Our Escape!

Well, on the weekend we have been escaping to the nearest hotel and it's pool for some sun and relaxation. Sometimes it's so nice to feel like you are on vacation!! Got to love it. Those who are reading this might be laughing because you think we are always on vacation. Well, we went to the Barcelo Hotel and it has a great pool to relax at all day at. We have done this twice since we have been here and would do it more often if we could.

Very artistic picture taken by Jeanne

Oktoberfest in Nicaragua???

Yes, it is true that there was an Oktoberfest here in Nicaragua...Surprisingly, there are a lot of Germans here. I hate to confess that for one night I pulled out my maiden name to impress everyone that I was German too. I mean with a name like Gerstenberger who could resist.  Sorry Cullen.

Well, I didn't know what to expect when I heard about Oktoberfest in Nicaragua. But why not try it out and see what it's all about. So it took place at Coleigo Aleman, which is the German school here in Managua. It was actually pretty impressive tons of German beer, soft pretzels, brats, sauerkraut, and German chocolate cake. Cullen definitely tried a little bit of everything but I on the other hand was purely a spectator. Also why don't they call it "Oktobeerfest?"

David,Cullen and Jeanne

Me and Felix

Well, my only issue with this night is that while Jeanne and I are learning Spanish every week we had to know the Spanish way to say the German foods...now that is a true test. When I looked at the menu I am pretty sure I laughed out loud at how absurd it was. Well, I wish I would of taken more photos, maybe next Oktoberfest.

Xiloa (on the flip side of Managua)

Xiloa is about 20 minute drive from Managua. It is right across from Lake Managua. So in order to see Managua you need to drive to the opposite side.  Once again we asked someone if we could go on their property and get a better view. They said "of course" so we got some sweet pictures.

The View of Managua

Me and Jeanne (My favorite pic of us)

The Guys (Felix, David, Cullen)

Xiloa once was a huge getaway destination for the locals, but now the lagoon that was once popular is polluted and no longer a hot spot. I am told that they are cleaning the water so maybe one day it will become a popular destination again. You will probably see from the photos the potential this place has.

The Lagoon

As you can see the water in the Lagoon is really high. Those cement half circles are picnic benches that you used to be able to sit at and there was supposedly a beach before you hit the water. There has been so much rain here that most of the bodies of water are really high.

Me and Cullen...what a view

Some locals enjoying the water

Time to add a little Pep to our Step

 It was maybe an hour excursion and then we went for coffee at Cafe las Flores and one of the better coffee houses in Nicaragua. Ironically, we visited this coffee farm when we were in Granada about to climb the volcano Mombacho...what a small world. This little strip mall is one of our favorites. It has the coffee shop and then a salad and sandwich place called Bisou Bisou and then a Mexican/burrito place. Yummy! Also has really sweet apartments behind it.

A yummy cappuccino!

Once again a picture that you wouldn't be able to
 tell where it was taken. Managua of course!

Spanish Lessons...Just the 3 of us!

This is the second week of Spanish lessons. Last week we did 2 hours Monday, Wednesday, Friday and this week we are back to one hour every other day. Our tutors name is Freddy he is from Nicaragua and was referred to us by a friend. He is pretty awesome, I feel like we have learned a lot in just the 2 weeks. Last night I couldn't sleep and I found myself forming sentences in my dreams and then translating them in Spanish. My "partner in crime" Jeanne has said similar things that she is dreaming in Spanish and saying Spanish sentences. I also found that at the gym I am counting in Spanish without even knowing it. Looks like the lessons are working Freddy!

Well, it's really nice to take lessons with someone that is on the same level. Some of you might know that Jeanne and I also work out together fairly often so the other day we found a unique way of practicing our Spanish. We went for a run and the whole time we talked in Spanish and asked each other questions. It was a good run and a good lesson. It's funny to see how much we are becoming more confident. Less hand motions more talking..Less asking Cullen questions more talking.

Well, I am so thankful that someone told us about Freddy for a while it was like pulling hair to get anyone to tell you of a tutor they could recommend.

Me and Freddy...Jeanne is taking the picture so she is there in spirit.

