It was time again to renew our Visas, so in April we jumped on a bus and headed for Nicaragua. We wanted to visit a different city than our previous trip so we opted for Granada. We like to travel by bus because it’s inexpensive (compared to what we’d pay in gas) and they do all the hard stuff (paperwork) for us. Of course, there is always a reality behind the positive curtain. So here’s my rant…if your butt/gut is too big to fit in one seat, you should be required to purchase two. Why does everything have to be soooooo politically correct? There’s nothing more obnoxious than a person sitting in their seat and half of mine when I get on the bus, especially when I am 8 months pregnant. So one person gets to ride for 5 hours in a beyond uncomfortable state because someone else decided they needed an extra plate of rice and beans at each meal or that they don’t like to exercise? It’s so beyond selfish and yet no one can say anything or they are looked at as being rude and in the wrong. How about the person sharing MY seat that I paid for is wrong. I don’t have anything against “chubby” people, but you should have to pay for what you are using…just like I paid for the space I’m going to use. I could make the analogy of going to a restaurant, ordering and paying for a steak, and the waitress comes out with your steak cut in half. You, of course, ask where the other half is and they inform you that someone else needs more than you so they are giving them half of yours, but charging them the same. It’s no different. You pay for a full seat, you should get a full seat. I’m sure I just ticked a bunch of people off (although some who are reading this are shaking their head in agreement b/c they’ve been in similar situations) so I must just stop or someone is going to send me some hate mail. For the record, my husband is not only sexy, smart, and hysterically funny, but he is also sweet as a peach pie. He took one for the team and endured La Gorda for the duration of the trip. Please don’t even get me started on airplanes. It’s ludicrous! Man, I’m feisty today! Haha!
We always travel on a budget. Heck, our whole life is on a tight budget. However, since we know that these required trips are family memories we always like to do a few fun things. Our special splurge this time was the Choco Museum where we were able to…………
Roast our cocoa beans,
temper the beans,
shell the beans,
crush the beans into a cocoa paste,
and after adding tons of sugar and other flavors, we made our chocolate bars! It was such a unique experience and so much fun!
Kyah was obsessed with riding in a carriage like Cinderella. She picked these horses, Rabbit and Bartender, and we took them for a little sight-seeing trip around the town.
Precious memories with my sweetpea.
The Knutsons (all 4 of us!) In front of Lake Nicaragua.
I love walking places instead of using public transportation. Off the beaten path, away from other tourists, is where you really experience the culture.
Our hotel had a sweet pool and we did a lot of swimming. 
My little fish can swim the entire length of the pool. She might look like me, but she has so many characteristics like her daddy…the biggest one being her lack of fear. She prefers to swim with her head underwater because “that’s how Ariel swims”. Ha!
We found a local park and there was a horse just hanging out, untethered, enjoying his lunch.
Some little local boys provided our entertainment for dinner.
This sweet boy begged us to let him make something for us out of leaves. He made us a couple of creatures and we paid him a buck. He was thrilled.
And…we’re set for another 90 days. Yay!
