Free Time in Granada

I had a fun first weekend.

I went to a large market about a half an hour from Granada. It was definitely similar to other Latin American markets I've been to, but there were a couple of noteworthy distinctions. The first was the large selection of taxidermied reptiles including an assortment of frog couples in compromising positions. It was a bit disconcerting, but in order to assist the local economy I did my Christmas shopping early. So, let me know if you prefer frogs or lizards. The second new encounter for me was the giant cheese section of the market. Cheese is so delicious that I didn't think twice about cruising through. But, I was very wrong and I may never eat my former favorite food again. The smell was horrific. It was far worse than even the meat section and most definitely the worst smell ever. I need to stop writing about it to keep from gagging. Oh well. At least this new repulsion will be a healthy diet change.

I also went on a kayak tour of the small islands in Lake Nicaragua. It was really fun and a bit scary when we got into the wavy open water. The lake is the only place that has a special type of shark that migrates from ocean salt water up the fresh water rivers to the lake. There numbers are quite small, so we didn't really have much of a chance to see one but it was still exciting to think that they're out there somewhere. We did see a ton of really cool looking birds and some interesting plants though. We also saw caiman skeleton with its head and part of its tail still attached.