That day I went for a quick visit to see my Spanish teacher, and book a ride out to the airport. Then I went out to Masaya to do some last minute shopping. I bought a lot of stuff whilst trying to keep in mind all the stuff I ever regretted not buying in my previous travels. In the end I went home with a new t-shirt, a hammock, lots of scarves and earrings and bracelets a blanket and a painting, all of which I had to lug home on the bus which luckily took me almost directly to my B&B. Then I took a walk down to the supermarket “for rich people” (as I was told by my friendly French B&B host) and stocked up on all the things that I figured would be hard (if not impossible) to get in Cuba – including corn flour, olive oil, dish soap, hand soap, hair elastics, pinolio (a Nica drink mix made of corn and cinnamon) and I think that’s all. I also purchased for dinner and lunch the next day, a pineapple, two mangos, three limes, a carton of chocolate milk, some cheese a bag of corn chips, a bag of plantain chips and four bottles of rum. I got home late, made my dinner, attempted to pack and passed out exhausted – so much for my last hurrah in Nicaragua.
(bus on the way home from Masaya souveneer shopping)
(rum aquired extremely cheaply at the supermarket for rich people)
(textiles purchased in Mssaya)
(more textiles from masaya)The next day I ran out on some last minute morning errands, packed and repacked and headed off to the airport with the Spanish school’s official driver Omar who I could now have almost a normal conversation with (in contrast to not being able to say more than a few words to when he picked me up on my arrival in Nicaragua). I was denied a luggage cart for my lack of Nicaraguan currency and so Omar left his motor running and helped me inside with my giant backpack, my small backpack, my purse and my giant bag full of souvenirs. I said goodbye and checked-in for my flight. The airline guy very kindly gave me a handicapped “must fly” tag for my giant souvenir bag – because even though I had just bought it that morning and even though the saleslady assured me the zipper was strong – as soon as I went to zip it up the zipper broke beyond repair – luckily I had had the foresight to buy some tape but all the same, I didn’t really want to send it though Cuban luggage handling so luckily I didn’t have to. I wandered the airport a bit picked up some last minute trinkets – including the best chocolate ever in the world – practically fresh off the tree – so I had to eat it all right then and there or it would go stale. Got one flight to San José, and then on to Havana –
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