Exit Trip

So we got back from Granada Nicaragua last night with the Jackson's. We have to leave the country every 90 days to stay legal and this week worked out best for all of us. We had so much fun! Nicaragua is a very poor, war torn country but it has a great culture also. Granada is one of the oldest towns in Latin America, and there is so much history and great sights. We even took a colonial style carriage ride throughout the streets. It's on the lake and you can see the volcanoes in the distance. I wanted to see that floating Kingdom Hall, but that will take more research and another trip.

The food was my favorite part, all the restaurants were so cheap! It was like a vacation within a vacation, I know, we have it rough! We all decided to stay an extra day because we were all having such a great time.

I'm such a proud mommy, Noah and Finn joined a kid street gang. They danced around the streets after dark and performed for all the tourists. Alex was the leader and he was 13. His brother was 8. They all became fast friends and don't worry, we kept a close eye on them! But the kids were good kids, Granada isn't as poverty ridden like some other areas and it's good for the kids to see how other people live. Lots of children are begging in the streets, but they have parents that feed them at home. They just have a taste for what the tourist eat, not the rice and beans that their parents provide. It's a terrible cycle though, because the parents see how much money the kids can make in an evening and it's more then the father makes all week. The children we met had an act where they played the drums and a costumed 7 foot lady and a little pretend man danced to the beat.

Finn in the picture against the wall thinks he's now a model. Every time we ask him to pose he gives us his "I'm cool" look. So angry blonde child is his money maker.

After 5 days we headed back to the border. It all went very smoothly and we loved the experience. As soon as we crossed the border into Costa Rica, we felt like we were going home. We love Portland, but Costa Rica definitely pulls you in! We love it here but definitely miss everyone, see you all soon!