Rachel. We fed Ava her formula and also some baby food that we broght with us. We are being very careful about what we eat -- we are not drinking the water and are not eating anything like salad or fresh fruit. There was a doctor sitting next to me on the plane who warned us about not eating fresh fruit.
Right now, Ava is taking a nap in the room with Rachel. Jenny and I are at the hotel business center where Jenny is watching Disney videos an the computer next to me while I type. We are getting picked up in an hour by our guide and we have a half day tour around Grenada.
Rachel and I were talking this morning about how interesting it is to be here compared to our normal U.S. fancy hotel experience. Here it is a much different experience and you have to be more open minded. For example, there is no room service and there is less air conditioning. But the hotel is constructed in a way so that there is always a breeze blowing and there are ceiling fans everywhere. The people have been so friendly and it is great watching Jenny speak Spanish.
I forgot to mention about dinner last night. We got a recommendation from the hotel front desk to try a restaurant just on the other side of the church near our hotel. But just as we were walking there, the sky opened up and it started to pour rain. We had umbrellas but we were still gettng soaked. So instead of going to the restaurant where we were supposed to go, we went into the first restaurant we saw. It turned out to be really beautiful and great food. We started with empandas and a chicken soup that was delicious. Then Jenny and Rachel split a really good chicken dish and I had fresh pasta with the local beer (called Victoria). The food was so good and the entire bill was 30 dollars. Ava was starting to get fussy because it was past her bedtime so we headed back to the hotel. Rachel and Ava went to bed at 6 pm! Jenny and I stayed up until about 7:30 pm. We all slept great except for the crazy chirping birds at something like 4:45 am! I did not mind. I woke up and went downstairs and asked for some coffee. They brought two delicious cafe con leches to our room.
Ok - I will sign off now. Jenny took some photos at breakfast so I will see if I can post those later.
J.
Right now, Ava is taking a nap in the room with Rachel. Jenny and I are at the hotel business center where Jenny is watching Disney videos an the computer next to me while I type. We are getting picked up in an hour by our guide and we have a half day tour around Grenada.
Rachel and I were talking this morning about how interesting it is to be here compared to our normal U.S. fancy hotel experience. Here it is a much different experience and you have to be more open minded. For example, there is no room service and there is less air conditioning. But the hotel is constructed in a way so that there is always a breeze blowing and there are ceiling fans everywhere. The people have been so friendly and it is great watching Jenny speak Spanish.
I forgot to mention about dinner last night. We got a recommendation from the hotel front desk to try a restaurant just on the other side of the church near our hotel. But just as we were walking there, the sky opened up and it started to pour rain. We had umbrellas but we were still gettng soaked. So instead of going to the restaurant where we were supposed to go, we went into the first restaurant we saw. It turned out to be really beautiful and great food. We started with empandas and a chicken soup that was delicious. Then Jenny and Rachel split a really good chicken dish and I had fresh pasta with the local beer (called Victoria). The food was so good and the entire bill was 30 dollars. Ava was starting to get fussy because it was past her bedtime so we headed back to the hotel. Rachel and Ava went to bed at 6 pm! Jenny and I stayed up until about 7:30 pm. We all slept great except for the crazy chirping birds at something like 4:45 am! I did not mind. I woke up and went downstairs and asked for some coffee. They brought two delicious cafe con leches to our room.
Ok - I will sign off now. Jenny took some photos at breakfast so I will see if I can post those later.
J.
Second day in Granada
It is morning on our second day in Nicaragua. Everything went well last night. Our room is really nice -- it is a suite with two bedrooms and another room with a TV and sitting area. Rachel slept in one room with both girls and I slept in the other one. That worked well since I like to keep my room really cold and the AC worked great.
There is one funny thing with this hotel. We are on a square facing a beautiful church and there are trees lining the square. Last night around 5 pm, a huge number of birds assembled in the trees and started chirping so loud. I asked the lady at the hotel front desk what it was. She said the birds do that like clockwork every evening from 5-6 pm and again in the morning from 5-6 am! Sure enough, this morning, it was like an alarm clock at 5 am since our room overlooks the square. Rachel does not mind and I can get used to it.
We are feeling really good to be here and I am about to go out and buy some bottled water since we are not supposed to drink the water in the hotel. So I will do that now and will post again later.
J
There is one funny thing with this hotel. We are on a square facing a beautiful church and there are trees lining the square. Last night around 5 pm, a huge number of birds assembled in the trees and started chirping so loud. I asked the lady at the hotel front desk what it was. She said the birds do that like clockwork every evening from 5-6 pm and again in the morning from 5-6 am! Sure enough, this morning, it was like an alarm clock at 5 am since our room overlooks the square. Rachel does not mind and I can get used to it.
We are feeling really good to be here and I am about to go out and buy some bottled water since we are not supposed to drink the water in the hotel. So I will do that now and will post again later.
J
Saturday, June 22, 2013
We are in Nicaragua!
We arrived today in Managua and everything was good with the travel. We have so much stuff! We were met at the airport by the tour company and had a nice air conditioned van to take us to Granada. We just came back from dinner and Rachel put Ava to bed. Rachel just fell asleep and Jenny and I are playing on the I-pad. We will go to bed soon. Tomorrow we have a tour of Grandad so we will take pictures and post them to the blog. More to come...
J.
J.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Ava playing with Jenny's books
Ava loves to do anything that Jenny does. Lately, she won't let Jenny read a book without trying to get in on the action (she usually tries to put the book in her mouth). If Rachel says, "Where's Jenny?", Ava perks up and starts looking around excitedly for her big sister. It's pretty funny.
Here are some photos that Rachel took this morning of Ave playing with Jenny's bookshelf after Jenny wasn't there to defend them.
J.
Here are some photos that Rachel took this morning of Ave playing with Jenny's bookshelf after Jenny wasn't there to defend them.
J.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Having fun at home
I don't know why I named this blog post "having fun at home" because that could pretty much describe most of the pictures that I post to this blog. Still, this morning was particularly fun. Jenny and I had a great time taking turns taking funny pictures of each other (lots of eyeball photos) and of Ava (including the one of Ava's feet). I also included a few non-silly ones that mommy would like. Here are my favorite ones from today. I especially like the ones we took of the girls on Jenny's bed. There are also some that Jenny took of me feeding Ava. This group also includes one photo that Rachel took of Ellen and the girls (Jenny was dressed-up for the annual movement show at school). I asked Rachel what Jenny's costume was and apparently, she was the color red. Pretty abstract.
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Tuesday, June 4, 2013
More photos
It has been a few weeks since I posted to the blog so I have a lot of photos. This includes the standard ones of Jenny and Ava and Rachel at home but also a few good ones at Jenny's dance recital. Ava and Jenny both look so happy and beautiful (so does R).
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