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This morning Joyce and I made our way to the local French bakery for breakfast. It was the cheapest and yummiest breakfast we have had for a while! We also got talking to a Canadian expat who gave us a good run down on the history of Nicaragua, the current issues faced by Nicaraguan people and the big controversy.....whether the new canal will end up being built through Nicaragua!! General consensus is that the locals don't want it, however the Chinese are contracted to build it and we all know how money talks!!
After breakfast we were picked up from our hotel for our morning tour. We were driven to Lake Nicaragua, where we boarded our boat. We then sailed around the 365 Islands on the lake, which were created when volcano Mombacho pretty much blew it's top off thousands of years ago. We visited an island with a fortress on it...which was cool. It was used for protecting Granada from pirates. We continued on, looking at water birds, and all the different houses on the islands!! Some of them grand, others shacks!! Finally we arrived at monkey island. Don't ask me how these monkeys made it on to this island but they did. They came down from the trees and sat on the rocks by the lake. Another boat had given them some mangos, so they were all enjoying those immensely. There was even a mother with a baby on her back. Very very cute. Now as much as I love monkeys, a Green Herron (a water bird) actually stole the show. We sat there and watched as the Green Herron used a piece of bread... Not to eat but to fish. The bird dunked the bread in the water and waited for a fish to come and eat it.... And before the fish knew what was going on it was already down the hatch.
Whilst we were there the Herron had caught 2 fish, it would have had 3 if the 3rd fish wasn't as big as the bird itself. The Herron actually had more success than most of the humans we saw fishing on the lake!! We then headed back to town.
This is where Michy's express tours of Granada commenced. Joyce joined me in my ventures this afternoon!!! First stop was at a kiosk at the central town square, where we ordered a local Nicaraguan salad called vigoron. Now this was soooooo yummy!! It is made with yucca, cabbage, tomatoes and pork crackling. After the first taste, all I could say was 'vigoron, get in my tummy'.
We then took a horse carriage ride around the town. We saw a lot of places that we wouldn't have seen on foot!! Lots of old buildings, churches and the old train station (that no longer runs in Nicaragua). Our horse carriage driver said that he spoke English, however I would like to challenge that!! At one stage Joyce and I got out to take some photos, and Joyce asked me how could I understand what he was saying as she couldn't understand a word he had said so far! I simply answered the truth, I couldn't!! She started laughing as she thought I knew exactly what he was saying as I was nodding and say oh all the way through. I did however understand when he asked me what I was doing later on... I had to quickly dodge a bullet there, a quick deflect with meeting friends for dinner and that's when he seriously cracked the sad's.. What a child!!
After the cart ride we picked up all of our laundry (which is the best feeling in the world) and made our way back to the hotel. That's when it started to rain so we have just been relaxing in the hotel!!
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