I can't think of any title for this post at all...

Today is Wednesday. It's my last Wednesday in Nicaragua. This week has been a little tough. It started with the leaving of my "family" for the past 3 weeks. I guess when you're in a situation like one is in at a place like the Mariposa, it doesn't take long to get to know the other people you're around. In my case, the Winter family and Jean were exactly what I needed while traveling by myself for the first time. I felt included by them pretty much instantly and had a great time doing whatever--whether it was a weekend in Ometepe, our normal Wednesday night out for pizza, riding in the microbus, or just hanging out on the terrace. So when I had to say "hasta luego" to Jean on Sunday morning and to the Winter family at 4am on Monday, it was hard. Their presence here has definitely been missed this week. Things are a little quieter and the microbus is a little less crowded. Actually, I went to bed at 7:52 on Monday night partly because I didn't sleep well the night before, partly because I got up at 4am to say goodbye, and partly because I just didn't have my friends to talk to anymore. But...as with all things, Tuesday was a new day. I'm enjoying the company of the people that are still here and still having a blast here in Nicaragua.

On Monday afternoon, our group had salsa and meringue lessons with Bergman (teacher, guide, and dancer extraordinaire). I only dance in foreign countries so this was no exception. I still have no rhythm, but I have a great time trying. And it is much easier when you're dancing with someone who can lead you. However, while we were practicing, my main partners were 2 adolescent boys (the sons of Marybeth--Marybeth and I are the only 2 females here at the moment so we were in high demand for dancing). And before you ask, no, there are no videos or even pictures from this event. Sorry. Your imagination will have be just fine for this one.

Yesterday we visited a pina finca (pineapple farm). The particular farm that we went to is owned by a very nice family who told us about their farm and the whole process of the pineapple "industry". I'm a little bit embarrased to say that I assumed pineapples grew on trees...obviously not the case. I also learned that it takes about 18 months for a pineapple to grow and you can get about 25000 plants on one acre. A pineapple plant lives for about 5 years. The pineapples here sell for about 5 cordoba (20 cordoba = $1) and sometimes farmers can only get 1 cordoba for them during the times of year where there is too much supply. The only people eating Nicaraguan pineapples are Nicaraguans because they aren't able to export them. The product, however, is amazing. We ate a pineapple that was picked right off the plant--I've never had such a sweet piece of pineapple. It was also slightly warm as it was out in the sun. We also sampled some fresh pineapple juice which was also sweet and delicious.
Today has been kind of low-key--classes this morning (I started the subjunctive tense), a charla on the religion in Nicaragua this afternoon, and pizza tonight for dinner. I'm looking forward to my final days here with a Saturday trip to Grenada and a horseback ride along the ridge on Sunday. I continue to be amazed at the beauty of this country and the friendliness of every person I've met. People are very patient with my spanish and don't laugh at me too much. However, I would be laughing at me often--I'm sure I sound ridiculous. I'll try and post again after the Grenada trip, but am looking forward to telling you these stories in person. Thanks for taking the time to read these.