I'm Here!

              Hola!  I've had such a fun experience in these past few days!  Today is day 6 on my trip! The weather has been a little rainy in Managua because it is in the mountains.  This is because as the air rises to cross the mountains it cools down and doesn't hold as much moisture, so it drops in the form of rain.  Yesterday I went to Managua, Nicaragua's capital. It was very busy.  The main road was still set up for Christmas with huge life-size nativity scenes. There is a guard protecting them and keeping people from stealing, or damaging the nativity scenes.  There are also huge yellow, lit up trees, and a huge lit up mural of the President Daniel Ortega.  These huge light-up sculptures was the idea of the First Lady, Rosario Murillo.  Christian is the main religion in Nicaragua.  In Christmas all these nativity scenes are set upon the roads, but there is always a nativity scene in every single home.  There are a ton of churches there.  While some of the churches are little clay buildings, others have ornate designs and huge spires.  

              Here in Nicaragua, Christmas actually begins on December 6, but activities begin in the 16th.  Every single home contains a manger scene during Christmas time.  Every evening from December 16 to Christmas Eve Mass, a prayer is held in the home  followed by refreshments and caroling.  After Christmas Eve Mass, there is a Christmas Dinner of which only the adults attend.  Cards are then passed out.  The cards are white and plain.  Nicaraguan people celebrate differently than most Americans.  We have decorated trees and big family feasts with our entire family.

              The First Lady in Nicaragua seems eccentric to me.  She put up lots of lights for Christmas, but a lot of the population can't afford their own electric bill, or even a house.  The First Lady put up giant paintings, a huge light up poster of her husband, Daniel Ortega, and these huge light-up trees.  This was to make the city of managua more exciting so people would want to come to the beautiful city.  She also set up a campaign for witchcraft.  She says "Without magic, which is the capacity to invent, dream, to fantasize, there wouldn't be confidence in the future. Without magic a human being cannot be creative in a hostile environment. Magic is everywhere, it is absolutely visible, transparent ... and every day it encourages us to live and act, and to try to better ourselves"
             
             We went to a market to get some fruits and veggies.  What I thought was different was that they came right up to your window and gave you your food!  You didn't have to get our of you car! I thought it was really cool that you could just drive down a road and ask for what you want for food, they give it to you and then you pay them.  The money in Nicaragua is the Cordoba.  The exchange rate is $1 to 25 C$ or cordobas.  If something cost 500C$ in Nicaragua, then it would equal $20.