Granada & Masaya

The past week in Nicaragua has been so full that it has left little time for journalling. Today we left the Island of Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua at 5am to arrive in the old Spanish colonial city of Granada at 9am. After exploring the main cathedral and the art school both off the central park and independence square, we boarded a 'chicken bus' to Masaya. We took the bus too far, almost to the capital- Managua. We got off and hitched on a 'chicken van' back to Masaya and walked at least 2 kilometers to the Mercado Viejo, which is an old artillery now used as an open air market.
The chicken bus back into Granada was even more full, a minibus packed close to 50 with everyone standing shoulder to shoulder in the aisles and two to a seat. It began to pour on our way in. Getting completely soaked, I found myself in the midst of a parade with firecrackers, music, drumming, and people dressed in red and black or Che Guevara t-shirts waving red and black flags with hats that read FSLN. It was a neo-Sandanista support parade, the new generation of Sandanistas honoring the revolutionary party. Politics is a hard subject to escape in Nigaragua. Their revolution was fairly recent and everyone has a heated opinion.
After dinner there was yet another parade. The local students armed with drums, battons, and choregraphed dances stomped down a side road in different costumes - body glitter, monogrammed tanks, jester hats, togas with leaves in their hair. At the end of the road was a stage with a d.j. and winners of some beauty pagent. The fiesta was sponsored by one of two locally brewed beers.
Tomorrow we have a private car, instead of the Tica Bus, picking us up at 5am to help with the 10 hour journey crossing the border to Honduras.

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