Blogity blog blog

A sign outside of Masaya translated: "If Nicaragua is my body, Masaya is my heart"
It's been a while, and yes I am still alive. Sorry if I worried anyone. Things have been slightly busy and for some reason I have just kept on putting off updating. No worries though, alas here I am.
Today I've had a couple of life-changing experiences. First of all I've been having some trouble with my debit card so I called my bank today and as it turns out, my card has been "compromised". Someone charged $3.40 at some website so now my card does not work. Due to this, the bank has to send me a new card which should arrive in about a week. Awesome, there's nothing like being in a foriegn country and not being able to access your bank account. There have been arrangements made to hold me off until then so don't worry, I won't go hungry or thirsty.
The second experience was truly one that every person must go through before becoming an adult. I woke up this morning and went into my bathroom. I happened to look over at my shower and found an extremely large cockroach on my shower floor surrounded by a ring of some sort of dried liquid. I had no idea what it was. Well I did what anyone would do, ignore it until I had to shower. It finally came time and as I was flicking the corpse into a plastic bag I had to remind myself that I was the bigger animal, that it was dead, and that I am a big girl. The cockroach is now gone and I am clean but I think my shower is haunted my its spirit. I know what you're thinking Alex, and I guess I've changed my mind, I know believe in ghosts.
Last weekend I went to a friend's beach house for the night at Playa Hermosa which means beautiful beach. It was absolutely gorgeous, but you'll have to take my word for it because I forgot my camera. The beach is about two hours away from Managua and on the way there we stopped for quesillos, apparently the best in Nicaragua. I don't have much of a reference, but I thought they were pretty good. It's a tortilla wrapped up with cheese and onions in the middle. Then they're this cream on the bottom which is the best part. It's served in a little plastic bag and after you eat about half of it, you push the rest down into the bag, tie off the top, cut a whole in the bottom of the bag and squeeze out the rest through the whole with your teeth. You don't let one drop of that cream get away and boy is it good. We arrived at the beach a couple of hours before nightfall and went swimming and had some dinner. After it was dark I got a chance to go on the beach and look at the stars, I don't think I've ever seen so many. There wasn't a city for miles and when you walked just a little down the beach the lights from the house were blocked and the sky looked velvet with little wholes poked out. The milky way was as clear as day across the sky and I couldn't have been happier.
I've made a couple other trips on Mondays, my day off. One to Masaya where there are a ton of artisans that sell almost exclusively to tourists and then also to the Apoyo lagoon. Both were really fun and I'm really glad I'm getting to see more of Nicaragua.
Next Saturday, Jill Laura and I are headed to Costa Rica for Semana Santa (Holy Week). I have no idea what we'll be doing, where we'll be going, or how we're getting there. It seems like people here are either very last minute or just very go with the flow. I'm trying to adopt this lifestyle which isn't so hard for me and therefore I'm not worrying about it. I'm sure it will be fun and if I get the chance I'll make some requests for activities but I'm sure I'll enjoy myself either way.
Next week is also the half way mark for my time here. I can't believe it. At this point, I'm asking myself why I didn't decide to study abroad for a year but we'll see what I have to say come May. I'm also really looking forward to this summer (I'll, hopefully, be living with Kate in the NYU dorms and working in New York.) so while I don't want to leave, I know there will be another adventure waiting for me when I get back. Oh to be young....