The One Where I See My Sis for The First Time in FOR-friggin-EVER!

Leaving from the Chico airport for the first of three flights that would land me in Managua Nicuragua, I found it odd that I was experiencing nearly the opposite emotions from my first trip abroad. Nearly three years ago I shakily waved goodbye to my parents through a glass security wall, tears streaming down my face, choking back sobs of sadness, anxiety, and fear of what lay ahead. Well, fast forward a couple countries and INSANE experiences later, and I found myself leaving the airport jittery with excitement, happy to be seeing my sister, and unbelievably UN-WORRIED about what lay ahead. As I set my heavy pack on my shoulders and marched through security, a huge weight of stress lifted from my body.

Settling down for some shut-eye at a bar...not the first time I've taken a nap at such an establishment!

After an uneventful flight from Chico to San Francisco, I flew an hour late to Houston arriving at very early (or late depending on how you see it) 1AM. Cruising through the nearly empty airport, I soon found a quiet corner of a closed bar and whipped out the camping gear to settle down for the night. Waking up to the bar tender stocking the fridge at 6AM, I sheepishly said good morning (slightly feeling like a bum) and then geared up and headed to my gate. The flight to Managua was a little over three hours. I woke myself up when some drool hit my arm and, wiping my face oh-so-casually, I looked out the window to see the volcano dotted landscape of Nicuragua. I had arrived!

Quickly making my way though immigration (where the immigration officer refused to actually stamp my passport and instead handed me what looked like a fast-food receipt with a stamp on it), I walked through the airport doors, first feeling the 90 degree heat, then seeing my little sister and forgetting every other sense. We hugged it out, me trying to avoid getting poked with Kalyn's new dreads, and Kalyn sporting newly shaved armpits! After a brief catch-up, Kalyn and I walked across the street where we grabbed Mom, negotiated a taxi, and took a thrilling ride to our hostel in Laguna deya Polla.

The Bocast ladies together again!!!

Our hostel The Monkey Hut sits right on the lagoon and has a relaxed atomosphere and beautiful view. We didn't waste anytime before doing Kalyn's laundry and then  down to a play some strange version of Gin Rummy  (which I won despite Kalyn's best efforts to cheat and Mom's math genius). Now we are off to dinner in the dark (no street lights or directions to guide us, guess we are following our noses) and tomorrow its Zip-line tours and discovering the colonial village of Granada (where major Nicaraguan Civil War battles were faught in the 80's).

-Ashley

Fun fact: Nicuragua only has two types of beer: one that tastes like dirty water, and one that tastes like dirty water with a bit of urine in it! Yummm!

Kalyn washing laundry by hand like a pro!