Welcome back to 2-2-2 Tuesday!
Here are 2 Cultural Highlights, 2 Quotes, and 2 Brief Stories for you to enjoy.
Inspired by Granada and Ometepe, Nicaragua
2 cultural Highlights:
1.
Sharks and Swordfish in Lake Nicaragua:
A really nice European young couple invited us to explore the islets of a unique freshwater lake of Granada. Lake Nicaragua reportedly has 365 islets, although I didn’t count them. One for each day of the year I guess?
Lake Nicaragua is said to be the ONLY freshwater lake containing oceanic life, including bull sharks, swordfish, and tarpon. How did they get there? It’s believed they entered via the San Juan River. Interestingly, more than 40 rivers drain into the lake.
Alas, we didn’t see any sharks. But it’s still worth checking out. As a consolation prize, we observed a huge variety of floating plant life, fruits, colorful birds, monkeys, and interesting humans.
2.
My Surprising Haircut in El Salvador
The high heat and humidity seemed to go straight to my head as my hair grew longer and wilder. To add fuel to the fire, Farah was visibly growing tired of me threatening to purchase scissors to give myself a haircut.
One morning, on a whim, I decided to walk into a barber shop around the corner from our hotel. I asked about the price. For reference, a haircut at home would cost around $20.
Me: “Cuanto cuesta?” How much does it cost?
Shop Owner: “$1.75. Está bien ese precio?” Is that price okay
Me: “¡Por supuesto! Sure!” (I tried to downplay my surprised excitement).
I decided to just go for it due to the barely believable price. Worst case scenario? It looks silly, we get to laugh about it, and it eventually grows back.
Well, Rosalinda smashed my expectations. She paid more attention to detail than any haircut I’ve received up to this point in my life. I felt like a new man walking out of there. If you find yourself in El Salvador, treat yourself to a haircut. Great bang for your buck.
2 Quotes to Consider:
1.
“There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.” – William Yeats
2.
“A ship is safe in the harbor, but that is not what ships are built for.” – John Shedd
2 Brief Stories:
1.
Uber Eats for Dogs!
Sometimes, if we’re lucky, multiple great opportunities converge into something interesting. This was recently the case for Farzak.
First, we rented a scooter to whiz around Ometepe Island. Noteworthy: During that time, I set a PR (personal record) for the number of cows dodged while driving a scooter in a twenty-four hour period (around 35). Fortunately, the off-roading, potholes, and cow jams did not result in any accidents.
The second great opportunity came from the Nicaraguans’ generous meal portions. They often gave us enough to feed a family of ten. These two circumstances led to a third unique opportunity, which brings us to Uber Eats for dogs.
How did it work? You guessed it. Farah kept her eyes peeled for dogs who appeared famished as I focused on not crashing. When she spotted a hungry fella, I slowed down long enough for her to throw out a meal.
Uber Eats for dogs. Our four legged kids in Arizona (Abby, Lilly, and Ellie) would be proud.
2.
Chase Waterfalls, Not Mesmerizing Butterflies.
Are you looking for a challenging hike with a refreshing waterfall payout? If you find yourself in Ometepe, San Ramón waterfall will deliver the goods.
Following a long day of traveling by bus and ferry, we needed this trek to get the blood flowing so to speak. The 4.5 mile hike featured capuchin and howler monkeys, lush green jungle, and choruses of chirping birds. Not bad. To paint the full picture, though, I should mention we also battled plenty of heat, humidity, and elevation gain.
We finally reached the destination. It was glorious. Exhausted and sweaty, we stripped down and showered under the brisk water falling at least 100 feet. Bliss. A zebra swallowtail butterfly greeted us. Cherry on top.
The downclimb was much easier. We had just enough energy and water to make it back.
But our relief vanished as quickly as it came. Why? We could not start the scooter, because… “Where’s the key!?” It was nowhere to be found. Did I leave it at the base of the waterfall? The idea of repeating the hike felt a bit like an approach to Everest. Luckily, I was slightly less dramatic in that moment and focused on climbing back up. Farah stayed behind and surprised me by sewing up my passport holder that recently fell apart. Thanks Schatz!
When I reached the waterfall for a second time, the key was where I expected it to be. Crisis averted. And we certainly got the blood flowing.
The butterfly must have hypnotized me. Careful. Distractions will getcha.
Thanks for tuning in to 2-2-2 Tuesday! If you have any feedback, comments, or suggestions, we’d love to hear from you. Have a wonderful week!
– Zack and Farah
