After yesterday’s long travel day and city exploration, I woke up feeling exhausted and a wee bit sick. While not as bad as I’ve had it in the past, the week of new foods, drinks, experiences and cocktails finally caught up with my sensitive digestive system. A slow morning of AC, reading and lounging by the pool was exactly what I needed. Kevin took a walk to see some of Granada’s other churches while I stayed back at the hotel. Watching the hotel employees greet and serve guests as they checked in from various places around the world was plenty of entertainment for me. And still, not one American traveler.

By mid-afternoon, I was feeling up to a short stroll to the central market of Granada. I love the hustle and bustle of a city market. I usually enjoy wandering through the aisles to see what interesting (or disgusting) pieces of non-refrigerated meat I can find. I love seeing all the various fruits and vegetables that aren’t native to the US. I like listening to the bartering that’s taking place and the smells of the street vendors as they peddle their fried foods. Well, the Granada market was not one of those markets. Nestled on two sides of a very narrow street are stands of clothing, produce, technology, snacks and souvenirs. ON the street are cars, buses, bikes, motorcycles and pedestrians squirming along while trying to prevent being hit by one of the said modes of transport. It was nearly impossible to stop and shop for fear of getting whisked away by a vehicle. I’m sure there was a format to the madness, but it wasn’t an experience I enjoyed. Perhaps I should go back earlier in the day when it’s not as crowded.

The best part of the market was eating at Tostometro, a grungy hole-in-the-wall little one man show. There are only 4 things on the menu. They are beef, pork, chicken or veggie burgers. All are served between two huge plantain (large tropical banana) patties with avocado cream, pumpkin salsa and sauteed vegetables (mini corn, beets, onion). I had chicken and Kevin had beef. The burgers were served with hibiscus ginger tea. The owner prepares all of the burgers in front of the guests and he puts on quite a show! The reviews of this place are all 5 star and we can see why. It was a very surprising healthy, organic, culinary experience hidden inside one of the most gritty markets I’ve ever seen. Kevin said it was, without a doubt, the best thing he’s eaten since we’ve been here.

After lunch, we strolled around town a bit more. Since it was a nice day, we decided to go ahead and climb the tower at the church across the street. The view was magnificent. We could see for miles and miles. The cathedral (yellow) was so striking from our viewpoint. We were also able to see Lake Nicaragua (more on that tomorrow) and the cloud forest covering the top of Mombacho Volcano.

In the late afternoon, we rested at the hotel. There was a Sandinista parade in front of our hotel that we watched from the balcony. There was also another quinceañera photo shoot taking place in the hotel courtyard. After a brief afternoon rain shower, we enjoyed a 10 degree temperature drop by walking back to the plaza where the parade festivities were still going on into the dark.

Our final full day in Nicaragua is tomorrow so we plan to hang at the hotel tonight, do some reading, get a lot of sleep and enjoy our pieces of chocolate cheesecake from Maria Elena’s Patisserie.