Saturday's With Felix

Our first short story "Saturday's with Felix." This Saturday we started out by running errands with Felix. First to the Huembes Market to Flower Central where Felix goes to pick up flowers for his apartment every week.

This is the entrance to the store. On the left are all the boxes that the flowers are shipped in.
 Each box has the same kind of flower in it.

 This was a sweet experience. There is the "Flower Guy" Kevin that is quite the charmer he calls you to let you know what flowers he has in this week and that you better hurry up and stop by before they are all gone. I wish I would of gotten a photo of him because he was cute and had slicked hair like Elvis. I think that style might be making a come back. Well, he was a big flirt  with Jeanne and I and we weren't even buying flowers. Anyhow, Felix was saying that he has all these prestigious women clients that he calls to tell them what flowers are in. It's like a full service flower shop. You go into the cooler to pick out your flowers, then they clean the stems for you, you pay them and tip them, and then they take the flowers out to your car for you. Now that's what I am talking about.

This is the cooler, usually it's completely packed and you can't even walk in

Isn't cool how they package the roses...

Exotic Flowers

I loved how they packaged everything!

Lets see...from here we went and picked up our Filete and veggie rolls for dinner later and took them to Felix's house. We also placed the flowers in their vases and then headed back out for some lunch.

Our Lunch Spot

We have found a favorite breakfast/lunch place here in Managua. It's called Zacate Limon (lemon grass) everything is so delicious here. They have great strawberry smoothies, yummy pancakes, and amazing salads. I had the California Salad which has Chicken, granny smith apples, candied walnuts and avocado. It was so good! They are also known for there little cupcakes. Cullen and I had one each and Felix had Chocolate cake.

From lunch we headed back to Felix's Apartment where we relaxed and had his famous Sangria, smoked cigars (not the ladies of course), watched the sunset, and of course some very stimulating conversations.

Placencia Reserva Organica Cigar- Esteli, North of Managua

 

Movie Time

One might think that we have done more than enough for one day, but you are wrong. After relaxing at the apartment, we decide to go rent/buy a movie. I am sure everyone is familiar with renting a movie in the States. You go to the rental store and wander around till you find a movie you want. Well, here in Nicaragua. You drive up to this little Movie Shack (Pictured Below) You tell them what kind of movie you would like to buy and they bring a handful or movies out to your car for you to skim through and pick the ones your want. We picked 6 movies for $1 each. Not a bad deal. 

The inside of the movie store. It wasn't really as shady as the picture looks.

Choosing the right movie

 Filete Anyone??

Now it's time for dinner. Felix has been talking about this meal all week so I was very excited to try it. Filete is just a fillet of meat that they cook for a long time and it has a pepper rub on the outside of it. It comes with this delicious cilantro dip that is very refreshing. Along with the filete we had tons of vegetables and veggie rolls with soy sauce. Notice in the pictures the flowers on the table are from our adventures earlier that day.

Flowers from Kevin!

Veggie rolls with soy sauce

Filete with cilantro sauce

Fresh veggies, I know they look like a lot but they were all gone in about 20 minutes.

 ~Buenas Noches~

                               

Felix, Our Insider to Managua

Felix's sweet ride

Felix is our insider into Managua he runs his family's company in Managua, he only eats meat no fruit or veggie. How ironic to have a meatarian and a vegetarian (Jeanne) in the same group. It always brings up great discussion of how can Jeanne eat so many eggs and how can Felix not stand to eat an apple or a banana. Luckily, they get along just fine.
 

So Felix plays an instrumental part in our time here in Managua. Without him we wouldn't see half the stuff we do or enjoy all the delicious food.
He is a wealth of knowledge, you tell him what you are going to do this weekend and he will tell you what you should do and how best to do it.

We have been thinking about writing a book or many books about our time with Felix:

Saturdays with Felix
Going to the Flower market with Felix
How to make sangria with Felix
What would Felix Do
Story Time with Felix

Our Anniversary in Nicaragua

Well, I can't believe that we have been together for 6 years. This past Friday was our (dating) anniversary if you can call it that. Where we have spent most of our anniversary's reflects our lives today. We have been in 4 different countries(United States, Hong Kong, Italy, Nicaragua) for 4 of the 6 anniversary's...not bad for getting around. So here we are this year in Managua eating wine and tapas, I could get used to this.
Who knows where we will be next year.  We are definitely enjoying out adventure!

