Our goal was to get to know Managua as best as possible in just one day. We stopped by an FSLN monument that memorialized a cliff side which had previously been used by the Somozas to literally throw people to their death. It was a very real reminder of the gross cruelty this country has endured and wants to make sure they never will forget.
After that we headed to a Fair Trade shop run by American kids about our age. They told us all about fair trade and then we had a chance to purchase some of their locally bought products. While I was waiting for people to get their purchases wrapped, I had the pleasure of watching a local Nicaraguan trying to hit on the girls of our group. His style was to call them "bonita baby" and throw in some squat thrusts and couple high leg kicks. He wore a bandana and blue sunglasses and a cutoff shirt, and constantly performed his somewhat karate-like skill in order to woo the female Brigadistas. It was definitely a Nicaraguan experience!
We then headed to lunch and had a local food that is somewhat like a pita filled with chicken or cheese. The lunch was good, but I was still dragging from the night before and it took a soda to wake me up. After lunch, we headed to downtown Managua and we toured all over. We saw the wall that surrounds the newly elected president's house. We saw a lot of the old churches and capital buildings and also saw some that were damaged beyond use by earthquakes but were still standing.
We also walked down to the coast of Lake Managua and saw firsthand why they say you should not swim there. The water was pure brown and the beaches were littered with everything from tires to trash to pieces of scrap metal. Nevertheless, the view across the lake was gorgeous. We toured around some more and then finished up the day by attending a local church service. Although I didn't understand much of what they were saying because I know such little Spanish, it was still an enjoyable experience and I'm glad I got to be a part of it.
