Padres en Nicaragua III

Pedro:  Our second full day in Esteli was as eventful and fun as the first!  After the lovely 6am tornado siren wakeup call, we went to the Somoto Canyon.  You like it?

Madre: Yes!  I can’t say that I’m fond of hiking in the hot, humid weather here, but the scenery sure is nice.  Our Nica-style adventure today included walking down to the river and negotiating with some guys to take us for a ride through the canyon in their rowboat.  No forms to sign, no life preservers, just step carefully over the rocks where a family was doing their laundry and laying clothes out to dry.  Once we were all seated in the little metal rowboat we got to enjoy a peaceful ride down the river, watching the high canyon walls around us while our “guide” expertly rowed us around rocks and mini rapids.  When we got as far as we could get in our mighty boat we got out and climbed on some boulders for a better view before returning downstream.

Canyon adventures!

 

Pedro:  Yup, that’s how things work in Nicaragua.  Top it all off with grilled sea bass and a couple cold Nicaraguan brews, it was a productive and fun morning and afternoon.  Afterwards, since it was on our way home, we stopped at my Nicaraguan bungalow.  Five star comfort, no?

Madre:  Let’s just say that you made me promise not to cry when I examined your home and I managed to keep my promise.  Enough said?

Pedro:  Fair.  For dinner we went to another upscale restaurant.  What’d ya think?

Madre: The food here is much better than we expected and the nice restaurants have some decent selections of Chilean and Argentine wines.  We’ve tried grilled beef, pork, chicken and seafood and though they are very simply prepared, generally with some kind of good sauce served on the side, they have all been good.  Not a wide variety of vegetables or salads, however.  And fortunately, your father and I both actually like rice and beans, especially if there’s some hot sauce to put on it (for me, not him) and as long as it’s just a side dish, not the whole meal.

Pedro:  Last night was funny.  We were the ONLY people in the non smoking section of the restaurant and klutzy Dad dropped his metal fork on the tile floor.  In less than 5 seconds, our waiter JOGGED over to give Dad a new one.  Needless to say, our service has always been good.