more buuuuu

went to the doctor today... buuuuuu!!! i hate doctors, even though i have health insurance. i always feel like all they tell me is bad news. apparently i need an mri, they need to make sure there's no hemorrhaging, and my "post concussive syndrome" can last up to 8 weeks! this means no bike riding or high-impact sports, no drinking, and no work until they clear me to go. buuuuu!!! this sucks. at least pop ditched work tonight and showed up to hang out. it was nice to have company. we got korean food at koriente, since it was too early for the 10:30 movies at the 'mo. he and momma are taking me to the mri tomorrow, since i had some weird road rage confrontation with some stupid pimply-faced highskoolers on the way home from the doctor today, who cut me off, narrowly missing romy garcia by a hair on the access road, causing me to slam on the brakes and have everything fly off the seat, and then pacing me and shouting things at me like, "how did that feel, huh??? how'd you like it??" while laughing. i think it was some kind of juvenile mental rape thing, like, intentional. i don't get what their goal was, though. it seemed like something you would see on "asshole" on emptyvee. so i decided i would rather have someone else drive me to the doctor tomorrow. less risky.

i still feel shitty overall. buuuuu!!!

buuuu concussion

i'm back in atx ahead of time. this is cos my lame ass let myself get whacked in the back of the head with my surfboard on tuesday afternoon at playa maderas. duuhhhh. it wasn't bad at the time; however, four hours later, at a screening of a documentary about the US media's
coverage of the contra war, i started to feel shitty and it quickly escalated to almost passing out and falling over on the sidewalk. once i got comfy on the ground, tho, i felt a lot better. there was a lot of drama and slapstick - a car ride offered to an itty-bitty clinic in san juan, panicked phone calls to family, joking around with the clinic staff en español, etc. however, the next day i felt way worse and didn't think i would be getting better any soon, so i changed my ticket and flew home thursday, and mom picked me up at the aeropuerto and took me to the ER immediately for what amounted to a sobriety test, a ct scan, and three hours of forced starvation ("in case she needs surgery"). the doctors here told me what i already figured: i have a concussion, and will feel lousy for a few weeks.

i went back to ma and pa's that night in kyle, instead of staying at home. this was b/c my dog was still with them, and also they had food and i had none at home. so we got in around midnight; friday was, of course, thrilled to see me; i enjoyed a late nite grilled cheese; and got to bed late. i got to see pa in the morning, too. waking up there was great. it's really nice to live near your parents when you're sick or out of commission. it's been a while since i've been able to take advantage of their proximity. i got pancakes and bacon for breakfast that day, and mom has offered to make me the casserole of my choice for the week.

so now i'm kinda bored. i can't do much, cos most movement makes me feel dizzy and weird and kinda nauseous. it's been nice to sleep long hours in my own bed, though, and not get woken by roosters at 4am, as i was in nicaragua. for the most part i've been reading, listening to music, and watching dvds. i can't wait to get back on my bike and go swim at barton springs.

the only thing raining on my parade

This song plays everywhere, all the time, in this country. i fucking HATE it:

pain, lots of it

an inventory of recent injuries:

1. bee sting. i am allergic to bee stings and most bites from insects. after a 4-5 mile hike outside of estelí and into the mountains south of town to find a 100-foot waterfall, i was chilling by the swimming hole and this weird bee-like thing stung me for no reason. it hurt like hell and appropriately swelled up to nectarine size, all pink and tight and shiny, for several days.

2. achy leg muscles. nothing like a long hike up a mountain or volcano to make your legs hurt like hell for a while. i hiked out between matagalpa and jinotega, in the coffee-growing region with matthew, this guy from colorado. the selva negra is rainforest7cloud forest with howler monkeys, quetzales, bromeliads, and lots of butterflies. we took the "difícil" trail and i rode some down on my ass in the mud (everything was muddy). that was days ago and my thighs still hurt like hell. we also got drenched in the rain on the 2 km walk back to the highway to catch the chicken bus back to matagalpa.

