We arrived in Granda on the 19th, ready to celebrate Lily´s mad 19th on the 20th, after an interesting journey. While waiting for the bus to leave for Granada, we were watching this mad guy walking around, wearing no shoes, and tapping strangers on the head or shoulders! And then while we were talking he just reached through the bus window and tapped Alice´s head, causing her to shriek in shock! So funny! It must be noted though, that the men here sure love to touch Alice, must be the blond hair...

On Saturday morning for the birthday breakfast, we went to what we thought looked like a nice cafe, not realising just how mis-leading that first impression was.. After trying to order pineapple smoothies (our fave) it turned out they had run out of pineapples, so we left to find somewhere else. We hadn´t found anywhere, and we were walking past a pineapple market stall when the inspiration hit to just buy 2 pineapples and go back to the cafe, so we did. The women thought we were mad gringoes, but they took the pineapples and so we had four delish smoothies! Because it was a birthday, we decided to make them special, so drank them a bit and then added some of Nicaragua´s finest rum.. A breakfast pina colada to remember! Then, after ordering 4 more, we saw the woman walk out. 5 mins later back in she came carrying 2 more pineapples.. After our food arrived and we asked if the toast was coming, we were assured it was being warmed. The woman walked past us again, and sure enough returned 5 mins later carrying a bag full of bread. Starting to see a pattern... It was obviously not a cafe used to having customers!

Anyway for the day we had decided to go to the market at Masaya, having been told by some other tourists that it was amazing, and so beautiful. So off we went, excited at the prospect of getting some rad bargains. However in reality it wasn´t quite as we were expecting... It was, without a doubt, the dirtiest place we´ve yet been in our 19 years! Literally we walked in and could feel the grime on us! The fruit stands were really cool though, and it was interesting, but turned outnot to be full of rad bargains, but Western castoffs. And you´d be walking through, and just the worst smell in the world would hit you - the kind of stench that will remain with you indefinately, and you´d know that you were nearing The Meat. We had to clap our hands over our mouths and noses because it literally made you gag - Alice covered her face in a tissue! It was rotting carcasses covered in flies, as well as being in the sun - I don´t know who the hell would eat that stuff, you get food poisening just looking at it!

On returning to Granada however we found a nice crafts market that helped to erase some of the horrors of Masaya. But it was an interesting day for sure, not one to forget in a hurry. However not particularly enjoying Granada we upped and left the next day for Leon.