Day 1- Bon voyage

We started our journey at 9:00 (early for summer vacation) with a long drive down to the Miami International Airport. Our last experiences in the EEUU greatly contrasted our arrival to Nicaragua, the second-poorest country in the Western hemisphere. As opposed to a crowded metropolitan city and airport filled with the smell of an American food court, we were greeted by an un air-conditioned airport and a new language. After the 5 minute custom "check" we were received by hugs and enthusiasm from a small fraction (5) of our host family - Nora's relatives. The parking lot was dark and past the fence we could see a  snapshot of Managua, which gave us our first look at the realities of a developing country. Some of us were taken by surprise when a boy started persistently asking for money, seeing that we were a group of new tourists. And even late at night, the streets were lined with people (beggars, vendors and crowds near bars). Just the drive opened our eyes to the rolling hills and culture that we were about to be immersed in.