It´s really hot here

I am in Nicaragua! I arrived this morning and had no trouble changing money and finding the bus stop to get out of Managua and head to Granada. It was a little tricky when I was getting out of the cab at the bus stop and two bus conductors grabbed my backpack and started arguing about which bus I should take. Fortunately, my panic Spanish kicked right in and I was able to yell at them that I didn´t care which bus I took I just wanted my bag back. One of the guys hurled it onto his bus, so I followed my bag in and took that one. I´m pretty sure they were intimidated by me so that´s why they didn´t give the back directly to me :-)

Once we got into Granada, I decided to get off at a stop that lots of passengers stood up for. I didn´t know where to head, so I put on my packs and started walking like I knew where I was going. For the first time ever this worked out really well because after a block I saw a sign for a hostel that was recommended on wikitravel. I checked into a tiny but mostly clean dorm that I´m sharing with two girls from Germany.

After claiming my bunk, I consulted my Lonely Planet bible er book and set out to find a school to enroll in. However, I totally managed to misread the map and went in the complete wrong direction. After walking in the sun and humidity through blocks and blocks of shanty homes, I decided I´d better head back the way I came. I was pretty embarrassed when I realized I was only a block away from where I wanted to go when I turned right instead of left. Oh well, at least I got to see a less touristy side of the city.

I stopped to get some lunch at little homefront restaurant, and the owner was so nice and chatty. She told me of a school nearby that has a good reputation, and she even told me I could come back and pay later when she couldn´t make change for my large cordoba bills. The school turned out to be great and I start classes tomorrow morning and move into my homestay after class. The director even made phone calls to two possible volunteer places and set up appointments for me to visit. And the best part: after I found a bank to make change and went back to the restuarant, I got a free piece of yummy cornbread.

After all that work I needed a nap and managed to snag one of the hammocks in front of the hostel. Now I´m at the internet cafe after dinner and two beers. A pretty good first day!