It is now July 8, 2014 here in Nicaragua.  It’s day 7 and today we are all taking a break from our busy schedules.

We had a very different breakfast this morning at Quiero Mas (our local comedor where we eat all of our meals).  The normal rice, beans, tortillas, and fruit was replaced with a ham and cheese sandwich on white bread.  Most of us preferred the normal meal, but it was nice to have something that reminded us of home.

After breakfast we got back to the hostel and got ready for the beach (Las Penitas)!  We picked up two safety swimmers/lifeguards and we were on our way.  We arrived after a half an hour bus ride of colorful buildings and beautiful green trees.  The waves were huge, and absolutely beautiful.  There were straw huts, and many fishing boats docked along the shore.

Las Penitas

We began with a presentation of the wildlife and the surrounding area.  There were many crabs, birds, and iguanas.  We began our boat tour of Las Isla de Juan Venado, on three boats with about ten people each.  We looked for iguanas, and more wildlife living in the mangroves.  Our boat saw two big iguanas, one miniature iguana, a ton of crabs, and many termite nests.

Shivani smiles for the camera

On the way back through the mangroves we had an impromptu visit at Palo de Oro, a beautiful, very private beach with huge waves and stunning views.  No one was anticipating to stop but it was definitely the highlight of the day.  The water was warm, and very clean, and many described it as “clean, windy, beautiful, sandy, picturesque, salty, and fun.”

Palo de Oro

After about an hour we all got back in our boats, and “speeded” back.  The wind on our face was so, so nice.  We ate our lunch in the shade, and had another hour to play in the sand.  Many of us played cards, some collected shells, and most of us swam in the wonderfully warm water.

We were all really sad to leave, but we returned to our hostel at 4:00.  After an hour of free time, we all went to a lovely meal at Quiero Mas.  Straight from dinner, we walked to English tutoring for the second night.

We concluded the night with our nightly meeting, and went to bed to get our rest.  Today was a very fun break from our crazy busy schedules, and we all had loads of fun.