La Casita

I am really enjoying my little apartment. Actually, by most standards it is quite large. There is a great patio and a terrace up top that has a nice view and gets a wonderful breeze-a blessing in Managua. The kitchen is outside the house but covered by the terrace so it is protected from the rain. I do my laundry in the lavandera and let it line dry. I have to say I am missing the dryer, which shrinks cloths back to their original size. Everytime I put on my jeans I have a moment of glee because they are loose and I think I have miraculously lost 10 pounds and then remind myself that it is probably the opposite but thankfully they still fit because there is no dryer.
Which brings me to food.....aaaaahhhhh food-and aaaahhhh fried food! I am really enjoying the food down here, very simple but stuff that I can eat every day and I am getting used to having heavy foods like rice and beans and yuca and fried plantains and meat to a point where salads are starting to seem like less than a meal. Everytime I go to a meeting we get little treats...sometimes big treats and always gaseosa (soda) I have never drank so much coke and pepsi in my life. I may not have a whole lot of teeth when I get back.
For a change, today I went to a 'natural/organic' restaraunt where I ate hummus on whole wheat pita and a South Beach Salad and tofu! It was a good break to remind my body about other types of food. I realized how much I miss ginger! I am not sure if I will return a whole lot though, like all other natural restaruants it was expensive and had a shi shi air to it and it was hard to justify spending almost $8 for lunch when there are tons of great places to eat for $2. Vamos a ver...