A little over one week down...

Time has really gone quite fast here so far. However, there are other times that I think I've been here forever--especially when I'm talking with the other group of people that are here and I think I've known them for several years. Overall, things have been going very well--the spanish classes have been good (however definitely don't expect me to be fluent anytime soon since it takes me about 8 years to form a complete sentence), the food is excellent--lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, the people are amazing--it's an easy place to get to know people well in a short amount of time, the landscape is beautiful--I love looking out on a variety of volcanic peaks every day, and I'm learning a lot about the history and culture of Nicaragua. I'm very much looking forward to the rest of my time here.

Due to some internet issues and afternoons full of activities, I am a bit behind on what I've been doing here. On Tuesday we went to a nature preserve called Chocoyero. There are more national parks/preserved pieces of land than I expected here. We hiked a loop that took us past a variety of trees and other vegetation. Bergman, our teacher and guide (he really knows everything about everything), pointed out many birds, insects, and types of plants. As we walked we could hear the howler monkeys high up on the mountain--thankfully during winter, they seek refuge from the mosquitos in the higher elevations. The sound they make is quite terrifying and I really had no desire to see them up close. We ended up at this large rock face where the chocoyero lives (it's a type of bird--kind of like a parrot I think). Their nests are these holes in the rock and they fly in and out of them very quickly. It was cool to watch.
Yesterday we had a relaxing day with classes in the morning and a discussion on Nicaraguan history before 1900 in the afternoon. I also did some laundry. I've decided that if I didn't use a washing machine on a regular basis, I would wear a lot less clothing during the week. I would also rewear things more than I do now. Yesterday also marked the first real storm that I've experienced while here and it's currently raining now. It's not bad, but it makes drying clothes, very difficult. Last night we had our usual dinner out at a pizza place in San Marcos where they were televising some soccer matches from the Copa del Oro. The two teams playing happened to be the US and Hondoras--a bit ironic considering the current politcal situation.
I don't have time to post pictures at this point but hopefully I'll be able to next week. This weeked I'm heading to the island of Ometepe (supposedly a beautiful place) where we'll be relaxing on the beach and climbing a volcano. It should be a 10 hour hike or so. Of course, I'm looking forward to it. I hope all is well with you and that you're enjoying reading these.