Finally some Comfort Food!

 Well, yesterday I made homemade granola ...which was so yummy, but then I told Cullen and Jeanne and then some how magically there was only a little bit left in the container this morning. I guess that's what happens when you are the last person up in the morning. So, today I made another batch. I don't know why it sooo good. Maybe because the good kind of cereal here cost $8..that would be Kashi Crunch and I thought $4 was a lot for cereal in the States. Well, the granola I made is really simple and really delicious. Here's the recipe:

Kathryn's Nicaraguan Granola

3-4 cups of oats (if you are feeding Cullen and Jeanne maybe 5 cups)
2 tablespoons of sugar

The rest I just eyeball...my mom would be proud!
3-5 tablespoons for the following:

Unsweetened coconut
Cashews no salt
Slivered almonds or whole
peanuts

Whatever you fancy!

Then you mix all the dry ingredients together.

In a pan you put about 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil in a pan and 6 Tablespoons of Honey and mix all together. Then you pour that mixture on the dry ingredients. Stir the dry ingredients to spread the honey mixture.  After pouring you might need a little more honey, so repeat the process.
Then put in the oven at 350 degrees for a total of 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, take out and stir and then another 10 minutes in the oven and take out and let cool.

If you want to add chocolate wait till it completely cools and then add!

If I could, I would add flax seed, cranberries...yummy!

The Characters!

Well, its pretty important that you know the characters here in Nicaragua, so all our trips and stories make sense.

First, we have David, he's our "Margarita Man". Loves Margaritas, the Yankees, is a good rapper, loves eating meat and by far has the best laugh I have ever heard. He is the 2nd best at speaking Spanish in the house. These are pretty impressive qualities.

Next is Jeanne, she's our "Egg Queen". She eats veggies and eggs like it's no body's business, she loves to run, and has the best hand motions for communicating with Nicaraguans who don't speak English. (Not for long since she is rocking at Spanish)

My man, Cullen. He is the guy "that makes things happen". Papi of the house..he loves beans, rocks out on the guitar so loud it doesn't matter what room you are in, plans sweet trips and activities to do on the weekends, and he makes us all laugh. Oh and how can I forget without his sweet Spanish speaking skills we would be lost.

Then there is me, Kathryn. What can I say I love the granola bars here, I try to take in all the small things and enjoy them, I'm known for knowing my Spanish vocab of objects, and food. I also am a chocolate fanatic...doesn't matter where I am living.

Our Bread and Butter

Every time you move to a new place you discover new foods to eat, or you find foods that you didn't eat that often and cling to them. I live with 3 other people and between the 4 of us there is one main thing we eat plenty of...EGGS

Jeanne is the "Egg Queen" and somehow she has used her powers to make us all want eggs. There are 8 dozen eggs in this picture. This is the normal amount Jeanne eats a week..given she is a vegetarian so her options are slim..but the rest of us are constantly trying to keep up with her.

Then there are the other necessities..Beans..If you know Cullen he loves beans. Last week we ate so many beans that we had our Maid Rosa go to the market and get 6lbs of bean. We asked her to get 12lbs but I think it was too much to carry. 

RICE is a staple with every meal. Nicaraguans eat it for breakfast with beans mixed in, it's called " gallo pinto"

Don't forget sugar we go through a pound of that every week and a half..who knows where it goes. Maybe it's in the mean fresh squeeze lemonade or orange juice (jugo de naranja) Rosa makes for us.

Lastly, a new favorite food that is everywhere is, PAPAYA

Rosa says that if you open a papaya and throw it's seeds on the ground there will be a tree there next year.

We have two papaya trees in our front yard and I have never seen papaya's that big!! I mean growing up there are pictures of me holding huge zucchinis but never papayas.

Once you choose your papaya you have to cut slits down it length wise so it will ripen. Then you let it sit in the sun a little longer.

Then it's time to eat!