We generally like a vacation more concentrated on one place. This was ideal at the time because we were able to see some of the Central/South American countries and get a lot of relaxation.
When we returned we felt a little lost not having Zoe to care for or a specific job to do.
Tom decided to teach Yoga and Bonnie took a part time position with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). We both really enjoyed our involvement in these jobs.
By December it was clear that Zoe was doing great and we were ready to pursue our long time interest in the Peace Corps.
In preparation we scheduled a trip to Nicaragua for 7 weeks in February and March 2003. We turned in our Peace Corps application in January before we left for Nicaragua. We had a quick interview with a recruiter just two weeks before we left.
Nicaragua was so much more than we expected. Nicaragua Spanish Schools has three locations in Nicaragua. There is one in Leon, Granada and San Juan del Sur. We scheduled our first week in San Juan del Sur planning nto stay a couple of weeks and go on to the other locations. We loved San Juan del Sur, the school, the instructors and our host family so much we stayed five weeks. At the end of this time, our brains were a little tired so we decided to spend two weeks traveling the country.
Our first stop was Isla de Ometepe. What a beautiful island! There are two volcanoes on the island in the middle of Lago de Nicaragua. Lago de Nicaragua is the largest body of fresh water in this hemisphere. We spent two days relaxing in the sun, swimming in the lake and enjoying the food.
Next, we took a bus to the airport in Managua to rent a car. We drove from there to Granada. Granada is a large old town with lots of old churches, homes and a few musuems. About this time, I became very ill. So we decided to stay in an "American" type hotel for a couple of days. After two days I decided I had to see a doctor. I was diagnosed with H. Pylori. A common bacteria that lives in the lining of the stomach. I was concerned that I picked it up in Nicaragua, but the doctor in Nicaragua and my doctor at home said you can get it anywhere. As a matter of fact, 2/3rds of people have this bacteria. Most never suffer any symptoms. We had to change hotels after the two days and Tom went to the El Maltese Hotel across from Lago de Nicaragua. The manager there was a wonderful woman who decided to take really good care of me. She made me chicken soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner even though it wasn't even on their menu. She pampered me until I got much better. As I recovered, she took me with her to market to buy food for the restaurant. She took me to a large market in Masaya to buy gifts to bring home. Her name is Maria and if you are ever in Granada, I highly recommend the hotel and Maria's company.
We next spent a few days in Leon. It is a wonderful old city with lots of history and culture. We are really hoping we get back there while we are in Honduras.