3. learning to surf. i am really glad i came down to san juan del sur before committing to a plane ticket to the corn islands. the carribean is cool, but i would rather hurt like hell and have some cool bruises to show off when i get home, more than just a tan. yesterday i rented a board and siim, my estonian friend, showed me what to do. it was awesome! i actually stood up once too, before giving up - i was beat, and by the second time i went out my hips, ribs, and knees hurt like hell, mostly i think from scrambling onto the board like i was going to die otherwise (which is how i approached it the first two hours). apparently the swell was jinormous yesterday (two guys had their boards broken at the bay i was at), and will die down this week, so i will just get easier. dinner last night was difficult, involving me groaning whenever i stood up or sat down, and this morning i discovered i have an impressive selection of symmetrical bruises on all body parts listed above. can't wait to go do it again today! confidential to rizpreez: chill out. i'm never in water over my head and it's really not that dangerous or difficult, and i am leashed to the board, which floats. and i'm in a bay, not out on the ocean.

chicken busses, long walks, and automobiles

so my last post was from the market and bus "terminal" in león, while i waited for hours to the express bus to estelí. after i posted, i walked around and around in the afternoon heat while my backpack was on the converted school bus, waiting for the 2:15 departure. during that time, i had to pee really bad and managed to sweet talk a woman who ran a clothing store into letting me use her facilities - once again, toilet paper was provided (on top of a heap of cardboard boxes in the corner) but she ran to the door while i was in there and shouted about how i had to refill the empty toilet tank with a bucket of water from the sink to make it flush.

finally, at 1:30 i decided to sit and wait on the bus. i walked back into the "terminal" and lo, the bus was gone. i asked some guys with microbusses to managua where it went, and they all said "Ya se fue" (it left). ¿se fue? ¡pero mi mochilla estaba adentro! i wandered toward the local bus to san isidro, where they motioned i should go, since via san isidro was the next best way to estelí. as i wandered over, some guys started hsst! hsst! catcalling me, and i ignored it, but they got louder, and shouted ¡muchacha! i looked and there they were, out in the sun with my backpack, all 40 overstuffed pounds of it. they said their friends with the express bus werent going to estelí since i was the only one who bought a ticket, and to take the other bus via san isidro. i told them, "but i bought a ticket" and they said yeah they knew and gave me my C$60 back, and then i ran and caught the san isidro bus, which was packed to the gills, people standing and sitting, and about to leave.

when i got onto the bus i saw 2 kids from colorado who i'd met in granada and ran into in león were there. i told them the whole backpack story and it turned out they were going to estelí also. we shared the loooonng ride to san isidro, which involved lisa accidentally disturbing some otherwise silent chickens in a woman's lap when we disembarked. after the feathers flying and the barking i was pleased to have actually ridden on a literal "chicken bus."

estelí has proven to be chilled out. there's really good, really cheap, really delicious food. it's in the mountains, so the climate is pleasant. yesterday we walked about 5 miles down dirt-and-rock roads through the countryside outside of town to find a 100-foot waterfall with a lagoon underneath, where we went swimming. the walk was shortened one way by a toyota full of dudes who stopped and gave us a lift part of the way. our day ended with pupusas on the side of the road with passionfruit juice and a few liters of toña.

fsln

buenas tardes de león. i am waiting for the expreso bus to estelí, and will have to wait about two more hours in the market and bus terminal. however, all is not lost: i ate a great plate of fried chicken, rice, beans, fried ripe plantain, tortilla, and ensalada de repollo, and a coke, for C$55 (US$2.75). i took some pictures of the ladies making the food, too. i could have taken another bus to san isidro, and then waited there for a local to estelí, but today is el día de la revolución, and is the 40th anniversary of the sandinista revolution in 79. (i need to read up on this, my facts may be off but that's what ive picked up sp far.) anyway, because of the holiday, i was advised it may be complicated to get a transfer bus in san isidro, so i am waiting for the direct chicken bus. now it's off to the markey to take pictures of some of the busses, and wait around some more. at the very least, i reserved a seat and my backpack is on the luggage rack, so i'm not hauling it around. i hope there are some cool festivities for revolution day in estelí; there should be, since a lot of fighting went on in the mountains and there is a galería de héroes y mártires there as well as one in león.

buen provecha

inspired by my current location in león, which thus far has proven itself to be the street food capital of nicaragua, i am going to list the street food i've enjoyed so far on this trip:

1. vigorón - Granada, córdobas$20 (US$1)
Available on the street throughout Granada, but especially in the parque central at all hours, this is an interesting juxtaposition: a large banana leaf set in a bowl, with a big scoop of steamed yucca, topped with a few pieces of chicharrones (fried pork skin - like pork rinds, but thicker), and then topped with Nicaragua's staple, ensalada de repollo (shredded cabbage with a little carrot, tossed with vinegar and salt). All three flavors work really well together: the vinegar with the greasy crunchy fried pork with the mashed potato-like yucca.

