After spending most of yesterday settling in and getting familiar with our hostel, we were ready to start exploring today. We had a breakfast of omelettes and passionfruit juice at our nearby comedor, and then we talked a little about what to expect around Granada as far as cultural differences go, as well as general health and safety. Several facts about Nicaraguan history were shared with the group to get our minds focused on the theme of the day: history!

The main event of the day was our walking tour of Granada- we’re finally getting to know the city together! Walking around in the sun was a little tiring, but we were rewarded with a beautiful view from the top of La Merced Church and then ice cream! After a hearty buffet-style lunch, we split up into two teams and had a race to see which group could navigate the city and arrive at the San Francisco museum first. At the museum, we learned a bit more about Nicaraguan history and culture, and there were some silly shots taken with the statues from Zapatera Island. The rest of the afternoon was pretty relaxed; the Glimpsers were able to split off into supervised groups and either buy snacks, call home, or… participate in an impromptu workout session. Not only is this group eating a lot, they’re making sure to put that energy to use as well!

Everyone is mixing and mingling really well so far; hopefully this will continue so we can really strengthen the new bonds that I’m sure we’ll make. Let’s keep that in mind as we get started on our Culture Day activities tomorrow- something I’m sure many of us are excited for!

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