May is Guacamole Month

The avocado tree in our backyard is ready for harvest! The avocados are buttery and delicious and I'm eating a lot of guacamole since Eric is not really a big fan.

This is Jose, our friendly neighborhood security guard. He's from Catarina and knows a lot about everything flora related. He kept 3/4 of the haul and is coming back in a week to collect the remaining fruit.

The curtain rod picking device was already in the backyard when we moved in but Jose brought over the little blue sack to attach to the end of the rod to catch the falling avocados. They are hard to reach in such a big tree - they grow on the underside of a branch, in the shade of the leaves.

They each weigh about 2 lbs!
More photos here

Casa del Soul

Eric enjoyed the floating cooler Sunrise over the bay (the view from our room)
We spent a very relaxing weekend away in San Juan del Sur. I found a new place to stay one bay north of the San Juan del Sur bay. It's a beautiful house owned by a really nice american guy named Randy. He built it as his home/B&B. The perfect place to stay in SJDS when you have a truck (vital to climb the cliff and reach the house) and want to be a little out of the way.
Casa del Soul photos

La Chureca, Managua, Nicaragua

Like most cities in developing countries, the dump is an essential part of the economy. Eric's story for Bloomberg about the crisis at La Chureca in Managua appears here.

cows, pigs, vultures, dogs, children
an entire community
boys men
fires vultures

JK Visit #2! 2008

Our good friend Jeannine came to visit us for a week after her eco-adventure in Panama. We were far less eco and more Flor de Cana but it was really fun, as usual. We did make a few side trips including a canopy tour over a crater lagoon in Managua (only she has photos), a visit to El Brujo-Chocoyero where almost 1,000 parrots nest in the cliff walls and the weekend in San Juan del Sur. We miss you Nano!


off for a hike.


JK and I did the canopy tour at the Tiscapa Laguna at the last minute. We were the only customers that day and received a lot of attention. We both wanted to be paired with Enrique but no such luck. He rode alone.

Someone could have told me to fix my hair.
More photos here.

We 'heart' MGA

Despite Eric's best efforts to find things to dislike, we both can't help but love living in the city that everybody hates. We have yet to be robbed in broad daylight and contrary to popular belief in Granada, it is MUCH cooler here. Our house is perfect and we have already hosted many visitors. There is a lot to do in our neighborhood, Altamira, especially at the mall (haha), and we are lucky to live within walking distance of all of the most important things.

This is our street

Our front patio area

Our beautiful Masaya hammock

The cat in an irresistible pot

More photos of the house here, including before and after shots of our kitchen.