Poneloya

Last Wednesday, we went to the beach! It was about a half hour drive, but it took a little longer because we had to stop a lot and wait for cows to get off the road. It was absolutely beautiful. The first thing we saw was a huge orange rock that's called La Peña del Tigre, or Tiger Rock, because a tiger used to live underneath in in a cave a long time ago. There was also a cross at the top of one of the large rocks. When I asked Maria Denise why it was there, she said it was low tide and perfectly safe and normal to sit up there, and a boy was studying when all of a sudden a huge wave came and knocked him off the rock and he was killed :( The waves were beautiful but extremely dangerous. After lunch, which was amazing, we sat in the water right at the edge and a few times I was nearly taken away by the strength of the waves! It wasn't like anything I'd ever seen at the beach. We could barely go into the water past our calves without having the waves crashing into us and pulling us under. Oscarcito and Irelita stayed up by the sand, and one of us always had one of their hands just in case! It was very beautiful and relaxing, and I finally got some color from the Nicaraguan sun! Being there made me really realize the hardships of city life here. I find myself yearning for clean air. Everything is really crowded. There is terrible air pollution from all of the old vehicles. They definitely don't have emission tests here, and now I see why they are so important! Streets are very narrow and littered with garbage. Being at the beach was a little break where I could breathe and admire beauty, and it was very much needed. I didn't want to leave.

Thursday, the gringas (the other American girls who are living at the house) and I went to see Robin Hood. It was really really good. The girls are going back to the states Monday, and even though it is really convenient to have people in the house to talk to and go places with, it will be better that I am forced to get out and speak Spanish again the way it was the first week before they came. Saturday was Glenda's birthday, and we went to a different disco called Oxigeno. It was a lot of fun, and the next day, I slept till 1:00 AM. The girls and I went to this awesome vegetarian restaurant called Cocinarte, and I got falafel which I have been craving since before I left the states! After that we bought a bootleg DVD of Sex and the City 2 which are seriously sold EVERYWHERE right in the open, and we watched it. It was terrible in every aspect - the quality of the movie as well as the movie itself! Yesterday, we went and saw Date Night at the movies which I already saw in the states, but I was bored and it was really funny even the second time around. I am feeling pretty homesick at this point, and I am halfway through my trip. I know there are definitely so many things I am going to appreciate when I get home.