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Friday, July 25th I officially leave Nicaragua.  I land that evening.  Here's your last and most spectacular TWI

• Cockroaches: don't like them.  Earlier this week, I saw a cockroach in my room, but this day was different than most days. Any other day that cockroach should be terrified that a giant leather and rubber fist of God labeled ADIDAS would squash his life from this earth, but not on this day.  I thought to myself, "he's done nothing wrong, and at the slightest provocation will scamper back into his little hole and out of my life." Maybe because I've grown accustomed to insects in my room? Maybe I was lazy? Maybe it was because I was out of toilet paper and didn't know how to remove his corpse from the premises, into the water-jug-cut-in-half cockroach graveyard that doubles as my trash bin? This day it seemed acceptable to cohabitate with a cockroach.*  It did not, however, yet seem acceptable to cohabitate with rats. (This last sentence we call 'foreshadowing') 

• I was reading my book on my bed the other day, and I frequently hear squeaking in the gap between the top of the wall and the corrugated metal roof. I usually thought it was my fan. But after the squeaking came some noises that sounded like something moving, then... Then a rat fell from the ceiling and landed on the edge of my bed, about two feet from where my head was. It ran away and was never seen again.  I wasn't worried though, I was actually very happy that this happened when I was awake and lucid, because raining rats at night, in the dark, would have scared the HELL out of me. 

• This week is Grupo Fenix's Solar Culture Course, which is an "introduction to the science and use of appropriate renewable energy technologies such as solar cookers, dryers and photovoltaic systems." (from the website).  It is 11 days long, takes place here in Nicaragua, and the course fee is $995, plus transportation.  The point of the story is I got to meet and talk to people who speak English in the 2 days they spent here in Managua, and I also went to visit Volcano Masya with them, with some good pictures if I can get them from somebody... The point of the story is also that if you are interested in renewable energy and want a vacation in the rolling hills of Nicaragua, check out the link above.

• Always wanted to learn how to build a solar powered oven? Me too!  Salud del Sol has posted a manual on the construction of Solar Cookers, in both English and Spanish. 

• Vince's 3 rules of traveling:
• Never let fear motivate you. This isn't to say throw judgement out the window, but every time I hesitate to do something because I'm worried about language, strange places, new adventures... When I decide the affirmative I've never regretted it. This translates roughly to a favorite saying of mine: "Bad decisions make good stories" (to reiterate: 'bad' decisions referring to the feeling of fear or apprehension, NOT decisions which compromise safety or morals)
  
• Never say later. As a rule, traveling is harder the older you get. Later is never better, and "next year" usually never comes. Do it now.
• Never, ever ever ever say "Only one week left and I still haven't gotten sick!!" because karma goes double when you're on the road... 

•  My last flight out got canceled and I didn't arrive home until Saturday (instead of Friday) which is why this post is one day late. I still have a final post coming, so check back tomorrow or Tuesday!

 It's good to be back,
Vince

*This might indicate I've been here too long