2. fried plantains, dressed - León, C$5 (US$.25)
I love plantains. In the late afternoon, women come out and sell plastic bags of thin, oblong sliced fried green plantain (starchy, not sweet) and top each bag with a mound of ensalada de repollo and then ask, "¿Chile?" if you say "Sí," they add a generous helping of diced onion that had been pickled in spicy vinegar with tumeric, so it's bright yellow. (Not chile as we know in mexico and texas.) You eat it with your hands, which can be a little messy. I forget their proper name.

3. carne de res tacos - León, C$50 (US$2.50)
After several mojitos and pool matches with my estonian friend, we wandered out toward the parque central on a friday night looking for eats. we found two women behind the mercado in the street, with some plastic tables and chairs, and a variety of foods. however, there was some delicious-smelling meat on a grill. half was beef (carne de res) and the other half was pork. Siim and i opted for the carne, and we given a big fat steak taco on a flour tortilla, along with a side of gallo pinto (Nicaragua's other staple - kidney beans and white rice, mixed) and ensalada de repollo. A little pricy for street food, but I was hungry and it was late.

4. tacos fritos de pollo - León, C$21 (US$1)
this is it. on a long walk back from the east mercado where i got off the bus to playa las peñitas, i was hooooongry and saw three women parked under a tarp by a basketball court east of the parque central. it was sunset, the hour at which the best street food comes out. for ONE DOLLAR US i had the pleasure of being served a plate (a real, washable plate) with two fried chicken tacos (the chicken was almost curry-tasting, and tumeric yellow) , ensalada de repollo, and gallo pinto. The salad and tacos were doused in crema and chile - the crema could have been mayo cut with lime, and once again the chile was hot yellowy vinegar, not cholula. but it was a DAMN filling meal for $1, and i ate it in a plastic chair on the sidewalk. holy shit, street food heaven. for as many gripes as i have with león, the food makes me wanna stay.

5. fruta - various cities and pueblos, C$5-8 (US$.25-.40)
Cut fruit in a bag, you eat it with your hands. The most popular is mango, either maduros (ripe) or no-so-ripe. i've also seen pineapple (the pineapples here are white inside, and more tart than sweet), watermelon, and mixed with banana halves. You can also buy deliciously ripe bananas on the street for C$1 (US$.05). Here, however, the only seasoning they add to the fruit is salt - no chile or lime like in mexico.

6. quinceañera dinner - san juan de oriente (party)
lisseth, artie's friend whose family makes pottery in san juan de oriente, invited me to her little sister's quinceañera while i was near granada. she was very concerned about whether or not i would like the food, but i eat anything at other people's houses and it was rad: stewed chicken legs in a tomato and chile mild sauce, arroz, ensalada de repollo, and puré de papas (potato salad, but the potatoes were a little more well-cooked than in the states). this came with a side of white bread; with the sauce on the chicken being reminiscent of barbecue sauce, it made the plate very much like texas-style bbq. dinner was followed by a queque, also known as pastel: a big, flowery, iced cake that we got at a bakery in masaya and carried back to san juan in a mototaxi or tuk tuk (three-wheeled motorcycle cab with backseat) on a dirt road the whole way. lisseth did a great job of keeping the cake stable through all the ruts and pits in the road.

Note to self: Take more pictures of your food.

gallo pinto

So I got a text when I got back to the place I was staying at last night. ATX Stephen was wondering if I was still alive cos I hadn´t posted lately. Yes, I was alive last I checked. I haven't posted much b/c I have been essentially off the grid, in pueblos around laguna de apoyo, in between Granda and Managua. Since I have so much to cover, and I am once again on a virus-infested PC with an international keyboard with sticky keys (why is it always the vowels in latin america?), here's a rundown of some recent pet peeves:

1. Lack of running water. Mexico is infamous for a toiletpaper-free lifestyle. I can bring my own. However, I need to work out how to bring a shower with me on my next trip down here. I don´t mind bathing with a bucket, it's the hair washing that's an issue. It looks great right now but I'm leaving greasy head stains EVERYWHERE.

