Matagalpa

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Hi to all of you who have managed to find this message without getting an email notification. The blog´s email server cut them off and has refused to allow them to send the notifications claiming they were a spam server. We keep using this hoping that they will get the problem fixed.

We have just spent 4 days in coffee country. Two days in the city of Matagalpa and two days on the Selva Negra coffee plantation. Boy was it cool up there...we were wearing three shirts at one point. The food was great, very german....guess who really liked that....

We read lots, hiked the beautiful trails and then Sunday afternoon the owner, Eddie, suggested we might want to attend the singing concert in the church which we did. We were all surprised, including Eddie to find out that it was a church service held by a Christian fundamentalist group.....we left..... We met a lovely English couple who gave us a ride today back into town as we were wondering how we were going to get back here.

Transportation generally has been super easy. The cabs in all the towns have a flat per person rate of about .75 cnd, no matter what the distance, so getting around town is a cinch. We did not think it any problem to travel between towns on the local buses, but the English folks raised their eyebrows and declared us to be very brave....We smiled and accepted their compliment even though we knew full well that we were very smart, not very brave....the buses are so cheap here.

As we get ready for our last destination, the corn islands, we realize how much we have missed seeing, but I guess that is typical...one just can´t see or do it all... The problem arises as you meet other traverllers who say...did you see? and then you realize that yet another sight was missed.....guess that just means we have to return.

Prices have been great here, especially for accommodation. Food costs are a bit more for us since we don´t eat in the markets, but still very very cheap compared to home.

In many ways we are dreading heading back into the heat this afternoon. We will stay at the airport hotel since our plane departs at 630 AM....it is expensive, but for the extra hours sleep...worth it....

So.....message to jack and Marilyn.....no we did not stay at pelican eyes....way beyond our meagre housing budget, but did enjoy a beautiful afternoon there with lunch and pool lounging. We just missed Chris Berry, he left just before we arrived, so we left him a note with a greeting from you both too.
If you are talking to Barry, tell him that Leon would be a wonderful place to do language school....it was our favorite place....Granada was nice, Leon was great.....

Cheers,
Klaus and Fran

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