May 22, 2008 15:39
I am in Granada, Nicaragua. Today has been a bit of a bust: I feel like I have a cold, and my plans for Spanish classes fell through when I couldn't find the place at all. I have attempted to resolve the former by drinking tons of water (I think I may have been a little dehydrated and/or undernourished yesterday) but I still feel iffy. I resolved the latter problem by contacting the person with whom I had been having Spanish lessons over Skype before I came down here. Fortunately, she is available and I'll be working with her tomorrow. They have some afternoon activities, too, so I'll be happy to have a more-or-less fully programmed day.
The bus ride from San Jose to Nicaragua was largley uneventful. It was a Greyhound-style bus and it didn't make too many stops. I got dropped off in Jinotega and had to take a 30-minute taxi ride to Granada, which originally freaked me out because it was a long distance with me, the taxi driver and his wife. They were nice, though, and I emerged unscathed.
Granada is definitely a colonial city, with narrow, congested streets. Very few of the streets have names, either, in uniquely Nicaraguan style. Outside of Granada, I don't think any streets have names.
You can also tell that this is where the Nicaraguan money is. Some of the architecture here is really stunning. But you can also tell that "Nicaraguan money" is a relative term: there's been no running water in the city since about 9am, for example, so I haven't been able to shower.
Getting used to traveling alone is a challenge. My hostel is full of American hippie kids my age, but they're traveling in packs and it's hard to talk to any of them. Hopefully I'll find someone who's interesting to talk to.