2. Hearing people fucking. The next time this happens I'm asking them to please shut the fuck up. If it's not in the hostel dorm, or the shower, it's through the wall in the cheap hotel in the pueblo. However, the last episode - at the cheap hotel - allowed me some escape with 97 channels of cable teevee, and THEN there was the drama that ensued afterward, in which the dude said something to the lady about his esposa, and she started yelling at him in rapid-fire spanish, and then left, slamming the door shut to punctuate her sobs on the way out. very telenovela.

3. The fact of being an amazonian guera. I can handle the catcalls, stares and whistling, although I don't remember it being so bad last summer in Mexico - and that could be cos I was with Elad most of the time. But, upon arriving in León this afternoon, shlepping my backpack through the public market, some asshole had the fucking cojones to step right in my path and plant a nasty wet kiss on my shoulder as I walked by. The least the asshole could have done was offer to help with my fucking bag. The attention is getting to be an asspain. ALSO: at a quinceañera in a pueblo yesterday, I had to dance with EVERY dude in attendance, and I think it was the novelty for them the dance with a chick who was at least a head taller than them. I have pictures. It's ridiculous.

More later, after I settle in...

cat eyes

After a long walk around Granada this morning, including along Lake Nicaragua, I spent a good deal of time in the Parque Central talking with vendors and street kids. The group of kids I sat with varied in age from 5 to 25, and were making drawings and braided leather bracelets. After they got my attention by shouting "eh, muchacha!" I went and sat with them under a tree. They immediately asked me to remove my sunglasses and all stared in amazement at my irises. The most strung/out one (15 years old) shouted, "Ah! ojos del gato! meow! meow!" they also enjoyed my sunglasses and passed them around. they told me they were into graffiti, and the oldest one showed me how to make leather bracelets. I also met up with Lisseth. after some confusion with whistle girls in the park, and spoke with her and her mother for a while. I'm going to visit them in their village (about an hour away) later in the week. Her sister's quinceanera (sorry this is a french keyboard, no tilde) is next wednesday, which i may also attend.

serendipty

it's a drizzly afternoon in granada, nicaragua. i got here earlier and am about to go crash out on a hammock in the courtyard at the hostel where i'm staying. strangely enough, it seems to be full of americans. in mexico last summer, i ran into everyone BUT americans.

i had a fortunate string of events unfold right before i left, and on the best fourth of july ever. (i remember that they all seemed to be rainy while i've been in austin, except maybe last year.) jeremy called me early to let me know he was taking the snake bike out for a party in it's jersey shore storage yard, which is owned by this guy named artie. h came by and told me i really had to meet artie b/c he knows people in nicaragua. so i met artie, and he asked me to bring some cash and a dvd of a documentary he's making on nicaraguans to his friend, and we called her and spoke to her to make plans to meet this week while i am in granda. it turned out she lives here, and it was my first destination. then we had to go pick up kegs for the party and we stopped at whatsville, where i ran into alix who was there with friends. as it turned out, one of them was about to go back to bluefields, on the carribean coast in nicaragua. she gave me her conatct info, which is great cos i was considering skipping the carriban coast all together.

since i bought my plane ticket pretty last minute, i had center seats on both planes but managed to swindle my way into window seats, even though both flights were full. best of all, since i got no sleep the past few nights, between writing curriculum for work and planning and those damn malaria pills fucking with me, i managed for the first time in my life to get some serious sleep in while flying. i needed it.

getting to granada from managua was easy, i had to shake off a persistent cabbie who was trying to charge me $10 to drive to the UCA for the microbus to granada. the cabbie i got was really talkative when i asked him about the situation in honduras, and he bought a bag of cut mango with salt and shared it with me on the ride.

fyi: i fixed the phone situation. i think it's cool.

nuevo huevo

This is it. The new romygarcia.