my trip thus far...

Ok, so this is my first email as a Nicaraguan. It is about 90 degrees here right now and the sun is so much stronger than it is in Seattle . I have decided to surrender and melt instead of fighting the inevitable. The family I am staying with is really nice. The dad is something else, but the mom reminds me of my own mom. Her sons are very sweet and her daughter is shy, but friendly.
Yesterday, alter sleeping 2 hours and traveling 12, I arrived into Managua around 12 noon. I was greeted by Rodwan the dad and Mayela the girlfriend of Rodwan 3 (that´s not really his name but it is easier to keep them all straight that way). The house has two floors and five bedrooms. It is definitely a work in progress, however, because they don´t have a complete stairway (i have to step on metal braces to make sure I don´t fall through the boards) one toilet Works in one bathroom and one shower Works in another bathroom. Both bathrooms are about 3´ x 3´. The other two bathrooms don´t have water connected. There´s one tv and the whole family (which includes me now) piles on the bed to watch tv. The family has two dogs who look like little dachshund-carin terrier mixes. Their names are Burro and Fifita. The cat is Pirata (pirate) because it is missing an eye. The whole house is open. The doors only close for privacy, but that doesn´t help any because the windows don´t have glass. The walls don´t reach all the way to the ceiling. The best way to describe it would be that it is windy indoors.
Thank God I brought earplugs because I wouldn´t have made it through the night. Radios, cars, horns, yells, not to mention barking and birds. I slept on a mattress with a flat sheet over it, with a sheet covering me and a fan blowing on me. In the shower the water falls out of a hole in the wall, and no, it is not warm. I´m trying my hardest not to get sick, but I want to eat everything (it looks really good!). So far I´m drinking enough to keep a fish alive but sweating enough to kill the fish. I´m not quite sure if that makes sense.
Anyway, I´ll try to send emails when I can but there is so much to tell that it is overwhelming. It is lunch time now, so I´m going to go. I´ll also let you know when my blog is up, but don´t expect it for a week or so.
I miss you!! And don´t worry, I´ll work on my tan for both of us!

Maria